The order of End Times events we left off Part II was: Deception, wars, famine (these 3 are called “the beginning of sorrows”), then the abomination of desolation (the antrichrist) in the holy place (i.e., in Jerusalem), then the tribulation with death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians. Then the cosmic disturbance, blackening the sky, then the sign (like bright lightning), then His Coming in the clouds, visible to all, with angels blowing the trumpet, believers are rescued, gathered in the sky—and then on the same day, the Day of the Lord’s wrath on the rest begins.
Now other questions arise: “How long do all these End Time events take? How long will the tribulation—the death and martyrdom--be? What event triggers these horrors?” The answers to those three questions are in Daniel 9:24ff (keep in mind, this was written hundreds of years before any of it happened--and some of this prophecy still hasn't happened yet):
“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin... 25 “Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.
Very difficult verses, but here are the main points:
a. We will change the word “seven” above (an accurate NIV translation) into “seven years,” simply because of the accuracy of the date that it predicts. Follow that assumption below and you'll see what I mean:
b.With that "seven=7 year" assumption, the span of time from the command to “restore and build Jerusalem,” until “the Anointed One” (the Messiah, Jesus), was prophesied to be 7x7 years+62x7 years, or 49+434=483 years. But these are Hebrew years, of 360 days each. To translate it to Roman years, our years, with leap year every four years, a real year is really 365.24 days. 483 times 360/365.24 is 476. So 483 Hebrew years is 476 Roman, or our years, being predicted for the span of time between those events.
c. As it turned out, the 476 years prophesied was dead-on. The actual command to restore Jerusalem happened under the Persian emperor Artaxerxes, in 444 BC. Jesus, the Anointed One, died (as proven on another blog I have) in 33 AD. Keep in mind, you only count a year from 1 BC until 1 AD (there was no “year zero,” so you lose a year in the count. So the span of time goes like this: Adding 444 BC to 33 AD, minus 1, you get—476! As prophesied! Well, why should we be surprised—that’s the way God does it.
d. As you may have noticed, only 69 (7+62) of the 70 required “sevens,” or 7-year periods, of Jewish suffering have happened already. Only 483 of the required 490 Hebrew years. So the 70th seven-year period has not happened yet. So the last 7 years is still in the future. (That's if we assume: The phrase “Anointed One will be put to death”—in verse 26--suggested a stop to the counting of years at 33 AD, with the final seven reserved for the future). I’m also suggesting (with proof for this idea, below) that the six events, or “seals,” we’ve talked about in Revelation 6 and confirmed in Matthew 24 (count the seals: deception, wars, famine, death, martyrdom, rescue) will happen in those 7 years—the 70th “seven.” I’m finally suggesting (with more proof below) that the last 3 seals are going on in the last half the seven years, or the latter 3-1/2 years. That means, of course, that the tribulation (two of those last 3 seals—death and martyrdom) are in those last 3-1/2 years as well.
What is my proof for these claims? Let’s start with the “ruler who will come," under whose orders "his people---will destroy….the sanctuary” (v. 26). That can’t be speaking of Jesus. It’s talking of the deceiver, the antichrist, who is trying to take His place as God. Before this, he will “confirm a covenant” (v.27), presumably with the Jews, to protect them as he pretends to be their friend (that's another deception). This will happen at the beginning of the seventieth 7 years, since he did it “for one seven” (v.27), a 7-year covenant. But then “in the “middle of the seven” (v.27), or after 3-1/2 years, he breaks the covenant, doing sacrilege (an “abomination,” as Daniel 9 calls it), thus revealing his true nature as an enemy of Jews. Jesus, in mentioning end times in the book of Daniel, warned Jews to run for their lives when they see this (Matthew 24:15-16). Now you can figure that the antichrist will spend the last 3-1/2 years, from the middle to the end of the 7 years, killing Jews and Christians. See Rev. 13:7 for proof of Christians being involved:
It was granted to him (the antichrist) to make war with the SAINTS and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
There is NO Scripture that limits the word "saints" to Jews. Saints always refer to all God's children.
The importance of the second 3-1/2 year time period is exactly prophesied in several Biblical passages. It’s variously called “time and times and half a time,” or 3-1/2 times, “42 months” and “1260 days,” all meaning 3-1/2 years (these references are in Rev. 11:2,3; 12:6, and 13:5, and Daniel 7:25). That’s the length of the Death and Martyrdom —and the length of the tribulation, as the rescue/rapture doesn't come until the last day. As you can surmise, the first 3-1/2 years of the 7 year period was his deception in getting to world-wide power, the wars, and the famine. Then the antichrist's unveiling is in the middle. Since the antichrist boasts that he is God (Rev. 13:6), he gets his commands from Satan, and we can fairly presume he was the biggest reason for those first three seals, or disasters, too. As we pointed out before, Revelation 12:2 shows how Satan will be enjoying himself causing such grief and death. So for the first 3-1/2 years he makes a peace pact with the Jews, pretending to be their friend. But then he makes war, consolidating power. War's destruction helps bring on famine. Then in the middle of the 7 years, he does sacrilege, the abomination, and reveals himself as their (and saints') enemy, then in the last 3-1/2 years--the tribulation--he goes all-out to kill all Jews and Christians. Don't forget, this order of events is proven in Matthew 24 AND Revelation 6 (see Part II). After all that, at the end, the rapture saves genuine Christians and the wrath is reserved for those who have ignored God and ignored His laws.
Jesus, in Matthew 24:15-21, clearly says the antichrist’s revealing himself (which is in the middle of the 7 years) begins the tribulation.
“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… 21 For THEN there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Thus, to repeat this for emphasis, the real tribulation is not 7 years, but the latter 3-1/2 years. This period is also called “travail” in Rev. 12:2 (vs. "beginning of sorrows" for the first 3-1/2 years). Also, this is not God’s wrath, and also remember, Christians go through the tribulation, see Parts I and II in my blogs of the last two weeks for more proof of that.
Some interesting additional facts: In the tribulation will come the most audacious move of the antichrist’s reign. He will evidently have the world’s worship and control of the world’s money system—because he will implant, on the hands/foreheads of everyone who submits to him, a “mark,” so buying or selling food, etc. is impossible unless you submit to his lordship and receive the mark (Rev. 13:16-17). Let us never submit to that, because as an angel will warn everyone (Rev. 14:9-11), anyone who thus submits to the antichrist WILL WRITE HIS TICKET TO HELL:
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
You may ask, "If I want to follow God and reject the mark, will God "reward" me by allowing me to starve?" or "Will God send me to hell for eternity just because I wanted food?" I'm betting God will show those faithful ones a separate way to get food. Maybe even by miracles. Exercising this kind of resolve and faith will be challenging for Christians, but saving your soul will be definitely worth it. Yes, in saving your soul, your body may be martyred. There will be many who will be weak and fall away. (II Thess. 2:1-4). Do not join them! You must endure to the end to be saved! (Matthew 10:22).
Another interesting additional fact: Two "witnesses" (maybe Elijah and Moses) will appear for the last 3-1/2 years, prophesying God's truth and performing miracles (Rev. 11:3,5-12), such as fire from their mouths destroying their enemies, stopping rain from falling, and rising from the dead.
***So here is our final course of events: Antichrist makes a covenant to protect Israel, deceiving he world--and the Jews. This begins Daniel’s 70th 7-year period. First 3-1/2 years are the “beginning of sorrows:” Deceit by the antichrist, Wars, and Famine. Then the antichrist desecrates the holy place in Jerusalem, reveals himself as an enemy of Jews and saints, and we begin the last 3-1/2 years, the tribulation, the “travail”: Death and Martyrdom of Jews and Christians. The antichrist institutes a mark--you must worship him to buy or sell. Two witnesses speak up for God and perform miracles. Then at the end of the 7 years, we have the cosmic disturbance, and the Coming, which is: the sign (bright lightning), then His appearance in the skies with angels blowing the trumpet, believers rescued, they are gathered to be with Him. On the same day, then the Day of the Lord’s wrath begins on the unsaved.
Let’s say this one more time: As you can see, from our three-week analysis: (1) the tribulation is not the same as God’s wrath; and (2) Christians are not raptured until the end—those alive will have to endure the tribulation. (3) Saved people (rescued) and unsaved people (wrath) are dealt with on the same Day of the Lord—there is no one “left behind.” Other theories some theologians give are popular simply because they say just what you want to hear, as II Timothy 4:3-4 says:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
The most popular alternate theory is the pretribulationist, or “pretrib” theory—that Christians are raptured before the tribulation. Escaping such devastation sounds so nice. But don’t fall for this; as this 3-part study proves, the order of events is otherwise. Read the Scriptures yourself. (Consider this too: The pre-trib theory feeds an “AWOL” mentality; see my comments in part I). Even their best pre-trib mind, John F. Walvoord, from Dallas Theological Seminary, admits their theory is shaky and has no real Scriptural proof. In his book, The Rapture Question, page 16 and 148, he says: “Neither posttribulationism nor pretribulationism is an explicit teaching of the Scriptures…it is therefore not too much to say that the rapture question is determined more by ecclesiology than eschatology.” (Wait a minute…this is supposed to be a study of eschatology--a study in the future! Mr. Walvoord, you’re admitting you can’t find Scriptural support along those lines?) Richard Mayhue, also a proponent of the pretrib view, told the Grace Theological Seminary “perhaps the position of pretribulationism is correct although its proof at times has been logically invalid or at least unconvincing.”
