Theological Study

The Presentation of the Bride to the Lord Jesus Christ Through the Purging Process

2008-11-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

What is the next program of the Lord? It is the presentation of the Bride namely the church to the Lord Jesus Christ through the purging process. The church must be bold denouncing error and separating from the unbelieving world which will destroy the Word. Any thing that destroys the Light must be dealt seriously. Our coming judgement seat of Christ is compared to the great contest in the New Testament. As we read the use of race illustrated this point in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 saying “Knowing ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” God will provide gold metal to every Christian who meet God’s standard. This incorruptible reward and crown will continue forever.

In 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Paul tells his son Timothy certain qualifications that he needs to do to please the Lord. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” How much more does God need to say? Those who please God will be those who discipline themselves to put His Word and plan first in the line before anything else. We ask the Lord, “How do you want me to serve you, Lord?” The answer is that our love must be the greatest to the Lord Jesus who died for us and put His spirit in us. We need to trust Him faithful and we can not say, “I can not do it.” If we deny Him, He can not be your God. Thus as long as we live in this world we must please Christ.

Do we know what Paul says about reward? We read in Colossians 2:18 “Let no man beguile you of your reward.” It is sad to say that it is happening all the time. The Christians are hearing the different voice and following deliberately the wrong church and they are loosing their reward. However some may say “I do not care about reward.” We must care about it, for Christ had died and paid the infinite price to make possible for us to have reward. Truly we must be willing to take what He wants you to receive otherwise He is not our Lord. Thus Paul reminded us by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we must be careful and do not let anyone loose it.

When will all these happen? The answer is at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Revelation 19:7-9 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” When the church is raptured from this earth, the great tribulation will occur to this world and those who do not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. But to those who love the Lord there will be a blessed day for them where they can see Jesus face to face. In Revelation 20:4, 6 we also see some of the rewards that will be given in the millennial kingdom. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.....they live and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” “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.” Thus we will rule the world together with God for a thousand years and in that millennial kingdom Satan will be bounded. We will be like Jesus, and we will be revealed in the glory and final sanctification and to see Jesus Christ.

The Great Judgment Seat Of Christ

2008-11-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

1. What is the Judgement Seat of Christ?

Do we need to go to the judgement seat of Christ? The answer is yes and all Christians will be there. One may continue to say that the moment we believe in the Lord we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ from all our sins and judgement forever. So what is the judgement seat of Christ for then? The answer is that judgment seat of Christ is not to determine our salvation but your reward for serving Christ and obeying His known will in our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:10 tell us, “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.” Take notes what Paul said here when he used the pronoun “we” in the phrase “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” He was talking to the Christians and not to the unbelievers. Everything will all be exposed and unveiled in that time before the Lord. In Romans 14:10 Paul warned the Christians who are in pride and judging others. “But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Every Christian who ever lived will appear before the Judgement seat of Christ. It will not be a pleasant experience for many Christians but a sad experience because of what they have done in their Christian living on this earth.

Thus Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 that the Christians have the foundation built upon the Lord Jesus Christ. “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” This passage tells us about the Christians who will be fired and rested their works by the Lord Jesus Christ. All things the Christians have done on this earth will be fired.

What is this fire? In Revelation 1:14 says that Jesus Christ has eyes as a flaming fire. This is to say that the Lord Jesus Christ does not have outside fire as His help to know what He is examining. His own eye can provide fire because “For our God is consuming fire” (Hebrew 12:29). The Bible gives us an example through the life of Lot who lived in the midst of the wicked people and compromised with them. Lot suffered lost because of his disobedience and he lost his family by fire but he himself will be saved.

2. The Method of Judgement of God

How will the Lord judge the Christians? And what method will He use? It is important to know that the way of judgement that God will do will be more different from our method of judgement each other even ourselves. In Luke 8:17 Jesus said, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Everything in that day will be revealed. Romans 2:16 tell us that “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of man by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Based on these passages we can see the different method of judgement of God and of man. Our judgement upon other people even for ourselves based on our visible things but God’s is based on heart searching.

The Lord will not only judge people according to their secret attitude but He will also judge them according to how much they really know God’s revealed word. In Luke 12:47-48 Jesus Christ says concerning knowing the will of God, “And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” In this passage we notice that the servants of God who are partly ignorant of the will of God will suffer less than who know God’s will and rejected it. But both these servants are beaten, because ignorance is not the excuse when we have opportunity to discover God’s truth. The Lord is aware of our motives for neglecting His Word but nevertheless those who are in the greater light have the greater responsibility.

3. The granting of the reward

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” As we read again 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, what then do we think about the gold, silver and precious stone that are mentioned here to guarantee our survival in the judgement seat of Christ? In the first place we need to understand that the things we do for the Lord Jesus Christ must be based on our love for Him. We remember the sadness of the heart of Jesus in the book of Revelation 2 for the church of Ephesus. After the Christians in the church of Ephesus have worked so hard, the Lord Jesus said to them, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou have left thy first love.” This is to say that the Lord Jesus is more concerned on why we serve Him than how much we serve Him. He is more interested on why we give sacrificially for His works than how much we give to Him. If we do things because of our love for Christ and for His glory we will be rewarded and honoured in that great day. The church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 was doing many things in the church but it was based on routine and tradition. Thousands of Christians are doing the same things right now in this world. It is just a habit in attending the church each Sunday and giving the offering but nevertheless it is just a routine. This is worthless before the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ said to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

In addition to what the apostle John has recorded in the book of Revelation, the apostle Paul said in Romans 12:9 “Let love be without dissimulation Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” It means that we do not play game with truth and error, Satan and God, and darkness and light. We need to have the attitude like the Lord Jesus Christ that He absolutely hated the error, evil, corruption, deception and apostasy. There is no compromise and loving confrontation with evil. John the Baptist was the greatest man that ever lived born of the woman who lived without compromise (Matthew 11:11). Because the strong conviction of John the Baptist in his message without compromise he loved to tell the truth to Pharisees, Saducees and those who lived in those days. Therefore let love be without dissimulation.

The Bible tells us that the only possible way to perpetuate the most precious the church has namely the truth of God in the written word, is to separate from those who distort, damage, pollute, and destroy the Word of God. It means we need to separate ourselves from those who involved in this matter. This is to say we need to excommunicate those who have involved in these matters. What did Paul say to those who lost their discernment concerning truth in the church of Corinth? We read in 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Having read this passage we say this is unpleasant. The issue here is that just like a doctor talking to one person that part of his body must be removed and need to have surgery. If it is not done, it will destroy his entire life and die. However the most pleasant thing that the doctor can say is to tell that person that there will be separation of the contaminating, poisoning part of the body or else death will come. Amputation is the loving act in order to save that person.

As the Lord set the church and the church should serve the Lord but the church must destroy the elements which destroy the purity of the church and the truth of the Word of God. The truth of the Word of God is the most neglected by many so-called Christians. Compromising is the main issue in many churches in this world but the truth can not be compromised. The apostle of love said in his epistle concerning those who destroy and contaminate God’s truth in 2 John 10-11 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” Thus if we do not love God enough and doing the things that He entrusted to us according to His command, and if we open deliberately the door of our Bible class, church and home for teaching and influence to the ones who undermine and deny the truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will loose our reward. So the basic truth that we study here is we must love the Lord Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and be faithful to what the Lord has given to us.

The Future Plan Of God For The Church

2008-11-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

1. According to Jesus

What is the Church? And what is the future plan of God for the Church? In what programs of God the church will be included? In order to know the answers to these questions it is important to study what the Lord Jesus Christ said about the church while He was in this earth during His public ministry. We read in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, “I will build my church.” This is to say that the program of God for the church is still in the future when He says this word. It implies that the Lord Jesus Christ sees the different plan of God for Israel and the church. God has a special purpose for Israel and the church as well, but the plan of God to both groups of people is not the same. Israel already exists for many years but the church (local church) does not exist during the ministry of Jesus in His first coming. John the Baptist also indicates about the plan of God for the church in John 3:29-30 that the church is not only in the future but he himself does not have opportunity to belong to it. As he says, “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” The friend of the bridegroom is different from the bride because the bride is the church. So the question is when is the beginning of the church? After the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, His disciples based on the great commission that they received, went out to preach the gospel not only in Jerusalem but also in Judea and Samaria which we can see as the beginning of the church.

2. According to the apostle Paul

Paul tells us in Ephesians 3:5-6 that the church is the brand new thing which is never known before. Paul says, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” What is that hidden in the past but now revealed? It is “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”

Before the Pentecost, the believers were in two groups namely the Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles should become the Jews in some extents to be fully involved in the program of God. But Paul said in this passage that now the mystery is the new arrangement in the plan of God. The Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to be acceptable before the Lord because in the body of Christ there is no Jew and Gentile. This mystery was revealed and begun in the day of Pentecost as the Lord Jesus Christ says that few days after he left to heaven, the Holy Spirit of God would baptise them who trust in Him namely the bride of Christ, the true church of Jesus Christ. The proof of this promise was fulfilled in the day of Pentecost. God is calling people to this new organism, the church to Himself and when it is complete; there will be rapture of the church. Now Jesus is preparing for the time of the rapture that every believer will meet Him face to face in the air. This will be the end of God’s program for the church on this earth.

In the study of the plan of God for the church, we are not only to know when the church is begun in God’s program, but we need to understand who will belong to this church. The church is not only the small percentage Christians on this earth but every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ from generation to generation. They are the sanctified people in the Lord because in Hebrew 10:10 said that we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are sanctified by the blood of Christ, once for all. In Philippians 1:6 Paul says, “Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform until the day of Jesus Christ.” Every Christian the moment he is born again he is sanctified by God and he is in this earth in the process of sanctification day by day. His sinful nature will be banished away and he is called a saint. However we need to understand clearly that the idea of saint that we are talking about is totally different to what the world offers to man. Many people have said that only those who have done great things to people and to the church are worthy to be called the saints. What they have said is absolutely a contradiction to what the Word of God says. Every born again Christian in the New Testament is worthy to be called a saint. In 1 Corinthins 1:2-3 we read what Paul says to the Christians in the church of Corinth. “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Chris Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

a. The Sanctified people is the Saint

What do we have to do to be a saint? What do we have to do to be sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ? The only answer to these questions is we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing that the Christians need to do to be sanctified. It is all settled the moment we believe in Him. God is taking care of this matter but the process of sanctification is begun at the moment we are saved, up to the time of the rapture. In this process, the Holy Spirit is used by God to sanctify us through the written Word of God. However it is sad to know that many Christians set aside the Scripture and focus on the matter of dreams, visions and speaking in tongues, and ever experiencing and some other things.

In John 17:17 Jesus prayed saying “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The Word of God is the instrument sanctifying God’s people. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “ We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We need to come to the Word of God to reveal ourselves clearly. Thus in the process of sanctification, the Word of God does two things for us, Christians. Firstly, it shows that we are not in the light of other people but in the light of God. Secondly, it shows us how far we have fallen short from God’s standard of Christian living. Thus the Bible is the cleansing agent to remove the defilement of our sins as Ephesians 5:26 when Paul spoke of the washing of the water by the Word.

The Old Testament Teaching on The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

2008-11-10T02:24:00.000-08:00

While Jesus Christ was with His disciples, His teachings were not lacking concerning His Second Coming to prepare them for that great day. When Jesus ascended before His disciples, two angels spoke to the disciples in the Mount of Olives saying “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). He will be coming to the earth at the same top namely at the Mount of Olives and He will come visibly, physically in glory. Thus we must be ready.

The prophecy of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus was not mentioned by Jesus Himself or His apostle but the Holy Spirit has been speaking about His Second Coming hundreds years before His first coming. This is to say that the Old Testament Scriptures does not only give the prophecy of His first Coming such Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5 and Zechariah 9 but also hundreds of passages devoted for His Second Coming. The passages right from the book of Genesis to Revelation contain many prophecies of His return. The following passages are eight prophetic passages in the Old Testament about the Second Coming as at His first coming.

1. Genesis 3:15

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

2. Numbers 14:17-19

“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.”

3. Deuteronomy 30:1-20

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

4. 1 Samuel 2:30-35

“Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.”

5. Psalms 2:7-9

“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

6. Psalms 72:8-11

“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”

7. Psalms 110:1-4

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

8. Isaiah 2:1-4

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

Apart from these eight prophetic passages there are still many prophetic passages given in the Old Testament about the Second Coming and what He will do for this world through Israel at the coming of His beloved Son. The problem today is that there are many people who are ignorant for His Coming, though it is not because of the lacking of Bible references. God the Father has told about the coming of His Son, and the Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples and the people about the things related to His Second Coming, and yet we are slow in heart to believe what the Lord said. Thus we may conclude that we must study the word of God faithfully and diligently because God loves the diligent student of His Word.

Jesus' Teaching on His Second Coming

2008-11-10T02:17:00.001-08:00

1. According to the gospel of Luke

a. Luke 9:26-31

What was Jesus saying about His Second Coming in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? The answers to this question we will see just from one book namely the gospel of Luke. The very word of Jesus concerning His coming we find in Luke 9:26-27 when he says, “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s and of the Holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.” What does it mean when Jesus says He will come with the glory of the Father and of the Holy angels? And what does it mean also when the Lord Jesus says that “there be some standing here, which shall not of death, till they see the kingdom of God?” The answers are found in the following verses. “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:28-31). This was regarding His crucifixion, which He will accomplish in Jerusalem. Three of the disciples saw the transfiguration of Christ which the preview of His Second Coming. This is the advance indication to the three disciples what Christ looks like to see him in the glory. This was the preview because the two dead men came and the voice of the father from heaven saying, “this is my beloved son in which I am pleased.”

b. Luke 12:36-40

Another passage that recorded by Luke the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning His Second Coming to this earth is found in Luke 12:36. It says, “And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.” In this verse, Jesus describes Himself as the bridegroom who is going to bring His bride. And Jesus continued to say, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, have suffered his house to be broken through” (Luke 12:37-39). This is to say that no one knows when the coming of the Lord Jesus except God the Father. We need to be ready at all times as we continue to read in Luke 12:40 “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” We should not think that He will not come and then we do our own things and not of the Lord. In this short passage we see the constant reminder for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that we need to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord and be ready at any time.

c. Luke 13:24-30

Luke 13:24-27 “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” Hearing this word from the Lord Jesus Christ we are reminded that it is not the wonderful and dramatic works that the Lord expect from all of us but the faithfulness of us to what He has commanded us to do. We think of those who are just professing Christians, they may claim to the Lord for what they have been doing as so-called Christians but at the end the Lord does not count their works. The judgement will be given to those people.

Furthermore the Lord Jesus continued to say what the things will happen in His Second Coming as we see in Luke 13:29-30. He says, “And they shall come from the east, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.” There will be a great joy for those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. All believers in the world will be gathered together in the kingdom of God. The question we ask, what about those who are just merely pretenders as Christians? The answer is given in Luke 13:28 that “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” How horrible it is for those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! Knowing this great judgement from the Lord the unbelievers may say that they do not want to enter such situation but when they are urged to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is absolutely rejected. This is the situation of many people that they do not want to go to hell but their attitude and behaviour never bother about the reality of hell. If in this life a man does not come to know the Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no opportunity anymore after his death as the writer of Hebrews said “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27).

d. Luke 17:20-24

When Jesus Christ was with the Pharisees, they asked a question of when the kingdom of God is coming. As we read in Lukas 17:20-21 we see the clear answer from the Lord Jesus Christ to those unbelieving Jews. Luke 17:20-21 saying, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” In other word, Jesus was saying “I am the King and I am in the midst of you and I am here.” However the Lord Jesus said to His disciples not to the Pharisees concerning the coming of the Lord. We read in Luke 17:22-24 “And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. (Why?) For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” These are the things that will happen just before the Second Coming of the Lord because of the apostasy of the church and the growing numbers of the apostates, the great deception will occur. If there are people who claim as the King we should know one thing that Christ is the King. We do not have to wonder whether He is coming or not, because everybody will see Him. There is nothing secret but it will be visible.

e. Luke 18:8

Luke 18:8 “I tell you that he will avenge them speedily, Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” It implies that the situation at the Second Coming of Christ in the world will be so terrible. The Antichrist will absolutely control the world with his power because it is the final program of the Antichrist. However the Lord will show His mercy to His people and Israel will be saved despite of the horrible things happen in this world.

f. Luke 19:12

In Luke 19:12 Jesus gives the parables saying, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.” The context of this passage tells that this nobleman gave certain responsibility to each of his servants while he was not around that when he came back he would find his servants doing what he had commanded. However this parable tells that some have done much, some have done little but one man has done nothing because he is a disobedient servant. Whatever the Lord gives to us, we must do it wholeheartedly to please our God. We need to do what He has commanded us in His Holy Scripture.

g. Luke 21:7

In Luke 21:7, we notice that the more Jesus spoke about His Second Coming, the more anxious the disciples were. In this occasion the disciples were asking Jesus concerning His Second Coming. As we read, “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” To answer this question, the Lord Jesus in the whole chapter of Luke 21 explained all the details that will happen in the coming of the Lord.

h. Luke 22:16-18

Luke 22:16 “For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” When Jesus said this word to His disciples in the upper room, He was telling them the nearest of His crucifixion and death. In 1 Corinthians 11 reminded the Christians in the church of Corinth concerning what the Lord Jesus said in Luke 22:16. Paul wrote this revelation of God by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26). This is the Holy Communion that every church of the Lord Jesus Christ must do because in so doing, the believers in the Lord will remember what Jesus has done for us and anticipate for His coming when we will see Him face to face. There is no greater comfort then knowing the coming of the Lord Jesus. He right now is preparing a mansion for us and He will take us there. This is the tremendous assurance for those who believe in Him.

The Apostles' Teaching on The Second Coming of Christ

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1. According to the apostle Paul

In 2 Thessalonians 3:5 we read “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.” What Paul wrote here is the example of the church of Thessalonica as they journey this earth and waiting for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For every church today must follow as what Paul said to the church of Thessalonians namely we need the love of God and the patient in waiting for Christ.

Another aspect of the events in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ we find in 1 Corinthians 15. The passage tells us exactly what kind of resurrection body we will have when the Lord fixes the day. The body that we have right now is made of dust of this earth and the Lord will not allow this kind of body to enter His kingdom. Flesh and Blood can not inherit of the kingdom of God but we shall pattern after the resurrection body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus has the body that is flesh and bone and not flesh and blood. The book of Leviticus clearly said that the life of the body is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). Thus our body in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will be changed in to the glorified body as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Paul did not only teach the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ on these two epistles but rather in all his epistles he did emphasise that the recipients of his letters might continue to be ready for the return of the Lord.

2. According to the apostle James

In James 5:7-8 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of he earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” This is the practical emphasis James gave concerning the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the recipients of his epistle were living as strangers and pilgrims in other lands, James comforted them with this wonderful of God. On the other hand, James reminded the believers about the judgement of the Lord as he said in James 5:9 “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” The Lord Jesus said that God has committed all judgement to the Son of man. Jesus Christ will also judge the world and every one of us must appear before the throne judgement of God.

3. According to the apostle Peter

In 2 Peter 3:3-4 we are also told about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their owns lusts. And, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Peter knew that there would be people who would be asking in that way because they have doubted concerning the promises of God. For this reason Peter gave the answer in 2 Peter 3:5-6 “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” Furthermore Peter describes the details of the fulfilment of God’s promises (2 Peter 3:7-9). Indeed God never forgets His promises but He will come to judge the world. In the past because of the wickedness of the people the Lord has judged the world with Genesis’ flood and He will judge and destroy the world again for the same reason at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now Peter warned the recipients of his epistles to be ready in any time for the Coming of the Lord because no one will know when He will return. Thus 2 Peter 3:10-12 tells the absolute truth of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. It says “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” Every material and substance in this world will be destroyed automatically by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ then followed by the new heaven and new earth that is the prophetic program of God who can not lie. Everything will be fulfilled according to what the Lord said in His word.

4. According to the Apostle Jude

The apostle Jude has a testimony for the coming events connected to the coming of our Lord. We notice the whole book of Jude is talking about the apostasies that will happen in the church as the signs of the nearest return of the Lord Jesus to this earth. As Jude explains what those apostates will do in the church and to the believers, Jude reminds his recipients that they have a God who is able to keep them from falling. As we read in Jude 24 saying “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” Thus despite of the wickedness of this world by the power of God we who believe in Him will be preserved and saved for God’s glory. The Lord will preserve us till the Lord Jesus Christ returns where we can see Him face to face.

5. According to the apostle John

The apostle John whom Jesus Christ loved was exiled at the land of Patmos until the end of his life. However it was during his exile in this island, sixty years after Jesus had died and returned to heaven, Jesus gave him the panorama of the coming events connected to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle John before the Lord gave him the marvellous revelation of God concerning the coming events in the book of Revelation; Paul has reminded the believers in his first epistle concerning the coming of the Lord. This is to prepare us for the book of Revelation as we read in 1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” Furthermore John said in 1 John 3:2-3 “but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Thus we need to get ready for His coming. We must not be ashamed when He comes but we must be purified by looking and having anticipation, long for the coming of the Lord.

In the book of Revelation chapter 1, Christ gave us a symbolic presentation of His Second Coming and chapter 2-3 is representing the church of the age. In these two chapters of Revelation we see the warning that the Lord gave to each of the seven churches that they might listen with their spiritual ears because Christ will come. Every church is tested according to their works and faithfulness to His word and not according to what they have achieved in this world.

Beginning from Revelation 4 to 19 we see that God sends forth the horse. The seventieth year week of Daniel namely seven years period between the Rapture of the church and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with His glorified church and during these seven years, fantastic things will happen upon this earth and the planets in heaven above where the church will be purified at the judgement seat of Christ. It is during this period of time that the people of Israel in this earth will make a covenant with the Antichrist. In the midst of troubles and war in Israel, two witnesses will come down from heaven to Jerusalem prophesying about the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result of their preaching there will be 144,000 Jews shield by God. They will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and as soon as they are saved they will be evangelists in Jerusalem and the whole world. Some people will be saved as a result of their evangelistic preaching but in those days they will be persecuted and martyred. Thus there will be horrible chaos and destruction for the whole world that never be known before. Everything that the Lord has said will be fulfilled.

Having seen what will happen in the seventieth year week of Daniel, in Revelation 20:1-6, we see the great promise of the great millennium. This event will follow immediately after the end of the seven years of the great tribulation. One thousand years of the reign of Christ in this earth will be inaugurated by His Second Coming in which those who trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ will be allowed to enter His kingdom for a thousand years. After the millennial, Satan will be loosed from the bound and even those who reject Christ in their heart will be resurrected, facing the Lord Jesus Christ as a Judge in the great white throne for the final judgement of the world.

Lastly in Revelation 21-22 we see the new heaven and the new earth, the New Jerusalem, the marvellous promise of God about His kingdom. It is marvellous to know that the whole last book of the Bible devoted to the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which Paul never knew because he had already died before the book of Revelation was written. Therefore the Thessalonians knew the times and the seasons perfectly, which they knew nothing about the book of Revelation as we have in the completed Bible. Thus we may conclude with this question, why did Paul, James, Peter, Jude and John write so much about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? The answer is because the Lord Jesus Himself emphasised so much about His Second Coming to this world. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John we are told so much about the Lord’s coming. Therefore just before Jesus went to heaven He gave the terminuses command to the apostles as the great commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matt 28:19-20). These are the things that Paul, John, Jude and Peter were doing. All the apostles have committed to obey what the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded to them in the great commission. As for us believers in the Lord Jesus Christ the same command is given that we must do as the apostles have done. We need to have the proper emphasis of the Second Coming of Christ otherwise the church has not done and preached the whole counsel of God.

The Importance of Studying The Second Coming of Jesus Christ: The Example Of The Church Of Thessalonica

2008-11-10T02:01:00.000-08:00

The church of Thessalonica was the only church in the New Testament times in which the apostle Paul acknowledged their great understanding of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The knowledge that the church of Thessalonica had can not be compared even to the most faithful churches in our days. Looking at the background of these Thessalonians that before the coming of Paul to this city, there was none even one Christian in the city. However, Paul, having spent time to teach and preach the word of God, the church had grown rapidly in their understanding of the mystery of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. At the Missionary Journey of Paul

The beginning of the church of Thessalonica was at the second missionary journey of Paul together with Silas and Timothy. Before they entered the city of Thessalonica, Paul and his companions Timothy and Silas were badly treated at the first arrival in Europe in the city of Philippi. They were unjustly beaten, put to the prison because of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. However by the providence of God they managed to escape from this city and continued their ways westward across and reached the country of Macedonia. Act 17:1-4 recorded that their arrival was truly by the leading and direction of the Lord. It was in this time that Paul held one of the greatest Bible Conferences in all the history. “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbaths days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.”

Paul and his little band missionary arrived in the new mission field where apparently there was not even Christian there before they came. There was no any means to tell others about the gospel such TV, Radio, etc. There was not financial guarantee at all, in fact only three to four weeks available to do the necessary things and preach the gospel but it brought the greatest impact to the people. The powerful testimony for Christ was established in that city. Not only the church was established but also their understanding of the Word of God and faith had grown in their hearts of the program of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The Sending of the Letter to the Church of Thessalonica

The main key Luke has recorded in Acts is the teaching concerning the dead and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as predicted in the Old Testament. After the departure of Paul and the group from the city of Thessalonica, then Paul soon wrote a little letter to them concerning the teaching of the word of God, concerning the meaning of the dead and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote to them about the heart of the gospel, he was able to tell them about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ that amazed us that how much they knew about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First Thessalonians is the first letter Paul wrote to the brand new church of Thessalonica. This was written for even after Paul pleaded from that city, he still did not know what had happened to those new Christians, whether they were so discouraged and scattered, or whether the church was broken up and destroyed. The heart of Paul was deeply burnt, and then he wrote a letter to them as he said in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (Why) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

When we read that verse, we, Christians who live in this generation are amazed about the knowledge that the Thessalonians have. Their knowledge of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was so perfect, mature, complete and even the great apostle said that he did not need to tell them about all these. The times and the seasons are prophetic time and season just like Jesus told to his disciples in Acts 1:7 that the time and the season are in the father’s hand and you do not have to know when will be the time. This is to say that the new Christians in the church of Thessalonica knew perfectly what will happen and what the order of the events when Christ returns. The church of Thessalonica was just a new-born church in which Paul served for few weeks but their understanding of the Word of God was really great. This is the question to all believers in this generation, how long have we known the Lord Jesus Christ and how long have we had the Bible in our own language to read, study and understand? We are ashamed to ourselves because of the knowledge that we have so little though we have the Bible in our own hand.

3. The Maturity of the Christians in the church of Thessalonica

The church in Thessalonica perhaps was just two months old and yet they have known so much about the significant of the dead and resurrection the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament. They also knew about the things that will happen at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact in 1 and 2 Thessalonians Paul wrote to this little church that every single chapter of this book is referring to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For example, let us see some of the passages in first Thessalonians concerning the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of 1 Thessalonians 1 in verse 10 “To wait for his Son from heaven....even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.” In 1 Thessalonians 2:19 says “For what is our hope, or joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? In 1 Thessalonians 3:13 “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” The Lord Jesus Christ will be coming therefore we must be prepared in our heart for that great event. This was further described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of th archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” This is the great promises of the rapture of the church that will take place. In 1 Thessalonians 5 is full of prophecy of the events of the coming of the Lord and the climax is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That every part and every aspect of our being might be so sanctified and cleansed from the habits of sins for the joyful union with the Lord in that day.

In 2 Thessalonians 1 we can see also some of the things and promises that will happen at the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and His angels. Everything has been described in the book including the coming of the Antichrist as mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the Antichrist will claim that he is God. Thus Paul told them in 2 Thessalonians 2:5 “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” Paul has told them about the great apostasy and what the Antichrist will do in the temple because all these are the prophetic programs of God. Having seen all this truth mastered by the church of Thessalonians, we marvel for the zeal of learning that these believers have concerning the Word of God. It is absolutely that there is no even one church in our days that have such zeal in the Word of God. In fact we wonder when are the church and Bible classes started, how much the Bible prophetic of the word of God is given? Some may say that the study of the prophetic books is difficult to understand and complicated. But one thing that we need to know is that all the prophetic truth in the Bible is intended by God for us to know and learn.

The Infallible And Innarancy Of The Bible

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A. THE BIBLE IS THE FINAL REVELATION OF GOD

In what basis do we believe the Bible? The God who created the world has told us emphatically, expressively, repeatedly that everything He wrote in His book is absolutely dependable, infallible, and inerrant. One of the many things that God tells us in the Bible is that the Bible is true, otherwise we could not be sure of anything that the Bible teaches. This is the foundation of doctrines of our faith as Christians, just as the foundation of doctrines of Israel before the Church was created. God has spoken and He did not lie but He has communicated the absolute truth which is guaranteed by the Lord Jesus Christ, every single part of the Bible is infallible and inspired because God has written it. In fact the Lord Jesus guaranteed also in advance all the New Testament Scriptures that would be written after His ascension to heaven. Sixty years after His ascension the Lord Jesus Christ said this word through His beloved apostle, John, in Revelation 1:18 “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.” He continued to speak to His people as He did to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. The Lord Jesus Christ said that the New Testament, which is now called as new covenant which, is just as inspired as the old covenant. Therefore the Old Testament consists of 39 books and the New Testament consists of 27 books and thus there are 66 books which are infallible and inspired.

B. THE WRITING OF THE SCRIPUTRE IS GUARANTEED BY GOD

What does God say to guarantee us that whenever we teach and preach what this book says we are standing on holy ground? To answer this question we need to study not only what Jesus says about the Bible but also what the apostles of Him who have the authority of what they wrote and thus constituted the foundation of the church. Apart from this, we can know nothing for who Christ is and what he did. The apostles have the authority to what they wrote. We can not do but only the apostles because they are special.