And all the pre-tribbers say, “Thanks for the support.”
Let’s believe the Bible, not theological suppositions which have as their highlight, that you can escape suffering. After all, Jesus and Paul said we would suffer for Him (Romans 8:17, among many others).
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
More Proof That Rapture and God's Wrath are on the Same Day (Part 2 of End Times)
In Part I last week, we showed the End Times chronology had this order of events: Deception, wars, famine—called “the beginning of sorrows”—then the “abomination of desolation” (antrichrist) in holy place, then the tribulation, consisting of systematic death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians, then cosmic disturbance, and then on the same day, Jesus appears, a rescue (rapture) of believers, and then Day of the Lord’s wrath on non-believers. We spent time proving, Scripturally, that Christians go through the tribulation. Today, that point gets further proof.
1. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ Olivet discourse in Matthew 24:27ff:
"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven... 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
What Jesus is saying is, immediately after the tribulation (v.29), here’s what happens: first the cosmic disturbance (v.29, see Part I for details) prophesied in Joel 2. It has completely blackened the sky—everywhere--so that then a sign, like a huge bolt of lightning stretching from the earth’s east to the west would be visible in all the world. This rivets everyone’s attention upward—and then will appear our Lord, in glory, visible to all--it is His return. The first event of that return is the rapture (though it’s not mentioned until v. 31, see Part I for proof of this order); Jesus has come to rescue righteous men. But His coming, secondly, is to judge disobedient men (as intimated in v.30 with the word “mourn”). Thus, five events happen on the Day of the Lord, in order, from these verses and in Part I: Cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, lightning or a highly visible sign, the Lord’s appearing, the rapture, and the mourning of rebellious men who know judgment is coming.
2.Note the details of the rapture, vv.30b-31: (a) Jesus appears on the clouds of heaven in visible glory, and can be seen by all in a blackened sky lit up by huge sign--thus there is no secret rapture; (b) angels will sound a trumpet; (c) His elect (genuine Christians) will be gathered “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other;” i.e., in the air.
3.For anyone who would argue that Matthew 24 isn’t the rapture, look at I Thess. 4:16-17, which all acknowledge are rapture verses:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Note the important events: (a) Jesus appears from heaven; with some noise--a shout and the voice of an archangel--so there is no secret rapture; (b) angels blow the trumpet; (c) believers are gathered in the sky, to meet the Lord in the air. The very same critical three elements as Matthew 24:30b-31. Is this not the SAME EVENT? Of course. Thus Matthew 24:27ff are rapture verses.
4.***Now the order of End Times is: Deception, wars, famine, the abomination of desolation (antichrist) in the holy place, then tribulation--systematic death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians, and then—on one day--cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, then the sign (like bright lightning, seen by all), then His Coming in the clouds with angels blowing the trumpet, believers rescued, gathered in the sky—and on the same day, as remaining people mourn, the Day of the Lord’s wrath begins.
5. Now let’s spend some time on a second proof of this order of events. In Revelation 6:1-11, the order of the seals 1-5 correspond exactly to the same five events in Matthew 24 (read Part I for more). Here are the Revelation verses:
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
6. In verse 1 we have seal 1, with the white horse. The rider has a crown, and goes forth conquering. If you think this is Christ, you are deceived—this Greek word for “crown” (v. 2) is “stephanos.” The Greek word for the one Christ wears is “diadema,” for kingly or imperial dignity. Stephanos, on the other hand, is given for triumph in the games or for military prowess—it is a garland of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle or olive. The wearer is an aggressive conqueror, not a king. The crown-wearer of verse 1 wants us to think he is Christ, but he isn’t. Thus seal 1 is deception.
7. Seal 2, the red horse, is clearly wars. Seal 3, the black horse, where they are carefully handling and measuring expensive food, suggests famine. Seal 4, the pale horse, is death. The seal 5 refers to martyrs. Now turn back to Part I’s analysis of Matthew 24:5-9—the order is the same! Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 refer to the same events!
8. Now observe how these two sections of verses, the same thus far, finally become different, in how they detail item 6: Matthew 24:30-31 (see #1 above) gives us the rapture, and only hints at the judgment, the wrath of God (it just gives you the word “mourn.”) But compare that to Revelation: Since we’ve looked at Revelation 6:1-11 in seals 1-5, let’s see how Revelation 6:12-17 handles the sixth seal. This seal begins with our familiar cosmic disturbance--a further proof that these are the same events as Matthew, since it also has that. But Revelation 6 details the judgment, the second part of the Day of the Lord, skipping the rapture. Whereas Matthew 24 detailed the rapture, and only hinted at the judgment (“mourn”). Here’s Rev. 6:12-17's key phrases:
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth…. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men…every slave… hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Please note v.17! God’s wrath, even at the 6th and last seal, is only set to BEGIN—yet this is AFTER the tribulation, seals 4-5, as our Matthew 24 study in Part I also outlined. Thus, Matthew 24, after tribulation, details the rapture, and hints at the wrath. Rev. 6, after tribulation, details the wrath, not the rapture. The solution to this alternate emphases is simply to put both events—rapture and wrath—after the tribulation, at the same time. Both these sections of verses talk about these events—they just each emphasize a different one.
9. Clearly, after reading the previous note and Revelation 6 and Matthew 24, the tribulation is NOT the wrath of God; actually, the tribulation is the wrath of Satan, per Rev. 12:12, as we proved in Part I.
10.In the tribulation, Satan is having a field day through his antichrist, killing Jews and Christians. But the wrath of God is different: In His wrath (particularly seen in Revelation 8 and 9), only the person of God is mentioned. He does not allow Satan to strut his stuff like the antichrist does who dominates the scene in the tribulation. Proof of this differing emphasis is found in Isaiah 2:11-Let's see what it says about the wrath:
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low.
The image we get for the wrath of God in the Day of the Lord is this: unanswered destruction which centers only on God, glorifying His holy nature and cleansing the earth. That’s not the tribulation, where Satan is having a gay old time sticking it to the saints. The wrath and the tribulation are just not the same event. As we have abundantly shown, the wrath of God is after the tribulation, after the rapture. As we have shown you here and in Part I, you have the tribulation, then on the day of the Lord, you have the rapture, then the wrath of God.
NEXT WEEK: HOW LONG IS THE TRIBULATION? God's Word is abundantly clear on that, too.
1. Let’s take a closer look at Jesus’ Olivet discourse in Matthew 24:27ff:
"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be… 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven... 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
What Jesus is saying is, immediately after the tribulation (v.29), here’s what happens: first the cosmic disturbance (v.29, see Part I for details) prophesied in Joel 2. It has completely blackened the sky—everywhere--so that then a sign, like a huge bolt of lightning stretching from the earth’s east to the west would be visible in all the world. This rivets everyone’s attention upward—and then will appear our Lord, in glory, visible to all--it is His return. The first event of that return is the rapture (though it’s not mentioned until v. 31, see Part I for proof of this order); Jesus has come to rescue righteous men. But His coming, secondly, is to judge disobedient men (as intimated in v.30 with the word “mourn”). Thus, five events happen on the Day of the Lord, in order, from these verses and in Part I: Cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, lightning or a highly visible sign, the Lord’s appearing, the rapture, and the mourning of rebellious men who know judgment is coming.
2.Note the details of the rapture, vv.30b-31: (a) Jesus appears on the clouds of heaven in visible glory, and can be seen by all in a blackened sky lit up by huge sign--thus there is no secret rapture; (b) angels will sound a trumpet; (c) His elect (genuine Christians) will be gathered “from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other;” i.e., in the air.
3.For anyone who would argue that Matthew 24 isn’t the rapture, look at I Thess. 4:16-17, which all acknowledge are rapture verses:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Note the important events: (a) Jesus appears from heaven; with some noise--a shout and the voice of an archangel--so there is no secret rapture; (b) angels blow the trumpet; (c) believers are gathered in the sky, to meet the Lord in the air. The very same critical three elements as Matthew 24:30b-31. Is this not the SAME EVENT? Of course. Thus Matthew 24:27ff are rapture verses.
4.***Now the order of End Times is: Deception, wars, famine, the abomination of desolation (antichrist) in the holy place, then tribulation--systematic death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians, and then—on one day--cosmic disturbance blackens the sky, then the sign (like bright lightning, seen by all), then His Coming in the clouds with angels blowing the trumpet, believers rescued, gathered in the sky—and on the same day, as remaining people mourn, the Day of the Lord’s wrath begins.
5. Now let’s spend some time on a second proof of this order of events. In Revelation 6:1-11, the order of the seals 1-5 correspond exactly to the same five events in Matthew 24 (read Part I for more). Here are the Revelation verses:
Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
6. In verse 1 we have seal 1, with the white horse. The rider has a crown, and goes forth conquering. If you think this is Christ, you are deceived—this Greek word for “crown” (v. 2) is “stephanos.” The Greek word for the one Christ wears is “diadema,” for kingly or imperial dignity. Stephanos, on the other hand, is given for triumph in the games or for military prowess—it is a garland of oak, ivy, parsley, myrtle or olive. The wearer is an aggressive conqueror, not a king. The crown-wearer of verse 1 wants us to think he is Christ, but he isn’t. Thus seal 1 is deception.
7. Seal 2, the red horse, is clearly wars. Seal 3, the black horse, where they are carefully handling and measuring expensive food, suggests famine. Seal 4, the pale horse, is death. The seal 5 refers to martyrs. Now turn back to Part I’s analysis of Matthew 24:5-9—the order is the same! Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 refer to the same events!
8. Now observe how these two sections of verses, the same thus far, finally become different, in how they detail item 6: Matthew 24:30-31 (see #1 above) gives us the rapture, and only hints at the judgment, the wrath of God (it just gives you the word “mourn.”) But compare that to Revelation: Since we’ve looked at Revelation 6:1-11 in seals 1-5, let’s see how Revelation 6:12-17 handles the sixth seal. This seal begins with our familiar cosmic disturbance--a further proof that these are the same events as Matthew, since it also has that. But Revelation 6 details the judgment, the second part of the Day of the Lord, skipping the rapture. Whereas Matthew 24 detailed the rapture, and only hinted at the judgment (“mourn”). Here’s Rev. 6:12-17's key phrases:
I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth…. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men…every slave… hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Please note v.17! God’s wrath, even at the 6th and last seal, is only set to BEGIN—yet this is AFTER the tribulation, seals 4-5, as our Matthew 24 study in Part I also outlined. Thus, Matthew 24, after tribulation, details the rapture, and hints at the wrath. Rev. 6, after tribulation, details the wrath, not the rapture. The solution to this alternate emphases is simply to put both events—rapture and wrath—after the tribulation, at the same time. Both these sections of verses talk about these events—they just each emphasize a different one.
9. Clearly, after reading the previous note and Revelation 6 and Matthew 24, the tribulation is NOT the wrath of God; actually, the tribulation is the wrath of Satan, per Rev. 12:12, as we proved in Part I.
10.In the tribulation, Satan is having a field day through his antichrist, killing Jews and Christians. But the wrath of God is different: In His wrath (particularly seen in Revelation 8 and 9), only the person of God is mentioned. He does not allow Satan to strut his stuff like the antichrist does who dominates the scene in the tribulation. Proof of this differing emphasis is found in Isaiah 2:11-Let's see what it says about the wrath:
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. 12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low.
The image we get for the wrath of God in the Day of the Lord is this: unanswered destruction which centers only on God, glorifying His holy nature and cleansing the earth. That’s not the tribulation, where Satan is having a gay old time sticking it to the saints. The wrath and the tribulation are just not the same event. As we have abundantly shown, the wrath of God is after the tribulation, after the rapture. As we have shown you here and in Part I, you have the tribulation, then on the day of the Lord, you have the rapture, then the wrath of God.
NEXT WEEK: HOW LONG IS THE TRIBULATION? God's Word is abundantly clear on that, too.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Scripture Says Christians WILL Go Through the Tribulation (Part I of 3, End Times)
When Jesus ascended back into heaven in Acts 1:11, angels said to His disciples,
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner.
So we are promised a Blessed Hope of a visible return of our Lord. Scripture elsewhere clearly records it will be in the Last Days, a tumultuous period of martyrdom, destruction, and rapture. But a huge question is still debated: Do Christians get raptured and escape all the terror, as I hear some people say? I have a theory, based on Scripture, of course, that I will lay out for you, and it will hopefully be as clear as anything you’ll read. The End Times scenario is not as confusing as some make it out. The answers are surprising.
Fact #1: From Joel 2:30-31 and 3:15 we learn that a particular cosmic disturbance will precede the day of the Lord.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth… 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD…15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness…
What’s noteworthy about this cosmic disturbance is that (1) it gives us a blood moon and (2) it blackens the sky—which has a specific purpose (more on that on a later blog). And, these cosmic events are before the Day of the Lord.
***The order thus far: Cosmic event, then Day of the Lord.
Fact #2: Well, what is the Day of the Lord? Is it the same as the tribulation? From Isaiah 13:6-9 we understand that the “day of the Lord” is primarily God’s wrath on men
Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as from the Almighty.7 …Every man’s heart will melt…8 And they will be afraid… They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth… 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger… And He will destroy its sinners from it.
The tribulation, on the other hand, is Satan’s wrath on men. Revelation 12:12, 17:
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time…17and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Thus, the Day of the Lord is not the same as the tribulation. This will be further proved soon by the chronology. They also have different descriptions. The Day of the Lord is not God’s Final Judgment either, when He decides eternity on our souls.
Fact #3: On the Day of the Lord, there is a surprise event just before God’s wrath breaks loose: namely, the return of Christ. He will rescue saved, righteous men who are being hunted down. Scripture promises this will occur immediately before His wrath—in fact, the rescue and the wrath happen ON THE SAME DAY. Proof for that is in Luke 17:26-30. There, Jesus cites Noah and Lot as the pattern for His return. The pattern is: (1) the rescue precedes the wrath, and (2) both happen on the same day:
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until THE DAY that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all (there’s the pattern: in the same day, there was rescue of the righteous, then a cruel Day on the disobedient). 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate… they built; 29 but ON THE DAY that Lot went out of Sodom (i.e, was rescued), it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all (then wrath, same day). 30 Even so will it be IN THE DAY when the Son of Man is revealed.
Note that two things happened ON THE same DAY--rescue, then judgment. “Revealed” speaks of His visible return—note that His return is a single event, not two returns. So from Facts 1-3 we have the following order of events:
***The cosmic disturbance, then, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus makes His single visible return for rapture of the righteous, and then the Lord’s wrath on evil men and women.
Note that the cosmic event occurs BEFORE God’s wrath.
Fact #4: From Mark 13:24-25 we learn that our cosmic disturbance (see #1 above) occurs AFTER an event known as the tribulation:
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Now we see the following necessary order of Last Days so far:
***Tribulation, then cosmic disturbances, then, on the same day: Jesus’ visible return for rescue/rapture, then the Lord’s wrath begins. Note how the rescue/rapture is after the tribulation. Thus, genuine Christians do not escape the tribulation. Note also that the Lord’s wrath and the tribulation are NOT the same thing because the tribulation is BEFORE the cosmic event, but God’s wrath is AFTER the cosmic event.
Scripture gives lots more information on the tribulation. Let’s look at events happening around it.
Fact #5: Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, describes three important trends in Matthew 24:5-31 BEFORE the tribulation, then gives two more trends DURING the tribulation. Here’s the relevant passages we will draw from in today’s installment (more study on His Discourse in our next blog):
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake... 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”… 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. …21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. …
a.Summarizing events from above highlighting: In order, they are: In verse 5, the key word is Deceive. (Keep in mind: the tribulation has not begun yet.)
b.Then we have Wars in verse 6.
c.In verse 7b, there is Famine. These first three are called the “beginning of sorrows” in v.8.
d.THEN the TRIBULATION BEGINS, as verse 9 clearly points out, with two trends: Death (they will...kill you) and Martyrdom (you will be hated…for my name’s sake). Thus, from my words highlighted, there are five important disastrous events, in the order given. Three before the tribulation begins, two after.
In verses 15, 16, and 21 above, Jesus breaks away from straight chronology, with some details, that flesh out our events: For one thing, He gave an important “tip-off” as to when the tribulation begins: The tribulation begins when they see the “abomination of desolation” (that’s the name given in Daniel to the last-days antichrist) standing in the holy place, in Jerusalem. They are urged to then escape as fast as they can, because the antichrist will begin the tribulation by starting to kill two groups of people. He strikes out at the Jews first, but he doesn’t spare Christians either. Note Revelation 13:7 on that:
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Note: The “saints” referred here are all genuine Christians living at that time. Nobody got raptured away from this, as we proved at the end of Fact #4 above, from Scripture. Christians living then will have to endure the tribulation. Rescue doesn’t come til’ after the tribulation, just before God’s wrath.
***Now the order of End Times is: Deception, wars, famine (the 3 called the beginning of sorrows), then the “abomination of desolation” (antrichrist) in holy place, then tribulation begins with the widespread death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians. Later there is the cosmic disturbance, and then on the same day, Jesus appears, rescues/raptures His people, and then the Lord’s wrath.
My next two blogs expand further on this chronology.
I would like to take our final minutes on Part I to address two arguments brought up by the pre-tribulationists (those who believe saints are raptured before any of the five terrible events in Matthew 24. Their idea is, rapture is before any of the above disasters).