1. According to the apostle Paul

a. 1 Corinthians

In 1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that freely given to us of God.” Paul was saying here that “we are not guessing, neither speculating but we know what we are saying to be true.” Furthermore in verse 13 says “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” In this verse we can see clearly the verbal inspiration of every word Paul wrote came not from human’s wisdom or opinion but from God Himself. That is why almost the end of his book in 1 Corinthians 14:37 as we recalled the problems of the Corinthians that some of them wanted to follow Paul, some to follow Apolos and some to follow Jesus Christ, Paul said his writing is the Word of God. Thus we read in 1 Corinthians 14:37-38 “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.” Although there were some who despised Paul and yet Paul says to the Corinthians that the final ultimate test is whether you are truly spiritually minded people or whether you are truly prophets from God, you will be measured according to the writings of Paul. This is to say that those who claim to possess the mind, the message of Christ they must recognize everything that Paul wrote is infallible (1 Cor. 14:37). If anyone says in this generation, everything that he writes is infallible; we need to be extremely careful that we do not fall to his trap.

b. 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:13 we read “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” The Thessalonians were not the same as the Corinthians which have so many problems with regard to the Word of God. When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians the response was different from the Corinthians. The Thessalonians responded humbly and thankfully because they knew and believed what Paul had written to them was truly the Word of God that they must follow and obey.

c. 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” This is the command and warning that Paul says to the Thessalonians that they may walk according to what they have received from Paul.

In this verse we notice one special Greek word used by Paul namely the word tradition “paradosis.” According to the context of this passage, the meaning of this word is that Paul was saying to the Thessalonians that everything you learn from God through us, you are infinitely responsible for because we came by God’s authority. This is to say that if anyone who resists following what Paul has said, the Thessalonians should take note of him. As He said in 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 “And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.” In other words, the person who disregarded, underestimated, ignored, and questioned the absolute authority of the apostle Paul in everything he wrote; he is a very dangerous person in the assembly of God’s people. Thus every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ must be fully obedience to what the apostles have written because it is the word of God.

d. Galatians

Galatians 1:6-8 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” This chapter of Galatians is absolutely terrifying. One may say, “I do not believe that Paul wrote such letter. Was not he who wrote 1 Corinthians 13 about love? How could he write such word to Galatians? The answer is because Paul is writing the Word of God and what he writes is from God as we see in Galatians 1:11-12 “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” In other words Paul was saying here that if anyone who distorts the message I have taught you Galatians, he would answer to our mighty God and be under His judgement. This is to say that what Paul said is what Christ would have said. In fact Paul said, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). So what Paul writes is what Christ is writing through the Holy Spirit in His precious book and has infinite authority.

2. According to the apostle Peter

a. 2 Peter

In Galatians 2:11-14 we find that there was a conflict between Paul and Peter, because Peter who was once convinced that there is no different circumcision and uncircumcision in the Lord Jesus Christ. However when someone came from Jerusalem into their midst which was of the circumcisions, Peter withdrew and separated himself from those Gentile Christians in Antioch. For this attitude, Paul rebuked him publicly.

Although Paul rebuked Peter publicly, Paul has the heart to forgive and forget. On the other hand Peter also has done the same thing and even regarded the writings of Paul as truly from the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter said in his epistle clearly in 2 Peter 3:14-16 “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” Peter was saying that Paul’s epistles were epistles from God whosoever distorted them will bring destruction to them. Therefore the epistles of Paul and Peter were the infallible and inspired by God.

3. According to Luke

a. Luke 1

As we see how the apostle Peter regarded the writing of Paul, now let us see how the apostle Paul regarded the writing of Luke. Luke was the only non-Jew who wrote the Scripture but in comparison Luke wrote more, than 13 books of Paul combined.

In 1 Timothy 5:18 “For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.” Where is this quotation from? The phrase “the labourer is worthy of his reward” is only found in Luke 10:7. Paul was saying that what Luke wrote in his gospel is the Scripture.

The word “grape” in Greek occurred 50 times in NT and every times it occurs it means “God saith.” Thus Paul was saying here that what Peter and Luke wrote are the Scriptures. On the other hand Peter was saying that what Paul wrote are Scriptures. And what Jesus said concerning the apostles’ writing are scriptures. Therefore what we have now is “A basic foundation for the authority of the New Testament of Scriptures.”

Then one may ask this question, how do we know that what the Bible teaches is infallible truth from God? Some said I agree that the Bible is the basic foundation but not every detail, individual concerning history, science, geographical is infallible and inspired. This is not correct. If anyone has this kind of understanding concerning the word of God, this is to say that he has the beginning of the enemy to undermine the foundation of the Word of God. If we are not sure for the details that found in the Bible are infallible, then there is no assurance for the general either. As Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:12 “if I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” If we can prove the Bible is erroneous in the thing that we can check upon, how do we know that the Bible is not erroneous in the things that we can not check upon such heavenly, hell, creation and eternity, regeneration and forgiveness of sins?

In Luke 1:3-4 “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” Luke was saying, “I am not interested in communicating of one single error.” But we must remember that the Holy Spirit overruled and protected Luke from the writing of the error even he did not want to. The Bible said about this truth two thousands times from Genesis to Revelation namely “thus saith the Lord.” In Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie.” Titus 1:2 “God who can not lie.” Hebrew 6 “it is impossible for God to lie.” Thus everything that God said in the Holy Scripture is true and infallible.

C. IS IT RIGHT TO MAKE A BOUNDARY LINE TO DIFFERENTIATE THE WRITING OF MAN AND OF GOD?

1. God gave the absolute authority to His servant to write His word

What is the boundary line to differentiate the writing of man and of God? In the writing of Moses we can see some of the things that we need to know concerning the word of God and what we must do and what we must not do. Deuteronomy 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Why is God so concerns about adding and taking from His word? Deuteronomy 4:8 “And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day.” God was saying because My Word is infinitely above any other so-called “word” and so-called “gods,” do not try to improve on my word neither revise, nor add to it, nor subtract from it, because it is perfect.

In Deuteronomy 12:32 Moses commanded the people of Israel to obey what all the things that he has given to them. Deuteronomy 12:32 “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it, thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” Furthermore Moses warned the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Thus based on the Word of God in the book of Deuteronomy we may conclude that we must not make any boundary line to differentiate the word of the human writer from the divine writer. If anyone is doing so, he will be a false prophet. Only the false prophets and teachers dare to divide the Bible according to their wishes.

2. God did not accommodate human’s error in the writing of His Word

In the writing of God’s Word God did not accommodate human’s error in science or history recorded in His word because firstly, He is the Lord of human language. God knows how to talk, in fact He said to Mosses in Exodus 4:11 that He knows how to make people to communicate. That is why His Word is very impressive, just like Jesus who communicates absolute truth through human language. Secondly, since the Scripture is eternal, it would be forever witness to His use of error, if He ever accommodated human’s error anywhere in this book. The book of Psalms 119:89 says, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” This is to say that because the Word of the Lord is already settled in heaven, thus there is no need to differentiate the writings of men and of God, all the things we have is the final product of God’s revelation. Thirdly, if God indeed makes the erroneous idea as a means of speaking to us, He will be setting a false example for us when He told to put away false thought and to speak the truth as Ephesians 4:24 tells us. How can God tell us to speak nothing but the truth and yet He cooperated in human error in the only book that He ever wrote? Thus God never did such things in the writing of His Holy Word. Fourthly, the Word of God is inerrant. There are many people said that the purpose of the Bible is written is to tell us how to be saved and it is not telling us about the science and history. However, it is the fact the Bible was not written for this purpose only although this is one of the purposes. The Bible also is telling us about the angels, creation, and etc. The main purpose may be about salvation but there are hundreds of purposes are mentioned here. If we do not believe it as true how do we know salvation is true?

In Proverb 30:5-6 we find the statement after hundreds of years from Moses, saying “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” This passage tells us about the many commentaries today. We need to be careful about the footnotes on the study Bible. We should not take them as the Word of God because they are not inspired. Every word of God is tested from all eternity. He knew what exactly He says because what He has given in the Bible is His final revelation.

However though some books of the Bible contain the very difficult passages which cause people to ignore, underestimate, misinterpret and finally reject, we, the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should study the Word diligently and carefully. The book of Revelation is one of the books contained many hard passages but we are commanded to study it in order to understand what it means. In Revelation 22:18-19 the Lord gave us the warning concerning His word that we must not add and nor take away what He has given in His Word. As He says “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” There is more than one way to reject the word of the Bible. For example, to ignore the meaning of some portions of Scripture is actually rejecting the Word of God. Many people in the university and Seminary have rejected the Word of God, the Bible. God knows what the people of this world have done to His word. Thus we may conclude that the Bible is exactly what God says what it was and it is exactly what God claims to be.

The Verbal And Plenary Preservation Of The Scriptures

2008-11-02T23:00:00.000-08:00

In the study of the verbal and plenary preservation of the Scripture we find many people have failed to understand that the Bible is truly preserved by God for His people. Everything that is written in the Bible is the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. However this truth was not taken and considered by many people seriously. During the last two centuries there have been many attacks on the preservation of the Holy Scriptures. Many people said today that the Bible only contains the word of God. On the other hand many people have determined the preservation of the Scripture based on their own selfish gain. One may say “when I read some of the Psalms I just fell so warm and so inspired, but when I read the genealogy in the book of Chronicles I can not believe anything that is inspired because that is not inspired me.” This is the way many people have done to determine whether that particular portion of Scripture is the Word of God. But the absolute truth is that nothing in Holy Scripture that is infallible based on how we might feel about it when we read it. The Bible is absolutely inspired of anything that is found in this book such as genealogy, or scientific of any kind.

The problem of understanding the preservation of the Holy Scripture for those so-called Christians does not only occur in this last two centuries but it was the problem for the Jews in the time of Jesus Christ’s ministry on this earth. The Jews had the problems to understand the Old Testament because the Jews would consider that the writings of Moses were really inspired. On the other hand they regarded the writings of the other prophets like, Samuel, Joshua, Kings, those of in the form of prophet, they believed those writings were not as inspired as what Moses wrote. For example the book of Psalms, the third category of the Bible in Old Testament according to the Jews, they put those books down and considered them as low value. This attitude of Jews was also reflected in the translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, which is called Septuagint, 200 years before Christ. The Jews handled the books of Moses carefully but not the rest of the Old Testament. Thus when Jesus Christ quoted Psalms 82:6 in John 10:34 “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are Gods? At the end of verse 35 Jesus said, “the scripture cannot be broken.” This is to say that Jesus Christ considered the book of Psalms as part of the law and it can not be broken because the whole Old Testament, the 39 books are totally infallible and inspired, breathed out of God. We do often times innocently the same thing as the Jews do. There are people who read the red letter of the Bible as the most word of God. There are many who think that they do not need to bother what Peter and Paul say, what they need is to know what Jesus says. To such attitude in understanding the preservation of word of God we may say that if a person does not believe what the apostles say and reject them, then he is rejecting the Word of Jesus because Jesus is the one who authenticates them. Thus we can not distinguish in the New Testament what is most inspired and what is almost inspired and what is not inspired?

1. Verbal and plenary preservation of the Old Testament Scripture according to Jesus

During the temptation of Jesus Christ, soon after His baptism, Jesus replied Satan three times with this phrase “it is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). What is “it is written”? God’s word and God’s final authority is written. When Jesus said this word, Satan understood it correctly. Satan did not comment what Jesus said or asking further discussion on the merit of so-called ‘inspired text.’ Satan knew that he was defeated. James said it in this way that “the Devil also believe and tremble” (James 2:19). On this regard Satan knows more than liberals and unbelievers in the world today who claim to be scholars. Jesus set the example for us that is the ultimate, final authoritative, not our opinion but it is what God has said. We must be sure that we must do as what Jesus does. He made an accurate and relevant quotation from the Old Testament Text when He was facing temptations. This is to say that Jesus knew His Bible.

One proof was recorded in the Holy Scripture that Jesus knew His Bible very well was that when He was at twelve years old, He knew more than the greatest theologian in Israel did. This event is record in Luke 9:42-47 when Jesus was brought to Jerusalem by Joseph and His mother. On their return home, Jesus was left behind in the midst of doctors of the law and they had marvelled to see His understanding of the Holy Scripture. Jesus did not master what the Rabbi said but He mastered only the inspired and infallible Old Testament scriptures. Thus we need to master the message and quote it authoritatively.

Another proof that Jesus Christ said to two of His disciples after His resurrection and after having the glorified body, Jesus taught the disciples to know the very important fact about the Holy Scriptures. We read in Luke 24:25, 27 that Jesus spoke this word when they were walking on a road to Emmaus with His two frustrated disciples. “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Jesus was saying here that the two disciples must believe the word of God, beginning from the writing of Moses namely the Torah and the writing of all the prophets namely the writing of Joshua and all down to the Major Prophets and historical books. Thus in Luke 24:25, 27 Jesus had covered two categories of the Holy Scripture in the Old Testament. Now in Luke 24:44 another category namely the Psalms Jesus said that everything has already mentioned in these three categories about the Lord Jesus Christ must be fulfilled. As we read Luke 24:44 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Thus Luke 24:44 covered the whole books in the Old Testament and it is the Word of God and we must understand what the Holy Spirit has given in the Old Testament.

Having seen Jesus’ explanation on the inspiration of the Holy Scripture, now it is important to see what Jesus says concerning the verbal and plenary preservation of the Holy Scripture. Matthew 5:17-18 we read “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” The question we need to ask is that what is ‘jot’? And what is ‘tittle’? ‘Jot’ is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet namely ‘yodh,’ and ‘tittle’ is the smallest part of the Hebrew letter. Thus Jesus was saying here that not even the small letter or the small part of the letter should in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Because Jesus does not only believe on verbal inspiration but He believed in jot and title inspiration. Jesus said to the wise theologian of His days, the Saducees who are in charge of the temple and the high priesthood “ye do err, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God (Matthew 22:29). The Saducees and Pharisees had the double disasters because, firstly they did not know the scriptures and secondly they did not know the power of God. Therefore the conclusion on this matter Jesus said “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). If we follow what He says in His word we will survive from disaster of the world and we will never be destroyed.

In John 5:46 we see another evidence in which Jesus Christ proclaimed His existence in the Scripture. “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.” This verse is the rebuke to the Pharisees when they persisted not to believe what Jesus had taught them. The Pharisees and Saducees often claimed only Moses and his writings that they believed and not the word of Jesus. Thus Jesus Christ has to correct them concerning their understanding of the Scriptures. If they truly have searched the Scripture it is surely they must understand that Jesus Christ has existed before Moses was. Jesus Christ is one of the three persons in Godhead who told Moses what to write. However one may ask a question, how could Jesus tell Moses what to write when Moses lived in 1400 BC? The answer is found in John 8:58 “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is to say that Jesus Christ is forever and ever exist and there is nothing before Him. Jesus does not have any problem to tell Moses what to do. In fact Jesus appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Thus everything we read in Genesis came from God through Moses and God has guaranteed every single word found in this book. We need to believe what Moses wrote. If we do not believe on Moses’ writings then there is no warranty to believe what Jesus says. It means everything that we read in the book of Genesis absolutely infallible such as how the world is created, in what order the things happened and how long it took, how the curse came to human rebellion, Genesis flood and every word from Genesis 1-11 is infallible. The Old Testament books are guaranteed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Verbal and plenary preservation of the New Testament Scripture according to Jesus

Having seen the Lord Jesus Christ guaranteed the Old Testament books, now it is important to consider the New Testament Scriptures and what the Lord says about these books. In John 14:26 we can see the absolute guarantee of the writing of the Scripture after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ to heaven. Jesus gave this word to those eleven frightened men in the upper room in the night he was betrayed, the night before His crucifixion. He said “But the Comforter, 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.” How do we know that the apostle John who wrote this gospel 60 years later, was writing accurately every word that Jesus said? It because the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance every word that Jesus said. That is why we have the warranty in advance of what we are reading is true. Furthermore in John 15:26 we are told the Holy Spirit will testify of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says, “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.” Jesus was saying here that “you will know, and all you need to know about me in written form in the future series of documents called the New Testament books by which you can be saved, sanctified and some day glorified.” The Lord Jesus Christ guaranteed the writing of His Word in advance.

Another guarantee given by the Lord Jesus Christ in John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” The point here is that Jesus would not only tell them everything that He would say in the four gospels, His works in the epistles, and the things to come in the book of Revelation. All things and prophetic passages in the New Testament are guaranteed by Christ.

In John 17:20 we read Jesus’ prayer before He was crucified saying “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.” What is the meaning of this verse? Jesus Christ was not saying, “Please bless those who hear me” but He said, “please bless those who believe in me through their word.” Why? Because nobody in this world today can be saved by hearing Jesus talks to him. Jesus is not talking to anybody except through the words of the apostles. We can not talk to Jesus directly nor can we hear Him speaking to us directly. The only way that we can know anything about Him is through what the apostle and prophet wrote about Him. That is why Ephesians 2:20 said that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets because every word in the New Testament was written through them. Hence the Lord Jesus could say that the only exclusive means by which we know of Him is through the writing of these men whose authority Jesus has guaranteed us in advance. As we read in Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Therefore when we hear the Word in the New Testament books, we are hearing the absolutely infallible, inerrant written revelation from Jesus Christ and nobody can be saved apart from this book and its message.

Is The Bible True In Every Single Word That God Wrote?

2008-11-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

The study of this topic shows to us that we are entering the very complex problem the professing Christians have in this century. It is sad to note that the vast majority Bible teachers, theologian absolutely deny the infallible and inerrancy of the Scripture in every single word that God wrote. In original autographs, the Lord gave through centuries His Word in Hebrew, Aramic and Greek. Thus what we have now in our hand is the translation of that original language of the Bible. The question usually is asked is that, is the translation that we have in our hand also infallible? Many scholars, theologians have failed to answer this question correctly. What they understand is that the original autograph of the word of God is infallible and innerant but not the translation that we have in our own language. However there is a very important consideration that we need to make on this matter namely that the Bible that we have now in our own hand is the translation of the original language. Thus this translation is also infallible to the extent that if it is translated accurately from the original autographs. Based on this conclusion, we teach with confidence, believe and obey what this translation says. As far as the English Bible is concerned the translation must be accurately transmitted to English what God said in the language that the Holy Spirit used to give the autograph of His revelation in the Scriptures.

In the early 1960s many leading seminaries in America began to question and deny the foundation truth of the infallibility of the Bible, though they still claimed to be Evangelical. Therefore the conservative leaders from various countries have to fight those who question and deny this truth. Up to this day, the fighting never ends till the Lord Jesus comes because many Christian leaders have fallen into the same trap. However to those who truly love the Lord and His word, there will be no doubt in their heart that the Bible is the Word of God, it is infallible and innerrant. The Bible is inspired, not because the Bible said it is inspired as many books and cultic literatures claim so, but if we observe from the beginning of the book of Genesis till the book of Revelation we will convince that the Bible is the Word of God. We notice in the Bible that How the people who love God, love also His word with confidence. Thus the only Book that God ever wrote in the history of this world is the Bible. The Bible is absolutely the Word of God, and God preserves His word for His people from all errors and mistakes.

A. GOD WAS THE AUTHOR OF THE SCRIPTURE

In the study of the Holy Scripture one must believe that the Bible is the Word of God written by God Himself. This is very crucial to everyone who studies the Word of God. Anyone who fails to acknowledge that God authored the Bible he will fail to understand what the Bible said about itself. This is a very vital foundation of Christian’s faith in the study of Christian doctrines. Thus if God was really the author of the Bible then we may conclude that God will preserve His word forever. The Bible will not contain any error despite of its writers were human, but the Lord would preserve His Word without mistake. Therefore the believers in the Lord must not neglect the study of the Holy Scripture but rather we need to spare no effort in searching the truth of the Scriptures.

The churches that do not do her responsibility in studying and searching the Word of God, God purposely will send false teachers to such churches in order to provoke God’s people to search the Scripture. We may see such church in the New Testament namely the church of Corinth. We read in 1 Corinthians 11:19 “For there must be also heresies among you, (why?) that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.” Thus it is important that we do not only agree and believe what the Scriptures say but we need to know actually what to believe and why we believe on this vital foundation.

1. According to 2 Timothy

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” The phrase ‘inspiration of God’ literally means “God-breathed.” This is to say that the word of God is the product of God’s breath. On this matter we need to understand that God does not have hand, head or body that He can breathe from his mouth. But the Jews understood God in such a way that God as if having a complete instrument of human being. In reality God does not have a form of human body. Though we have known this clear the fact is when God speaks the Bible exists.

We may remember the account of the creation in the book of Genesis that God also created the world with His word. The world exists because God spoke. God commanded, it happened and it did not take billion of years in order to exist. How the human being begins, it is exactly at the same way that God breathed in His nostril of breath of life, and man became the living being, and we are not from ape. The clay suddenly became alive. When God spoke everything happened perfectly and instantly. Therefore we can say exactly that every word in the Bible is God-breathed. However having known all these, the question is asked, is every single word in the Bible, not one exception is written by men about 40 men through 2000 years of history from Job to Revelation the Word of God? Although as if there is a contradiction seen here, the answer is definitely, yes, by studying the following passage.

2. According to 2 Peter

Listen what Peter said about the part that man had about the origin and composition of the Bible in 2 Peter 1:21 when he said “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Everything that men wrote by those who wrote the Bible, they wrote as the Holy Spirit moved them. The Greek word that the Holy Spirit used to describe this was the same Greek word that He used to describe what happen in the ship with Paul, Luke and others who were in their way to Rome in Acts 27. All of a sudden as they are leaving the land of Crete to west Rome their ship was carried along by the strong storm of the Mediterranean Sea. The captain and the pilot, all lost controlled and nobody knew where they were going or how fasts toward they were going. They have nothing to say and control to which the ship was going. The same Greek word appeared, “so they have carried along.” Thus we can see now that how the man wrote the Book. None of them had the desire or idea to be added to the Bible.

Supposed one of the writers of the Bible wrote one chapter according to his own desire or if the human community wrote the Bible we will not know what they are saying. There will be a lot of sort of contradiction found in the Bible. Thus we thank God for the Holy Spirit who determined what the man would write.

Then one may say that there is a contradiction here concerning the writer of the Bible. The question is that who then wrote the Word? To answer this question correctly we need to understand that though the Bible shows us the individual personality, style of each writer, but the Author of the Bible is God. We can say David wrote Psalm, or Paul wrote epistles. Each one of them has personality imprinted on the book but all the errors of thinking are removed. So the Holy Spirit did not snap out the individual characteristic of the writers or the situation and circumstances in which they wrote. For example when Paul wrote his letters he was writing out of his heart to those people who really involved them in the real situation. What Paul has written to the churches was not a dictation from the Lord. In the whole Bible there was only one occasion in which God dictated His Word to Moses in Mouth Sinai when God wanted to write on the tablet of stone. Therefore we may conclude that God used the personality of these men in the writing of the Scripture but He removed the errors and put exactly what He wanted at the end product. This final product is the Bible that is the Word of God and the word of men at the same time.

Based on the explanation above the theologians have called the Bible as the result of that discovery. The Bible is called Theanthrapic book, God-man book. The Bible is just like Jesus Christ for He is also Theanthropic, God-Man. Christ is God-Man in one person. He is perfect harmony with himself. He is human 100 % and Divine 100 % and there is no contradiction, no tension, He is one unified person with two natures. This is the miracle of God. Now we have also one unified book that has two natures, it is 100 % Divine, God’s word and human 100% the word of men, showing the personality and the vocabulary, circumstances, and situation in which each writer wrote what he wrote.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Malachi

2008-11-01T01:49:00.001-07:00

1. Malachi 3:1-2

Malachi 3:1-2 “Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap.” In this passage we can see the prophecy of Malachi concerning the coming Messiah in which John the Baptist had also proclaimed (Matthew 3:1). John the Baptist knew that the Messiah would come and he acknowledged his responsibility as the servant of God namely to proclaim the truth of Messiah and to direct the people of Israel to the Lord Jesus Christ for He is the Messiah.

2. Malachi 4:2

In Malachi 4:2 we are told that when Jesus comes, the whole world will be full with light, because He is the light of the world. “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” This was the last word of the Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament that will be fulfilled. Therefore as John said in the New Testament in the book of Revelation we may say, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

The Messianic Prophecy According To Zechariah

2008-11-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

1. Zechariah 3:8-10

Having seen some of the passages from the different prophetic books, now what the prophet Zechariah said about the coming Messiah. First of all let us consider Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth by servant the BRANCH.” Based on this verse we can see the identical message as given by the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah. This was because all Scriptures in the Bible were written by one author namely God Himself. Furthermore Jeremiah 3:9-10 continues to say “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.” In other words, having known whom the Branch is as described in other prophetic passages now in these verses we are told that the Branch will bring the kingdom to this earth. He will also peach to this earth because He is the prince of peace. Apart from His coming to this earth as King there will be no any security on this earth. As promised here Israel at last will be in permanent peace and security. After so many centuries Israel was suffered and oppressed without any peace but the coming of the King to this earth will bring peace to Israel. All those things that have been mentioned will be fulfilled when the Branch comes, namely the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Zechariah 6:11-13

Zechariah 6:11-13 “Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” In other passages we can see that the same BRANCH as mentioned here is referring to the Messiah as the King of kings. However the BRANCH described in this passage is talking about the Messiah as the High Priest. This is to say that when the Messiah comes in His Second Coming He will be a King at the same time He will be a High Priest. To the Jews this is something which is very hard to understand because in the Old Testament there would never be a king and priest at the same time in one person. However it is clear that there is no problem with this priesthood mentioned in this passage because He is not Aaronian priest but the Melchizedekian priest. As Psalms 110:4 “Thou are the priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” In order to know all the details that the Lord has mentioned in His Holy Scriptures, we, believers in the Lord should know the Scriptures. The Lord expects us to know His word so that we will not be in error in understanding the Word of truth.

3. Zechariah 9:9-10

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” In the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth Zechariah 9:9 has been fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem with the riding of a donkey (Matthew 21:2-5). Based on this verse, Jesus Christ as a King we can see His humility in the riding of a donkey. However in His Second Coming He will not ride the same thing anymore but rather He will ride on the mighty war-horse. Furthermore in Zechariah 9:10 when the prophet Zechariah said “His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” shows to us the things that will happen in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In that time the whole world will be under His dominion.

4. Zechariah 11:12-13

Zechariah 11:12-13 “And I said that unto them, If ye think good, give me my price, and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord.” This passage is the prophecy of the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Jews and at the same time we can see here the prophecy concerning Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Hundreds years before Jesus Christ came to this earth, the betrayal of Judas Iscariot toward the Lord Jesus Christ had been given even the most details in which we can know how much Judas received from the Pharisees and Saducees in order to betray Jesus. It is absolutely marvellous even in the Old Testament we know about Judas Iscariot.

5. Zechariah 12:10

Zechariah 12:10 “10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” This is another prophecy concerning the crucifixion and the death of Jesus Christ. However this passage focuses on the mercy of God that will be given to those who have rejected and pierced the Lord Jesus Christ. In other word though the people of Israel have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ in His first Coming but the Lord will show His mercy to them and the One whom they have crucified and whose name they hate till this day, at last they will recognise. They will come to the Lord Jesus Christ and get the forgiveness of sins from Him alone. Salvation will be given to Israel individually and nationally.

6. Zechariah 13:1, 7-9

Zechariah 13:1 “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” When the people of Israel at last understand and appreciate the blood of Jesus Christ, they will be saved. Zechariah 13:7-9 we read “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” The special plan of salvation of God to Israel at last will be fulfilled. All promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled some day to Israel. The Lord will do great things to Israel and not only to them but also to us, Christians, the unnatural branches, strange branches and the engrafted branches as mentioned in Romans 11.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Micah

2008-11-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

The prophet Micah was one of the prophets called as the Christmas prophet because Micah was writing the most important truth concerning the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is remarkable because hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Micah already prophesied that He would be born in the small town called Bethlehem as we read in Micah 5:2. Whereas Isaiah whose contemporary was Micah, wrote something that is so important to take note concerning how the Messiah would come to this earth. In Isaiah 7:14 we are told that the Messiah would come to this world through the virgin born.

Micah 5:2 “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been form of old, from everlasting.” How can Israel have a ruler come out from the small town like Bethlehem? The Jews might think that the King would come from heaven as the prophet had said. However there is nothing wrong with this understanding that the King will come from heaven because He is God. Therefore one may ask, if He comes from heaven how can He come from the earth? If He is the branch of the Lord how can it be the fruit of the ground? If He is Immanuel, God with us, how can He come from the woman, a virgin mother? If it is the child is given how can be a child is born? The answer is that God the Holy Spirit has been preparing his people for centuries to recognise the twofold nature of the Messiah the King namely He is God and Man. He comes from heaven and He comes from earth. He was sent by the father, He was born of the woman in Bethlehem. Thus we may conclude that Isaiah says the King will be born from the virgin, on the other hand Micah says He will be born in Bethlehem. This is not to say that the Messiah has the ultimate origin in Bethlehem. Thus Micah 5:2 is one of the most important passages with regard to the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Daniel

2008-11-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

The book of Daniel is one of the books in the Old Testament which tells us the remarkable prophecy of the coming of the Messiah and what He will do to this earth. The remarkable truth of this prophecy was given by the Lord to the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar through the dream which he could not understand at all. But the Lord had used His servant Daniel to interpret this wonderful prophecy of the coming Messiah. Thus we read a portion of his dream and its interpretation in Daniel 2:34-35 “Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” What Daniel had said here concerning the stone was truly the prophecy of the Second Coming of the Messiah where He will rule over the world.

Another prophecy is given here in this passage concerning both the first and second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is found in Daniel 9:25-27. Apparently this passage is one of the most hated passages by the Jews. The Jews may read and memorise Daniel 2 and 7 but not Daniel 9, because the they could not take the meaning of this passage. Daniel 9:25-27 “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troubles times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” When the Jews read this passage they could not see the distinction of the meaning of verses 25-26 and verse 27. At the end the Jews did not like to read this passage because what they understand from this prophecy something that they did not like. The question that they commonly ask how can be the great One cut off and have nothing? This question rose because they fail to understand that Daniel 9:25-26 is referring to the first coming of the Messiah whereas the Daniel 9:27 is referring to His Second Coming. Thus because of their hardening hearts the Lord confused them to understand this remarkable passage of the coming Messiah.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Ezekiel

2008-10-31T03:05:00.000-07:00

1. Ezekiel 34:22-24

Ezekiel was the younger contemporary of Jeremiah who was brought to Babylonh when Jeremiah was still in Jerusalem. When Ezekiel got to Babylon, God gave him some heavy assignments to proclaim the will and word of God to the stubborn and unbelieving Jews. These are some of the things that God told Ezekiel to tell to the Israelites who were still in the captivity.

Ezekiel 34:22-23 says “Therefore will I save flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd.” The contrast in this passage is that there will be a good shepherd who shall feed the flock in Israel. He will save the flock from all dangers and from all bad shepherds. The Lord Jesus Christ in His first coming to this earth has declared and confirmed this truth to Himself that “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). In other word, when Jesus said this truth to the unbelieving Jews, He was saying that all the Jews must read the book of Ezekiel for the Lord has told hundreds years before concerning Jesus Christ is the good shepherd. Thus Ezekiel further said in verse 24 “And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.” Everything will be fulfilled according to what the Lord has said. Nobody ever wrote prophetic Scriptures by his own will but holy men (men who were set apart by God) spoke by the Holy Spirit. That is why the writers of the Scriptures wrote the same identical message, not the same identical word but the same identical purpose and plan in the mind of God.

2. Ezekiel 37:24-28

Ezekiel 37:24-25 “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.” This is another prophecy concerning the coming King that will sit on the throne of David. On the other hand we can see the promise of the Lord to the people of Israel that God will fulfil when the King comes. The people of Israel will dwell in their land forever and ever and the servant of the Lord, the coming David will be their prince forever. This prophecy has not fulfilled yet but in the fullness of time the Lord will do it for His glory.

On this regard, the question is asked, how can a perfect Prince rule over the deprived people in this wicked world? Is possible for one person to rule over the world? To those who did not fully believe in the Lord they may be doubt about it. However because the coming perfect Prince was not only human but also God, thus there is nothing impossible to God for He Himself created the world out of nothing. So how will He rule over the world? Let us note Ezekiel 37:26-28 “Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” This is the detail of how the Lord will rule the world. The Lord has chosen the nation of Israel as the most special nation for the whole world when the Lord Jesus Christ comes. In that time the Lord also will build the Temple of God whereby the people of Israel will offer sacrifices to the Lord to commemorate what Jesus Christ has done for them. Right now the people of Israel were far from the Lord. They still reject the gospel of Salvation that preached to them. However one day the Lord will show mercy to Israel and all Israel will be saved.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Jeremiah

2008-10-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

One hundred years after the prophecy of Isaiah, Jeremiah was chosen by God to be his prophet to minister to the chosen and yet rebellious people of God. Warning by warning has been given by the prophet of the Lord to the nation of Israel that they might repent from their ways, and come to the way the Lord has given them, but they rebelled against God. They persisted on their way of destruction. Thus the Lord was angry to the people of Israel and God would deliver them to the hand of the heathen nation namely the Babylonians and Assyrians.

However the Lord sent His prophet Jeremiah as the last prophet before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylon. God warned the people of Israel through His prophet to repent and seek the Lord but the people hardened their hearts. Thus the prophet told the people of Israel that there would be exile for 70 years as a judgement from the Lord for their rebellions, disobedience and unbelief. However having mentioned that by the prophet of God, Jeremiah, and the people still did not believe what Jeremiah had said. They rather listened to what the false prophet said concerning their exile that they would be in Babylon only for two years and not seventy years. The people of Israel put the prophet Jeremiah to the dungeon for they did not want to hear anything else from Jeremiah. Thus Jeremiah was weeping to see his prophecy was being fulfilled before his eyes. He saw all the destruction of his beloved city, Jerusalem, its Temple and the exile of God’s people to Babylon. For this reason Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet of God.

However though Israel was so rebellion against the Lord, just before the prophet Jeremiah was exiled to Egypt, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jeremiah wrote this wonderful truth about the coming Messiah. It is truly that these Messianic prophecies given by Jeremiah was sort of encouragement to those who believed in the Lord in His days that the Messiah the King will restore the nation of Israel, though they must exile to Babylon

1. Jeremiah 23:5-6

This passage tells about the coming of righteous King that will reign, prosper and execute judgement. The background of this was given in the previous chapter that the horrible king was reigning at the end of monarchy in Judah by the name Jehoiachin. Because of this king, the line of Solomon was cursed and there would be no king for Israel come to reign over Israel (Jeremiah 22:30). It was during the reign of this king that the Lord exiled His people to the heathen nations.

In Jeremiah 23:3-4 we are told the prophecy concerning the prosperity of the remnant of Israel. On the other hand, Jeremiah prophesied that the people of God would be gathered back to their land from the Four Corners of the earth, not so much the gathering of Israel from the captivity. As says “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.” This is the very specific prophecy concerning the people of Israel in the time of Millennium. The Lord Jesus Christ will be the shepherd of Israel. Furthermore the prophet Jeremiah continued to say in verse 5, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” On this verse we can see that the Lord will not only raise the faithful shepherd for David but He will also raise the righteous BRANCH. He is the King who brings prosperity to this earth. The people of God will not be as in the time of the king of Jehoiachin but they will obey the Lord and worship Him faithfully. As Jeremiah 23:6 says, “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” He is infinitely righteous and holy. He is the hope of Israel, and apart from this BRANCH, Israel as a nation will have no hope at all. Israel will never see the King until they see the Branch as the Saviour namely the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus Paul said in Romans 11:26 “all Israel will be saved.” What Paul said here is the confirmation of what Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 23:6 because what Jeremiah and Paul have wrote was all from the Holy Spirit as the Author of the Scripture. So Israel will be saved spiritually with the national experience and new covenant as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and other prophets tell us about.

2. Jeremiah 30:8-9

In Jeremiah 30:8-9 we can see the contrast of having the perfect King. At the end of verse 8 we read “and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him.” What happened to the nation of Israel while they were having their kings? Were they free from the power of the strangers? Definitely not, because the Jews had suffered for over 2500 years under the foreign rulers such Babylonians, Middle Persians, Macedonians Greek Hellenistic Empire, and the Roman Empire, the Byzantine and other groups etc. It is an unbelievable in AD 1948; they become an independent nation. There is no nation in this world which for almost 2000 years has no nation, no king, no ruler and no land but still exists. There is no human being that can do such miracle but only God because the nation of Israel is the chosen nation of God.

In Jeremiah 23:9 says, “But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king whom I will raise up unto them.” In the Old Testament, David was used not only for David himself but the word “David” used also to describe any descendant of David who sat upon his throne who was the member of Davidic Dynasty. For example, when David’s grandson Rehoboam the son of Salomon inherited the kingdom from Salomon, the ten tribes who followed Jeroboam said that Rehoboam the king of Judah was David because he was sitting on the throne which represented David’s Dynasty. Thus when the Lord Jesus Christ is sitting on the throne of David the people will serve Him for He will represent more than Davidic Dynasty. Thus Jesus Christ will be also called David.

3. Jeremiah 33:14-22

Jeremiah 33:14 is the background of the whole study of this passage as we read “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” This verse tells us the basis of our expectation of earthly kingdom for Israel because God made a promise with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He will fulfil. It is not because that the Israel has the right to deserve it but based on what the Lord has promised He will fulfil it. That is way had promised he will fulfil. That is why verse 14 says “that good things which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.”

The question is asked how will it be happen to Israel? It is not because that they are brilliants but the answer is found in this passage. Jeremiah 33:15-16 says “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.” The new name for Jerusalem in the coming age is called the Lord our righteousness. Though right now the city of Jerusalem which are full of iniquities, in the street of that city truly there is no honour given to the Lord Jesus Christ, but some day that city will take the name of the King which will glorify Him.

Jeremiah 33:17-22 says “For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season (this is reference to the Sun); Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.” In this verse clearly seen the coming restoration of Israel as a nation. This does not mean that all Jews become Christians and join the local churches. In the sight of the Lord the Jews will be still as Israelites theocracy as in the Promised Land with the temple, order and Levitical priests. However the high priest will not be from the line of Aaron but Melchidekian priest. This is the wonderful truth that the Lord will fulfil to the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ will be the high priest in the temple that will be built during the millennial kingdom.

The Messianic Prophecy According To Isaiah

2008-09-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

As we have seen some of the messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah such as in Isaiah 7 and 11, now we shall see closer that the Saviour will be revealed. In Isaiah 52:31-53:12 we can see a magnificent structured prophecy in fantastic detail that practically put into the shadow everything that God had ever seen and said before. Seen there were no verses when Isaiah wrote his book, therefore Isaiah 52:13-15 can be considered as part of Isaiah 53 because in these three verses we can see the mystery of the servant of God. “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider” (Isaiah 52:13-15).

In this book of Isaiah it was depicted the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ or His career on this earth. He was extremely humble and in fact He was despised because of His background concerning His city namely Nazareth. When the people said, can anything come out from Nazareth? Humanly speaking absolutely there is nothing good comes from that wicked city but they did not realise that Jesus was not born in that city, although He was brought up there. The humility of Jesus Christ can be seen clearly in this portion of Scripture hundreds years before Jesus came at His first coming.

Isaiah 53:1-12 can be outlined as follows; firstly, the rejection of God’s servant (Isaiah 53:1-3) where we can see its fulfilment written much more in the four gospels.

Secondly, the atonement of God’s servant (Isaiah 53:4-6) in which we are told about His special unique servant. In verse 6 we read “All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Based on this verse we can see the important of the need of the Saviour to cleanse us from all our sins. This can be done only through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 53:7-9 the prophecy continues to tell us that the amazing details of some of the things that the Lord Jesus Christ would do in which some of them did not even mention in the four gospels because the Holy Spirit assumed that we have mastered the book of Isaiah.

Thirdly, the exhortation of the Lord’s servant (Isaiah 53:10-12). This is the climax of all in this chapter. It tells us the offered price that the Lord Jesus Christ paid and the knowledge by which He accomplished our redemption and the glorification that He will share with His people who love Him and serve Him. It is clear that this passage is one of the most important passages in the book of Isaiah concerning the first coming of Messiah. There is no doubt but to believe that what Isaiah was saying here was truly fulfilled when Jesus Christ came to this earth.

The Prophecy of the Righteous King and Perfect Servant

2008-08-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Christ is the righteous King

Isaiah 11:1-5 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” This passage tells us that the coming King will be a human because Isaiah 11:1 describes that “a rod out of the stem of Jesse,” which was the father of David, which of course was human. The coming King will have the spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might and knowledge. The word counsel here means that only He can guide, teach and encourage us. There was no king that ever existed having such distinctions given in this passage. The coming King will be the righteous King because He will not judge according to the sight of the eyes and the hearing of the ears for He knows everything about the wickedness of the minds and hearts of people. He knows everything in the mind of every man and there is none such ruler in this world but this will be fulfilled in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Isaiah 11:4 tells us further everything that the King does He will do it righteously. “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” The Lord Jesus Christ will slay the wicked in the Armageddon as mentioned in Revelation 19:15 “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

How can such a person come from David and Jesse? The answer is because He has inherited His human nature from them by the miracle of the Holy Spirit that took place on conception that does not inherit our sinful nature. By the virtue, the fact is that He pre-existed his incarnation with the father for eternity, and He also inherits His divine nature. Thus He is God-man and He is qualified to rule over the world.

The perfect Servant with infinite, divine qualification

Isaiah 40:3-5

“The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

At the end of verse 9 says, “say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.” What kind of person he will be when he comes? The answer to this question is found in Isaiah 40:10-11 “Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” The perfect shepherd with infinite, divine qualification will come to this earth. The prophecy in this passage is the absolute truth in which John the Baptist has proclaimed it during his short ministry in this earth namely to prepare the way of the Lord that will come, the Lord Jesus Christ. It was because of the preaching of this truth, John the Baptist was put into a dungeon and finally he was headed. However while he was still in a dungeon, he sent the messengers to the Lord Jesus Christ asking whether Jesus Christ is the One who would come (Luke 7:19-24). The truth was, there was no doubt for the two disciples of John who had seen all the works of the Lord Jesus Christ before their eyes. Even Jesus Christ told them to let John the Baptist know for what they have seen.

Isaiah 42:1-4

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

Who is this servant? In the book of Isaiah there are three servants mentioned. First, in Isaiah 44:28; 45:1 we see Cyrus was called the messiah, the anointed of God because God raised Cyrus to deliver Israel from the Babylonian captivity. Cyrus smashed Babylon and helped Israel to rebuild the temple, but Cyrus did not even know the Lord. Second, in Isaiah 44:21; 49:3 another servant of God which was described as mostly did not know the Lord, but sometimes he knew the Lord and occasionally obeyed Him, and that servant is Israel. The Lord in the book of Isaiah was agonising over the reluctant servant Israel. Third, within the chosen nation of Israel there is the perfect servant of the Lord. He is the One who is mentioned in Isaiah 42:1-4. The Lord said, “Behold my servant.” Who is this servant of the Lord? He is the Messiah, the King of kings who will rule over the whole world and He will be the marvellous King in the history of this planet earth. He will be faithful to the Lord forever.

Isaiah 49:1-7

“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.”

This is another passage that the Lord will fulfil in the Lord Jesus Christ. As we read in the beginning of this passage, it was as if the Lord Jesus Christ who was speaking this passage concerning Himself and what He is going to do in the future. This is the amazing Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 50:4-9

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.”

This is another passage where we can see Jesus Christ speaking again as in Isaiah 49:1-7. Isaiah 50:4 tells us how the Lord Jesus knew all things when He gave up His independent exercise of attribute of His greatness. Verse 4 says “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” In other words, Jesus was saying that ‘what He says it is not from Him but His Father. His Father tells me what to say and do. His Father also empowers Him because when He becomes incarnated, He deliberately set aside the independent exercise of attribute of His greatness so that what He did, that was supernaturally by the father enabling and showing Him. Thus the Lord Jesus Christ had done all things perfectly when He came to this earth to do the will of His Father.

The Inner Court of Prophetic Revelation

2008-08-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

The prophesy of the BRANCH of Jehovah

Two hundred years after God spoke to David and Solomon, God gave His Word to the prophet Isaiah by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit about the prophecy of the coming Messiah. It is recorded in Isaiah 4:2 “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” In Hebrew the word for BRANCH is “tsamach.” It is a special name given by the Holy Spirit to the Son of God. He is the Branch of Jehovah because He entered into the human scene on this planet earth. What He actually is, of the extension of the triune Godhead above that we can not see, and no man has ever seen the invisible eternal Godhead. That is why, 1 Timothy 1:17 said that Jesus Christ is the invisible as well as immortal. So Jesus Christ is the only One who becomes visible. He is like a branch from the invisible tree coming into you on this earth and He is the branch of the Lord.

There are two things that we need to watch about from the study of Isaiah 4:2. Firstly, the Branch will be beautiful and glorious. Secondly, the fruit of the earth will be the survival of Israel. This is another name for Jesus that he is the fruit of the earth. In Isaiah 4, 7, 9, and 11, Christ is depicted that He has two natures namely divine and human. He is God and man in one person. He is the fruit of the earth because Christ came to this earth through the conception of Mary as the human mother, which we know clearly that Mary came from Adam. In that sense Adam came from the earth. During the ministry of Jesus Christ, He has a 100 % human body and not glorified body. Thus, though the early Christians were very hard to understand this truth but now we notice clearly that Christ is the fruit of the earth which will be the survival of Israel.

The prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The prophet Isaiah tells us that there will be a sign given by God as a overwhelming, spectacular sign. The question is asked, what is this sign that causes people to behold? The answer is because a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. The word ‘virgin’ ‘almah, in Hebrew always means in the Old Testament Scripture, the virtue of the unmarried woman. Therefore such woman shall conceive, it must be a miracle. In the New Testament it says the same thing as quoted by Matthew as a proof that Jesus is a virgin born. “Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Thus the prophecy of a virgin birth in Isaiah 7:14 is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing else. Christ is the human because He has the human mother and He has a natural born just like all of us but He was not conceived like us. His name is called Immanuel. Immanuel is derived from two words namely ‘Imma’ means ‘with us,’ and ‘el’ means “God.” This is to say that Jesus was not only human by virtue of having the human mother but He is also God with us, God-incarnated.

The Prophecy of the names of Christ

Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “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, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” In this prophecy we can see the more amazing truth and the twofold nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word ‘a child’ here is the same word mentioned in Isaiah 7:14 namely referring to the Lord Jesus Christ which describes His humanity. The phrase “unto us a son is given” is referring to His divine nature. The focus of the meaning of the word ‘a son’ here is not so much to depict that He is the son of Mary but the Son of God. We need to understand clearly that from eternity, God has the son. In fact in Proverbs 30:4, two hundred years before this prophecy was given to Isaiah it was already asked this very question, “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” So God who created the universe has the Son and always has. That is why, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

The phrase “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” tells us the human and divine nature of the Son is in one person. Knowing this fact, the question is raised, what this person will be like? The answer is “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.” We need to understand that the Counsellor here is different with so called ‘counsellors’ today. Therefore we need to be careful with those psychologists who claim to be counsellors. But what Isaiah 9:6 describes is referring to the names of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father and The prince of Peace.” He is the only Prince that can bring peace to this world that He will accomplish when he comes again. Right now no human is able to rule the world which is full of deprived and sinful people but only the One who is God and man, who is perfect and sinless namely Jesus Christ who is able to rule the world. Thus we may say, “Lord, thy kingdom comes.”

The Messianic Prophecy Concerning Christ's First Coming

2008-08-10T03:13:00.000-07:00

According to the book of Jeremiah

In Jeremiah 22:30 the curse was given by the Lord to the line of Solomon when the Lord said, “Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.” This curse was pronounced by God to the king of Judah, Jehoiachin the son of Jehoiakim, the son of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Although this line is the Royal line in which the coming King can come from this line but the Lord has cursed it. When the Lord says that the Messiah will sit on the throne of David, He did not contradict God’s curse on Jehoiakim because Jesus was not born to Joseph, but to Mary.

The study of this passage in the light of the New Testament Scripture (Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38) proves that Mary was not from the line of Solomon. In Luke 3:23 the father in law of Joseph was Heli, the actual father of Mary. Thus Mary’s genealogy goes back to Nathan the son of David. Nathan was not under the curse. Therefore Jesus was born of the house of David but from the different line which was not from the curse line. He got the kingship by being adopted by the man who inherits in that line but he did not give him the curse. A virgin born King missed the curse, but had the correct lineage back to David.

According to the book of Psalms

Psalms 2:6-9

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

The prophecies in the book of Psalms are most of them written by David. In Psalm 2:7-9 David gave the Messianic prophesy by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In verse 6 we are told that the coming King will be set upon the holy hill of Zion. When Jesus Christ returns to this earth, the millennial kingdom will begin and Jesus will reign over the world.

In verse 7 we read “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” What does it mean when God the Father said “this day I have begotten thee”? This is definitely not relating to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ because he was not begotten. However it is related to his resurrection from the death as Paul said in Romans 1:4 “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Psalms 72:8-11

In this passage, we can see the clearest proclamation of the coming King of kings that will reign the world. In the Millennial age, all nations shall serve the Lord Jesus and worship. Psalm 72:17 is another precious passage that tells us about the Lord Jesus Christ as says “His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.” The same expression also is given by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 9:10 “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.” All these verses tell us that unto Him (Jesus Christ) all the nations in this earth will bow and offer their submission and total obedience when he speaks peace to the nations. When Jesus returns to this earth there will be peace and harmony in the nations of the earth. Only Jesus Christ can bring peace to us who are in trouble in sinful demonic world.

Psalms 110: 1

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

This verse tells us about the God the father and the Son, Jesus Christ. And this verse can be rephrased in this way: the Lord (God the Father) said unto my Lord (God the Son). This was given by David through the help of the Holy Spirit a thousand years before Jesus was born. In fact it is so wonderful how the Lord Jesus Christ quoted this verse to tempt and rebuke the Pharisees. We read in Matthew 22:44-45 “The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit thou on My right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” Having said this to them, in Matthew 22:46 tells us “And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.” However the real answer to the question that Jesus gave the Pharisees was because Jesus has two natures. He is the Son of David physically, genetically through Mary but He is the Son of God by the virtue of his divine nature. All these have already been given to the Jews in the Old Testament Scriptures a thousand years before Christ’s first coming.

It is important also to notice that not only Jesus Christ quoted this verse when He was in this earth but even the apostle has quoted the same verse to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of David and yet the Son of God. Peter in his sermon in the day of Pentecost said in Acts 2:34-36 “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this message the people were crying out “what shll we do?”(Acts 2:37). The people who were gathered there knew that they will be the ones, the enemies and crushed when Jesus Christ comes back. Thus everyone was present in that day expected Jesus’ coming. They expected that Jesus Christ will return and establish his kingdom on earth (ref. Acts 1:7). “Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). And three thousands of people believed in that day (Acts 2:41).

Psalms 110:4

“The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Who is Mechizedek? And how can be the king at the same time is also a priest? In the Old Testament, no king could ever be the priest because the priest can only come from the tribe of Levi and the king from the tribe of Judah. However in the history of the kingdom of Judah there was one king by the name of Uzziah who “went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men: And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him” (2 Chronicles 26:16-20). God will never tolerate to the Judean king to be the priest.

On the other hand the prophet Zechariah tells us something about the priesthood and kingship at the same time will be held by the BRANCH. As he said, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:12-13). Who is the BRANCH here? The BRANCH is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In His second coming to this He will be the King of the universe and every nations will bow and serve Him at the same time he will be also the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek in the Millennial Temple.

Who is this Melchizedek? A thousands years earlier, God told the story of Melchizedek in the Old Testament Scripture whose genealogy did not mention at all. However in Genesis 14:18-22 it tells us that Melchizedek was the king of Salem and also the priest to whom Abraham gave tithes of all. What the Psalmist says here is that the coming King of kings will be after the order of Melchizedek the priest. This truth was further elaborate by the writer of Hebrews a thousand years after the Psalmist declared this truth. He says that Jesus Christ will be the High priest forever and ever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5-6). Therefore God put all His Word together in the marvellous, mysterious way. Yet, there is a need to be careful to compare Scripture with Scripture that we may see the unveiling truth concerning the future kingdom. Hence in the Millennial we shall have a Melchizedekian High Priest with Zodakian priests. The High Priest is also the King of the tribe of Judah, the seed of David ruling over all the nations of the world who will pay total respect and in complete submission to him forever. God never has made one falsehood, nor any mistake in thousands of years of the unfolding Old Testament prophecy, so that when Christ finally appears we know what is the program of the Lord.

The Prophecy of The Faithful Priest

2008-08-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

Having seen the prophesy of the coming King and of the final Prophet, another character and function of the Lord Jesus Christ prophesied in the Old Testament that He is the faithful Priest. Jesus Christ was prophesied, as the faithful Priest was to contrast the failure of the sons of Eli as priests serving in the Tabernacle. The context of 1 Samuel 2:12-36 tells us how the Lord visited Eli the high priest concerning the wickedness of his sons. The Lord said to Eli “Behold the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house” (1 Samuel 2:31). However the climax of this passage that the Lord has said is that there will be a faithful priest that dwell in the house of the Lord without failure.

The prophecy that is found in 1 Samuel 2:35 tells us about the faithful priest that is going to come. The Lord says, “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.” The question is asked, who is this faithful priest that will rise up in this world? Who is in the world the faithful priest that will rise up?

In order to understand who this faithful priest is, it is important to know the history from which the faithful priest will come. A hundred years after God spoke His Word to Eli, there was a king of Israel by the name of king David. David was faithful to the Lord and the Lord has prospered him and his kingdom. However almost the end of his life, some of his friends and his son denied and betrayed him. But there was a faithful priest to king David by the name of Zadok. In this junction we need to understand that Zadok was the son of Eleazar, the third son of Aaron. On the other hand Eli was not from the line of Eleazar but from the line of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron (Exodus 28:1). Because of the faithfulness of the high priest Zadok to David the king, the Lord has said that in the millennial kingdom, Israel will be re-established as mentioned in Romans 11. During the millennial kingdom there will be a king by the name of Jesus Christ the Messiah and He will be function in the millennial temple as the High Priest and the sons of Zadok will be priests who will minister in the millennial temple. Ezekiel 40:46 says “And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.” Ezekiel 43:19 “And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.” Ezekiel 44:15 “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD.” Based on these verses the sons of Zadok will be function in the millennial temple worship system and the Lord Jesus Christ, the King will be at the same time as the High Priest.

One may ask a question, how can an animal sacrifice in the alter and ministered by the Jews priests again, when the book of Hebrews says that all the elements of the temple are finished and they cannot take away sins, but only by the blood of Christ? The answer is that the book of Hebrew was written to the Christian Jews and not to Jews specifically, but to Christians who happen to be Jews. In the Old Testament the blood of goat and lamb was established by God not to take away sins but to cover sins from the time of Adam onward as a symbol of ultimately what God will do to Christ. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God will take away our sins. Thus in the coming kingdom, Israel will be function again under the Lord because Christian cannot christianise the Jews neither the Jews can judeazise the Christians. Let us not christianise true Israel, for Israel has special function in the millennial temple. What the Jews will do in the millennial kingdom it will be the same as what we are doing on the Holy Communion. We are not offering again the blood of Jesus Christ or crucifying Him but it was just a remembrance. We are symbolising what the Lord Jesus has done. Jesus has commanded us to do it again and again until He returns. In the same way the Jews will be offering sacrifices in the millennial temple to remember what the Lord Jesus has done for them. This is their distinction from Christians in the millennial and what they will be doing is to symbolise what the Lord has done on the cross.

Therefore when the Lord said to Samuel “I will arise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: . . . and he shall walk before mine anointed forever”(1 Samuel 2:35), it will be fulfil in the millennial kingdom. Jesus Christ will be the High Priest there, not from Aaron, nor Zadok but He will be form Melchizedek line as mentioned the details in Ezekiel 40-48. Thus the Zadokian priests will be under the Michizedekian High Priest in the coming kingdom.

In relation to what we have seen in the discussion above, now we shall see further the promise of God concerning the temple of God that the Lord will build. In 2 Samuel 7:12-13 we read, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.” Based on these two verses, one may consider that it is talking about the Solomon’s kingdom but the last phrase in verse 13 says “I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever,” gives the clue that it can not be referring to Solomon’s kingdom. The question is to whom is this prophecy referring to? It is only referring to the Lord Jesus Christ because the Lord will build His temple in the millennial forever. This is not referring to Solomon’s temple because Salomon’s kingdom did not last forever.

The Prohecy of The Final Prophet

2008-08-10T03:11:00.000-07:00

Moses was different from all other prophets the Bible says. God did not speak to him through dreams and vision like to other prophets but the Lord spoke to him face to face (Numbers 12:6-8). However this does not mean Moses actually saw the physical face of the Lord for the Lord does not have any body but he saw the theophany form of God in which the Lord actually talked to Moses (ref. Exodus 19:19-25). The Lord has given Moses many of His revelations.

One of the revelations of God which was given to Moses just before he died was concerning the final Prophet that will come. This amazing Word of God came to him by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” In Deuteronomy 18:18-19 further said, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” There is no doubt that a Prophet that mentioned here is referring to the final Prophet namely Jesus Christ and not the rests of prophets that came after Moses.

To contrast the final Prophet as Moses has said in verses 15, 18-19, he further describe the details of being the true and false prophet. This account was recorded in Deuteronomy 18:20-22 “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

In the New Testament Peter made it clear that ‘a Prophet’ mentioned by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15 was referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. As Peter quoted this verse in his preaching in Acts 3:22-23 “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” It was “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” Peter asked the cripple man to “rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Though the Old Testament prophets also spoke with authority but Jesus Christ is the final Prophet, the Prophet of all prophets. Thus Deuteronomy 18:15 is the messianic prophesy that is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Prophecy of The Coming King

2008-08-10T03:10:00.000-07:00

Just before Moses died, the amazing word came from the Holy Spirit with regard to the coming Messiah, Christ. This word was given through Balaam the false prophet. This was occurred when the king of Moabites, Balak hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam did everything he could but the Spirit of God overpowered him and out of his mouth came a prophecy about Israel. Balak who hired Balaam had felt so desperate because what Balaam said contradicted to what Balak wished.

Numbers 22-24 are the count of what the false prophet Balaam was doing and prophesying. At the same time these passages tells us something about the inspiration of the Bible namely that God did not choose the people to write His word on the basis of their brilliance, faithfulness, spirituality, dedication, dependability because every human writer was a sinful man. Here in this account, one of the unbelievers even prophesied concerning the coming of king of Israel. Balaam said by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Numbers 23:21 “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.”

It is the matter of fact that the Israelites were full in iniquity, and perverseness. For example when Moses asked twelve people of Israel to spy the condition of the Canaan in those days while they were still in the wilderness, there were only two people who were bravely side for the truth namely Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 13-14). These only two people who have been in Egypt, in wilderness and to cross the river of Jordan to enter the Promised Land.

However God looked upon Israel as the chosen people and in God’s side they were perfect. There is no contradiction here just like in the New Testament said, “in Christ you are perfect.” We are already crucified with Him and raised up with Him and all these are judicial but not actual experience. Our actual are sinners and continue sinning, but in the mind of God we are already perfect and glorified because God can see the future as well as in the present. God can due with us in the light of the future. Therefore the Lord also can say to Israel, though they are rebellions and full of iniquity, but “I do not see any trouble in them and they are my chosen people.” This does not mean that every Israelite is born again, but He was talking about the nation, as his chosen people. Numbers 3:21 clearly gives us the key that despite of the disobedience, iniquity of Israel the Lord “is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.” The King will come from Judah as Balaam saw that He would come for the nation of Israel.