First is their insistence of “imminency,” that there are no signs preceding the rapture. Under their scenario, with no signs, the rapture can occur at any time: today, 50, 500 years from now. Under the scenario I’ve laid out, however, clearly there are signs preceding the rapture.
So, are there signs? Matthew 24:31-33 says yes: it connects rapture events with signs preceding:
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (this happens in the rapture/rescue). 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (the rapture,his subject matter) is near—at the doors!
As you can see, when you see all these things, these signs, you know that summer (harvest, the rapture) is near. Thus, Scripture blows the “no-signs-imminency” idea away.
“Pre-tribbers’” second argument: They believe that I Thessalonians 5:9 says that Christians will avoid the tribulation, since they think the tribulation is God’s wrath, and God will not bring down massive suffering on their bodies:
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
To argue this, firstly, does the word “salvation” in Scripture usually mean saving our bodies? Not likely—it usually means saving our souls. Pre-tribbers assume (1) the five disastrous events above are all tribulation, and (2) the tribulation is God’s wrath, and (3) To them, avoiding God’s wrath means that God wants to save our bodies from suffering. But these are three wrong ideas. They then conclude Christians won’t go through any of the above sufferings. But the tribulation is not God’s wrath, they’re two separate events, as we have shown and pointed out above. Wrong assumptions, wrong conclusions.
But we still have to ask ourselves, will God allow massive suffering and death to His children? The simple answer is, yes, consider all the martyrdom that has gone on. Another perspective on that question, ask yourselves, what’s more important, the body or the soul? The soul, of course (Matthew 5:30 and 16:26). Christians WILL endure intense persecution of their bodies during the tribulation. Our bodies may be sacrificed for Him, but thank God, our souls won’t be touched by His wrath, whereas most souls go to hell. THAT’s what I Thessalonians 5:9 means when it says we’re not appointed to God’s wrath. We need to take the long view, thinking about our eternal souls, not our temporary bodies. Also, if we are martyrs, we go immediately to be with the Lord—which is a blessing!
I’d like to plead a word of exhortation to today’s pre-tribbers: What if all this happens while we’re alive? With the wrong mindset, pre-tribbers are terrribly unprepared for the End Times. They will feel deceived when they’re surprised by one more disaster after another and they are still around and haven’t been rescued yet. We’re talking about a lot of people who believe this theory--most evangelicals have been swayed by popular teachers like Hal Lindsay, movies and books like the “Left Behind” series, people like John Hagee, and any teachers from Dallas Theological Seminary. But the earliest church fathers (closest to Christ and the apostles) felt Christians someday would go through tribulation. It’s clearly taught in Scripture—not only in my above chronology, but look also at II Thessalonians 2:1-4:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (Paul is getting ready to answer their question about the timing of the rapture) we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come (called the “day of the Lord” in NIV, it’s the same thing.) Note how he’s implying that the rapture is at the same time as the day of the Lord. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (remember, Paul is answering their question about the rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Scripture clearly points out that the rapture, the Day, cannot come until after the antichrist is revealed! But that means they’ll still be around, and have to run for their lives, as death and martyrdom are coming. And they have to suffer the Deception, the Wars, and the Famine, as well.
Sure, it would be great to whirl off and avoid suffering. It’s easy to see how such a theory, even if it had no real Scriptural basis, would become VERY popular. But popularity is not truth.
Pre-tribbers, think about this, too: Wouldn’t this pre-trib flight of yours abandon unsaved relatives and friends to go through the world’s worst hell-on-earth without you? So, are you saying that you want to leave your unsaved friends and relatives without the Holy Spirit in us to bless them, and reduce their fear? You want to leave them without evangelism, you don’t want to try to get them saved before they die in countless numbers in God’s wrath? If you ask me, that’s “absent without leave,” or AWOL thinking! The pre-trib theory recommends an irresponsible “AWOL” mentality. It seems hard-hearted, to say the least. Not Christian. Now I ask you to probe yourself: What behaviors do you have (not counting the number of appearances in church) that prove you’re a Christian? When we consider that only a minority of people on earth make it to heaven (Matt 7:13-14), it is really possible that you’re deceiving yourselves, assuming you’re Christian. Do you have the fruits (Galatians 5:22ff) and obedience (John 15:6) necessary? Pray, confess sin, get baptized, make Jesus your Lord and follow His commandments; repent, seek a new life daily abiding in Him. Be ready to suffer or die for Him if necessary, rather than this ruthless desire to run away. He did it for us. We may have to do it for Him.
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner.
So we are promised a Blessed Hope of a visible return of our Lord. Scripture elsewhere clearly records it will be in the Last Days, a tumultuous period of martyrdom, destruction, and rapture. But a huge question is still debated: Do Christians get raptured and escape all the terror, as I hear some people say? I have a theory, based on Scripture, of course, that I will lay out for you, and it will hopefully be as clear as anything you’ll read. The End Times scenario is not as confusing as some make it out. The answers are surprising.
Fact #1: From Joel 2:30-31 and 3:15 we learn that a particular cosmic disturbance will precede the day of the Lord.
And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth… 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD…15 The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness…
What’s noteworthy about this cosmic disturbance is that (1) it gives us a blood moon and (2) it blackens the sky—which has a specific purpose (more on that on a later blog). And, these cosmic events are before the Day of the Lord.
***The order thus far: Cosmic event, then Day of the Lord.
Fact #2: Well, what is the Day of the Lord? Is it the same as the tribulation? From Isaiah 13:6-9 we understand that the “day of the Lord” is primarily God’s wrath on men
Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as from the Almighty.7 …Every man’s heart will melt…8 And they will be afraid… They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth… 9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger… And He will destroy its sinners from it.
The tribulation, on the other hand, is Satan’s wrath on men. Revelation 12:12, 17:
Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time…17and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Thus, the Day of the Lord is not the same as the tribulation. This will be further proved soon by the chronology. They also have different descriptions. The Day of the Lord is not God’s Final Judgment either, when He decides eternity on our souls.
Fact #3: On the Day of the Lord, there is a surprise event just before God’s wrath breaks loose: namely, the return of Christ. He will rescue saved, righteous men who are being hunted down. Scripture promises this will occur immediately before His wrath—in fact, the rescue and the wrath happen ON THE SAME DAY. Proof for that is in Luke 17:26-30. There, Jesus cites Noah and Lot as the pattern for His return. The pattern is: (1) the rescue precedes the wrath, and (2) both happen on the same day:
And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until THE DAY that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all (there’s the pattern: in the same day, there was rescue of the righteous, then a cruel Day on the disobedient). 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate… they built; 29 but ON THE DAY that Lot went out of Sodom (i.e, was rescued), it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all (then wrath, same day). 30 Even so will it be IN THE DAY when the Son of Man is revealed.
Note that two things happened ON THE same DAY--rescue, then judgment. “Revealed” speaks of His visible return—note that His return is a single event, not two returns. So from Facts 1-3 we have the following order of events:
***The cosmic disturbance, then, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus makes His single visible return for rapture of the righteous, and then the Lord’s wrath on evil men and women.
Note that the cosmic event occurs BEFORE God’s wrath.
Fact #4: From Mark 13:24-25 we learn that our cosmic disturbance (see #1 above) occurs AFTER an event known as the tribulation:
“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Now we see the following necessary order of Last Days so far:
***Tribulation, then cosmic disturbances, then, on the same day: Jesus’ visible return for rescue/rapture, then the Lord’s wrath begins. Note how the rescue/rapture is after the tribulation. Thus, genuine Christians do not escape the tribulation. Note also that the Lord’s wrath and the tribulation are NOT the same thing because the tribulation is BEFORE the cosmic event, but God’s wrath is AFTER the cosmic event.
Scripture gives lots more information on the tribulation. Let’s look at events happening around it.
Fact #5: Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, describes three important trends in Matthew 24:5-31 BEFORE the tribulation, then gives two more trends DURING the tribulation. Here’s the relevant passages we will draw from in today’s installment (more study on His Discourse in our next blog):
For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake... 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”… 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. …21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. …
a.Summarizing events from above highlighting: In order, they are: In verse 5, the key word is Deceive. (Keep in mind: the tribulation has not begun yet.)
b.Then we have Wars in verse 6.
c.In verse 7b, there is Famine. These first three are called the “beginning of sorrows” in v.8.
d.THEN the TRIBULATION BEGINS, as verse 9 clearly points out, with two trends: Death (they will...kill you) and Martyrdom (you will be hated…for my name’s sake). Thus, from my words highlighted, there are five important disastrous events, in the order given. Three before the tribulation begins, two after.
In verses 15, 16, and 21 above, Jesus breaks away from straight chronology, with some details, that flesh out our events: For one thing, He gave an important “tip-off” as to when the tribulation begins: The tribulation begins when they see the “abomination of desolation” (that’s the name given in Daniel to the last-days antichrist) standing in the holy place, in Jerusalem. They are urged to then escape as fast as they can, because the antichrist will begin the tribulation by starting to kill two groups of people. He strikes out at the Jews first, but he doesn’t spare Christians either. Note Revelation 13:7 on that:
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
Note: The “saints” referred here are all genuine Christians living at that time. Nobody got raptured away from this, as we proved at the end of Fact #4 above, from Scripture. Christians living then will have to endure the tribulation. Rescue doesn’t come til’ after the tribulation, just before God’s wrath.