Furthermore in Numbers 24, as king Balak was being threatened by the false prophet, Balaam said this word in Numbers 24:17-19 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” This is to say that though it is still in the future, “there shall come a Star out of Jacob.” It is amazing that God gave such great prophecy to Balaam the wicked man. The prophecy that is found in this passage was the thing that the Lord has said to Jacob hundreds of Years before. This will be much fulfilled in the Lord Jesus as the King of universe, the King of Israel as mentioned in the Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This will be fulfilled in the time of Millennial. Every Gentile nation will acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ is the king of Israel, and the Lord of eternity.

The Amazing Word Concerning The Coming Messiah

2008-08-10T03:08:00.000-07:00

In John 1:3 we are told that “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” This verse teaches that Jesus Christ was with God the Father before the creation. And in the time of the creation Jesus Christ was with the Father to create all things. He is the second person of the Triune God. The promise of the Lord seen in the prophetic history is to be fulfilled that this second person of the Triune God, the Messiah will be revealed to mankind. He will take the form of man in order to save sinners from their sins.

All prophetic history down from Adam and Eve showed that the Messiah was on veil and it was not so clear yet, but through the progressive revelation it shows its clear meaning and significant. Thousands years later, God called Abraham, one man, through whom he will bring blessings to all nations of the earth. In the book of Genesis, we are told that it was not because how righteous Abraham was, for he was just like us, sinners saved by grace but the Lord chose him through whom the seed of the woman will come.

When Jacob was in Egypt, he said to his twelve sons just before his death that Judah was the one through whose line the Messiah will come which is also called “Shiloh” ‘the one who is right it is,’ ‘to whom the kingship belongs’ in the light of Ezekiel 21:25-27. The Messiah would not only be born of the woman but to be the descendant of the Abraham by the eliminating Ishmael, and Esau narrowed down to Jacob and narrowed down to Judah.

In the time of Moses, four hundreds years after Joseph died; Israelites were in desperation, persecuted in Egypt. They cried to the Lord and He sent Moses to be the deliverer for the children of Israel. But Moses was the most reluctant leader that ever known and yet in Numbers 12 tells us that Moses was the most meek man. He was the only man that ever said in the Bible in that way. On the other hand the Lord Jesus Christ also said the same thing that He “is meek, and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). However though Moses was chosen as the deliverer for the Israelites Moses was not given the Promised Land because of one act of disbelief and disobedience.

The Promise of the Coming Saviour

2008-08-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

The promise to Abraham

In Genesis 12, God told us through Abraham something that equally important concerning the promised coming Messiah. This was happen long after the flood, even after the Babel, c.a. 2100 BC. The Lord chose one man from the land of Chaldeans through the promise progressively revealed. As God said to Abraham “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). In these verses, we can see the clear divine promise given to Abraham and his descendants. If any nations cursed the seeds of Abraham the Lord God would curse them. There will be divine retribution, because God has chosen the seeds of Abraham as a nation in order to bring the Messiah to this earth, though they are still the enemy of the gospel (Romans 11). However the Lord said to Abraham, “In thee (Abraham) shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Abraham was not worthy for all these. He was chosen, not because he was sinless for the Bible tells us that Abraham once told a lie when he said his wife was his sister. However the curses were given by God to those nations which were against the descendants of Abraham. This is truly the fulfilment of the prophecy given by God. The Lord has done so in order to fulfil what he has promised in Genesis 3:15 through the seed of Abraham. Paul also said in Galatians 3:16 “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ.” The ‘seed’ here is referring to the ‘seed of the woman’ in Genesis 3:15. Hence through the seed (Jesus Christ) all the people of this earth will be blessed.

As we have seen the relation between the promise in the Old Testament and its fulfilment progressively, we can conclude that what the Lord has said in the New Testament has its foundation in the Old Testament. However there is a great demand to study the Scripture carefully and diligently with humility. In this generation, there is a most disturbing fact for Seminary students. By studying three to four years, they expect to know everything. This is impossible because if we really study the Bible, it will never end because every chapter of the Bible is dependable to each verse in the whole Bible.

There were two problems of many people today in understanding the word of God. Firstly, we do not even know that the Lord has said. Secondly we did not even take time and ask the Lord to help us to understand what the Lord has said. Perhaps there are many people who can memorise all the verses but they never understand the meaning of those verses. The Jews and the Scribes in the time of Jesus could remember chapters by chapters and yet they did not understand what they did. It is not because of memorising the verses then we have eternal life and know the word of God, but because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us, we have the capacity to begin to understand what we read. Our eyes open to understand His Word. However one of the things that the Lord asks us to do is that we should learn from ‘the seed,’ namely the Lord Jesus Christ. We need the discipline in many ways in life as we live for the Lord. Therefore in learning the word of the Lord, let us make this as our prayer, “Lord, remove all the excuses whatsoever that avoid me from the mastering the only book namely the Bible. This is to show that I love you as my Lord.”

The promise to Jacob

When the Lord called Abraham in Genesis 12, it was the beginning of his career, but as for Jacob, his grandson, the promise was given as the end of his career in Genesis 49. It was about 250 years have already passed since God called Abraham. Jacob was in Egypt as prophesied in the Scriptures that the Israelites would be in the strange country for hundreds of years (Genesis 12:41), when he prophesied concerning his son, Judah. In Genesis 49, Jacob gathered his twelve sons just before his death.

Although Joseph was the one was used by God to bring the Israelites came to Egypt, and yet Joseph was the one through whom the Messiah would come. Genesis 49:8-10 told us that it was from the line of Judah that Messiah would come and not of Joseph. Judah was the one who recommended Joseph to be sold to the Ishmaelites instead of killing him in the pits (Genesis 37:26-28). However it was Judah who came forth as one of the eleven brothers who showed the conviction of sin and courage to stand for the truth when Joseph confronted them in Egypt (Genesis 44:16-18). Thus the Lord said to Judah through Jacob in Genesis 49:8-10, “Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

In verse 10 of this chapter again we read “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Who will be in the world the “Shiloh”? The Bible never mentioned anything about this name. However the Lord has revealed his revelation progressively in which what we can not understand in the book of Genesis, other prophetic books of the Bible can help us to see the light and the meaning of those difficult passages.

In this junction, it is necessary to consult the writing of the prophet Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 21:25-27 God said concerning the wicked king of Judah, Zedekiah, “And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the Lord God; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.” In verse 27, God spoke three times the word “overturn.” This is to say that the Lord would truly destroy the monarchy of the king of Judah. Since this last king, the monarchy of Israel never restored even to this day. There will be no monarchy in Israel until “He comes whose right it is and I will give it him.”

Furthermore in Ezekiel 21:27 we notice the phrase “whose right it is.” Who is this “whose right it is”? In Hebrew this phrase is “esherloh” which is the same basic word as “shiloh.” Thus “shiloh” which was mentioned in Genesis 49:10 was referring to “esherloh” (whose right it is) mentioned in Ezekiel 21:27 namely the Lord Jesus Christ. When the “shiloh” comes and sets His kingdom on this earth, all the people in this earth will be obedience to Him. This prophecy was given by God through Jacob and Ezekiel although it was hard to understand, yet the Lord has revealed in His Holy Book that we may know and study it. Thus we may conclude that the Messiah, Christ Jesus has been promised by God to Jacob that the Messiah will come from the line of Judah.

The First Prophecy Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ

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Soon after the fall of man, as recorded in Genesis 3:1-13 the Lord knew that there would be no mere man who can earn salvation by his own good works. God knew the heart and ability of man that there was no way in which man could please God. The fall of man has brought curses to all mankind and no one will spare (ref. Genesis 3:14-21). What it was recorded in Genesis 3:1-13 was the proof in the human history that Satan successfully won over Adam through Eve and the serpent. Although serpent was seen in this scenario but Satan was behind the serpent to achieve his purpose to deceive Adam and Eve.

However, though Adam and Eve have disobeyed God, the Lord was still merciful to them. In Genesis 3:21 we read “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats skins and clothed them.” In order to clothe them, the Lord has to kill the animal and make the skins to be their clothes. This is to say that there was the shed blood of the animal in that time which symbolised that Adam and Eve were covered from the sins by symbolic innocent blood which was pointing to the blood of Jesus Christ. Thus it was after the fall of man, when God pronounced the curse to Satan, God predicted for the first time of the coming Saviour of the world (Gen. 3:15). Without the shedding blood of Him to cover the sins of man there will be no remission of sins. For this reason Genesis 3:15 is well known as the Proto-evangelion (the first gospel preached by God to mankind). Thus there is a need to study on this passage in order to understand the deeper meaning of the curse that God pronounce to Satan.

Proto-evangelion

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This verse can be considered as John 3:16 in the Old Testament because based on this verse alone clearly seen the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ preached to Adam and Eve by God Himself. Thus there are three things that need to be studied on this verse.

First, God said to Satan “I will put enmity between thee and the woman.” Based on this verse, the woman must have known that Satan is not her friend but enemy. The word ‘enmity’ in Hebrew can be meant as ‘personal enmity’ which break our relationship with God. Satan may appear very friendly and look like the angles of light but nevertheless we must understand that they are satanic truth. They deceive people with their own words and not following the truth of the Word of God (2 John 7-11).

Second, “and between thy seed (Satan’s) and her see.” The question is asked who is the seed of Satan? The answer is every unregenerate human being in the world. The moment we are conceived we are of Satan. Every baby born is unsaved, lost, and inherit human nature from the parents, grandfather and back to Adam. Just as David said, “in sin did my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). This is to say that the sinful nature of every man did not come from the parents or from the neighbourhood influences but it was because of the fall of our first parents. Thus every ever born baby is unsaved including the first baby that ever born namely Cain. The New Testament said he is of the evil one who murdered his brother.

On the other hand everyone who has been born again is the seed of the woman. Thus there are two human races or groups of the people in the world namely those who are saved and walk in the light, and those who are lost and walk in darkness.

Third, “he shall bruise your head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Who is this ‘he’ mentioned in this verse? ‘He’ here is referring to the seed of the woman. Satan will be bruised by the seed of the woman, the ultimate seed, and the representative of all the saved people that ever lived namely Jesus Christ. However in the process of bruising the heel of Jesus Christ as happened on the cross by Satan through Judas Iscariot who helped to kill Jesus on the cross, Satan’s head had been bruised. “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world (Satan) be cast out” (John 12:31).

The fulfilment of Proto-evangelion

Having seen the exposition of Genesis 3:15 as described above, the questions again are raised. How do we know this verse is talking about Satan, Jesus, believer and unbelievers, for it does not say anything about them here? To answer this question it is important to know the manner in which God revealed the revelation in the Old Testament. What the Lord has mentioned in this verse is just a little seed which through centuries keep growing through the progressive revelation. And when the Bible finally completed (all 66 books), then we can look back and we may say with conviction that now we understand what God meant in the book of Genesis.

One of the text proofs in the New Testament concerning what the Lord has said in Genesis 3:15 found in Romans 16:20 “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” This verse is saying that our God will bruise Satan under the feet of believers. In the kingdom age, Satan will be on the bottomless pit, because Jesus has bruised his head on the Calvary cross. However though Satan was already bruised his head, and yet he is still roaming around like a lion, seeking whom he may endeavour (1 Peter 5:8), but soon he will be cast out by the Lord and for a thousand years he will be bound (Revelation 2:1-2).

The question further is asked, how do we know the ancient serpent in Genesis 3 was really Satan? The answer is found in the last book of the complete revelation of God, the Bible. Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was cast, and old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Truly the Lord has revealed to us in the book of Revelation what He meant in the book of Genesis.

How did we expect Adam and Eve to understand all these mentioned in Genesis 3:15? The answer is they believed God and what the Lord has told them. Just like Abraham, he was justified when “he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). Abraham did not know everything what we know today, but the Old Testament saint knew that the coming Saviour, the Messiah would die on their behalf to cleanse all their sins. Their faiths were looking forward for the Lamb of God that was going to be offered on the Calvary cross and what the Messiah would do for them. As for us, the New Testament saints who live after the death of Jesus Christ, we look back what the Lord Jesus Christ has done on the cross.

In the light of what the Lord told Adam and Eve in verse 20 of Genesis, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living,” Adam understood the meaning of the prophesy of God in Genesis 3:15. He knew that through the seed of Eve, would come the seed that would bruise the head of Satan, our enemy. For this reason, Adam honoured Eve by calling her the mother of all living because through her seed will come the Saviour to save us from our enemy. Adam and Eve might not know that this promised Messiah would come after thousands of years past, but they believed in God and what He has said that the promise would be fulfilled. Therefore right from the beginning, the Bible tells us that there will be a Saviour who will bruise the head of the Satan, though He himself suffered in the process.

Our God Is the Sovereign God

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Anyone who desires to know about the Son of God, the second person the Triune God, he must study what the Bible says about itself. This is the infinite quality. Apart from the Bible no one will be able to know about the Son of God, what He had done and what He will be going to do in the future. The Holy Scripture is the only book that God ever had written and given to His people. Because God was the One who wrote the Bible, it is absolutely that the Bible did not contain any mistake and error. Our God is the sovereign God who does all things perfectly. For this reason, the Bible is the most precious book to every believer. We need to know how to handle and study it.

When the Lord gave His Word to His people both in the Old and New Testament, one of the things that God wants us to know is about the Lord Jesus Christ. Because God is the author of the Bible, right from the first book till the last book in the Bible, there is only one theme that is given namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the writing of each book of this Holy Scripture was separated in different place and time, yet the Lord had made all things perfect by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

For example, Isaiah 53 was already written hundreds of years before Jesus Christ came to this world, but the fact there is more information given in this chapter regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 provided the information what the Lord Jesus did on the cross and what He wanted to accomplish during His life on this earth. The information that we find in this chapter is more than we find in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If the people in the Old Testament have studied and mastered Isaiah 53, all prophesies and all things that lead up to it and follow it there would be no doubt that they must have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ when He came to this earth. In fact when John the Baptist pointed the people to the Lord Jesus Christ and saying “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), he did not really have to explain its meaning because the Jews were supposed to know it for they have been indoctrinated, taught this prophetic truth hundreds of years who the Messiah and the Lamb really is.

Thus based on Isaiah 53, the writers of the New Testament by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit often quoted in their writing to prove that this prophetic truth was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. This quotation can be seen for example in Matthew 8: 17 “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sickness” (ref. Isaiah 53:4). Luke 22:37 “And he was reckoned among the transgressors” (ref. Isaiah 53:12). John 12:38 “Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (ref. Isaiah 53:1). Acts 8:32 “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer,” (ref. Isaiah 53:7,8). Romans 10:16 “Lord who hath believed our report?” (ref. Isaiah 53:1). 1 Peter 2:25 “Ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned” (ref. Isaiah 53:6). All these verses prove that our God is sovereign God who does not mistake in the writing of His word.

The sovereignty of God seen in His sign miracles

Based on the fulfilment of the prophecy given in Isaiah 53, there is no doubt to conclude that our God is the true and living God. God has shown His sovereignty through the Scriptures. We can see clearly the great distinction of our God with the gods of the heathen, the gods of the world. The gods of world will never make such statement as in the book of Isaiah. For this reason we can conclude that there are two distinctions seen as the sovereignty of our God. Firstly, our God is the Only God who can perform genuine sign miracles e.g. creating the world (ref. Isaiah 48:13), paying the penalty of our sins and the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead. Secondly, our God is the true and living God who can tell His people long in advance about the sign miracles which He is going to do in the future. He has totally mastered about the future just as mentioned in Isaiah 53. Only our God who is able to do the genuine sign miracles and there is no other gods because God has said, “I will not give my glory unto another” (Isaiah 48:11). Thus we should recognise that He is sovereign, and ultimate. He is omnipotent and omnipresent. God knows everything that happens in this world because He is in control.

On the other hand though God is in control of everything in this universe, as we know by faith, man and angels are responsible to the sovereign God. Men are responsible, accountable, answerable to every thought, they think, every word they speak and everything they do. And God therefore tells us in His word, that He will come to judge everything that we do.

The sovereignty of God seen in the fulfilment of His promise

As we have seen the distinctions of our God with the gods of this universe, we are really convinced that our God is the God who is able to do genuine sign miracles. The event on the Mount Carmel when the prophet Elijah had a contest was the tremendous proof of the sovereignty of our God over the universe (1 Kings 18:20-40). He is the only true God that ever exists and nothing else.

As the only true and living God, our God can predict the future and fulfil them. The Lord said through the prophet Isaiah saying “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9-10). This is awful saying that the Lord ever said in the history of the world. What the Lord Jesus has done and accomplished was not known just in the New Testament. The crucifixion of the Son of God on the cross has been pre-programmed and planed by God. Everything has been spelt out in the Old Testament hundreds years in advance. There is a great need to know that what the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished for us on the cross was based on the previous revelation mentioned centuries in advance in the Old Testament Scriptures.

However it is sad to say that many people who deliberately ignore the teaching in the Old Testament about the Lord Jesus Christ even though they have it in their Bible. On the other hand there are many people in this world who do not have even the Old Testament Scriptures in their own languages. Many missionaries struggle to own the New Testament in the languages where they are serving.

Can we imagine if certain groups of people hold only the gospel of Matthew? Can you think what is in their mind when they read Matthew 1:1 for the first time? They will read in this way “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of the David, the son of Abraham.” And the questions are raised, who is David? Was he Jesus’s father? Who is Abraham? Was he His grandfather? The answer is no, for there are a thousand of years between each of those names packed with significant and prophesy that makes Jesus known automatically before we read Matthew 1:2. Thus the most important truth for us, evangelical Christians today is to open the book in the Old Testament and let the Holy Spirit tells us about Christ the Lord in the precious book. There are hundreds of quotations in the New Testament pointing back to the Old Testament. We can glance the basis who Christ is in the Old Testament, and not only known in the New Testament. Indeed there is a weakness among the Christians that without realising in our heart and mind that the New Testament has the foundation from the Old Testament.

The Issue of Remarriage In the Church

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The subject of divorce and remarriage is the most everybody familiar with in the society today. This subject is not only the matter of the society but sadly it becomes the great issue in the church. No one can deny the reality of this matter but to face it. To those who hold on the fundamental teaching of the Bible, they find difficult to defend the teaching of the Bible on this matter. They are often criticized by friends and the congregations as being selfish and rude. Many have fallen because they could not stand to face the criticism. On the other hand, there are people who ignore the Bible teaching. They compromise the stand they have by giving the approval to divorce and remarriage.

The matter of divorce which is followed by remarriage is growing in percentages in the society and the church. No one can deny that it happens everywhere because it does not only take place in the unbelievers society in general but it is the matter of the church which no way to be avoided but faced. The question arises, what does the Bible tell us of this matter? Should the church accept the demand and influence of the world and forsake the Bible’ teaching? To answer this question it is important to study the nature of marriage given by the Lord in the Bible. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we should yield ourselves to follow what the Bible says to us and not following the growing influence of the society. The Lord Jesus Christ has commended us to be salt and life of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). We should dare to be different for the sake of Christ.

The nature of Marriage

In Genesis 2:18-25 we find the account of marriage as the first divinely ordained institution by the Lord. The Lord was the one who created Adam and Eve and made them together in marriage. In this regard marriage is sacred for the Lord has ordained it to be followed by the generation after Adam and Eve. Whosoever has been united by the Lord in marriage no one is allowed to separate them. In fact Genesis 2:24 clearly teaches that the marriage that the Lord has ordained is only a monogamous relationship. The Lord never commanded the people to divorce or remarriage because polyandry and polygamy are not according God’s will. The perfect will of God in marriage is one man and one woman for one lifetime. These two people (one man and one woman) will be called husband and wife. They are to leave their individual homes and cleave to one another to make a new one and weave a life together.

Looking at Genesis 2:24-25 closely, we can conclude that marriage is a covenant based on love and respect that joins. The relationship of a man and woman in this regard is a holy relationship before the Lord. Husband and wife must honor and respect their marriage. Marriage is Scripturally, legally and morally binding for life and not to be put asunder by man or woman (Matt 19:6). Husband and wife should not allow any third party to be involved in the marriage. They need to follow the guidelines that the Lord has provided in the Scriptures so that they will not go wrong as they journey together in this life.

In addition, the Bible also provides the foundation of why the Lord ordained the institution of marriage. The Lord did not do something or command the people without any purpose. In this regard we shall see clearly that firstly marriage is for the purpose of loving companionship and sexual intimacy (Hebrews 13:4). Secondly, marriage is for the purpose of child rearing (Genesis 1:28). These are the absolute purpose given by the Lord. Thus let no man think that marriage is something that they can play fool with, but rather they should honor it because the Lord has ordained it.

In fact we notice clearly that the Lord Jesus has described and taken the example of the holiness of marriage to depict the relationship of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). This is to say that marriage is symbolic of the church. The love of Christ for the church should be in the same manner the husband will express his love toward his wife. He should love, care and protect her unto the end of their lives in this world. The holiness of marriage will bring great delight in relationship of husband and wife. “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). By violating God’s commandments, one is committing sin.

The issue of Divorce

Having seen the nature of marriage, the Lord has ordained, then we should consider the issue of divorce that occurs in the church. In the earlier generation, the church did not face the matter of divorce because divorce was almost never encountered among the Christians. However today, this issue has become a very real problem in evangelical Christian circles. In fact infidelity does not only occurs in the midst of ordinary members of the church but also among the Christian leaders. As a result, the church does not seem shining anymore to lift up the truth in the midst of the unbelieving world.

What does the Bible say about divorce? Before divorce takes place it is important to note that divorce always stems from some sins which are really hated by God (Mal 2:16). Sometimes divorce occurs because of the hardship of life and disagreement in certain matters. Whatever reason may be, divorce is not according to the will of God. For the Christian couple, the idea of divorce should never enter their mind though how hard and difficult the matter they need to face. If the wife has done wrong in their marriage, the best solution is that the husband must forgive the wife. Even in the matter of committing adultery, if the innocent spouse can forgive the guilty spouse after showing the signs of repentance it is the best. In this regard, we need to consider the relationship of Christ with the church. We need to ask the question, how often has the church committed adultery? How often does the church not regarding God as her God in her practical living? But when the church repented the Lord forgives her and back to the right relationship with Him. Husband must apply the same thing with regard to the matter of his marriage.

However as human being, there will be a time where the matter can not be solved. As a result husband and wife will divorce. Nevertheless the Bible gives us the guidelines that divorce for Christian couple can be permitted only on the grounds of fornication (Matthews 19:9). In this regard divorce is not sinful for the innocent spouse. In addition, divorce is permitted if an unbeliever deserts a believer (1 Corinthians 7:15). Apart from these, the Bible does not support of the ideas of divorce presented by so-called modern scholars in the theological circles.

The Pharisees tempted Christ concerning the matter of divorce where Moses commanded them to give a writing of divorcement and to put he away (Matthew 19:7). The Lord Jesus gave the right answer that it was because of the hardness of their hearts Moses allowed it (Matthew 19:8). However this statement is not to justify their wrong doings but we need to understand that divorce is forgivable sin (1 John 1:9). Nevertheless those who have fallen to this category let them know that the Lord is not tolerable with sin. Galatians 6:7 said “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The issue of Remarriage

When a person has divorced his or her spouse, the next step such person will commonly do is to get remarriage. The world in general has such understanding. But again, we ask, what does the Bible say about remarriage? Under what conditions may Christians remarry? Based on the discussion we have in Matthew 19 between Jesus Christ and the Pharisees, we conclude that remarriage is not allowed especially a spouse who has divorced because of his or her sin of fornication. “Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another committeth adultery: and whose marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery” (Matthew 19:9). On the other hand, it is noteworthy that Jesus Christ on a different occasion did not give fornication as an excuse for divorce. “whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (Luke 16:18). And again Jesus gave another statement which is applied to wives. “And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” (Mark 10:12).

Based on the three passages above, it implies that remarriage is forbidden to a believer. However Matthew 19:9 is debatable because of the exceptive “clause” in this verse. Some have concluded that the innocent spouse is free to remarry but Luke 16:18 is against such. Remarriage is also forbidden to a believer who deserts an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:11). Then the question arises, who can remarry?

The Bible gives us the clear teaching that remarriage can only be applied to those whose husband or wife has died. As Paul said in I Corinthians 7:39 “the wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” However interestingly Paul continued to say in verse 40 “But she is happier if she so abide.” Indeed this is the only condition where the Bible gives room for remarriage. Nevertheless as we have discussed in the issue of divorce, remarriage is also forgivable sin. But be reminded again, we shall reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).

Conclusion

Looking at the nature of marriage, the Lord has ordained marriage between one man and one woman only. The marriage must be monogamous. Marriage must be honored and respected by both couple. The idea of divorce must never enter their mind at all, but rather they should obtain the forgiving spirit. How difficult the situation may be in their marriage, they should realize that the Lord is the one who has put them together.

The growing percentages of divorce in the Christians circles show the declination of the spiritual life of Christians in our generation. In order to avoid divorce in the church, Christians must build themselves in the knowledge of the Word of God and obtain the mind of Christ in our daily life. In so doing, we will fall into sin that cause of trouble in the marriage. For it is clear divorce is forbidden except for the cause of fornication. And remarriage is forbidden except the death of one spouse.

God's Promise To Abrahamic Covenant: The People

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THE PROMISE OF THE PEOPLE

The People Is the Blessing to All Nations

Based on the promise of God to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, that his descendants would be a blessing to all the world. This promise was mentioned twice to Abraham (Gen 18:18; 22:18) and confirmed also to his son Isaac in Genesis 26:4 and to Jacob in Genesis 28:14. All the promises that God had said with regard to the nation of Israel will be fulfilled. Although many people think that the Lord is not interested on Israel as a nation any more for they have killed their king Jesus Christ. This view is well known as the interpretation of the Amillennium. They also say that all the blessings that the Lord had said to Abraham have been replaced by the church. Therefore the Amillennium believes that the Israel that we see today is not the same as before, because they had been cast by the Lord and the Lord only interested on the church today. However one commented on this view that "These blessings promised to Israel are nowhere reinterpreted as presently belonging to the church. The fact that the promises remain in force anticipates their future fulfilment. Thus, while there is in the promised to all people through Abraham and his seed, many aspect of the promise remain to the fulfilled, especially those dealing with the “great nation” seed and the “land” but also the final inheritance of spiritual salvation." The Lord who is faithful to what he had said will fulfil the promises given to Abraham.

With regard to the promised people as an universal blessing, it is seen its fulfilment through the Lord Jesus Christ where His lineage came from the line of Abraham. Through Him we know that all the world (those who believe on Him) is rejoicing for the eternal salvation that they have in Christ Jesus. Truly this is the greatest blessing that people have in life. The nation of Israel will continue be as a blessing to all the world, even for the second coming of Jesus Christ, Israel is the key as the Bible describes that His coming will be the same from the place where he went up to heaven namely Jerusalem. This is to say those who have known Christ will see Him face to face with great joy.

Conclusion

The call of Abraham to leave his own country and his father’s house is clearly seen as the plan of the Lord for the salvation of the sinners. Since the promise had given to Adam in Genesis 3:15, therefore the Lord had chosen Abraham and his descendants as the chosen people where this promise would be fulfilled and many people would be blessed. As Saucy said, "Only with the call of Abraham does God step into human history to initiate his own kingdom program of salvation. The gracious promises given to Abraham in covenant appear throughout Scripture as the foundation and essential ingredients in germinal form of all subsequent salvation history. In addition to the content, the paradigmatic divine human relationship evident in the covenant with Abraham constitutes the root of all salvation."

In the promises of the Lord given to Abraham, there are three main promises that the Lord should bring to pass namely, the promise of the heir, the promise of the land and the promise of the people as a universal blessing. Indeed the first was already fulfilled but the second partly for the land of Israel have not yet been fulfilled as what the Lord had said to Abraham. And the third is being fulfilled in the church age today.

Therefore through the promises of God made in the Abrahamic Covenant, it is clear that the promised Saviour would come to save the all sinners who believe and have faith on Him. Indeed through this covenant we may see and taste the joy of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God's Promise To Abrahamic Covenant: The Land

2008-07-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

THE PROMISE OF THE LAND

The promised son was one of the promises that the Lord had told to Abraham. After having fulfilled this promise, there at least two more promises that the Lord should show to the descendants of Abraham namely the promised land and the promised people as the great nation which is also as a blessing to all nations (Gen 12:2).

The Promised Land Was Given to His People

Although the birth of Isaac came later, the promised land was told to Abraham. This promise was given when the Lord made the covenant with Abraham that the land in which he stood would be given to him and his descendants although in that point of time it belonged to many nations. Despite of the present of these nations the Lord gave the land to him unconditionally as the Lord saying, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites" (Gen 15:18-21).

This promise was reaffirmed to Abraham after the birth of Ishmael saying, "I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations" (Gen 17:8-9).

This promise first was seen its fulfilment in the death of Sarah where Abraham bought a piece of land to bury his wife. This was just the starting for Abraham to see this land as his possession (Gen 23:1-20), for the Lord had given him the border of the land from the great river to the river of Euphrates. What Abraham had it was just for the burial ground for his wife and “this became the future burial ground of Abraham himself (Gen 25:8-10).” As Davis comments, "the very fact that Abraham Buried Sarah in the land of Canaan is proof of his unwavering faith. Knowing that his descendants would have to endure 400 years of bitter bondage in a foreign country (15:13), he looked beyond that to the ultimate fulfilment of God’s promise. ...Abraham is remembered for his far reaching faith which caused him to look for a city ‘whose builder and maker is God.’"

Therefore the great fulfilment to this promised land would be seen further in the time of Abraham descendants through Jacob and his twelve sons (became the twelve tribes) possess the land.

The People Was Restored to the Land

The land that Abraham had bought became the possession of his descendants, even to his grandson Jacob. Jacob with his twelve sons lived in Canaan. The famine that happened in this country had caused them to leave this land and went to Egypt as the command of Joseph his son whom became prime ministry in Egypt. The prophesy of Abraham descendant as being strangers for 430 years was being fulfilled in this land of Egypt (Gen 15:13). During these long years, the descendants of Abraham as known Israel had been suffering under the bondage of Egyptians. But despite of this hardship, the Lord had had blessed them that this nation had grown to two millions people. This was the fulfilment of the promise of the Lord to Abraham that his descendants would be innumerable.

The land of Canaan that had been left for 430 years would be restored by God to the children of Israel that the Israelites who were under bondage for many years would be brought back to the promised land. Indeed under the leadership of Moses, they left Egypt and marched to the promised land through the way of wilderness, and under the leadership of Joshua they had conquered the land and destroyed those nations who lived in the promised land as the Lord commanded them to do. The divisions of the land had been done and the land was divided according to their tribes (Joshua).

After the death of Joshua and the elders of the Israelites, the children of Israel did evil before the Lord and worship other gods, and the Lord sold them to their enemies. Because of the apostasy that happened among the Israelites, the Lord had commanded His prophets to warn them that they might obey and follow their Lord. One has said that "The land aspect of the Abraham promise had particular importance for the prophets of the declining and post-monarchy era. Because of apostasy, Israel was losing the land and consequently her nationhood, but that was not the last word. Through the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel in particular, God sustained the hope of the faithful with promises of a return to the land."

Many a time in spite of obeying their prophets they ignored them, even in time the prophets telling them that they would be captive by the Assyrian and Babylonian. Their hearts were hardened and disobeyed the Lord. In this time many Israelites were killed and many were exiled for seventy years in Babylon. The promised land was taken by other nations. After their return from exile some of the land was taken by their surrounding nations, and their land was smaller than before. One commented that "The exiles who returned to the land under Ezra and Nehemiah rested their faith in the God of Abraham. Even while they were still under the domination of others (Neh 9:36-37), they based their hope of restoration on God’s covenant with Abraham, as we see in their prayer of national confession and their determination to obey God’s law."

Whereas the Lord had promised to Abraham how large the promised land it is. But even in the first entering of the Israelites to the promised land, the land was not fulfilled as the Lord had commanded. Therefore the promised land should be restored to his people as the Lord had said, even in AD 70 many had taught the nation of Israel no longer, and yet in 1948, the nation of Israel exists again. Therefore the promise of the Lord also should be fulfilled to the nation of Israel today. As Macnaughtan comments “The land is to be restored to the people of Israel. The unconditional covenant made with Abraham, not yet fulfilled in all its details, as we have seen, requires this.” He further comments with regard to the fulfilment of the promised land: "We know of no one who would have the temerity to claim that, under Joshua and his immediate successors, the Israelites ‘possessed’ and ‘dwelt in’ the whole land from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates! Either we must conclude that the solemn promise God made to Abraham was never intended to be taken on its face value - and this we can not accept- or that the promise is yet to find its complete fulfilment."

God's Promise To Abrahamic Covenant: The Heir

2008-07-09T19:47:00.001-07:00

The call of Abraham had been the most significant to all the world where from his descendants the Lord has been showing mercy to all sinners after the fall of Adam. Indeed the plan of God is beyond of the expectaion and imagination of humankind. Having fallen into sin, God opens a way of salvation to all people for His sake.

The promises that the Lord had given to Abraham have produced the great result to humankind and to the nation of Israel particularly. In order to reveal and fulfill the promise of the coming saviour mentioned in Gen 3:15, the Lord had chosen Abraham and his descendants as vihicle to accomplish his promises. With regard to these promises the Lord also must show the significant of His people as He had made covenant to His servant Abraham that his generation would be the great nation. In order to accomplish this promise the Lord must bestow him a son, for when the Lord made the covenant with him he had not had any child at all, and provide him a land. (Genesis 15:1-5)

Based on Genesis 17:7 this covenant is the everlasting covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants. This is to say that the covenant that God made to Abraham is eternal till all the promises would be fulfiled. Therefore the phisical seeds of Abraham though they disobeyed and not worship Him, would continue under this covenant. That the Lord still intersted to the children of Abraham as a nation and He will remember them. In the fullness of time he will bring them back to His own.Thus the writer of this paper would discuss the threefold promises of God in Abrahamic covenant as followings: (1) the promise of the heir (seed), (2) the promise of the land and (3) the promise of the people to be the blessing.

THE PROMISE OF THE HEIR

The step of faith that Abraham did to obey and follow what the Lord had said to him was the most significant in the history of the life of Abraham. Abraham did not know about the Lord while he was staying in his father’s house. The call of Abraham was the first experience to hear the voice of the Lord. However, he did believe to what the Lord commanded to him. He believed that the Lord who had called him is the true God and the promised keeping God. Therefore by faith he departed from his country to the land which the Lord would show him (Gen 12:1,4).

In Abraham’s first response, he was childless (Gen 15:3), but through the faith that he received from the Lord, it was the foundation for him to believe what the Lord told him. The Lord told Abraham, "Get thee out of thy country...unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great: and thau shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Gen 12:1-3).

After this the Lord also appear to him for the second time to conform to him the land that he stepped on that this land would be given to him particularly unto his seed (Gen 12:7). Truly the Lord kept His word and now Abraham after his return from Egypt and his separation with Lot, this promise was renewed by the Lord to Abraham . The Lord told him saying, "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee" (Gen 13:14-18).

Based on these promises that the Lord would give the land to him though in that point of time he did not have any child but God in His good time would fulfil what he had promised. Though in human’s understanding it was hard to believe that Abraham would have a child for in the time of his calling he was seventy five years old (Gen 12:4).

Having received the promises from the Lord thrice (Gen 12:1-3, Gen 12:7; Gen 13:14-17), the Lord again came to Abram in a vision to conform to him that the Lord is His ‘shield’ and his ‘exceeding great reward’ (15:1). From these four times God spoke to Abraham, thrice he did not comment at all but he just followed what the Lord told him. In this fourth appearance, Abraham declared his desire as a response to what the Lord had promised. Therefore Abraham said to the Lord “Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and lo, one born in my house in mine heir” (Gen 15:3). The Lord replied to him that though the Lord had not given him any son yet, the servant who was born in his house was not his heir but the true heir will come from his own seed (Gen 15:4). In this confusing situation of Abraham, the Lord further assured him to this coming fulfilment heir of him saying: “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (15:5). Abaraham just believed to this promise even though he did not know the axact time of fulfilment of this promise.

Ishmael

After ten years passed by, the promise of the Lord had not yet fulfilled in the life of Abraham. The promised son who would inherit the land was not known yet. This perhaps was the greatest worried to Sarai his wife that she desired to have a child. Sarai had heard the promises for ten years and yet she did not see any sign of its fulfilment. Therefore Abraham and Sarai became more concerned. Sarai was not patient to wait for the Lord’s blessing. As the custom in those days, Abraham was asked by his wife to take her handmaid, Hagar, as a concubine, that she might bear a child on behalf of Sarai and Abraham listened to his wife (Gen 16:1-3). One year later, “Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram” (Gen 16:15-16).

As years went by, the promises of the Lord never changed. The Lord still remembered His to Abraham, and He would fulfil them in His good time. Therefore after the birth of Ishmael to his family, the Lord still did not show to him any sign of his seed. And the Lord said that Ishmael was not the promised son who would inherit the land but from his own seed through his wife Sarai (Gen 17:15-21). And the Lord also said to Abraham with regard to his son Ishmael saying “as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation” (Gen 17:20).

In Genesis 21:6-21, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away for Ishmael was not the promised son. As far as Sarah was concerned, the continuing presence of Hagar and Ishmael in her household threatened her position and authority. Not wanting to become embroiled in the dispute, which was legally Sarah’s to settle, Abraham suggested that she do to Hagar “as it pleaseth thee.” So Sarah made life difficult for Hagar, perhaps by returning her to slave status (which the Code of Hammurab permitted the wife to do) and making unrealistic demands upon her. In any event, Hagar was forced to flee, and she got as far as the wilderness on the way to Shur (16:7), near the Egyptian border (20:1; 25:13).

However because Ishmael was the seed of Abraham, the Lord said that Ishmael the son of the bondwoman also would be a nation (Gen 21:13,18). As Davis commented that “many Arabs claim Ishmael as their father and, therefore, Palestine as their land. The prophetic description of Ishmael as “a wild ass of a man” is rather intriguing.”

Isaac

From the birth of Ishmael, the Lord “was silent for thirteen more years.This was the time of Abraham’s faith testing with regard to the promised heir which the Lord had promised. But the Lord remembered His promise, and he said to Abraham when his wife was ninety years old that she would bear a child. This was very hard to believe that such age can bear a child. The confirmation was given to Abraham by the Lord through the announcement that his wife’s name should be changed to ‘Sarah’ which means ‘a mother of nations.’ Abraham response to this was that Ishmael was the promised seed, but the Lord said “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac” (Gen 17:19). Now Abraham understood that Ishmael was not the promised son that God had promised to him but Isaac. This is to say that “Abraham’s heir would be his own child, not an adopted servant.”

Starting with the promised birth of Isaac (Gen 17:21), the Lord told Abraham that the Lord would make the covenant to Isaac and his seed as everlasting covenant (Gen 17:19). This is to say that what the promise that God had said to Abraham would continue to Isaac and his seed after him, and they would be fulfilled by God in the fullness of time. The promise that the descendants of Abraham as a great nation would come to pass (Gen 15:5).

The great evidence for this promise to Abraham seen by the birth of Isaac through his wife Sarah, when Abraham was a hundred years old (Gen 21:1-5). Abraham was convinced to all the promises that God made with him would be fulfilled. As Davis said “God’s elective purposes will be fulfilled through the descendants of Isaac." However above all that the fulfilment of the coming saviour in Gen 3:15 would come from the line of Isaac. This is crucial to know that through the promised son of Abraham, Christians can see how God’s plan worked to bring salvation to sinners. Nothing that man can do for their salvation except looking to Jesus.

The Deterioration of the world (1 John 2:17)

2008-06-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

And the world passes away, and its lust: but he that does the will of God abides for ever.

The demolishing of worldly lust (v. 17a)

Now the last reason given by John as to explain why Christians should stop loving the world is because the deterioration of the world. The world that God created perfectly has become under the power of sinful behaviors. Sins have controlled the world and none can stop it. On the other hand God has decided to destroy the world according to His timing. The sinful deeds of the world have reached their fullness and God has planned what is best for the world. This will be the final end for the world and its system.

The apostle John gives a different aspect of the demolishing of worldly lust. This is seen in the verb ‘paragetai’ (Present Middle Indicative). Its present tense denotes the ongoing process of passing away. It is the Descriptive Present in its syntactical usage. Whereas its middle voice denotes that the act of passing away will occur by itself. The final goal or destination of the world is the passing away by itself. This is to say that whatever things the world is doing and thinking best for her will be for her destruction. George rightly commented when he said, “Verse 17 gives the second reason for John’s command not to love the world. It talks about the transitory nature of the material things (cf. 1 Cor. 7:31), and verb is in the present tense, points to the ongoing process of disintegration.” Calvin said it in another way, “I take lust here metonymically, as signifying what is desired or coveted, or what captivates the desires of men. The meaning is, that what is most precious in the world and deemed especially desirable, is nothing but a shadowy phantom.”

The contrast of loving the world and doing the will of God (v. 17b)

At the last phrase of this periscope, John gives the contrast of loving the world and doing the will of God. This contrast is introduced by the use of conjunction ‘but.’ However the two verbs in verse 17 also show its contrast. The verb used here is ‘menei’. It is in the Present Active Indicative third Singular. This verb is being contrasted to the verb ‘paragetai.’ The two verbs are in the present tense which convey the meaning of ongoing process but they differ in the voice. The verb ‘menei’ is in the active voice which denotes the active action of the subject namely the one who is doing the will of God. The participle ‘poion’ also is written in the present active which also conveys the idea of being actively doing the will of God. This is not referring to one who does the will of God according to what he thinks or likes but rather a constant desire and actively doing the will of God in his life. There is an ongoing actively doing the will of God, no matter the circumstances are, he will continue in the area of doing what God has commanded in His word. “All the vanity of this evil world with its devices is passing away. It has already begun to purify. It is a corpse not yet buried. But the person who really does the will of God has the breath of eternal life.” Calvin gave a remark on this passage, “Were any one to object and say, that no one doeth what God commands, the obvious answer is, that what is spoken of here is not the perfect keeping of the law, but the obedience of faith, which, however imperfect it may be, is yet approved by God.”

CONCLUSION

The command to separate from the world is truly a command for holiness. It is a very test of every true believer in his relationship with God. God commands his followers to be holy as He is Holy. Such command is not an option but an imperative command and a must. The apostle John realized the nature of God’s command to holiness. Thus John reminds the Christians of the threefold of temptations in which Adam and Eve succumbed and fell into sins. If Adam and Eve could fail to obey God while they were still sinless, Satan knows that all Adam’s generation can succumb to his temptations.

Christians must love God and hates the world and its lust because the world is in the process of passing away. Whatever the world has; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life will lead its destruction. Only those who love God and His commandment will remain forever. It is the desire of God that every true believer will love Him and His Word.

The Gratification of Worldly Lusts (1 John 2:16)

2008-06-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The apostle John described the worldly things into three facets. They were the old patterns used by Satan to succumb our first parents to his will (cf. Genesis 3:1-8). As a result, Adam and Eve had fallen into sin that caused all human kind also sinned because they were the representative of human being and through them the human kind regenerated. Because our first parents have fallen into sin through these three ways, Satan understood the weaknesses of human being. If Adam and Eve could fail to follow the commandments of the Lord when they were at time still sinless, it is surely much easier for Satan to defeat the rest of the human being. He used these threefold method of temptation to prompt the people to do the sinful things which are the worldly lust.

The lust of the flesh (v. 16a)

It is important to note that 1 John 2:15 is one sentence, and verse 16 is another sentence as well in the Greek Bible. However though verse 16 is a dependent sentence, the thought conveys in this verse is an explanation of verse 15. George commented, “In verse 16, the opening ‘hoti’ introduces a parenthetical verification to explain more fully why love for the world is incompatible with love for God. It is because everything in the world is not from God but from the world itself.” Whatever in the world it is for the gratification of the world lust. The apostle John said that ‘all that is in the world’ is on contrary to the will of God. In order to give the full meaning of the phrase ‘in the world’ ‘to en to kosmo’ John explains it in three aspects.

First aspect of the gratifications of the world lust is the phrase ‘the lust of the flesh.’ The genitive use of ‘the lust of the flesh’ can be understood in two ways: first as the ablative of source which means, the desire or lust that comes from the flesh, second as the subjective genitive which denotes the lust or desire that produced by flesh. The second is the most appropriate meaning according to the context. As George further explains, "The desire or craving that has its origin in the flesh. epitumia may in itself be either good or bad. It is used three times in the New Testament with a good meaning (Luke 22:15; Phil 1:23; 1 Thess 2:17), but predominantly it carries the sense of evil desire. It is to be clarified, however, that the desires God has placed in the human body in themselves are not sinful but become sinful when used for illegitimate purposes."

As the apostle explained the meaning of ‘all’ here, he understood that this word referred to the lust that comes from the flesh. It is important to note that John does not use the word soma to refer to body but rather he uses the more specific word ‘sarx’ to refer to the flesh. This implies that this desire that comes from the flesh, in which many people have fallen to, is something that gives satisfaction to the flesh, or something that can make someone temporary feel good.

The apostle Paul has used this term to explain the desire of those who do not possess the Spirit of God. He used the term “the works of the flesh” to sum up the various kind of things that flesh can produce from within. It was the desire of the flesh within that produces the works of the flesh. Thus Paul gave a list of works of the flesh such as, “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings” (Gal. 5:19-21). In the modern day, there are a lot of things that can be said as to confirm the desire of the flesh. But those who love God, they must separate from them as Paul said, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Ro. 13:14), “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Ro. 8:13).

The true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must not yield their body unto uncleanness (Ro. 6:19), nor walk after the flesh but after the Spirit (Ro. 8:1, 4). The command to love not the world is not only for the readers of the epistle of John but also applied to the believers in this generation. Whosoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in him and the same Spirit will lead him to walk according to the will of God. As Paul said to the church of Galatians, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:16-17).

The lust of the eyes (v. 16b)

The second aspect of the gratification of the worldly lust is the phrase ‘the desire of the eye.’ The use of genitive in this phrase also employs the subjective genitive which conveys the idea of eyes that produce the lust. This refers to seeing the unlawful things that finally stimulates the lust of the flesh. George explains it this way, “This denotes to the cravings and lust stimulated by what is seen. The expression points to man’s covetous and acquisitive nature or to the desire of seeing unlawful things.

Truly the eye is the center and direction of outward human body. The Bible said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt. 6:22-23). Too often people commit sins because what they have seen and then imagine and explore them in their minds and hearts. The greatest temptation man ever encounters is what he has seen and desired to grasp and obtain it whether through legal and illegal, or legitimate and illegitimate, or right and wrong. The impact of the eye on a person is tremendously great. It is for this fact that the Old Testament Law described it as most influence in the life of many people. Thus, the command was “if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out” (Mrk 9:47). Though a person might not commit sins physically, and yet the same person can commit a greater sin in his heart because what he has seen though the eye.

The pride of life (v. 16c)

The third aspect as the gratification of the worldly lust is the phrase ‘the pride of life.’ The word ‘tou biou’ does not refer to life in the same meaning with ‘zoe’ but rather it refers to ‘living’ or ‘livelihood.’ In other word, “the word ‘alazoneia’ here refers to boasting and arrogance (cf. James 4:16). biou means life, and here emphasizes the temporal and material aspects of human existence” It is so common for the world to boast of their living, what they have, and how respectful they are in society. People are tempted to do their uttermost in order to reach to that kind of status. Pride is the most subtle enemy of human being.

This was true to the fact that our first parents had fallen into this type of sin. The desire to be equal with God was the most longed in their hearts as Satan persuaded them to rebel against God through their disobedient to the word of God. Fatal punishment was just near the corner. Adam and Eve fell into a greatest sin that immersed all his generation into a sinful nature (Gen. 3:1-7). The danger of pride is so severe and yet pride is one of the most common practices seen in daily life. It’s for that reason, John commanded the believers to stop loving the world and its lust because it is the way to destruction.

Believers are commanded to separate themselves from these practices because it is on contrary to what God wants. God desires that every believer should live a holy life for it is the will of God for eternal life. None is indispensable. Everyone is an object of these temptations. Christian should guard their steps. Because of the danger of this sin, Paul exhorted the Philippians, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory: but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil 2:3). This was said to the believers at Philippi because everyone is the object of this temptation regardless they are Christians or non-Christians. As Calvin said, “In the last place follows pride or haughtiness; with which I connected ambition, boasting, contempt of others, blind love of self, headstrong self-confidence.”

The last part of verse 16 explains that the three aspect of the gratification of the worldly lust expounded above was not derived from God “is not of the Father, but is of the world” because God only desires holiness and perfection. God is not like man who seeks gratification from the worldly lust. God’s perfect desire is to see His beloved people walking according to the light and not according to the darkness. Thus John rightly said that God was not the sources of these worldly lusts but it is from the world. John used the conjunction ‘alla’ to show the contrast of the source of the lust of the world.

The Command to avoid loving the world (1 John 2:15)

2008-06-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Do not love the world, neither the things in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

The exertion to prevent loving the world (v. 15a)

This is an exhortation of John to separate from the world. John used the present active imperative agapate as the main verbs for this section. The use of this present imperative with mh; implied that before the command was given by John, the recipients of this epistle have continued loving and being part of the world. When they believed in Christ, apparently they were lack of knowledge of how they should conduct themselves according to the ways of God. It pictured the state of their hearts which still attached to the worldly desires. Therefore John gave this command that the recipients should stop loving the world. They should stop what they have been doing pertaining loving the world. Whatever facets of love that practiced must be stopped for it is on contrary to the practice and desire of the believers. Hiebert rightly commented on this use of prohibition, “The form marks a standing prohibition and may imply that the readers were prone to do so but must stop this evil practice. But the prohibition may simply prohibit a practice without implying that it is actually being done. It is a danger against which they must constantly be on guard.”

The imperative verb agapate functions as the main verb where all clauses in verses 15-17 subordinate to this verb. Because of agapate was in the present imperative, the command not to love has the force of continues or repeated action. In other words, the command is something needs to be uttered repeatedly as to remind the recipients the important of the command. And because of the continuous impact of the command it is applicable even to this present time. The apostle John still continues exhorting the Christians to avoid loving the world.

John used the term ‘world’ in this epistle as he used in his gospel (John 3:13) but differ in its meaning. John mentioned it 6 times in these 3 verses. The word ‘kosmos’ here refers to “human society, temporarily controlled by the power of evil, organized in opposition to God.” This is to say, whatever thing that is on contrary to the will of God is opposition to God. John further emphasized with the followed phrase ‘mede ta to kosmo’ ‘neither the things in the world.’ He commanded the believers to stop loving the world and things associate with. The definite article Neuter Plural ‘ta’ depicts the collective idea referring to worldly things. Calvin rightly commented, “He said before that the only rule for living religiously, is to love God; but as, when we are occupied with the vain love of the world, we turn away all our thoughts and affections another way, this vanity must first be torn away from us, in order that the love of God may reign within us.” Lenski commented, ""Nor the things of the world” points to the individual deceptive treasures, pleasure, honors of the world, its wealth, its power, its wisdom, etc. we are not forbidden to admire, appreciate, use aright the nature things of this earth as much as relatives, friends, fatherland, the beauties and grandeur of nature, home, occupation, and the thousands of useful, attractive, valuable things which God has put around us. But whatever in its connection, tendency, and influence is hostile to God, to Christ and to his kingdom, however alluring or attractive it may otherwise appear, is “a thing of the world” to which we must be hostile since we belong to God, to Christ and to his kingdom."

Having stated the kind of command as the main verb of the whole pericope, the apostle developed the assumption of probability of something was confirmed to what he had forbid doing the worldly things. In the conditional statement, he used the subjunctive mood to convey the thought of probability in which implied there would be some people who would show deliberately as loving the world. The phrase ‘if any man loves the world’ is truly a subordinate clause to ‘love not the world’ in which the statement implies that having commanded to stop loving the worldly things, and yet if any man still loves the worldly things, he declares himself as not having relationship with God. It was the intention of the apostle that if anyone was in that condition should understand that he did not have any relationship with God. People who claim to be Christians will be tested just based on this truth. He might ask himself whether his heart inclines to the fact that he is loving the world or on contrary to it.

There was an exertion to prevent whosoever loving the world. The Lord Jesus Christ deliberately stated, “if ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The same person who wrote the Gospel of John exerted the same command in his epistle that the true sign of those who love God is by showing their commitment in keeping the commandments of the Lord. Apart from this truth was disobedient to the Lord. Furthermore, Jesus also said the same as the above, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). True believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has a heart to hear the voice of God – His commandments and to follow what He had commanded. For that reason, the apostle continues to say, ‘the love of the Father is not in him.’ This is the most applicable test till this present age.

The thrust of this passage is to command the believers to pursue holiness and to separate from the world because the world is passing away but the will of God remains for eternity.

The prerequisite of loving the Father against loving the world (v. 15b)

As John developed his arguments of forbidding believers to love the world, he further explained that if anyone still persists to love the world and its lust, John said, ‘the love of the Father is not in him.’ This is a very clear and strong assertion. The genitive ‘the love of the Father” is used only here in the New Testament. The use of genitive here could be understood three ways. Firstly it could be ablative or source which means ‘love that comes from the Father.’ Secondly, it could be subjective genitive which means ‘Father’s love for the person involved.’ Thirdly, it could be objective genitive which means ‘the person’s love for the Father.’ The last could be more appropriate to the context. In other word it is the opposite of the love for the world. As George rightly commented, "Hence, John’s point is this: love for God and love for the world are by their very nature antagonistic to each other and cannot coexist. That is to say, commitment in any deep sense to worldly things inevitably militates against commitments to God. Thus, John’s imperative is clear: right behavior must follow right belief; because only by the former can the latter be confirmed."

Christians were often addressed by the apostles as beloved which conveyed the idea of being loved by God. The constant and consistent love of God continued shown to believers even before they were Christians. For God had shown His love toward sinners while they were yet sinners (cf. 1 Jn. 4:19). And God continues to express His love daily toward those whom He has chosen to be His followers. On the other hand, it is the desire of God He would be loved as He had manifested His love to believers. What an ungrateful life it was when a person had received so much love from the Master of love and yet shown nothing as a token of appreciation and gratefulness. It is a contradictive fact. A person whom God loved and saved definitely would show the desire and love toward Him through the way he worshipped Him and followed His commandment. But if anyone does not love God as he ought to, it declares the reality that that person does not belong to God the Father and is never beloved by God. As Calvin rightly said, “He proves by an argument from what is contrary, how necessary it is to cast away the love of the world, if we wish to please God; and this he afterwards confirms by an argument drawn from what is inconsistent; for what belongs to the world is wholly at variance with God.”

This is the danger of loving the world. For that reason, the apostle commanded believers to separate from the world and its lust. Those who do not separate from the world will be confirmed to the world. Separation from the world is the command to holiness for Christian living.

A Command to holiness for Christian living

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INTRODUCTION TO 1 JOHN 2:15-17

Many have said that the letter of John did not demonstrate the features of an epistle as usually used during the first century epistles. Nonetheless the contents of the epistles clearly intended for a local church though John did not mention the name of a particular church. The manner and purpose of the writing was so vivid as to reaffirm the purpose of the gospel. When John wrote his Gospel, the purpose was “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life” (Jn. 20:31). Whereas in this epistle, the purpose was laid as to “that your joy may be full” (1 Jn. 1:4), and “that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 Jn. 5:13). John’s main intention was to encourage the readers to have the confidence of salvation and the full joy that produced by the personal assurance of salvation.

Having laid the foundation, John realized the need of identifying the believers as the beloved and holy ones in the Lord Jesus Christ. John understood the readers were the people whom God chose and separated for Himself with a special purpose. As followers of Christ, believers must follow the standards set by Christ as a regulation to obtain an acceptance before God. The command to have a holy life is absolute (cf. 1 Pt. 1:16). In other words, believers should love holiness and hate wickedness.

John used the term of “kosmo"” as referring to wickedness and unholy things. The issue was that during the writing of this epistle there were people who taught wrong doctrines; they were false teachers and having the spirit of antichrists. The impacts of their teachings had reached out the community of believers and created confusions. It is therefore the thesis of this paper to ascertain the meaning of the command to love not the world as taught in the passage of 1 John 2:15-17. The immediate context of this passage is 1 John 2:12-14.

The Greek text used will be taken from the Textus Receptus, on which the King James Version of the English Bible is based. It is also the author’s belief that this is the most reliable Greek text and a proper understanding of God’s Word is possible only by studying His word from this and not any other version. Where required, references made to the English Bible will be taken from the King James Version. The writer believes that all sixty-six books of the Holy Bible are the verbally and plenarily inspired and preserved Word of God: innerant, infallableand authoritative in all that it asserts.

The historical-grammatical-canonical method of interpretation will be used for this exegesis. This paper will achieve its goal by presenting the historical background, the larger context of the book, the immediate context of the passage under consideration and then, the exegesis proper. It will thus show that there is a command to love not the world in the present day context and hence the epistle of John is applicable even today. There is therefore absolutely no mistake that it is in the Holy Scripture, for God made and makes and will make no mistakes.

Historical Background

Traditionally John the son of Zebedee was accepted as the author of this epistle. He was the last apostle died during the most advanced stage of Gnosticism. The subtle influence of its teaching had reached the community of believers, persuading them to depart from the true teaching of the Bible. Much confusions in the church occurred during the apostle wrote this epistle. This heretic embraced that matter is evil, thus the human body also had to be evil. This heretic rejected the fact that God could dwell in the human body and that Jesus had a human body but the spirit. It was for this reason that John had to declare the truth at the outset of his epistle as being a true eye witness of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4). The damage was so severe, that though this heretic might not be in the church anymore, yet John continued to ground them with the true teaching in order to convince them on the true and right doctrines.

Tenny rightly summaries the teaching of Gnosticsm which existed in the time of John writing the epistle of John: "First John revealed rather sharply three characteristics of Gnosticsm that had serious implications for Christianity: (1) dualism, (2) illumination, (3) rejection of the incarnation. Dualistically, Gnosticsm held that matter was essentially evil and spirit was essentially good. Thus the human body and spirit had no effective contact with each other. Gnostics held that a redeemed soul in a sinful body was therefore not responsible for the deeds of that body. Such dualism led to anti-spiritual compromise on the part of some who professed Christ. . . . Salvation according to the Gnostics came from knowing theories rather than from faith in a Savior."

It was this teaching in view when John wrote his epistle. John exhorted the readers to follow the doctrines they had received and believed, but to reject all facets of Gnostics’ teachings. Thus in order to bring the readers back to the right conviction, it was necessary for them to be reminded to love God (1:5-2:2) and His commandments (2:3-11). On the other hand they were also commanded to test the spirit (4:1-6) and to watch for deceivers (2 Jn. 7-11). The apostle had this desire greatly and urgently but compassionate, appealing them personally to separate from the world (2:15-17).