***Now the order of End Times is: Deception, wars, famine (the 3 called the beginning of sorrows), then the “abomination of desolation” (antrichrist) in holy place, then tribulation begins with the widespread death and martyrdom of Jews and Christians. Later there is the cosmic disturbance, and then on the same day, Jesus appears, rescues/raptures His people, and then the Lord’s wrath.
My next two blogs expand further on this chronology.
I would like to take our final minutes on Part I to address two arguments brought up by the pre-tribulationists (those who believe saints are raptured before any of the five terrible events in Matthew 24. Their idea is, rapture is before any of the above disasters).
First is their insistence of “imminency,” that there are no signs preceding the rapture. Under their scenario, with no signs, the rapture can occur at any time: today, 50, 500 years from now. Under the scenario I’ve laid out, however, clearly there are signs preceding the rapture.
So, are there signs? Matthew 24:31-33 says yes: it connects rapture events with signs preceding:
And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (this happens in the rapture/rescue). 32 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (the rapture,his subject matter) is near—at the doors!
As you can see, when you see all these things, these signs, you know that summer (harvest, the rapture) is near. Thus, Scripture blows the “no-signs-imminency” idea away.
“Pre-tribbers’” second argument: They believe that I Thessalonians 5:9 says that Christians will avoid the tribulation, since they think the tribulation is God’s wrath, and God will not bring down massive suffering on their bodies:
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ
To argue this, firstly, does the word “salvation” in Scripture usually mean saving our bodies? Not likely—it usually means saving our souls. Pre-tribbers assume (1) the five disastrous events above are all tribulation, and (2) the tribulation is God’s wrath, and (3) To them, avoiding God’s wrath means that God wants to save our bodies from suffering. But these are three wrong ideas. They then conclude Christians won’t go through any of the above sufferings. But the tribulation is not God’s wrath, they’re two separate events, as we have shown and pointed out above. Wrong assumptions, wrong conclusions.
But we still have to ask ourselves, will God allow massive suffering and death to His children? The simple answer is, yes, consider all the martyrdom that has gone on. Another perspective on that question, ask yourselves, what’s more important, the body or the soul? The soul, of course (Matthew 5:30 and 16:26). Christians WILL endure intense persecution of their bodies during the tribulation. Our bodies may be sacrificed for Him, but thank God, our souls won’t be touched by His wrath, whereas most souls go to hell. THAT’s what I Thessalonians 5:9 means when it says we’re not appointed to God’s wrath. We need to take the long view, thinking about our eternal souls, not our temporary bodies. Also, if we are martyrs, we go immediately to be with the Lord—which is a blessing!
I’d like to plead a word of exhortation to today’s pre-tribbers: What if all this happens while we’re alive? With the wrong mindset, pre-tribbers are terrribly unprepared for the End Times. They will feel deceived when they’re surprised by one more disaster after another and they are still around and haven’t been rescued yet. We’re talking about a lot of people who believe this theory--most evangelicals have been swayed by popular teachers like Hal Lindsay, movies and books like the “Left Behind” series, people like John Hagee, and any teachers from Dallas Theological Seminary. But the earliest church fathers (closest to Christ and the apostles) felt Christians someday would go through tribulation. It’s clearly taught in Scripture—not only in my above chronology, but look also at II Thessalonians 2:1-4:
Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him (Paul is getting ready to answer their question about the timing of the rapture) we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come (called the “day of the Lord” in NIV, it’s the same thing.) Note how he’s implying that the rapture is at the same time as the day of the Lord. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day (remember, Paul is answering their question about the rapture) will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Scripture clearly points out that the rapture, the Day, cannot come until after the antichrist is revealed! But that means they’ll still be around, and have to run for their lives, as death and martyrdom are coming. And they have to suffer the Deception, the Wars, and the Famine, as well.
Sure, it would be great to whirl off and avoid suffering. It’s easy to see how such a theory, even if it had no real Scriptural basis, would become VERY popular. But popularity is not truth.
Pre-tribbers, think about this, too: Wouldn’t this pre-trib flight of yours abandon unsaved relatives and friends to go through the world’s worst hell-on-earth without you? So, are you saying that you want to leave your unsaved friends and relatives without the Holy Spirit in us to bless them, and reduce their fear? You want to leave them without evangelism, you don’t want to try to get them saved before they die in countless numbers in God’s wrath? If you ask me, that’s “absent without leave,” or AWOL thinking! The pre-trib theory recommends an irresponsible “AWOL” mentality. It seems hard-hearted, to say the least. Not Christian. Now I ask you to probe yourself: What behaviors do you have (not counting the number of appearances in church) that prove you’re a Christian? When we consider that only a minority of people on earth make it to heaven (Matt 7:13-14), it is really possible that you’re deceiving yourselves, assuming you’re Christian. Do you have the fruits (Galatians 5:22ff) and obedience (John 15:6) necessary? Pray, confess sin, get baptized, make Jesus your Lord and follow His commandments; repent, seek a new life daily abiding in Him. Be ready to suffer or die for Him if necessary, rather than this ruthless desire to run away. He did it for us. We may have to do it for Him.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Scripture Says Baptism Is a Necessary Part of Salvation: Summary of Bercot's CD
In this CD, Mr. Bercot takes a clarifying look at what Scripture has to say about water baptism. I should add that when he sees doctrinal controversy between denominations (such as on this issue), he resolves it by looking at Scripture, and what the early church (pre-325 AD) believed about it. Their beliefs were more likely backed by Scripture, since that church was closer to the apostles--and they were a church that the Lord made powerful--so it’s likely He didn't see any deviant doctrine there.
The early church believed, from Scripture, that in baptism, the following things happened: (1) all of a person’s prior sins are washed away; (2) a person is born again through baptism of water and the Holy Spirit; 3) through baptism, a person becomes a member of Christ’s church Because of the importance of these, we must conclude that they believed that the salvation process is not complete without baptism.
What does Scripture say? Let’s start with John 3:5:
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Does this not say, clearly, that “born of water” is water baptism? Even in the Greek, the word translated "water" simply is physical water. Does it not clearly say that water baptism is essential in being born again?—and that without it, you cannot enter the kingdom of God?
Mark 16:16 says:
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
This clearly requires baptism to "be saved," or to be in heaven and escape Judgment.
Acts 2:36-38:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
In verses 37-38, Peter has the ultimate evangelistic opportunity. Does he say what all of us evangelical Protestants have been taught, to pray to let Jesus into their heart? No; after they’ve been shown who Jesus is in earlier verses, what they need to do to be saved…is…(1)repentance and (2) baptism. (He emphasizes the importance of baptism, saying “every one of you” needs to do it). These additional two steps will give them remission of sins.
Acts 22:16 was when Saul was saved, becoming Paul, and was told:
…And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Baptism washes away our sins. That’s very important, is it not? Without it, with the guilt of sins on us, how can you get to heaven? (Allowance is made elsewhere for those who cannot be baptized.) Note the urgent tones that they should be baptized right away.
The early church fathers felt that baptism is important enough that they still insisted that a man who was saved, immediately imprisoned, then martyred had a baptism—a baptism of blood.
Galatians 3:27:
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
“Baptized into Christ” is clearly water baptism, as Romans 6:2-4 points out:
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
As you can see, in immersion water baptism you are experiencing a type of the death and resurrection of our Lord.
And what of the phrase “put on Christ?” When you read Romans 13:14, it means wrapping yourself in godly thoughts and not thinking about sinful ones. But it’s also “clothe yourself with Christ,” associated with Genesis 3 when God clothed Adam with skins of an animal being sacrificed after he sinned. That blood being shed to provide the skin was the beginning of God’s plan for His Son, the Lamb, whose blood was shed once for all. The animal sacrifice meant protection from the dire effects of sin. Baptism—and faith in what Christ did--are the means to these desirable and necessary goals in the New Covenant. So necessary that without them, we’re not saved.
Titus 3:5: …but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit
The washing speaks of baptism. Baptism results in regeneration, becoming a new creation. And, as Jesus put it (John 3:3), that’s essential go to heaven. And it clearly says, “He saved us, through the washing of regeneration (through the baptism) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
Hebrews 10:22:
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
“Pure water” is baptism. Baptism helps gives us a full assurance of faith and enables us to draw near to Him.
I Peter 3:21 uses the term “antitype.” That’s an Old Testament prefigure looking forward to a New Testament fulfillment:
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This bluntly points out that baptism, and Christ’s resurrection, save us. Of course, in context, and thinking of my “Paul v James” blogs, to be saved at the end, you need baptism combined with true faith, repentance, and obedience. Baptism gives you a “good conscience toward God.” The Old Testament prefigure here is Noah (see I Peter 3:20), whose ark in the water protected against the judgment and saved eight souls.