The Context of the Book

The correct teaching is hard to impart and the wrong teaching is hard to dismiss. This could be true to the readers. Though the convinced groups of Gnosticsm had left the community and established their own community (2:19), and yet the false teaching had damaged so much and was hard to remove from them. In fact the group still continued to keep in touch the readers community, and “trying to entice them to join the new group” (2:26). Barker rightly observed that the false teachers’ denial: "They denied that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God (2:22; 5:1, 5). They denied that the Christ had come in the flesh (4:2; 2 Jn. 7). They denied authority of Jesus’ commands (2:4). They denied their own sinfulness (1:8, 10). They denied salvation through the work of Christ (2:2). They denied the absolute demand that believers love one another (2:9). They denied righteous conduct as a requirement of fellowship with God (1:6; 2:29; 3:6, 10). They denied the responsibility to live as Jesus had lived (2:4, 6; 3:7). They denied the nature of the company of believers as a community of fellowship with the Father, with his Son, and with one another (1:3; 2:11). They denied the authority of the writer of Epistles as the proclaimer of the message that had been from the beginning (1:5; 3 John 10). They denied that the members of the community who did not follow them were in the truth (2:20-21)."

Having described the beliefs of the false teachers, the apostle responded as to encourage the true believers in Christ Jesus. He desired to develop their understanding on the Scripture as the basis of their beliefs. Perhaps there were members of the community who still inclined to the teachings of those false teachers. Therefore, in the first chapter, he reminded the readers on the account of the life of Jesus Christ while he was on earth and John himself was an eye witness (1:1-4), and commanded them to have fellowship with God (1:5-10). In chapter two, he reminded to love God’s commandment (2:1-11) and to love not world (2:12-17) and to be aware of antichrist (2:18-29). Chapter three was an encouragement to do right things (3:1-10), love the brethren (3:11-18) and having confident (3:19-24). Chapter four was the command to test every spirit (4:1-1-6) and to continue abiding in God (4:7-12). Last chapter was about asking God (5:13-17) and knowing the Word of God (5:18-21). The main discussion of this paper would be chapter two as a command for Christians to love not or to separate from the world.

The Immediate Context

The apostle just mentioned the purpose of writing this epistle and appealing to the readers to have a right fellowship with God (1 John 1). The first part of chapter two, he stated that believers must love God’s commandment for God’s Word has power to lead and direct believers to holiness. Sin does not have power against those believers who love God and keep His commandments (2:1-11). But if any believer falls into sins, believers can obtain genuine forgiveness when confession offered to God (1:9) and the Lord Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins and our advocate with the Father (2:1-2). The second part was the command to separate from the world because of its sinful lust that is on contrary to holiness (2:15-17). However John had much to say concerning the sinfulness of the world and its system power that leads to destruction. In fact John acknowledges that the antichrist will use the world and its lust as a means to draw people away from God but doing the things he desires.

It is absolutely necessary for believers to separate themselves from the world for the world is passing away together with its worldly lust (2:17). Barker rightly said, "This warning was addressed to the community against the seduction of the world (2:15), against the present antichrist (2:18), and against false spirits and false prophets (3:22; 4:1-2). Reminders to the members of their anointing (2:20) as being sufficient to enable them to remain in God (4:13) are provided as well as promises that belong to them as the children of God (3:1). Jesus Christ as the epitome and example of love to the community becomes a critical theme (3:16-18) just as the proclamation that God himself is love (4:16), that love derives from him, and that the Christian life is lived in him (4:12-13) are also critical themes. Again and again the letter returns to the primary confession that Jesus is the Christ, the one who has come in the flesh and has overcome the world. He is the true God and eternal life (5:20)."

Falling from grace or Perseverance of the saints

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“Once save is forever saved.” This is the very short statement to summaries the discussion of perseverance of the saints and yet it depicts the sovereignty of the Almighty God. However many people have failed to understand this statement. In fact those who do not embrace the teachings of Calvinism have made this statement as a mockery to say that after having known that Christians forever be saved, there will be need of preaching the gospel or doing the will of God. This happens because a little knowledge of Calvinism they comprehend.

The Arminians definitely disagrees to the statement “Once save is forever saved”. To them, salvation is obtained because of the efforts or contribution of man and therefore to maintain salvation it requires the human effort as well. Failure to do so, the salvation can be lost because the salvation is based on the faithfulness of man to uphold his faith. In any case he neglects his faith, he may lose his salvation. Khoo rightly commented, “There is therefore no assurance of salvation for the Aminian. He must always be on his toes. There is no such thing as a backslidden Christian. A person who becomes cold towards his walk with God loses salvation. He needs to reconfess Christ and be saved again.” In other words, man’s response is a determining factor in the assurance of salvation.

The Calvinism on the other hand says, “all those were chosen by God, redeemed by Christ and given faith by the Spirit are eternally saved.” The Scripture truly gives many supports on this truth. As John wrote, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (Jn. 6:39). In another occasion Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand” (Jn. 10:28-29). Paul also wrote, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35). If the salvation is based on the ability of man to uphold it, then no one will receive eternal life for man knows that he does not always succeed to tackle the many temptations he faces. True believer does not mean having a life of sinless perfection. It is not an easy road for Christian to live in this world. As a result there will be a time of up and down in the spiritual life. If salvation is not based on the faithful of God, no one will ever enter heaven.

The Bible uses the term “justification” to depict the condition of man who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. A person whom God justified is not a sinless perfective believer but rather a sinner whom God pardons his sins because of his faith in Christ Jesus. The righteousness of Christ is imputed unto sinner who believes. God sees such sinners as if he never sins, and he is like clothed by the righteousness of Christ. Whenever God sees that sinner, he sees the righteousness of Christ on him which clothed by Christ’s righteousness. Steel rightly said, “True believers do fall into temptations, and they do commit grievous sins, but these sins do not cause them to lose their salvation or separate them from Christ.” Therefore the assurance of salvation is not based on the ability of man to preserve his faith but solely upon the faithfulness of God.

CONCLUSION

The five points of Arminianism are (1) Free Will/ Human Ability, (2) Conditional Election, (3) Universal Redemption/ General Atonement, (4) The Holy Spirit can be effectually Resisted and (5) Falling from Grace. These five points are without supports from the Word of God. It is the human logical understanding. Those who hold to this view will not be able to harmonize his interpretation of the word of God but rather will make the Bible contradict itself.

Whereas the five points of Calvinism that formulated by Synod of Dort in 1619 are (1) Total Depravity, (2) Unconditional Election, (3) Limited Atonement, (4) Irresistible Grace, and (5) Perseverance of the Saints. These five points are truly rooted and summarized from the Word of God. Though it might not be easy to understand yet the Bible teaches about them as the truth that believers should know and teach in the churches.

Resistible grace or Irresistible grace

2008-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

The matter of calling of sinners unto salvation is the mystery of God. Two people heard the preaching of the gospel, one believed and the other rejected. The same thing can happen in the Christian family. Two children of the family were nurtured and taught with the same truth, the gospel; one was convicted to believe in Christ but the other chose to reject the truth. The question is raised, why did one person believe and the other not? Were they hearing the same massage? If yes, then what cause one person to believe in Christ Jesus and the other not? The answer to this question is irresistible grace.

In regard to the calling of sinners unto salvation, the Arminians argue that the Holy Spirit cannot convict sinners of their sins. The Holy Spirit can do His own best in persuading and prompting the sinners to hear and receive the gospel but ultimately the sinner himself is the one can decide whether he wants to believe or to reject. “The Holy Spirit cannot regenerate sinners until he believe.” If the person finally rejected the message of the gospel, then the Holy Spirit can not do anything about it.

The Calvinism says that “in addition to the outward general call to salvation which is made to everyone who hears the gospel, the Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation.” When the gospel is preached the Holy Spirit works to convince sinners of their own sins. This is the internal call. The sinners may reject the external call but if the Holy Spirit is working in His heart, soon or later, he cannot help but to submit to the power of the Holy Spirit and confess that Jesus Christ is His Lord and Saviour. Man by nature cannot choose God but rather hates God and His commandment. Only through the working of the Holy Spirit in the heart of sinner, the hardening heart of sinner can melt before God by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. The same person perhaps has rejected the gospel message many times but at last the Holy Spirit “graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ.” The Bible clearly said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day” (Jn. 6:44). Paul also wrote, “Far as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).

Universal atonement or Limited atonement

2008-06-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

The issue on this topic is for whose benefit does Christ die? Who did Christ appease with God when He died on the cross? Who did Christ substitute on the cross? These are few questions that frequently asked when discussed the above topic. The Arminians would confidently utter that Christ died on the cross was for the benefit of all sinners and Christ appeased with God all sinners and He was the substitution of all sinners. The Arminians argue that Christ died not only for a group of people but for all sinners including Esau and Judas Iscariot. When Christ died He atoned for everyone and though Christ offered forgiveness to all sinners, yet not everyone is willing to accept that offer. The Scriptural supports often quoted by the Arminians are such as 1 Jn 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”; “this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (Jn. 4:42); etc. The universal redemption was in view when these verses read by the Arminians.

Calvinism on the other hand argues that Christ’s redeeming work was intended to save the elect only though the forgiveness and eternal life were offered to all sinners, yet this work of Christ is only to secure the salvation of those whom God chose before the foundation of the world. When Christ offered Himself to die on the cross, it was efficient only for the elect. As Khoo rightly commented, “Christ both procured and secured the salvation of the elect. He had in mind His chosen ones when He died on the cross. His atoning work on the cross was specifically and specially for them.” Steel said it in this way, “Christ’s redeeming work was definite in design and accomplishment – that it was intended to render complete satisfaction for certain specified sinners and that it actually secured salvation for these individuals and for no one else.” Christ was a substitutionary atonement of the elect people only. The work of redemption was designed in order to bring to pass the purpose of God’s election.

Having seen the comparison of the two views, the question is raised, if the atoning work of Christ was designed only for the elect, why does the Bible say that Christ died for the world? To this, Augustine said that “Christ’s death was Sufficient for all, efficient for the elect.” God desires that everyone would come to the knowledge and faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Peter wrote, “The Lord is not lack 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” (2 Pet. 2:9). The same desire is expressed in the writing of apostle John that God is truly love the world, when he wrote, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16). It is because Christ died sufficiently for the World that the gospel is preached and offered not only to elect but to anyone. The effect of Christ’s atoning work was limited only for those whom God elected. Khoo rightly concludes,

In discussing the third point of Calvinism, namely, limited atonement, we are addressing the intent, not the extent of the atonement. It needs to be reiterated that a correct understanding of Calvin’s doctrine of the atonement requires one to accept that the atonement of Christ is “sufficient for all, efficient for the elect.

Conditional Election or Unconditional Election

2008-06-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

To speak about predestination is something that many people think that man is under the control of luck and man cannot do any thing for it. This is the wrong concept of predestination because in their view God is unfair and cruel who predestined some to be saved and others to be lost in hell. Whatever people’s view may be, predestination is taught in the Bible. Man cannot question God for the things God has said in His Word but in humility submit himself before Him, taking His Word as it is written.

The failure of Arminianism to understand the doctrine of Predestination has resulted in a different understanding on how God elected some people to be saved before the foundation of the world. To the Arminianism, God’s choice for certain individuals unto salvation was based upon the foreseeing that they would be responding to His call through the preaching of the Gospel. Because of the human ability to contribute to his own salvation, God chose certain individual based on the condition what man would do. God chose certain individual because He knew that that person would respond to the preaching of the gospel and choose Christ of his own free will. If God had chosen certain individual unto salvation, to the Arminianism means that man does not have any freedom and responsibility. The doctrine of election is misunderstood. Steel rightly commented that, “Election is not salvation but is unto salvation.”

On the other hand, the Calvinism states that God chose certain individual to be saved before the foundation of the world was based on His own sovereign will. This view is the opposite of the Arminianism because God chose particular sinner not because He foresaw that person to respond to the preaching of the gospel. Those whom God chose He gives faith and repentance and brings them through the power of the Holy Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. God was the One who chose sinners for salvation and not the other way around. Man does not contribute any virtuous quality for this salvation but rather solely the gift of God. If all men have become totally depraved and if any man selected unto salvation from among them, truly it is not the work of man but absolutely the sovereign work of God. Steel rightly said, “God would have chosen to save all men (for He had the power and authority to do so) or He could have chosen to save none (for He was under no obligation to show mercy to any) – but He did neither. Instead He chose to save some and to exclude others.”

God did show this truth through the example of Jacob and Esau. God chose Jacob and not Esau. Paul said, “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” (Rom. 9:11). Paul also said, “For by grace are ye saved though faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). “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: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph. 1:4-5). In another occasion Paul also wrote, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy” (Rom. 9:15-16).

Human ability or Total depravity

2008-06-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

On the matter of man’s condition after the fall, Arminians sees that the sinful of man is not totally depraved, though it is admitted that man is sinful before God. The Arminians sees that man has still some merits in himself in which if he uses it, he can still please God even to the extent to save himself from the eternal punishment because man still has the ability to choose what is best for him. In other words, within the nature of man there is still value which is not corrupted by the fall. For this reason, man still has a free will or an ability to choose good or evil in spiritual matters. Because man has an ability to choose what is good, therefore when man chooses God the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, this becomes man’s contribution unto his salvation.

On the contrary the Calvinism looks at man as totally depraved, inability to choose what is good. The very nature of man is corrupted and there is nothing in man that pleases God. Whatever man does, and thinks is always against the will of God. This does not mean that man can not choose to do good things in their lives, community, environment and plan but whatever good things that man chooses it is according to human standard of selfish merits because “man’s nature is corrupt, perverse, and sinful throughout. . . . The corruption extends to every part of man, his body, soul; sin has affected all (the totality) of man’s faculties – his mind, his will etc.” Often man does something good with selfish motives (cf. Jer. 17:9). By nature man cannot do anything good spiritually according to the standard of God’s perfect merits. The apostle Paul quoted Psalms 14 and 53 when he wrote, “there is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. . . . there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:10-18).

The question is raised, what has happened to human kind that man cannot choose anything good except for his own selfish purpose and glory? The answer is found in the first book of the Bible. When God created Adam and Eve, they were perfect and sinless and having a free will to choose good or evil, yet they were not having eternal life. Being the first parents of human being, Adam and Eve, were the representative of all human being. In order for them to have eternal life, they were placed under a test in the Garden of Eden. The test was that God placed two special trees in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge and (Gen. 2:8). And the Lord commanded, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). Adam had a free will to choose to follow God’s commandment or to disobey God. The Bible said that Adam chose to disobey God by partaking of the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1-7). This was the beginning of the corruption of human nature because from this time onwards man became sinful and separated from God. Man is totally depraved and whatever man does is sinful before God. Sinfulness has become the very nature and character of man because of the fall of Adam. Sin was passed from Adam to his children and from his children to the next generation and so on.

Because of the corruption of human nature, man cannot do anything good in order to save his own life because “the natural man is enslaved to sin; he is a child of Satan, rebellious toward God, blind to truth, corrupt, and unable to save himself or to prepare himself for salvation.” The desire of natural man is to do evil and to please his own lusty flesh and ambitions. Man does not have a free will anymore. By nature man is enslaved to do evil. For that reason in order for man to obtain salvation, man needs the grace of God. As Paul said, “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). In another occasion Paul also said, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Tit. 3:5). This was the basis of Calvinism to say that “Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God’s gift of salvation – it is God’s gift to the sinner, not the sinner’s gift to God.” But the Arminianism on the other hand said, “The lost sinner needs the Spirit’s assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is the sinner’s gift to God; it is man’s contribution to salvation.” This first point of Calvinism is the most important point of the five points because the rest of the points are subordinate to this point.

Calvinism versus Arminianism: Introduction

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Calvinism and Arminianism are two theological systems which contradict each other. Despite of their contradiction these two systems are basically embraced by the reformed churches or theologians, though in the last century the teaching of Arminianism is also adopted by the charismatic churches. These two different systems have lasted for more than 300 years and the differences apparently cannot be resolved. The differences of the two systems above can be compared to the debate of Baptist and Presbyterian churches or theologians in the area of mode of baptism. The issue of Arminianism and Calvinism has caused many people especially outside of these two camps to speak and present the two systems as unbiblical and placing their own view as followers of the Word of God, whereas the two camps presented as if two theological systems which do not have biblical supports. The reason for discrediting Arminianism and Calvinism as unbiblical because both Armenians and Calvinism are frequent presented only the content of the article without any reference or footnote to the Word of God. It is an attempt of this paper to discuss the background and to present the right understanding of the Word of God and to see the two systems in the light of the Word of God.

Background

John Calvin was one of the reformers in 16th century. At the age of 25 he started work on his first edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion in 1534 and was published in 1536. Through this book and together with his polemical and pastoral works, Calvin had greatly influenced the protestant churches. Although Calvin had his contemporary in different countries, yet Calvin was the most pre-eminent. Because of the fame of John Calvin and his teaching, soon was attached to the Reformed churches. The whole body of doctrine of Calvin became called Calvinism.

Although Calvin was originated from Geneva, the publications of his ideas had spread to many parts of the European countries such Scotland, Netherlands, Germany, France, Romania and Poland. The spreading of Calvinism was largely by the Calvinist communions who sent missionaries to various countries around the globe.

The rise of Arminianism system of theology began when James (Jacobus) Arminus (1560-1609) who studied four years under Theodore Beza, in the University of Geneva. Though Arminus studied under the successor of John Calvin, he was against the doctrine of Calvinism. Nonetheless he was not the one formulated the theological system of Arminianism but it was done by his disciples shortly after he died. His disciples named the five points of Arminianism after the name of Arminius. As a response to the controversy of Arminianism system of theology, the National Synod of Holland held the synod meeting to resolve the matter at the Synod of Dort on November 13, 1618, until May 9, 1619. As a result, the five point of Arminianism were rejected and the five point of Calvinism adopted. It is clear that Calvin did not formulate the Five Point of Calvinism though these teachings were in his writings. Calvin did not only write five points of theology but rather many points of theology. He was the most outstanding writer during the reformation in which its impact is still intact till today.

Partial Rapture

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Definition

Christians who uphold the partial rapture view believe that only saints who are worthy will be raptured before the wrath of God is poured out; those who have not been faithful will remain on the earth to endure the Tribulation. Like pretribulationists, they teach that one will occur at the beginning of the Tribulation to take away the spiritually mature saints. Then at various times during the seven years of the Tribulation other raptures will occur to remove saints who were unprepared at the beginning of the Tribulation but who have shown themselves worthy in the meantime. There is even to be a rapture at the close of the Millenium.

Biblical Supports

The last group of dispensational premillennialists is called themselves as the Partial Rapture advocates. This view covers all the previous four views of rapture. The main emphasis of this belief is that they believe that only those are watching and waiting for the Lord’s return are worthy to escape the terrors of the Great Tribulation judgments (Matthew 24:41-42; Luke 21:36). As Luke 21:36 says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” To them this statement is the standard for rapture. The various period of rapture is needed for the church because various degree of people who are watching and waiting for the Lord’s return. In other words those who are worthy Christians will be raptured first just as those who hold to the Pretribulation Rapture view. And those who are not worthy, they will be tested and go through much tribulation, but they will be raptured when they are worthy before the Lord. To them, the rapture will take place at various times even at the end of the millennium kingdom. However the above passages seem to be misapplied. The reason is because these passages are not applied to the church, the Bride of Christ but to the nation of Israel which will be in the Great Tribulation period.

The next argument of this view is that they believe that Christ will return only for “them that look for him” (Hebrews 9:28). However, a careful study of the Scripture shows that this phrase is simply a synonym for the church (Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13). The church is supposed to be watchful and waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not referring to a group of people who live during the Great Tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded that the Christians or the Church must watch for His coming.

Finally, it is argued that 1 Corinthians 15:23 states that believers will be resurrected “every man in his own order.” As 1 Corinthians 15:23 says, “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” To them this verse teaches that not all Christians will be raptured simultaneously because each one has his own order. However this conclusion seems to misinterpret the context of the verse. The main subject in view here is not the Rapture but the entire resurrection program of God in which different persons will be raised at different times, such as the resurrection of the church saints at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:6), Tribulation saints after the Tribulation (Revelation 20:4), etc. Besides, at the Rapture the bodies of all believers will be changed in an instant (1 Corinthians 15:51) – not just the bodies of those who are presently in fellowship with the Lord.

CONCLUSION

The doctrine of the rapture is one of the characteristics of dispensational premillenium eschatology. This is one of the distinctions of premillenium view in comparison to amillennium or postmillenium view. Despite of the unity of dispensational premillennium in theology yet they are different in their understanding of the time of the rapture. The divergence has caused them to be divided into five groups. The first group called them as the pretriublation rapture advocate, the second as midtribulation rapture, the third as posttriublation rapture, the fourth as pre-wrath rapture and lastly as the partial rapture advocates.

The difference among these premillennium advocates is their interpretation on the passage pertaining to the rapture. It is clear that its differentiation is due to the hermeneutics matter. However according to the plain understanding of the passage, the rapture or the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent. No one knows the time of His coming. The church is commanded to be ready and watchful and waiting for that day. Thus it is the responsibility of the church, the Christians to be ready at any time without observing any sign of His coming.

The church as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ will not taste the hour of temptation (Revelation 3:10) but rather the church will be kept form that temptation, the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation. It is only with this understanding in view that we can have hope and joy for the coming of the Lord Jesus.

Prewrath Rapture

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Definition

The Pre-Wrath Rapture View asserts that the Rapture will occur 18 months before the end of the Tribulation so that Church will be on earth during most of the Tribulation. This view is similar to the midtribulationism in that both views do not see the church being raptured before the Tribulation begins. However, it differs from this view in that it does not place the rapture exactly in the middle of the week but rather three quarter of the tribulation period.

Biblical Supports

The fourth group of dispensational premillennialists called themselves as those who believe in Pre-Wrath Rapture. They distinguish themselves from the pretribulationists, midtribulationists and posttribulationists. They believe that the “hour of temptation” in Revelation 3:10 from which the church at Philadelphia is to be kept is not referring to the Great Tribulation but rather to the “Day of the Lord.” Zeller said, “The Pre-Wrath view is a pre-wrath, pre-"Day of the Lord" view because it teaches that the Rapture will take place immediately prior to the Day of the Lord which is the time when God pours out His wrath upon the earth.” The understanding of this view is almost the same with the posttribulationists. The difference lies on the time of rapture. To the posttribulationists, the rapture will take place at the end of the seven years of Great Tribulation whereas the pre-wrath rapture believes that the rapture will take place at the day of the Lord, about 18 months before the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 6:17).

It is important to take note that the Great Tribulation and the judgment aspect of the Day of the Lord (Rev. 6:17) relate to Israel and the time of judgement. The church is promised to be delivered from the wrath (Rom. 8:1 cf. 1 Thess. 1:19; 5:9). With the absent of the restrainer from the world, it is hard to conceive how the church will go through the various temptation for three quarter period during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 6:17 says, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Truly the church also cannot stand for this wrath.

It is commonly used Matthew 24-25 (the Olivet Discourse) to support their teaching that the church will go through the Great Tribulation. The emphasis especially given to Matthew 24:21 that saying, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” However they fail to differentiate the church and the Israel here. The context of this passage is referring to a future of Israel’s trouble called the Great Tribulation. The church is not Israel and Israel is not the church. God must fulfil His promises to Israel during the Great Tribulation and the millennium kingdom. Thus the Pre-Wrath view confuses Israel and the church. Moreover this view also denies the teaching of the imminency of the second coming of the Lord. As Zeller rightly commented, "The Pre-Wrath view CONFUSES, yea, TOTALLY REJECTS the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ (the doctrine that Jesus Christ may come for His Church at any time). Instead of looking for the Saviour from heaven (Phil. 3:20), we should be looking for the signing of the treaty (Daniel 9:27). Instead of looking for that blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God (Titus 2:13), we should be looking for the coming of Antichrist. Instead of looking for the Bridegroom (John 14:3), we should be looking for the man of sin. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that "we shall not all sleep" (1 Cor. 15:51) we should be bracing ourselves to face the persecutions of Antichrist resulting in physical death for believers. Instead of the Lord being at hand (Phil. 4:5), He is at least four or five years away. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that His coming is drawing nigh (James 5:8), we should be sobered at the thought that the 70th week of Daniel is drawing nigh. Instead of looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 21), we should be looking for the greatest time of tribulation that this world has ever known (Matt. 24:21). Instead of waiting expectantly for His Son from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10) we should be waiting for the abomination of desolation."

The Pre-Wrath view denies that the seal of judgments in Revelation 6 in the Great Tribulation are not God’s wrath. For them the wrath of God only begin with the following trumpet judgment which introduced by cataclysmic disturbances. But the context and the detail of Revelation 6 cannot be denied as the wrath of God. The reason is because the severance of the execution of 25% of the earth’s population (Rev. 6:8) and the levelling of the earth’s mountains (Rev. 6:14) prove as the wrath of God. Revelation 6:16-17 says that it is the wrath of God and the wrath of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Posttribulation Rapture

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Definition

Posttribulationists assert that the Rapture will occur at the close of the Tribulation so that the Church will be on earth during the entire Tribulation. “The church of Christ will not be removed from the earth until the advent of Christ at the very end of the present age: the Rapture and the Appearing take place at the same crisis; hence Christians of that generation will be exposed to the final affliction under Antichrist.”

Biblical Supports

The third group of dispensational Premillennialists is those who believe on the post-tribulation rapture. The understanding of this belief is different from those who hold to pretribulation and midtribulation rapture. It is interesting to note that the posttriublation rapture also uses the same passage as pretribulation and midtribulation rapture to support their belief. Again they are different in their interpretation of the text. One of the most common used by the advocates of these three views is Revelation 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” The main emphasis for the posttribulationists is the clause “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” The word “from” in the sentence is the work ejk in Greek which is usually understand “from” or “out of.” However the posttribulationists argue that this word can means “through.” Thus when this word used in the sentence of Revelation 3: 10 the meaning is totally different, “I also will keep thee through the hour of temptation.” A careful study given to the entire book of Revelation shows that during the Great Tribulation there will be many believers killed and martyred because of their faith (Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4). This shows that the believers are not keep through the Great Tribulation.

Based on the above presupposition, the posttribulationists develop the understanding that the church will go through the seven years of Great Tribulation but the Lord will keep them through. They believe that the Rapture and the Second Coming (Revelation) are referring to the same single event. However the main problem with this view is that it does not differentiate between the Rapture and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ together with His saints to usher the beginning of the millennium kingdom.

They fail to understand that though the word the Lord’s coming “parousia” characterise both the rapture and the second coming. The word itself does not give any description whether the rapture and the second coming will be one event or separate events. In other words the vocabulary which is being used does not prove either pretribulation or posttribulation. However to the posttribulationists, the rapture and the second coming of Christ are considered as one event. The separation of believers and the unbelievers only occurs for a short while; it is only when the believers are caught up to the air to meet Jesus and immediately come back together to this earth. The next event is followed by a judgment to separate the sheep (believers) from the goats (unbelievers). Thus the posttribulationists would find it hard to harmonise their belief to what the Lord Jesus said in John 14:1-3 in which Jesus promised that when He comes He would bring us, believers to His Father’s house in heaven.

If the rapture would occur at the end of the Great Tribulation, then it is correct to conclude that the rapture and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ would not be imminent. The reason is because the chronological order of events during the Great Tribulation as written in the Bible would be identified by those who live at that time. The promise of Jesus Christ that He would come as a thief in the night would not be fit to the teaching of the posttribulationists (Matthew 24:36-39, 42-44, 50; 25:13; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:40).

When the Bible lists all the various kinds of events during the Great Tribulation, it is hard to understand that the church will survive during that time (Revelation 4-19). The posttribulationists argue that the wrath of God upon the earth will be cut short “for the sake of the elect” (Matthew 24:22). But this verse does not show any proof concerning the entire church of the Lord Jesus Christ. What this verse says is concerning those new believers who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation but the Church has been already raptured to heaven.

Just like the midtribulationists, the posttribulationists also believe that the rapture will take place only if, firstly the apostasy of the church has taken place; secondly, the revelation of the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist comes; and thirdly the removal of the restraint against lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 3:8). This fact is often used to attack those who hold to pretribulation rapture view, but the pretribulatinists understand that the rapture does not begin at the Day of the Lord but rather rapture at the beginning of the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel. By that time the Antichrist will reveal himself and his true nature to those who are in this world, and they will follow him because at a sudden he can make peace in the region of Middle East. But the covenant treaty with Israel can only last for a short time for in the middle of the seven years of Great Tribulation he will break the treaty with Israel.

Midtribulation Rapture

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Definition

Midtribulationists teach that the Rapture will occur after three and a half years of the seven year Tribulation have passed. This is to say that the rapture will take place in the middle of the Great Tribulation period.” The midtribulationalists advocates that the church is in need of purging and therefore must participate in at least part of the Tribulation period. The latter half of the Tribulation is seen as much more severe than the first half.

Biblical Supports

The second group of dispensational premillennialists who differ from the pretribulation rapture view is the mid-tribulationists. Although the main divergence with pretribulationists is basically on the understanding of the immanency of Christ’s return, yet the midtribulationists seldom denies that the Rapture is not imminent. In reality those midtribulationists believe that the Rapture is surely not imminent at all because there will be signs that can be seen during the first three and a half of Great Tribulation.

The Midtribulationists commonly state that the Great Tribulation is divided into two parts. The first three and a half years is called “peace” and the last three and a half years is called “tribulation.” Based on this explanation, the Midtribulationists argue that only the second part of the seven years of Great Tribulation is considered as tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 11:2; 12:6). For this reason they believe that the church will be still on this earth during the first three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. Thus the rapture will only take place in the middle of the seven years Tribulation period. In other words, the church will not go through the tribulation. A passage such as Revelation 3:10 is also one proof text used to support the view that the church will not face the wrath or the judgment of God. The reason is because the midtribulationists also believe that the following events after the rapture will be the wrath and judgment of God toward the unbelieving people on this earth.