There is something I need to point out that is in Mr. Bercot's notes later, but it’s worthwhile mentioning here: EVERY ONE OF THESE VERSES IS DIRECTED TO AN ADULT WHO IS MAKING A CHOICE TO BE BAPTIZED. There are no baptisms of babies in Scripture that we know of.
There are other "types" in the Old Testament. Consider I Corinthians 10:1-2:
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Was crossing the water of the Red Sea (a type of baptism) merely a “symbol” of their salvation from the Egyptians? No, crossing the water DID save them! Then why do most evangelistic churches use the weak word “symbol” when they explain baptism? Using the Red Sea type, baptism completes our salvation. I use the word “complete” because other things of faith were involved too, all of which together ensured their salvation. They had already stepped out in faith to follow God’s leader Moses. In faith they believed the ten plagues were a message from God. In faith they obediently protected themselves from death at Passover, when they obeyed the instruction to put lamb’s blood on the doorposts. And when they packed their belongings and marched out into the desert—that was a great step of faith, since a sensible man would never expect to stay alive--the desert couldn’t possibly support three million people. All of these things, faith plus obedience, ensured their salvation, but the baptism of passing through the Red Sea completed the job—but all this was still only at the beginning of their journey. They still had to place faith in God throughout the journey.
Another Old Testament figure of baptism—mentioned several times by early Christians—was Naaman, the leper. In II Kings 5, Naaman was purified of leprosy when he was baptized in the Jordan. This was a symbol of what baptism can do for us regarding the leprosy of sin. We are cleansed through it.
If you’re thinking, “surely there was some group who didn’t hold to this view of baptism, who thought it was just symbolic,” you’re right—the Gnostics felt that way. Of course, you also need to know what else they believed--that the creation of the earth and mankind was done by an inferior god, a second god, so his creation was flawed and beyond redemption, so they concluded the flesh cannot be saved. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body—you can’t get a perfect result from an imperfect body. Jesus couldn’t have come in the flesh, since He wasn’t imperfect, as all flesh is. Thus, there was no God Incarnate. No one can be “reborn” through physical substances (since all such are evil)—like water. So baptism has no power to save, it’s just a symbol of what’s happened in the spirit.
Are these corrupt, or what?
Isn’t it terrible that so many of us Protestants agree with them about baptism, that it's just a "symbol?" So our historical support is this deviant bunch. If you agree with the Gnostics, you're also saying all the church fathers, as holy a group as you ever want to meet in heaven, men who were taught by the apostles, were dead wrong. Which group do you want to follow—the Gnostics or the church fathers? Here again, though, let’s get back to Scripture: Can we argue against all the above Scriptural passages? Not without doing twisty reasoning, instead of simple, literal reasoning.
How did the church move away from this doctrine, if it’s correct? Why either baptize babies or, the opposite, say that's it's unimportant except as a "symbol?" I think partly because the church reacted to people’s desire for convenience—people wanted to feel assurance of salvation, wanted a simple “formula.” So eventually they got it—they came up with: do the sacraments, or ordinances, and you shall be saved. Infant baptism came about because of the high infant mortality rates; people wanted assurance that their baby was saved when he died. Also, when an entire nation was defeated by a “Christian” nation, it was required that the entire nation’s children would be baptized. None of these changes were Scripturally based--they are mechanical devices, not a choice being made. This “mechanical” religion requires no relationship with Christ and no day-to-day holiness, as Scripture demands (see the “Paul vs James” blogs). Expanding “the kingdom of God,” as they called it, by sword, by expansion, by alliances with pagans, came naturally to them as well. Scripture explaining the truth of baptism became hidden, in an impossible language (Latin, which most people of that day couldn't understand), so darkness reigned.
When pietism (late 1600s, beginning in Germany) and the Great Awakening revival (1700s, in England and New England) came along, they placed their emphasis on the conversion experience. They called the spiritual awakenings the “new birth.” In their countries’ state churches, everyone had already been baptized—as babies--but many grew up dead spiritually. Rather than preach on the negative topic, “why baptism as a baby wasn’t good enough now,” the revivalists wanted to see as many people saved as possible. They saw the idea of requiring baptism a second time, as an adult instead of a baby, as confusing. Confusion would slow the number of people’s spiritual awakening down, mixing a difficult intellectual topic with their wonderful emotion. Was a second, and real, baptism important enough to trump that? They decided No.
Now I again warn you: Keep in mind this extremely important caution (read the “Paul v James” blogs): Don’t assume you can get baptized, and you’re saved and done. These Scriptural benefits of baptism were not “automatic” at baptism, as I’ve stressed several times in this paper. A saving relationship with Christ, following His commands (and baptism was one of them) are necessary. “Inward” baptism—of the Spirit—was essential as well, not just “outward” baptism. When you want to submit to the Lord Jesus AND when you are dunked in the water, then your sins are washed away. You need both. If you do the outward baptism without the inward desire for submission and cleansing? You’re still spiritually dead—you’ll just look nicer in hell.
The early church believed, from Scripture, that in baptism, the following things happened: (1) all of a person’s prior sins are washed away; (2) a person is born again through baptism of water and the Holy Spirit; 3) through baptism, a person becomes a member of Christ’s church Because of the importance of these, we must conclude that they believed that the salvation process is not complete without baptism.
What does Scripture say? Let’s start with John 3:5:
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Does this not say, clearly, that “born of water” is water baptism? Even in the Greek, the word translated "water" simply is physical water. Does it not clearly say that water baptism is essential in being born again?—and that without it, you cannot enter the kingdom of God?
Mark 16:16 says:
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
This clearly requires baptism to "be saved," or to be in heaven and escape Judgment.
Acts 2:36-38:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
In verses 37-38, Peter has the ultimate evangelistic opportunity. Does he say what all of us evangelical Protestants have been taught, to pray to let Jesus into their heart? No; after they’ve been shown who Jesus is in earlier verses, what they need to do to be saved…is…(1)repentance and (2) baptism. (He emphasizes the importance of baptism, saying “every one of you” needs to do it). These additional two steps will give them remission of sins.
Acts 22:16 was when Saul was saved, becoming Paul, and was told:
…And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
Baptism washes away our sins. That’s very important, is it not? Without it, with the guilt of sins on us, how can you get to heaven? (Allowance is made elsewhere for those who cannot be baptized.) Note the urgent tones that they should be baptized right away.
The early church fathers felt that baptism is important enough that they still insisted that a man who was saved, immediately imprisoned, then martyred had a baptism—a baptism of blood.
Galatians 3:27:
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
“Baptized into Christ” is clearly water baptism, as Romans 6:2-4 points out:
How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
As you can see, in immersion water baptism you are experiencing a type of the death and resurrection of our Lord.
And what of the phrase “put on Christ?” When you read Romans 13:14, it means wrapping yourself in godly thoughts and not thinking about sinful ones. But it’s also “clothe yourself with Christ,” associated with Genesis 3 when God clothed Adam with skins of an animal being sacrificed after he sinned. That blood being shed to provide the skin was the beginning of God’s plan for His Son, the Lamb, whose blood was shed once for all. The animal sacrifice meant protection from the dire effects of sin. Baptism—and faith in what Christ did--are the means to these desirable and necessary goals in the New Covenant. So necessary that without them, we’re not saved.
Titus 3:5: …but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit
The washing speaks of baptism. Baptism results in regeneration, becoming a new creation. And, as Jesus put it (John 3:3), that’s essential go to heaven. And it clearly says, “He saved us, through the washing of regeneration (through the baptism) and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
Hebrews 10:22:
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
“Pure water” is baptism. Baptism helps gives us a full assurance of faith and enables us to draw near to Him.
I Peter 3:21 uses the term “antitype.” That’s an Old Testament prefigure looking forward to a New Testament fulfillment:
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This bluntly points out that baptism, and Christ’s resurrection, save us. Of course, in context, and thinking of my “Paul v James” blogs, to be saved at the end, you need baptism combined with true faith, repentance, and obedience. Baptism gives you a “good conscience toward God.” The Old Testament prefigure here is Noah (see I Peter 3:20), whose ark in the water protected against the judgment and saved eight souls.
There is something I need to point out that is in Mr. Bercot's notes later, but it’s worthwhile mentioning here: EVERY ONE OF THESE VERSES IS DIRECTED TO AN ADULT WHO IS MAKING A CHOICE TO BE BAPTIZED. There are no baptisms of babies in Scripture that we know of.
There are other "types" in the Old Testament. Consider I Corinthians 10:1-2:
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
Was crossing the water of the Red Sea (a type of baptism) merely a “symbol” of their salvation from the Egyptians? No, crossing the water DID save them! Then why do most evangelistic churches use the weak word “symbol” when they explain baptism? Using the Red Sea type, baptism completes our salvation. I use the word “complete” because other things of faith were involved too, all of which together ensured their salvation. They had already stepped out in faith to follow God’s leader Moses. In faith they believed the ten plagues were a message from God. In faith they obediently protected themselves from death at Passover, when they obeyed the instruction to put lamb’s blood on the doorposts. And when they packed their belongings and marched out into the desert—that was a great step of faith, since a sensible man would never expect to stay alive--the desert couldn’t possibly support three million people. All of these things, faith plus obedience, ensured their salvation, but the baptism of passing through the Red Sea completed the job—but all this was still only at the beginning of their journey. They still had to place faith in God throughout the journey.
Another Old Testament figure of baptism—mentioned several times by early Christians—was Naaman, the leper. In II Kings 5, Naaman was purified of leprosy when he was baptized in the Jordan. This was a symbol of what baptism can do for us regarding the leprosy of sin. We are cleansed through it.
If you’re thinking, “surely there was some group who didn’t hold to this view of baptism, who thought it was just symbolic,” you’re right—the Gnostics felt that way. Of course, you also need to know what else they believed--that the creation of the earth and mankind was done by an inferior god, a second god, so his creation was flawed and beyond redemption, so they concluded the flesh cannot be saved. They did not believe in the resurrection of the body—you can’t get a perfect result from an imperfect body. Jesus couldn’t have come in the flesh, since He wasn’t imperfect, as all flesh is. Thus, there was no God Incarnate. No one can be “reborn” through physical substances (since all such are evil)—like water. So baptism has no power to save, it’s just a symbol of what’s happened in the spirit.
Are these corrupt, or what?
Isn’t it terrible that so many of us Protestants agree with them about baptism, that it's just a "symbol?" So our historical support is this deviant bunch. If you agree with the Gnostics, you're also saying all the church fathers, as holy a group as you ever want to meet in heaven, men who were taught by the apostles, were dead wrong. Which group do you want to follow—the Gnostics or the church fathers? Here again, though, let’s get back to Scripture: Can we argue against all the above Scriptural passages? Not without doing twisty reasoning, instead of simple, literal reasoning.
How did the church move away from this doctrine, if it’s correct? Why either baptize babies or, the opposite, say that's it's unimportant except as a "symbol?" I think partly because the church reacted to people’s desire for convenience—people wanted to feel assurance of salvation, wanted a simple “formula.” So eventually they got it—they came up with: do the sacraments, or ordinances, and you shall be saved. Infant baptism came about because of the high infant mortality rates; people wanted assurance that their baby was saved when he died. Also, when an entire nation was defeated by a “Christian” nation, it was required that the entire nation’s children would be baptized. None of these changes were Scripturally based--they are mechanical devices, not a choice being made. This “mechanical” religion requires no relationship with Christ and no day-to-day holiness, as Scripture demands (see the “Paul vs James” blogs). Expanding “the kingdom of God,” as they called it, by sword, by expansion, by alliances with pagans, came naturally to them as well. Scripture explaining the truth of baptism became hidden, in an impossible language (Latin, which most people of that day couldn't understand), so darkness reigned.
When pietism (late 1600s, beginning in Germany) and the Great Awakening revival (1700s, in England and New England) came along, they placed their emphasis on the conversion experience. They called the spiritual awakenings the “new birth.” In their countries’ state churches, everyone had already been baptized—as babies--but many grew up dead spiritually. Rather than preach on the negative topic, “why baptism as a baby wasn’t good enough now,” the revivalists wanted to see as many people saved as possible. They saw the idea of requiring baptism a second time, as an adult instead of a baby, as confusing. Confusion would slow the number of people’s spiritual awakening down, mixing a difficult intellectual topic with their wonderful emotion. Was a second, and real, baptism important enough to trump that? They decided No.
Now I again warn you: Keep in mind this extremely important caution (read the “Paul v James” blogs): Don’t assume you can get baptized, and you’re saved and done. These Scriptural benefits of baptism were not “automatic” at baptism, as I’ve stressed several times in this paper. A saving relationship with Christ, following His commands (and baptism was one of them) are necessary. “Inward” baptism—of the Spirit—was essential as well, not just “outward” baptism. When you want to submit to the Lord Jesus AND when you are dunked in the water, then your sins are washed away. You need both. If you do the outward baptism without the inward desire for submission and cleansing? You’re still spiritually dead—you’ll just look nicer in hell.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Does Paul Agree with Jesus on What It Takes to Escape Hell? Part III of 2 CDs, "Paul v James"
Please read Parts I and II, summaries of Charles Bercot’s Discs of “Paul vs. James” before reading this.
Now we finally get to man that Martin Luther used the most to get all his “gospel” started. But let’s find the truth of what God said through Paul:
Paul was not a “faith-only” guy. Despite what you hear from some, he, like Jesus and like Peter, James and John, also taught that you maintain salvation by an obedient, love-faith relationship with Christ. Because of time limitations, we only again get a “taste” of him—but it’s an expansive taste. if you want ALL the verses that teach the whole gospel of the New Testament, buy “Paul v James” Disc 3 (from scrollpublishing .com), put it in your computer and read it—or print it for further study or to mark up your Bible. Folks, the right gospel—from Scripture—is critical to our eternal life. Let us never deceive ourselves so as to be one of the “believers” in Matthew 25 who go to hell.
Luther insisted that obedience has nothing to do with salvation. But read Paul in Romans 2:3-11:
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
He is clearly saying, doing ungodly works and not repenting, will not escape God’s judgment, no matter what your “faith” is in; eternal life are for those who continue to do good. God “will render to each one according to his deeds.”
Romans 8:1-6:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
You need to be “in Christ Jesus” enough so that you “do not walk according to the flesh.” Thus there are twin conditions to those seeking “no condemnation,” not just faith only.
Romans 11:20-23:
Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Yes, God is good—but also severe, and worthy of fear. We must endure against sin, we must continue in His goodness.
I Corinthians 6:9-10:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Some sins are more serious, and by themselves will throw you off the Vine (John 15) and on the way to hell—unless you repent (repentance is not here, but it’s covered in other verses). There are no restrictions on this clearly-named fact: you lose salvation by participating in these acts. Do everything you can to avoid these sins.
I Corinthians 7:19:
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
Paul is saying, we’re not bound to Mosaic law on circumcision. We’re bound to Jesus’ commands. Study those.
II Corinthians 5:15&6:1:
…and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 6 We, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
How do you “receive the grace..in vain”? By losing the grace you got--losing salvation. The inspiration of His death? To live for Him, not for self. That necessarily involves obedience to Him.
II Corinthians 13:5:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The eternal security person doesn’t have to examine himself—they preach that he must feel certain that “you have it all made.” But isn’t that self-righteous, or at least, complacent, thinking? But in this verse, he should examine himself for sin that threatens to take him out of the faith. Doesn’t sound like much eternal security in this verse. So that means that there are some sins that can disqualify us. Disqualify is hell-bound. Also this: Disqualify is not the same as unqualify. “Unqualify” means you never got saved in the first place. Disqualify means you got it, then did something that got yourself turned out. Thus you can lose salvation. A big difference in a little prefix, wouldn’t you say?
Galatians 6:7-9:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap IF we do not lose heart.
God places conditions on ultimate salvation by including the word “if.” “Losing heart,” or giving up faith, or righteous deeds, will put us on a slippery mindset headed for trouble. (I have a blog on the importance of the word “if” in Biblical gospel.)
II Thessalonians 2:11-12:
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
These verses are on the Last Days. The idea that God would “send” strong delusion is outside the realm of this paper. But I ask: What is “the lie?” Is it explained in verse 12? Is the Lie the self-deception into believing that you can live for the flesh, and still gain heaven? Is God’s severity in judgment part of “the truth?”
I Timothy 5:8:
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
“Denying the faith,” a terrible sin, isn’t restricted to verbally denying Christ; it seems to have a broader, dangerous meaning that includes doing, or in this case, not doing, certain works. Also note: This person was once a believer, since he is contrasted to an unbeliever. And note that an act of unrighteousness made him lose his salvation (implied because he became “worse” than an unbeliever.”)
II Timothy 2:12-13:
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
We would like to correctly interpret the meaning of “if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” Most people think it means ‘He is faithful to save us, no matter what we do.’ But it doesn’t say that. How could He have meant that and in the same paragraph said He “will…deny us?” Here is the answer, a troublesome truth, the only one possible: Look to the phrase “He cannot deny Himself.” It’s speaking of Him remaining faithful to His own words and to His perfect holiness. As we learn in context, “He remains faithful” simply means He will fulfill His promises to the letter. And if He said elsewhere that living for the flesh, thus denying Him will mean hell, then that’s it; He will stick to His Word and send us there, even though He loved and pursued us. He did of course also say elsewhere that real repentance (change of behavior, not just sorrow) will bring grace. Note the conditional “IF we endure, we shall reign with Him.” Denying Christ obviously means we didn’t endure. So you’ve lost your salvation by doing that.