However the midtribulationists’ understanding of the rapture is based on the great emphasis given in the Scriptures about the middle of the seven years period (Daniel 7:25; 9:27; 12:7, 11, Revelation 11:2), then they conclude that the Rapture will take place at this time. A careful study of these passages will conclude that the emphasis given here is not about the rapture of the church but rather the breaking of the covenant with Israel by the Antichrist. This covenant treaty is the mark of the beginning of the seven years of Great Tribulation.

Another great argument of the midtribulationalists is that they believe that the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the same as the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15 which is sounded at the middle of the tribulation. Pentecost said that these two trumpet cannot be the same at least nine reasons. However the most significant reason perhaps is that while the former is a trumpet issuing blessing, life and glory, the latter issues judgment upon the enemies of God.

Furthermore the midtribulationalists also believe that the resurrection of the two witnesses in the middle of the Tribulation pictures the Rapture of the Church (Revelation 11). To them, the witnesses are symbolic of a “larger company of witnesses” and represent two groups: the dead and the living at the Rapture. The cloud represents the parousia – the Lord’s presence, the great voice is the shout of 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and the trumpet is the trumpet of the same verse. Thus the midtribulational view makes identifications in different passages which are difficult to show as referring to the same thing.

Midtribulationnalists give another support from the Bible to justify their belief. The 144,000 are on earth early in the Tribulation (Revelation 7:1-8) but in heaven later (Revelation 14:1-5), so they should be identified as raptured saints who were taken during the Tribulation. They fail to understand that the 144,000 are explicitly stated as from the twelve tribes of Israel and thus are Jews, not the church – especially since they are contrasted with the Gentile multitude (Revelation 7:9-12).

Lastly, the Midtribulationalists believe that The Day of Wrath is mentioned as at hand in Revelation 11:18, therefore, the preceding seals and trumpets were not events of wrath. Thus since wrath follows the seventh trumpet, the Rapture must take place immediately preceding this wrath (since believers escape it). A careful study shows that Revelation 6:16-17 refers to the seal as wrath (and the seals precede the trumpets). The trumpet judgments occur during the time of God’s wrath.

Therefore midtribulationists conclude that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is not imminent because firstly, it is based on their understanding on the Scripture that Christ could not have returned in the lifetime of Peter (John 21:18, 19; I Peter 1:13). Secondly, it is because the great commission given by the Lord Jesus Christ in Mark 16:15 has not completed and by that time the missionary program has not completed yet as well. Thirdly, the apostasy as predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 has not yet overtaken the church. Fourthly, it seems the day we live in does not show as the last days.

Pretribulation Rapture

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Definition

The Pretribulation Rapture teaches that the Rapture of the Church will take place before the seven years of Great Tribulation. The result of a pretribulation rapture is that no Christians will exist on the earth at the beginning of the Tribulation.

Biblical Supports

The dispensational premillennialists have no doubt that the Rapture of church will surely take place. A passage such as 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 gives the description of things that will happen at the time of the Rapture. Whereas 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 gives a brief hint that the rapture will occur at the last trump. However the above passages are not sufficient proofs to ascertain the time of the Rapture. Interestingly the five groups of dispensational premillennialists believe that the above passages are truly proof texts for the doctrine of the Rapture of the church. But they differ in the time of the rapture because the above passages do not solve their divergence. The question still remains, when will the rapture take place?

The Pretribulation Rapture is based on its doctrine on what the apostle John wrote to the church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” This verse indicates the Great Tribulation in view. The plain reading of this verse shows that the church will be kept from the hour of temptation or the time of the Tribulation period. However this verse does not say that the church will be kept from trials for trials are part of the life of the church during the church age. But the Apostle John makes clear the purpose of this temptation that it is to try those who dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10b).

Based on this promise, the Pretribulation Rapture believes that the church will not face this kind of temptation. Thus before this great tribulation occurs the church will be caught up to heaven to meet the Christ on the air. Those who were dead will be resurrected and those who are still alive during that great event will be changed in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The church as the bride of Christ will have the marriage supper in heaven in the house of God the father and the church will be in heaven for seven years. This is the time of the receiving of reward from the Lord Jesus Christ for those who serve Him faithful according to the spiritual gifts that have been given to each person as Paul said, “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” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Great Tribulation period is also the day of God’s wrath for the earth, the wicked people. This is clearly seen as Apostle John wrote in Revelation 11:18 says, “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.” However the Scriptures state that the church will never come under God’s wrath (John 5:24; Romans 5:9, 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). The church will be saved from the wrath of God. The church will not go thorough the Great Tribulation period but rather the church will be raptured before the Great Tribulation takes place.

One of the characteristic of the Great Tribulation period is begun with the absent of the Holy Spirit’s work of restraining evil. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 says “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” It will be hard to conceive of that time period when the Sprit’s restraining work is taken from the world while the church is still present. This is only reasonable if the church is already caught up from this earth and for the first time at the beginning of the Great Tribulation the world will be 100 % unbelievers.

It is commonly understood that Revelation 4-19 are events that will take place during the Great Tribulation Period. It is important to take note that there is no mention of the Church in these chapters. This proves that the church is already raptured to heaven and the church is in heaven which is called “tabernacle of God” (Revelation 13:6), and which is also called as the Bride (Revelation 19:1,7-8) that is ready to return to the earth at Christ’s Second Coming to commence His millennium kingdom.

Another argument of the Pretribulation Rapture that absolutely biblical is that the Rapture is imminent, which means it can happen at any moment. Christians are not to wait for signs of Christ’s return but for His coming itself. The demand for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is that everyone must be ready for His coming. The immanency of Christ’s return or rapture is proved from the following arguments. Firstly, Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” The word “to wait” is written in present tense as if this great event could occur at any time. Secondly, in 1 Corinthians 15:52 Paul explains that our mortal bodies will all be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet . . . .” This shows that this event will be unexpected and happen at any time is supported by the apostle’s concluding exhortation to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Thirdly, at Christ’s second coming in the clouds (Revelation 19:11-21), his angels will gather all believers living on earth (Matt 24:30-31). Fourthly, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, . . . that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. . . . Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thess 4:13-18). This clearly indicates that Paul fully expected to be alive at Christ’s coming since he included himself (“we which are alive and remain”) among those that would be alive at the time of the Rapture.

Fifth, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. . . . Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. . . . and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thess 5:3-11). This maintains that the day of the Lord (which begins after the Rapture and continues through the Millennium) was imminent so that it would take people by surprise. Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to fight “sleep” (spiritual lethargy) to prepare for Christ’s unexpected arrival. Sixth, when Jesus told the disciples, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). He actually used the present tense (“I am coming”) with a sense of the immediate future without any intervening signs.

The Time of the Great Tribulation

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INTRODUCTION

The word “Rapture” is not found in the Holy Scripture. It actually comes from the Latin translation of rapturo, which means “to be caught up.” The idea of rapture is traced from the situation in the church of Thessalonica. The Thessalonians were in grief because of their members had died. They were worry of their future. This problem was raised as a result of Paul’s teaching to the Thessalonians. Paul had shared with them that believers who are alive will be taken with Christ at His return. However they did not know the status of their dead loved one at Christ’s return. To answer this question Paul had given the Thessalonians the fact of those who were dead in Christ and of those who are alive at His return. Christ will reunite the dead and alive believers at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

A careful study of the above passage shows that when the rapture occurs, those who had died in the Lord Jesus Christ will be raised up from the dead, and they will precede to meet Christ than those who are still alive at the time of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:15). Those who hold to Dispensational premillennium view of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ believe that the rapture will take place before the setting of His millennium kingdom on this earth.

The doctrine of the rapture is part of the doctrine of Dispensational Premillennium. However the question is asked, when will the rapture or the snatching up of the believers occur? So far as the dispensational premillennium is concerned, there are five views about the rapture. First, the Pretribulation Rapture that teaches the rapture will take place before the seven years of Great Tribulation. Second, the Midtribulation Rapture that teaches the rapture will occur in the middle of the seven years of Great Tribulation. Thirdly, the Posttribulation Rapture that teaches the rapture will take place at the end of the seven years of Great Tribulation. Fourthly, Pre-Wrath Rapture that teaches the rapture will take place just before the wrath of God occurs during the Great Tribulation. And lastly, the Partial Rapture that believes the rapture will occur several times, beginning before the Great Tribulation as Premillennialists believe till the end of the Great Tribulation even at the end of millennium kingdom.

The writer’s thesis on this paper is to present a brief study on the above five views of rapture and show how each view differ from one another in each rendering the biblical passage pertaining to the time of the rapture. Because the writer’s theological persuasion is the Pretribulation Rapture, therefore this will be used as a standard view to comment the other views. This is to say that the writer will give a greater emphasis on the Pretribulation Rapture view, though it is not undermining the rest of the view.

THE TIME OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION

The premillennialists believe that the Lord has given to Daniel the future plan for Israel during the time Israel was still in the captivity (cf. Daniel 9:24-27). It is commonly understood that the Lord has given seventy weeks period for Israel in order to “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24). This is the prophecy concerning the salvation of Israel and their final acceptance of their King and Messiah at the end of the seventy week period. The question is asked, when did this seventy week begin? Scholars of prophecy have debated on this issue. Some said it was the time of the king Artaxerxes gave a decree to Nehemiah to rebuild the city of Jerusalem in 444/5 BC. And others said it was the time of the king Artaxerxes gave a decree to Ezra to rebuild the city of Jerusalem in 457/8 BC.

Based on Daniel 9:25 is clear that from the beginning of rebuilding of the Jerusalem unto the cutting off the Messiah would be sixty nine weeks period. This would be in total 483 years. Thus those who take the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 444/5 BC, they would conclude that the death of Jesus Christ would be at AD 33. Those who believe the rebuilding of Jerusalem in 457/8 BC, would say that the death of Jesus Christ would be at AD 30.

However the most important fact that the period of the church was not mentioned in prophecy of Daniel. The Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry spoke in Matthew 16:18 “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” It is understood that the period of the church was begun at the day of Pentecost. Thus the focus on this period is the church and not the Jews. The Jews or Israel were put aside for a time because they had killed their Saviour, the Messiah.

Although God has put Israel aside, this does not mean that God has totally cast out the Jews. God still has a plan for Israel to fulfil His promises as He had given to Abraham and the patriarchs. God put Israel a side in order to focus on the Church, the Gentiles. Paul said, the church is the grafted branch of the wild olive tree (Romans 11:13-24). The period after the death of Jesus Christ is called the period of the church or of the Gentiles. During this period the Lord has set a number of Gentiles to be saved. No one knows the total number of the saved Gentiles but Paul said it “the fullness of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:25). Only when the fullness of the Gentiles is fulfilled then the end of the church period will be accomplished.

When will be the end of Church period? The end of the church period will be marked by the snatching of the church of this earth. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Behold, I show you a mystery, We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). To the Thessalonians Paul said, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The fulfilment of these two passages will be the end of the church era.

When the time of the church has been accomplished the seventieth week of Daniel will begin. This period will begin with the making of the covenant treaty with the Israel by the leader of Federal State of Europe which is the Antichrist. This period is the period for the salvation of Israel “so all Israel shall be saved” (Rom 11:26). However this is also called the Great Tribulation period where the Antichrist will rule over the whole world. Daniel said, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan 9:27). This Great Tribulation will last for seven years and then shall be followed by the millennium kingdom period where the church will rule together with Christ.

Introductory Commentary to the Epistle of Jude

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The Epistle of Jude is one of the shortest books in the New Testament. It has only 25 verses in the English Bible and consists of 458 words in the original text. Though this epistle is brief it is very powerful in its utterance. This is the only epistle which talks about the characteristics of ungodly men, especially in the last days, just before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The excellent remarks given by Lawlor rightly support that the epistle of Jude, "is the only book in the entire canon of Holy Scripture which is entirely devoted to the dreadful apostasy that will prevail throughout Christendom prior to the return of Christ from heaven, and to the character and conduct of the apostates themselves."

Apparently this is the reason the epistle of Jude is placed just before the book of Revelation in the canonical list of the Holy Scriptures. This is to express the coming judgement of Christ to those who are apostates and do not believe in Him. Hiebert added, "The vigorous little Epistle of Jude is without a parallel in the New Testament for its vehement denunciation of libertines and apostates. While displaying affectionate concern for true believers, it burns with fiery indignation and vivid pronouncements of judgement upon religious sensualists. Standing, as it does in our English Bibles, just before the Book of Revelation, it forms a fitting introduction to the concluding book of the New Testament."

Therefore Jude wrote his epistle as a warning to the Christians, to be more vigilant towards the characteristics and behaviour of the apostates who are in the church today.

Authorship

There are many debates among scholars on the authorship of the epistle of Jude. Most of the commentators agree to the author being Jude, one of the brothers of James and the half brother of the Lord Jesus. This position seems to be the most common among many of the commentators. However this identification is not absolutely certain, for the epistle itself does not say exactly who the author was, from among the five Judes found in the Bible.

It is therefore important to study more closely and examine who the author of this epistle was. The following is a description of each Jude found in the Bible.

First, Jude or Judas of Damascus referred to in Acts 9:11. He was the owner of the house where Saul of Tarsus was staying after he had heard the call of Jesus. Ananias was asked by God to come to this house to confirm the faith of Saul of Tarsus. Second, Judas Barsabas. After the decision was made at the Council of Jerusalem, he was sent to Antioch together with Paul and Silas when they heard that God had opened the door of the gospel to the Gentiles (Act 15:13-22, 27, 32). Third, Judas Iscariot. He was one of the apostles of Jesus Christ who later became an apostate and a traitor. Fourth, Jude the brother of James and one of the Lord’s brothers (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Fifth, another apostle who was named Judas, not Iscariot (John 14:22). He was the very quiet apostle. In the New Testament it was recorded only once that he spoke to Jesus Christ.

Based on the above list which Jude was the author of this epistle? To many scholars there are only two possibilities from the names mentioned above. Either Jude, one of the brothers of Jesus Christ or the apostle, Jude not Iscariot. Many commentators have preferred to take Jude the brother of Jesus as the author. The reason being that in the Holy Scriptures are many records where he was mentioned in comparison with Jude the apostle. Second, the absent of the appellation “apostle” in the salutation. Instead of using the title apostle of Jesus Christ, he used the term “servant” of Jesus Christ. Third, the author of this epistle regarded the apostles as apart from himself (Jude 17-18). Finally, the author mentioned “the contention about the body of Moses, and the prophecy of Enoch, which are no where to be found in the scripture.”

However this writer prefers to take Jude the apostle as the author of this epistle for the following reasons. First, the absence of the appellation “apostle” is not an absolute reason to say that he was not an apostle. The phrase “servant of Jesus Christ” was a very common appellation used by the prophets of God in the community of the Jews. In the New Testament, this title was still valid among the Jews who were serving the Lord. John Calvin commented, "He calls himself the servant of Christ, not as the name applies to all the godly, but with respect to his apostleship; for they were deemed peculiarly the servants of Christ, who had some public office committed to themselves…. And, no doubt, he who declares himself to be the servant of God, includes both these things, that is, that God is the bestower of the office which he exercises, and that he faithfully performs what has been committed to him."

Second, the author also introduced himself as “the brother of James.” This writer believes that the author was referring to James the son of Alpheus who was also one of the twelve and not to James the brother of Jesus Christ. Besides Judas Iscariot, there was another Jude who was one of the twelve. He was the son of Mary the wife of Cleophas, also known as Alphaeus. Alphaeus himself has another son whose name was also James. Both James and Jude were the apostles of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is genuinely written by the apostle of Jude, one of the sons of Alphaeus.

Finally, many commentators used verses 17-18 to support the position that it was not Jude the apostle because the author distinguished himself from the apostles of Jesus Christ. However, these verses cannot be used as absolute evidence that it was not Jude the apostle at all. According to Barnes, Jude has his special reason for referring to other apostles: Jude meant also to include himself among the apostles, or Jude was speaking of the apostles collectively. Furthermore, the description that he gave in verses 4-16 mostly happened in the past, and it was predicted that in the future, similar false characters will come: false teachers, false prophets, even false Christs. It was without doubt that the message of the apostles is to follow what Jesus Christ had preached. Therefore Jude here too, reminded and commanded his readers to obey what the apostles had taught them. Before Jude came and served them there have been apostles who came to them and taught them the true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jude might not have known how many apostles had already come to them. For this reason, Jude did not mention any names. However Jude believed what the other apostles had taught are from the same source as his, namely by the inspiration of God. So Jude was confirming what his readers have already heard. It was with humility that he did not want to point to himself as an apostle but he pointed to other apostles. Clearly, the author of this epistle was Jude the apostle, and not one of the brothers of Jesus Christ.

Authenticity

If we accept that the apostle Jude authored this epistle, there is no doubt about its authenticity. We believe God has chosen his apostles to write His words that all believers might have the Holy Scripture as the most perfect of all to be the guide in faith, practice and conduct of all Christians. On the other hand some scholars considered this epistle as a disputed letter because Jude 9 was a quotation from the Assumption of Moses and Jude 14-15 were taken from the book of Enoch and both these books are apocryphal books. To this, Hiebert answered that “the use of a quotation from an uninspired source need not imply that he approved of the whole book.” Therefore despite these critics, it is necessary to consider the external and internal evidence of the authenticity of this epistle.

One external evidence is that most scholars accept its authenticity and there are few scholars who reject it. One of these was Jerome (340-420). He rejected its authenticity “because of the testimony from the apocryphal book of Enoch." However Didymus (d. 394) strongly defended the authenticity of this epistle. The ancient scholars did not have any problem with this book, but rather they referred to it quite often. Tertullian of Carthage (150-222), Clement of Alexandria (155-215), and Origen (185-253) did not doubt the authenticity of the epistle of Jude. In the Muratorian Canon (c. 170) the epistle of Jude was accepted as part of the Holy Scriptures. The reformers (e.g. John Calvin) also accepted this epistle as the Word of God.

There is little internal evidence to support its authenticity and there are no historical records as to where and when the author wrote his epistle. The only internal evidence seen here was the author was that the servant of Jesus Christ. Although he seemed to distinguish himself from the apostles, it was because he took a humble position.

Place and Date

The zeal to preach the gospel to all nations was in the heart of every apostle as they were commanded to be witnesses for Christ “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The apostles were called to be evangelists to preach the gospel from place to place. Being an evangelist, Jude would definitely have travelled a lot during his ministry. In relation to the writing of this epistle, there is no evidence of place of writing. However there were suggestions that Jude could have written from Alexandria in Egypt or from Palestine, especially Jerusalem.

Regarding the date of his writing the text itself does not provide any certain evidence. Considering the fact that John the last apostle lived till almost the end of first century having written the book of Revelation, there is no doubt therefore that this epistle of Jude must have been written before John wrote the book of Revelation (before A.D 100).

Some scholars have suggested that the date of writing might have been after the destruction of Jerusalem. On the other hand, there are those who hold that it was before the destruction of Jerusalem. Based on the text, Jude apparently wrote it before the destruction of Jerusalem. This is because Jude did not make any reference to this city in his epistle implying that the temple and city were still standing. Due to the importance of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, Jude definitely would have mentioned their destruction if they have taken place but he did not. Thus a possible date of its composition is about A.D 66-68. The exact date however is uncertain.

Occasion

The occasion for the writing of Jude was related to the apostates who revealed their true selves through their own character. Jude pointed out that the apostates were among his readers. The apostates were worshipping together with them and were present at the feast of charity (v. 12). Jude then said that they were “the certain men crept in unawares” (v. 4). Furthermore he identified them as “the ungodly men” (v. 4); “filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities” (v. 8); “murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts” (v. 16). They are the false teachers and “without spirit” (v. 9).

Based on this description Jude was constrained to write to his readers that they might contend earnestly for the faith (v. 3) and build themselves up in the most holy faith (v. 20). Jude knew the danger of these apostates, thus Jude described to his readers the character of these apostates that his readers might know who these apostates were and that they might not follow their ways. At the same time, Jude assured his readers that the Lord Jesus “is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (v. 24).

Purpose

Jude clearly placed the purpose of his writing in verses 3 and 4. Jude’s first purpose was to write about the common salvation to his readers. However he was constrained by the Holy Spirit to change to another purpose which was to exhort his readers “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (v. 3). The reason was because “there are certain men crept in unawares” (v. 4) in the midst of his readers. Thus being the apostle Jude gave a strong denunciation of the apostates indicating that the apostates were the ungodly men. The Lord had ordained them to be judged. In addition, towards, the end of his writing he encouraged his readers to build themselves up in the “most holy faith” (v. 20). This was followed by his exhortation that his readers should show mercy to those who doubt (v. 22).

The Call and Faith of Abraham

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INTRODUCTION

A careful study of the life of Abraham will provide many important applications in Christian living. His life depicts how a person has a close relationship with God. Although Abraham’s background was from the idolatrous family who worshipped other gods in Ur of the land of Chaldees, yet he learnt to trust the Lord as he followed God’s direction. God’s mercy was extended to Abraham, an idolater, by choosing him to be the person who carried out the salvation plan of God for human being. Abraham was not chosen for his intelligence but merely based on the sovereignty of God. Thus God called Abraham with a purpose.

It is important to understand that when the Lord called Abraham he was not yet a believer. His response to the calling showed that his faith was a genuine. Abraham did not ask any question when God asked him to leave his kindred but he trusted the Lord. He knew that the God who spoke to him was the true and the living God. Abraham then took a step to move on and follow the direction given by the Lord. This was the beginning of the growth of the seed of faith planted in him. He began to look upon the Lord in everything in his life and his faith increased in Him.

The promises given to Abraham were the very important foundations in his life (Gen 12:2-3). He believed that the Lord would fulfil them according to God’s time, including the born of his own son in his old age, Isaac. Although after having received the promised son, Isaac, the Lord then gave him a test of faith. However through the grace of God given to him, he was able to do what the Lord required of. The pass of the test was the proof of his great faith. Thus through this study one must agree to this conclusion that “Abraham’s life was an example of the development of the Christian’s growth in faith." The lessons from the call and faith of Abraham must be applied in the Christian living.

THE CALL OF ABRAHAM

The nature of his call

The study of Genesis 11:31 will show that Abraham received his call after he together with his father moved from Ur to Haran. Based on this passage, one could not defend that God had called Abraham from Ur. However, as the Holy Spirit revealed in another part of the Bible, clearly seen that Abraham received his call when he was still in Ur, the land of Chaldees. In fact the account of Stephen’s defence shows that “The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran” (Acts 7:2). In other words, when Abraham received his call in Haran, it was his second call. Quek rightly opines, "Abraham first received his called in Ur of the Chaldees. This fact cannot be determined from Genesis 11:31. Acts 7:2 tells us that God called Abram when he was in Ur of the Chaldees. (cf. Gen. 15:7; Josh. 24:2; Neh. 9:7) Thus the call of Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 was a reiteration of that call at Ur."

On this regard, there was a delay on Abraham’s response to the call of God. The question might be raised; did Abraham disobey God about God’s calling? The answer was not possible. The delay of Abraham’s response to his first call definitely was not because of his disobedience. If that was the case the Lord must have said so in His only book, the Bible. However the suggestion given by Davis was considerable, when he said that, "The delay could well have been a result of personal or family consideration, such as Terah’s old age. It is not improbable that Abraham was awaiting the appropriate time to break with his family, and when that time came, God reiterated the call."

Thus Abraham never had the intention to delay the God’s call upon him

Looking at the content of the call it requires a man who has faith in the Lord. Genesis 12:1 says that Abraham must leave his own country, kindred, father’s house and go to the land which was in that point of time he did not know. Nevertheless the Lord promised that He would show him the new land which the Lord would give to him and his descendant forever. This same land would be an inheritance of Abraham’s descendant. In this regard, Abraham’s faith was not blind. He believed what the Lord had promised would come to pass though he was childless when he received the call (Gen 12:2-3). Nevertheless the Lord required the personal sacrifice on Abraham’s part by leaving his own country and kindred (Gen 12:1). Abraham must separate himself from his early life by following God’s call.

In addition to the promise of the new land the Lord would show to Abraham, the Lord also gave Abraham another sevenfold promise that the Lord Himself would fulfil. The Lord said “And will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen 12:2-3). To all these promises, Abraham had an unwavering faith in the Lord. Abraham by faith obeyed the Lord (Heb 11:8-10). As a result of his faithfulness to the Lord “Abraham was remembered as a great man of faith, the father of the faithful, and a ‘friend of God.’”

The most wonderful thing seen through the call Abraham received from the Lord was that Abraham had an unquestioning obedience to the Lord. In addition to this, the call of Abraham was the key to his life that the Lord would use to fulfil the salvation plan of God. This is to say that the call of Abraham includes the promise coming of Messiah namely the Lord Jesus Christ through whom all the families of the earth who believe in Him will be blessed.

His response to the call

Receiving a call at the age seventy-five to move to the new land that Abraham himself did not know was not a simple thing, but required a great faith. Leaving the city of Ur with her luxurious prosperity was the hardest thing which ever done by natural man. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of Abraham, leaving the city such as Ur, which was protected with walls and her building so beautifully made was impossible. Nevertheless, Abraham obeyed the call of the Lord. He brought all the things he possessed in the city of Ur and departed to the new land which the Lord would show him. He had no question concerning the land but submitted his whole life to the Lord. Davis further said, "Abraham’s decision to forsake the wealth and security of Mesopotamia can hardly be regarded as purely natural. From a human point of view, the advantages of remaining in Mesopotamia far outweighed those of going to Palestine. Furthermore, it should be remembered that Abraham is cited not just for a single act of faith but for an attitude and life of faith (Heb. 11:9,10)."

Finally from Haran moved to the new land with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and a considerable number of servants (Gen 12:5). They went forth to the land of Canaan which the Canaanites lived. They passed through the land and stopped at Sichem (Gen 12:6). During his stay in this place the Lord appeared to Abraham for the first time since he departed from Haran. Indeed this was the reiteration of God’s promise to Abraham about the land (Gen 12:7). As a response to God’s appearance Abraham built an altar unto the Lord, as “a visible evidence of the strength of his faith.”

After the Lord had reaffirmed His promise to Abraham in the land of Sichem, Abraham continued to journey to Bethel. In this land, again Abraham pitched his tent as a temporary structure for his own comfort and built an altar for worshipping God. Nevertheless though Abraham had arrived in the new land the Lord had promised, yet there was no sign of wealth and prosperity in his part. An altar that he built was only the sign to show that Abraham was still under the direction and protection of the Almighty God whom he worshipped. However his faith in the Lord never wavered. He trusted in the Lord in every circumstance that he went in. Despite of the many difficulties he faced both from other nations and his own nephew, Abraham continued to look upon the Lord and wait for the promises.

THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM

His faith seen in his weaknesses

The faith of Abraham depicts a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Had Abraham believed God based on what the Lord told him, then Christians ought to believe God in the same way. In fact the writer of Hebrews gives the definition of faith as this “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). However, from human’s perspective, the people in the New Testament are supposed to be much easier to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is because the Holy Scripture is available in their hands. On the other hand, Abraham knew nothing about the written Word of God. His belief was based on what the Lord told him and yet he believed God whole-heartedly.

The faith of Abraham, since the beginning of the call of God had begun to grow one step at the time. Departing from the luxurious city to the unknown city at the age of seventy-five was unthinkable but not for Abraham. Abraham believed that God would be with him in every circumstance. His relationship and worship were very crucial to him. Thus every time God spoke to him, he would indicate it with the building of the altar which he acknowledged as the place of worship (Gen 12:8; 13:3-4, 18).

Although Abraham was honoured as the father of the faithful and a friend of God, yet through the journey of his life, it depicts that he was truly a believer with human’s weaknesses. Abraham failed to ask the Lord when he wanted to move to Egypt (Gen 12:10-13). As a result he did tell a lie because of the fear of men. In another occasion, he committed the same sin when he was in Gerar (Genesis 20:1-18). However, this did not cause him to be a faithless people but rather he continued to trust in the Lord. He learnt a lesson from a mistake or failure that he committed.

Based on the study of the faith of Abraham, a believer in the New Testament will be depicted in the same way. No one who will never fail in his journey in this world since his conversion, but rather there will be a time where he disobeys and distrusts the Lord. Nevertheless when someone comes to the Lord with a contrite heart, asking for forgiveness, the Lord is faithful to forgive such a person (1 John 1:9). Christian should not have in mind that the failure he has in this life in following the Lord, will cause the Lord to reject him. Christian must be like Abraham for he learnt from his failure, yet he was never doubt on the faithfulness of God upon him.

His faith seen in his obedience

What a joyful it was for Abraham and Sarah to have a son in their old age! The son whom the Lord had promised twenty-five years before finally was in their bosom. The world could not think how a barren woman had a child. It was merely the Lord’s doing. Abraham and Sarah were just the recipients of the blessing.

The born of Isaac in the family was Abraham’s faith to test. The Lord did not tempt Abraham to evil but challenged his faith. As James said “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (Jam 1:13-14). Thus God required of him to offer his only begotten son whom he had waited for a long time, as a burnt offering to the Lord. In this junction it is necessary to understand that when God gave a promise of a child to Abraham, the Lord did not attach any description of what would happen when he got that child. It was a sudden that the Lord required of him to offer his son as a burnt sacrifice (Gen 22:2).

The answer of Abraham was clear and without question. He obeyed the Lord faithfully, knowing that the Lord was the one who gave his son and when the Lord required he was willing to return him to the Lord. Thus “Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him” (Gen 22:3). This was the difficult time for Abraham because the son whom he loved must be offered as a burnt offering. However Abraham knew what the Lord was doing. He did not ask the Lord why this thing must happen but rather he submitted himself to the high authority, the Lord Himself.

In this regard, there is no way to say that Abraham must have forgotten the promise given of the Lord that through his seed, Isaac, his descendants would become a nation. He knew all these things and yet there was no doubt in Him that if the born of Isaac was a miracle then the Lord Himself was able to do another miracle even if Isaac must be sacrificed. He believed that God would resurrect him from the death in order to fulfil His promise. In fact the writer of Hebrews said “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Heb 11:17-19).

The faith of Abraham was not only expressed in the New Testament but rather in the same account of this historical event, Abraham told to his young men by faith that He and the lad would come back to them. Their purpose to let them stay behind was that Abraham and the lad would worship the Lord (Gen 22:5). How true it was, the faith of Abraham was truly great. There was no doubt in his part to sacrifice his son, Isaac as a burnt offering. In fact he did as what the Lord had commanded. Then “Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me” (Gen 22:9-12).

Because of the faith that he had in the Lord, Abraham was willing even to offer his son as a burnt offering. The Lord honoured his faith by providing a ram to be offered as a sacrifice to the Lord (v. 13). As a result of Abraham’s obedience, the Lord reaffirmed His covenant with Abraham (Gen 22:15-18).

His faith seen in his expectation on the Promised Land and coming Saviour

It is important to know that although Abraham had reached to the land of Canaan, as the Lord told him (Gen 12:6-7) that this land would be given to Him and his descendants, yet Abraham seemed still living in the strange country. He was still hoping that Promised Land that the Lord would give to him. Knowing that at this point of time Abraham did not have any indication that the land belonged to him and his descendants. In fact when his wife passed away, he wanted to buy a piece of land for a burial for his wife (Gen 23:1-20). This showed that he was a stranger in the land. Hebrews 11:9-10 says “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Based on Hebrew 11, it is clear that Abraham was hoping not merely the physical land that God promised to him but also the spiritual land. He was hoping that he would be in the city whose builder and maker is God. His faith on this regard was not blind. Christians who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ would have the same hope as Abraham had. Believers need to know that the world is not their homes but it is a strange land. They need to know that their citizenship is not of this world but of heaven.

Another aspect of Abraham’s hope, which the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the New Testament Scripture, was the hope of the coming Messiah. Notice that when God called Abraham, God gave him sevenfold promise (Gen 12:2-3). The last promise in this passage given was that all families of the earth would be blessed in the Abraham. How will it happen? The answer is that through the seed of Abraham, the salvation plan of God to send His begotten son will come through his line (cf. Matt 1:1; John 3:16). Abraham had no doubt on this promise. He believed God whole-heartedly that it would come to pass.

In relation to this, the Apostle John wrote in his gospel the account given by the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to Abraham’s faith. He said “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad” (John 8:56). This is absolutely true and there is no doubt in it because the Lord Jesus Christ knew Abraham very well. In fact Christ appeared to him in the form of theophany. He knew the faith of Abraham and his heart that Abraham himself was hoping for the coming of the Messiah to save the world from sins. One rightly said, “Abraham was overjoyed to see the fullness of time when the Messiah would indeed be a spiritual blessing.” Thus because of his great faith in the Lord, Abraham was called the father of faithful.

CONCLUSION

Having seen the life of Abraham described both in the Old and New Testament one must have convinced that Abraham’s faith was an example of the true believer in the Lord even in this generation. The call that he received was the key of his life in order to follow the Lord’s direction and live under God’s providence. It was truly the help of the Holy Spirit for a person such as Abraham who trusted the Lord without the help of the Written Word. He believed that the Lord who called him to come out from the land of Chaldees was the Almighty God who created heaven and earth (Heb 11:9).

It is necessary to note that the Lord did not call Abraham with a promise that miracles would come as a sign to confirm that the Lord wanted him to move to the new land. However he trusted the Lord because the Lord was the one who gave him faith that he might follow His commandments. The Holy Spirit who indwelled in him helping him to understand and convince that the God who appeared to him was the true and living God.

When Abraham took the first step to move from Ur to Haran, Abraham began to wait upon the Lord in many circumstances. His faith grew one step at a time. His faith was confirmed in the Lord. He continued to wait for the promises given to him. His faith grew as he communed with the Lord in many difficulties. This was clearly seen when the Lord required his beloved son, Isaac, to be offered as a burnt offering. On the other hands, Abraham’s faith was not only on the physical promises but also on the spiritual promises namely the Promised Land and the coming Saviour. The New Testament Scriptures revealed that Abraham was not hoping for the Physical blessing but also the spiritual one and the coming of Messiah.

Life without Christ Is Vanity

2008-06-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

17And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. 19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. 20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. 21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. (Mark 10:17-22).

Introduction

How important do you see your wealth and riches? Do you see them with high regard and value? Do you regard them as the most important in your life? Friends, I suppose we have the same answer to these questions that all wealth and riches of this world are nothing without Christ. There are greatest and absolute needs of every human being in this world, regardless your race, nation, intelligence, and wealth. There are two things we need to know from this passage we just read.

I. The Need to know God (vv. 17-20)

In this passage, we notice a certain man came to Jesus. Who is this man? When we harmonize the three accounts about this man we observe things about this man. I would say he was a rare young man.

(a) Firstly, he was a young man; a young man in the prime of his age (Matt 19:20). It was very good for a young man to have a desire to know the way to heaven.

(b) Secondly, he was a rich man; a rich man in the fullness of his wealth (Mark 10:22).

(c) Thirdly, he was a ruler; a ruler in the prime of his authority (Luke 18:18). At least these three things make this man so unique in comparison to all of us here and many people in this world. He was rich. This is most wanted by all people. They study and work very hard in order to be rich. He was a young man. Many people are rich and yet they are very old and are not able to enjoy their riches. He was a ruler, a leader; someone who has respect and honour from people around him. Do you not think this man above all of us here and many people around us? What more does he need in this life? The world is seeking this kind of position. Everyone wants to be like him. But this man can represent many people in this world.

(d) Fourthly, by observation, we notice that he was very ambitious and zealous man. He ran. He kneeled before the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember friends, he was a leader, a rich man and a young man. And Jesus Himself was not walking alone, but followed by His disciples and the multitude and yet this man was very confident and ambitious on what he has committed to know. He was not like Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night, perhaps because of the fear of the people. He has all confidence on him. He was deeply anxious to receive an answer to his question and also he had great reverence for Jesus.

(e) Furthermore, he came to Jesus in order to know the way to eternal life. Up to this point we see this man was absolutely perfect. He is a rich man, young man, leader, ambitious and has a desire to know the way to heaven. Many people when they are rich they never think about God anymore. There are many Christians who work so hard in order to be rich and when the Lord blesses them with wealth, they indulge in their works and riches. Their priority was not the church and service to God but works and money. When they become rich, they obtain respect from the world and appointed to be leader and have a say in society, all the more, they forsake the church and the Lord.

This man was so great. He kneeled down before Christ, and the multitude because he realised that though he has all these wealth and position, deep down in his heart, he realised that there was no assurance of salvation in him. Deep down in his heart was uncertainty about the future. He did not know what would happen in the future after this life. Since Jesus was so different in His teaching, someone who has authority in His preaching and teaching. Perhaps by comparison with the rest of the rulers in his time, he felt he was on the top level. Perhaps those rulers have given him the assurance for his devotion to the law and teachings of the Judaism. Then he wanted to make sure what this special Teacher said concerning him.

Thus, having kneeled before Jesus as a sign of his humility, perhaps he saw Jesus as an eminent prophet and teacher, but not knowing Him to be the Son of God. He said, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Based on the content of this question, this man believed the certainty of the future state; that there will be life after this present life on earth.

Hearing his question, Jesus did not directly given an answer but rather Jesus asked him back, “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.” Jesus here does not deny that He is good and that He is God. However He asked this question in order to question this man whether or not this man understood what he was saying. Jesus was simply saying here that “There is only one which is good namely God Himself. If you call me good, then you must have known me that I am God.” In other words, “If you call me good which is the title should be rendered to God, then you must have known and acknowledged me as God.” Of course this man did not acknowledge Jesus as God.

I believe when Jesus asked this question, this man was shaken in his theology. He was a ruler, a Pharisee who was supposed to know the Law, the prophecies concerning the first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah. But he did not. Then Jesus continued in verse 19, “Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.”

I believe the reason why Jesus asked these six commandments because these are the most common commandments broken by the Jews. The first four commandments, being related to God Himself, they would try their best to keep them. However having heard Jesus’ statement, what was this man’s answer? Verse 20, “And he answered and said unto him, “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.”

According to the standard or sense or interpretation of the law by the Pharisees which demand only the gross outward act, not the inward lust and motion of the heart. Perhaps he was right that he already observed them very well as the outward obedience to the Law and this made him think well of himself but not according to the standard of God. If this man could say that he had observed them from his youth, can you imagine what would be his answer if Jesus asked about the first four commandments? Most probably he would say, absolutely master, that is my life and soul. [But nothing is better evidence of our unfeigned love to God than the sincere performance of our duty to our neighbours. Love to man is a fruit and testimony of our love to God; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1Jo 4:20]

Friends, we are pleasing God not according to the standard given by man or church organization. We must measure spiritual things based on Holy Scriptures as our final authority in life, practices and faith. This man was not saying the truth. His heart knew it and Jesus knew it and you know it through the Holy Scriptures. No one can do the commandments of God perfectly “if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is deed in vain” (Galatians 2:21).

Friends, life without knowing Christ will be meaningless. You know your hearts whether you know Christ and His commandments. You may not be as young as this man, you may not be a rich as this man, you may not be a ruler as this man, you may not be so ambitious as this man, but if you know Christ truly, you are much better than this man because Christ is living in your hearts. Christ gives you assurance, joy, hope and the desire to please Him. The fact that you are different from this man because you know Christ as your Lord and Savour then your life is meaningful.

The second point we need to know so that our lives might not be meaningless is the need to forsake all things for God’s sake.

II.The Need to forsake all things for God’s sake (vv. 21-22).

Jesus knew the heart of this man that he was not honest at all in response to Jesus’ statement when he said, “all these have I observed from my youth.” Nonetheless, Jesus continued as to give an answer to his question. Just imagine the reaction of this man when Jesus began to answer him, “one thing thou lackest.” However, that one thing which was lacking was the whole things he possessed. Jesus said, “go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.”

There are six commands that Jesus said here, (1) go thy way, (2) sell whatsoever thou hast, (3) give to the poor, (4) having done these three things, Come, (5) take up the cross, and (6) follow me. These commands do not mean that every rich man must sell all his possession, and distribute to the poor, and having done so, being now very poor, come and follow Jesus. This does not mean that in order to be a disciple of Jesus one must disown his property, and be very poor.

Jesus knew the problem of this man. This man loved his wealth more than God. He loved his riches above all things. To show that you really are disposed to keep the commands of God, go and sell your property. See whether you love God more than you do your wealth. By doing that, you will show that your love of God is supreme; that your obedience is not merely external and formal, but sincere and real; the thing, now lacking, will be made up.

This is the true self-denial, in renouncing the sin of covetousness, and the inordinate love of worldly wealth. We ought to be willing to forsake all for God’s sake which is dear unto us in this world. He was not like Zaccheus after hearing the good news from Jesus, he stood and said unto Jesus; “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8). He was far from it. He dared to forsake all respects and honour from the multitudes being a ruler of the people, and knelt before Christ but not forsaking his wealth. To him, wealth is everything. How true it is as Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). Paul also was rich in self-righteousness like this man, but cheerfully sacrificed all, that he might follow Christ (Philippians 3:6-9).

Jesus knew the problem of every man who came to Him. Jesus gave a different command to different people. The test of discipleship that Jesus gave was different to different people. There was a time where Jesus said to someone who desired to follow Him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). To another man, Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). Or as to another man, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Jesus knew the heart of everyone who came to Him.

Jesus knew that this man was not willing to forsake all things for God’s sake. It was too hard for him to do so. He wanted an easy way. Perhaps, he was thinking that Jesus would ask him to give money that he might have eternal life. Or he might think that he could gain this eternal life by performing some meritorious acts. In so doing he thought that eternal life is a reward of doing good works, since other rulers in his contemporaries might have given a stamp on his performance. But whatever thought he might have in mind was already known to Jesus because He is God who knows everything under the sun. This ruler was called upon to make his choice whether he would love Christ or the world, whether he would serve God or mammon.

This man went away with grief. He was very sad. He came to Jesus with much ambition and spirit but he went away with sorrow and sadness. Friends, we should make clear that there is nothing wrong to be rich. The fault lies not in riches but the heart of the person that counts riches as supreme.

Friends, do you have things that hinder you from loving Jesus? Do you have in your life a habit that you cannot forsake and yet hinder you to the fullness of ministry in loving and serving Jesus?

Conclusion

This man had begun well by acknowledging his spiritual destitute and by realising that his life was meaningless. He came to Jesus. It was right. It was the best, but he was not willing to know God and willing to forsake all for God’s sake.

You have begun well by coming to the church or the Bible College to be trained and equipped ourselves for the ministry ahead of us that the Lord will provide for each one of us. It is the will of God that we will be grounded in the truth as we are moulded during the study here. It is the will of God that we may know God and His Son Jesus Christ more and more as we study His Holy Word daily here. It is our prayer that we might know God and His Words deeper.

In the ministry there are many difficulties, problems, people, misunderstanding that come along that may cause to quit us from ministry. If we are not firmly known your God, you will forsake Him and His ministry. This does not mean, when we follow and know Christ there will be no problems. Problems will be still there, but we shall find joy in serving God and handling the problems. Make sure you know your God.

The question I need to ask now is, will you end well by giving your hearts for Jesus and serving Him for the whole of your life? Or do you have deep in your hearts as you are studying right now, something that hinders you from committing your life unto the Lord? Amen.

The Gospel of Christ is the only absolute truth (Gal 1:6-10)

2008-06-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION

Every minister of the gospel is delightful to see his flocks to grow in the knowledge of God and longs to see them growing in faith and be faithful to God and His Word. On the other hands, it brings sadness and bitterness when his flocks depart from the truth and embrace the wrong doctrine or heresy. Such as this, it ever happened in the ministry of the apostle Paul in the church of Galatia. Paul expressed his hearts when he said, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7).

When we try to make a comparison between the church of Galatians and Corinthians we notice that there is a great different in the way Paul saw the problem. We know in the church of Corinthians occurred many problems though this church actually was blessed by God with many spiritual blessings or gifts, yet the same church faced a lot of problems such as the issue of adultery, of marriage, of food offered to idols, of Holy Communion etc. However one thing we notice that Paul was still giving thanks to God for the church of Corinthians despite of these issues. Paul said, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.” This depicts to us that God was merciful to forgive the Corinthians when they came to God for confession and repentance.

But when we see the book of Galatians we cannot find such statement in the beginning of the letter but rather Paul expresses his disappointment for they have departed from the true Gospel of Christ and embraced a different gospel. What happened with the church of Galatians? The Galatians have embraced the claims of the world. They have departed from the Gospel of Christ and taken another gospel which is not the gospel. For this reason Paul wrote the church of Galatians to respond to their errors and to state the absolute truth of the Gospel of Christ. Firstly, Paul wanted to declare to the Galatians that apart from the Gospel of Christ there is no Truth.

I. Apart from the Gospel of Christ there is no Truth (Gal 1:6-7)

It seems that shortly after Paul departed from Galatia the heretics came to destroy the faith and steadfastness of the Galatians on the true Gospel of Christ. Paul expressed this in Galatians 1:6 when he said, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” Paul was so disappointed with the Galatians. He marveled because they so soon departed from the truth which in the time of Paul was still with them, they firmly declared that they believed the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Paul said that the Galatians have embraced ‘another gospel.’ What is another gospel here? It is the teaching that believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is not sufficient for salvation but Christians still need the Law of Moses such as circumcision added into the grace of God in order to be saved. In other words, the Galatians were asked to go back to legalism of the Judaism. This is the rejection of the shedding blood of Christ once for all. However the sad thing was that the Galatians were persuaded and embraced this wrong and unbiblical teaching. The Bible clearly teaches that Christ is the one way of Salvation as Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Paul absolutely had taught the Galatians the whole counsel of God as he did to the Christians in Ephesus (cf. Acts 20:24-32). There is no doubt on the theological persuasion of Paul. He knew that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour.

What Paul had taught to the Galatians is only the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that contains the absolute way of salvation. Jesus clearly said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). Paul also said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). The point here is that salvation is only obtained by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). There is no place of good works for salvation. Good works are required from believers not to add merits unto salvation but as the evidence of their salvation. Good works must be practiced and become a custom of believers as the products of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers and of the process of sanctification.

What had happened in the church of Galatia was very serious. That is why Paul could not thank the Lord for the Galatians as he did for the Corinthians. Paul could only express his disappointment and anger, hoping that the Galatians might come back to the Lord because there is no truth apart from the gospel of Christ Jesus.

Friends, if the church of Galatia which was founded by the apostle Paul himself can be influenced by the heretics, how much more in our days? In our generation there are so many groups of Christians who claim to have the true Gospel of Jesus Christ but in daily practice and teaching they are far from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. The heretics such as Jehovah Witness and Mormon will work hard to achieve their goal and destroy the faith of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are the preachers of another gospel which is not the true gospel.

How about the churches around you? Are they teaching the correct teaching of the gospel of Christ? Sad to say, many so-called the big churches around have taught another gospel and embraced another Christ which is not the Christ of the Bible. In fact it is common among the Charismatic churches describing Christ as different from which is in the Bible. The Charismatic churches are teaching that the elements of the Lord’s Supper: bread and wine, were treated as magic elements that can help and heal the sick. The teaching of the wrong doctrines will be more as the coming of the Lord Jesus nearer (2 Timothy 3:1-9). It is the fact in our generation that so-called Christians have preached and promoted another gospel such as the gospel of Judas and so on. In so doing these churches have stumbled many people because the gospel they promote is contrary to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly the gospel of Christ is the only absolute truth and there is no other.

The second point is apart from preaching the Gospel of Christ is anathema.

II. Apart from preaching the Gospel of Christ is anathema (Gal. 1:8-9)

When Paul knew that some Galatians had embraced another gospel, he wrote this statement in which no one would desire to here. Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). And again in verse 9, he reaffirmed it by saying, “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

We know that Paul has some friends during his missionary journeys such as Timothy, Barnabas, Silas, Luke, and others. And Paul clearly said here if anyone from among them who preaches any other gospel, Paul pronounces the accursed. Paul takes it serious of those who preach another gospel. Even ‘an angel’ from heaven, if this angel preaches another gospel which is different from what Paul has preached, it is also accursed. Of course, there is impossible for an angel to preach another gospel in our generation because those wicked angels had fallen together with Lucifer. There is no wicked angel in heaven. The angels who are in heaven right now are good angels, messengers of God, serving God faithfully. But what Paul means is that no one can escape from the curse if preaching another gospel apart from the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word ‘accursed’ comes from the Greek word ‘anathema.’ The literal meaning is ‘given up to the curse and destruction, accursed for God’s sake.’ In other words, it is something is being given up to divine condemnation (cf. Romans 9:3; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 16:22). If this word is applied to man it means that man is given to God for destruction. A person who preaches another gospel is accursed and worth for destruction by God Himself.

One example in the Old Testament is Achan. When the Lord led the Israel to conquer the city of Jericho, the Lord said that the city is accursed to the Lord, “And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord” (Joshua 6:1). Furthermore, the Lord in verse 18, “And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it” (Joshua 1:18). The Lord was the One who spoke this word and the Israelites ought to take heed. But Achan ignored the commandment of God and he took the accursed thing unto himself. Joshua 7:1 says, “But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.” As a result of Achan’s disobedience, he was stoned to death together with his family and belongings because he took the accursed things to the Lord.

What a dangerous thing to be involved in the accursed thing! Those who preach another gospel are accused before the Lord. They are under the condemnation of God and they are worth for destruction. True believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must not ever join or have fellowship with those accursed preachers who preach another gospel. Christians must make a clear cut from heretics. Christians should not entertain those who hold to the wrong doctrines.

However, the fact in the church today is the pastors and preachers dare not to separate from those who preach a different Gospel. They want to be labeled as unloving pastors. As a result, they compromise with errors and they are hand in hand with the heretics, the enemies of Christ. Paul gave an instruction to the Christians in Rome that they might not have fellowship with those heretics. “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18). It is the responsibility of the pastors mark those heretics because they were trained in the Word of God and they know the different doctrines from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is no place of those who teach a different gospel in the church. The true church of Christ must separate from those who preach the anathema gospel. Paul warn the Corinthians on this matter when he said, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

Christians who truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ must take the stand that honoring God and His Word. The church of Jesus Christ must not comprise her pulpit with those who preach heresy because the message they bring is the accursed message and they too are accursed. The only absolute truth the church must preach is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The pastors of the church must not sacrifice the church for fame by inviting those famous heretics to speak to their church members.

The third point is apart from pleasing Christ is man’s pleaser.

III. Apart from pleasing Christ is man’s pleaser (Gal. 1:10)

Imagine how is the response of those Galatians who have joined the Judaism or planning to join or whose family members have joined the Judaism when they heard the writing of Paul in verse 8-9. Unhappiness and hatred would be kindled because it is not a very popular statement. A person is not willing to be pinpointed that he is wrong though reality he is wrong. He wants all people to be quite about it. He does not want others to talk about it or even to say bad thing about it. This is the common attitude. Many people have this attitude, “If you do not like it then, do not say anything about it.” However to Paul it is not right because the message the Judaism brought to the church of Galatia is the heresy and contrary to what Paul received from God. It was his responsibility to warn, rebuke and correct the Galatians because he was the spiritual father to them. A good father must correct, warn and rebuke disobedient sons.

Listen what Paul said in verse 10, “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” Paul clearly stated his ultimate and final purpose in the ministry that he is the servant of Christ. Being a servant of Christ, his duty and responsibility is to please Christ as his Master. No matter what the consequences are, Christ must be pleased even to the extent he must suffer for it because Paul knew that he has only one Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul acknowledges his position before the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 1, when he said, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” He knew that he was an apostle that belongs to Christ and his responsibility was to do what Jesus Christ commanded him.

Paul was not man’s pleaser. In fact Paul also rebuked Peter for what he had done among the Gentiles Christians in Antioch. Paul wrote, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:11-15). Peter was rebuked for the mistake he did in Antioch, though he was an apostle of Christ. Paul’s only desire was that he might glorify and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and ministry.

Every servant of God must follow the step of Paul who had courage to stand for the truth without fearing anyone but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The problem in the church today is so many pastors, evangelists and preachers who do not have courage to stand for the truth and rebuke those who teach error willfully in the church. They are afraid to rebuke others, thinking that it is unloving to rebuke people. They rather try to be pleasing in the sight of many people than in the sight of God. But apostle Paul not only rebuking those who have done wrong or followed the world, even mentioned and written their name in the Holy Scriptures for the things they had done. Look at Demas, being a fellow teamwork of Paul in the ministry, yet when he left the ministry, Paul said, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10). In 2 Timothy 2:16-18 Paul also wrote concerning people who did not believe on the resurrection, “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.” Whoever has taught the heresy is the object of rebuke, not to destroy the persons but that he may know his errors and confess and repent from their sins. Paul realized that it was his duty to do so. The pastors and preachers do not have a choice but to rebuke and correct those who have taught the wrong doctrines and disobeyed the word of God.

The question is raised; do you have courage to rebuke those who teach the wrong doctrines in the church? Does your pastor dare to rebuke or correct members of the church who teach other gospels? Or do you have courage to correct your Christian friends who hold to the wrong doctrines? Or do you let them die in their errors?

CONCLUSION

Friends, it is a responsibility of the Christians to defend the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because the Lord has entrusted His word to His church that the church might proclaim His absolute truth to the world. The world may promote another gospel which is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ because the world wants to destroy the church. We have the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the only absolute truth. We must not have fellowship those who preach the accursed gospel, the heresy. We must not be man’s pleaser but let us be the men of God who endeavor to do what the Lord has given to us in His Gospel. Let us be firmed that the Gospel we have in our hands is the only Truth.

Let us remember, firstly, Apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is no Truth. Secondly, Apart from preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Anathema. And lastly, Apart from pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ is man’s pleaser. Amen.

Christ is the way of salvation

2008-06-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6)

INTRODUCTION

When we say that Christ is the only way of salvation, we should not be surprised that many people are not happy, because it means there is no salvation in other religion. Many people will say, Are you saying that those who devote their lives and try their best to live according to their religion will not have salavation?

Our only reply is that there is salvation apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, whether the person dies for his own religion he will not be in heaven. This is the absolute truth we have as true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our text this morning says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Everyone desires to go to heaven but they are on the wrong way. What all people need they want to have what the apostle John said in Revelation 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.”

All relgions describe heaven as a place which is extraordinary, as a good place. And all people want to go there but no one will reach heaven accept by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ will never see heaven. Man may work hard to reach heaven as commanded by his religion but all these will be in vain.

Prophet Isaiah tells us, “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” (Isaiah 64:6). All good works, dedications that man have, will never please God because man is undone before God. All man under the condemnation of God, and no one obtains salvation because of hard hard.

The apostle Paul also said, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:10-11). If so, does God plan all man to die in their sins? Does God desire that all man perish? Of course not, for God has planned for the salvation of man when Adam fell into sins.

God knew that man does not have any hope of eternal life except God himself gives the way. For that reason God gave promises to His prophets for the coming of the Great Prophet, the Messiah, the Annointed One. Christ is the Saviour of the Word in whom we trust. How did Christ save sinners from their sins and iniquity?

I. God appointed Christ as a reconciliation between God and Man (Rom 5:10-11)

We know that man is sinful, and because of sin, man can not enter heaven, man is the enemy of God. We are not the friends of God but His enemies. As long as sin is reigning in the heart of man, man is still under the control of sin and he is against God and enemy of God. Since Adam untill today, sins have controled the heart of man. Man cannot have peace with God through all heardworking that he does in his lifetime is in vain.

But God with His soverign wisdom, knew that man can not save himself from damnation of sin. Man will be still in sin though he tries to please God. God planed to save sinners like us. He gave a promise of the coming the messiah right after fall in the first book of the Bible (cf. Genesis 3:15) and revealed progressively to the nation of Israel that the Messiah, the Christ will come to reconcile us, sinners.

And in the fullness of time Christ comes, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent 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” (Galatians 4:4-5). What man is not able to do, Christ did for us that the wrath of God might not be given to us. Jesus is not a sinner like us, but He was willing to do the requirements of God in order to appease God with man. He filfilled the commandments of God righteously during His earthly life and ministry.

However Jesus was not only fulfilling what the law required but He himself offered as a Lamb sacrifice, Passover Lamb. Jesus Christ came to reconcile us to God that we might have peace with God through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ at the cross. God had appointed Jesus Christ to die on the cross that we might have peace with God.

And God did this while we are still the enemies of God. As Paul said, “For if, when we were enemies, we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). Whosoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ he is no longer an enemy of God but God calls him as a friend of God and an adopted son of God, an heir of God’s kingdom.

God appointed Christ to reconcile man with God that we might have eternal life. Jesus Christ is the way of salvation. Apart from the reconciliation Jesus did for us we shall never have peace with God. Apart from believing in the Lord Jesus Christ we are condemn to hell.

God not only appointed Christ as a reconciliation between God and man, God also appointed Christ as the Mediator between God and man.

II. God appointed Christ as the Mediator between God and Man (1 Timothy 2:5)

What is a mediator? A mediator is a person who stands in between two people or groups of people. A mediator must understand and represent both parties.

Let us illustrate it this way: Right now I am speaking to you in English. When I preach the inerrant, infallible and preserved Word of God in English, some of you understand it very well. But in the midst of you there are Chinese speaking brethren who do not understand English. And in order for our Chinese speaking brethren to be benefited from the message I preach, we need an interpreter who can understand English and also Chinese. Our interpreter is called a mediator in that sense because he stands in between two group of people.

In the same way, Jesus Christ is our Mediator. He understood the nature and condition of man because He came to this world as fully Man. He knew what temptation was, for He was tempted and yet not sinned. Jesus came to this world through the virgin birth as predicted the Holy Scriptures.

He lived in this world for 33 years. He grew up just like us. He ate and drank. He walked and spoke. However He did no sin. He is not a sinner but the Holy One. If Jesus is not fully Man, He cannot be our Mediator. The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:5 said, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

On other hand, Jesus Christ is also God. He understood the holiness and justice of God. He understood the demands of God for sinful man. Therefore He is our Mediator to appease us to God on our behalf. Jesus is God-Man. Whoever wants to come to God must come through the Lord Jesus Christ because God has appointed Christ as the Medioter between God and Man, the Saviour of the world.

Just like the High Priest in the Old Testment, God appointed the High Priest as a mediator between God and the Israelites, and whosoever had sinned, he must come to the High Priest that he might bring him before God. Therefore whosoever does not come to God through the Lord Jesus Christ he does not have salvation. Christ is the way of salvation.

Luke wrote it this way, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). And Jesus himself said, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

God did not only appoint Jesus Christ as the Mediator, but also He appointed Him as the Substitute of man.

III. God appointed Christ as our Substitute (1 John 2:2; 4:10)

A substitute is someone who takes someone’s position on his behalf. This can be illustrated in this way. The law in this country is whosoever takes the life of someone, his life will also be taken. This is the demand of the law. Imagine someone has appointed to die as a consequence of his sinful deed.

The judge has decided that man must die and be hanged. But on the other hand, the same judge loves him so much, he desires to save him from the penalty. But in order to save this sinful man, murderer, the judge must have someone else to be hanged on his behalf. The judge cannot release him unless someone stands on his position.

God is our judge. He has decided that sinners must die, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 6:23). But because of the great love of God toward us, He sent His only begotten Son to die on our behalf, to replace us. He is our Substitute. We are supposed to die on the cross to bear the punishments of the sins we have committed. The apostle John wrote, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). John also wrote, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Friends, unless we know that Christ had died on our behalf and believed in our hearts we will never have the assurance of salvation. Christ is the only way of Salvation.

CONCLUSION

Friends, do you know the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you truly believe and trust Him with all your hearts and mind? Unless you believe Christ is the way of salvation, you will die without eternal life and you are the same with those who worship idols.

Jesus said to you this morning, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).