Thus, Paul and James really agree: We maintain salvation through faith and an obedient relationship with our Savior. And it is possible to lose salvation. That’s what Mr. Bercot points out so clearly in this part of Disc 2. If you accuse Mr. Bercot of “proof texting” Paul, ignoring the verses that emphasize faith, and you prefer to believe Luther’s gospel, Mr. Bercot asks you to look at all the verses in these two discs—versus what Luther says. If he is correct, you get a messed-up gospel. Keep another important fact in mind: When Paul disparages works, he is arguing against the Judaist believers who wanted the Gentile new believers to be circumcised and forced to follow Mosaic law—those works are what he disparages. So he’s saying that Moses’ laws are not essential to Christianity.
So to prove that proof texting is not going on, let’s look at these Faith verses below, some of Luther’s favorites. Let’s start with Romans 3:20-31:
Therefore by the deeds of the (Mosaic) law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of (Moses’) works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the (Mosaic) law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law
Note how the meaning changes when you understand this term “law” means “Moses’ law.” Now consider Romans 4:1-17, how Paul disparages the work of circumcision (a big item in Moses’ law), how Abraham was not saved by circumcision, but by faith. His circumcision came later, after God declared him righteous. So now, with this thinking, we have no problem reconciling these “work-disparaging” verses into our gospel, Jesus’ gospel. Paul was talking about a different meaning of “works” than James. (Please note, however, how Abraham’s faith was followed by real works—leaving his home to follow God’s instructions, at great personal sacrifice).
Romans 10:3,5:
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God… For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the (Mosaic) law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”
Verses 3 and 5 are NOT about disdaining people trying to establish works and getting holy. It’s about disdaining the Jews continuing Jewish practices to obtain salvation—which is not of God.
Romans 11: 5,6:
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Again, by disparaging “works,” he is not talking about ignoring obedience to Christ. He’s talking about Jews who have been saved did not get there by the works of the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 2:3-5 is about circumcision. In Galatians 3:2, the works of the law is referring to the Law of Moses. Ephesians 2:8-17 has a couple of our favorite verses disparaging works, but Paul is AGAIN disparaging the Mosaic Law, note the reference to circumcision in verses 11 and 15. Philippians 3:2-5 disparages “confidence in the flesh” but he’s talking about circumcision, the Mosaic Law. Colossians 2:11-17 same story.
As you can see, this “ammunition” used by some to disparage as “legalism” our obedience to Christ are clearly out of context. In those cases, he is talking about how wrong it is to try to live the Law of Moses as the basis for salvation.
Mr. Bercot also talks about the other corrupt methodologies of twisting the real context of Scripture as we have seen here. He has some interesting remarks about the “updating” of King James in 1769 (striking large “L” and making it small in Romans 3, above, for instance, helps produce confusion—the Mosaic Law, or another law?) He also talks about how the words “grace” and “justification” have lost their original simpler meaning. They were given a theological meaning that supports a false gospel.
In summary: getting on the Vine requires belief, repentance, washing the water of regeneration. Abiding on the Vine requires obedience, a regular relationship with our Lord. You can lose your salvation by living by the flesh. Examine yourselves, readers! Read all Jesus’ words on what it takes to escape hell. Determining what it takes to spend eternity in heaven is a worthwhile occupation!
Now we finally get to man that Martin Luther used the most to get all his “gospel” started. But let’s find the truth of what God said through Paul:
Paul was not a “faith-only” guy. Despite what you hear from some, he, like Jesus and like Peter, James and John, also taught that you maintain salvation by an obedient, love-faith relationship with Christ. Because of time limitations, we only again get a “taste” of him—but it’s an expansive taste. if you want ALL the verses that teach the whole gospel of the New Testament, buy “Paul v James” Disc 3 (from scrollpublishing .com), put it in your computer and read it—or print it for further study or to mark up your Bible. Folks, the right gospel—from Scripture—is critical to our eternal life. Let us never deceive ourselves so as to be one of the “believers” in Matthew 25 who go to hell.
Luther insisted that obedience has nothing to do with salvation. But read Paul in Romans 2:3-11:
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
He is clearly saying, doing ungodly works and not repenting, will not escape God’s judgment, no matter what your “faith” is in; eternal life are for those who continue to do good. God “will render to each one according to his deeds.”
Romans 8:1-6:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
You need to be “in Christ Jesus” enough so that you “do not walk according to the flesh.” Thus there are twin conditions to those seeking “no condemnation,” not just faith only.
Romans 11:20-23:
Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Yes, God is good—but also severe, and worthy of fear. We must endure against sin, we must continue in His goodness.
I Corinthians 6:9-10:
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
Some sins are more serious, and by themselves will throw you off the Vine (John 15) and on the way to hell—unless you repent (repentance is not here, but it’s covered in other verses). There are no restrictions on this clearly-named fact: you lose salvation by participating in these acts. Do everything you can to avoid these sins.
I Corinthians 7:19:
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.
Paul is saying, we’re not bound to Mosaic law on circumcision. We’re bound to Jesus’ commands. Study those.
II Corinthians 5:15&6:1:
…and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 6 We, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
How do you “receive the grace..in vain”? By losing the grace you got--losing salvation. The inspiration of His death? To live for Him, not for self. That necessarily involves obedience to Him.
II Corinthians 13:5:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
The eternal security person doesn’t have to examine himself—they preach that he must feel certain that “you have it all made.” But isn’t that self-righteous, or at least, complacent, thinking? But in this verse, he should examine himself for sin that threatens to take him out of the faith. Doesn’t sound like much eternal security in this verse. So that means that there are some sins that can disqualify us. Disqualify is hell-bound. Also this: Disqualify is not the same as unqualify. “Unqualify” means you never got saved in the first place. Disqualify means you got it, then did something that got yourself turned out. Thus you can lose salvation. A big difference in a little prefix, wouldn’t you say?
Galatians 6:7-9:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap IF we do not lose heart.
God places conditions on ultimate salvation by including the word “if.” “Losing heart,” or giving up faith, or righteous deeds, will put us on a slippery mindset headed for trouble. (I have a blog on the importance of the word “if” in Biblical gospel.)
II Thessalonians 2:11-12:
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
These verses are on the Last Days. The idea that God would “send” strong delusion is outside the realm of this paper. But I ask: What is “the lie?” Is it explained in verse 12? Is the Lie the self-deception into believing that you can live for the flesh, and still gain heaven? Is God’s severity in judgment part of “the truth?”
I Timothy 5:8:
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
“Denying the faith,” a terrible sin, isn’t restricted to verbally denying Christ; it seems to have a broader, dangerous meaning that includes doing, or in this case, not doing, certain works. Also note: This person was once a believer, since he is contrasted to an unbeliever. And note that an act of unrighteousness made him lose his salvation (implied because he became “worse” than an unbeliever.”)
II Timothy 2:12-13:
If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
We would like to correctly interpret the meaning of “if we are faithless, He remains faithful.” Most people think it means ‘He is faithful to save us, no matter what we do.’ But it doesn’t say that. How could He have meant that and in the same paragraph said He “will…deny us?” Here is the answer, a troublesome truth, the only one possible: Look to the phrase “He cannot deny Himself.” It’s speaking of Him remaining faithful to His own words and to His perfect holiness. As we learn in context, “He remains faithful” simply means He will fulfill His promises to the letter. And if He said elsewhere that living for the flesh, thus denying Him will mean hell, then that’s it; He will stick to His Word and send us there, even though He loved and pursued us. He did of course also say elsewhere that real repentance (change of behavior, not just sorrow) will bring grace. Note the conditional “IF we endure, we shall reign with Him.” Denying Christ obviously means we didn’t endure. So you’ve lost your salvation by doing that.
Thus, Paul and James really agree: We maintain salvation through faith and an obedient relationship with our Savior. And it is possible to lose salvation. That’s what Mr. Bercot points out so clearly in this part of Disc 2. If you accuse Mr. Bercot of “proof texting” Paul, ignoring the verses that emphasize faith, and you prefer to believe Luther’s gospel, Mr. Bercot asks you to look at all the verses in these two discs—versus what Luther says. If he is correct, you get a messed-up gospel. Keep another important fact in mind: When Paul disparages works, he is arguing against the Judaist believers who wanted the Gentile new believers to be circumcised and forced to follow Mosaic law—those works are what he disparages. So he’s saying that Moses’ laws are not essential to Christianity.
So to prove that proof texting is not going on, let’s look at these Faith verses below, some of Luther’s favorites. Let’s start with Romans 3:20-31:
Therefore by the deeds of the (Mosaic) law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of (Moses’) works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the (Mosaic) law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law
Note how the meaning changes when you understand this term “law” means “Moses’ law.” Now consider Romans 4:1-17, how Paul disparages the work of circumcision (a big item in Moses’ law), how Abraham was not saved by circumcision, but by faith. His circumcision came later, after God declared him righteous. So now, with this thinking, we have no problem reconciling these “work-disparaging” verses into our gospel, Jesus’ gospel. Paul was talking about a different meaning of “works” than James. (Please note, however, how Abraham’s faith was followed by real works—leaving his home to follow God’s instructions, at great personal sacrifice).
Romans 10:3,5:
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God… For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the (Mosaic) law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”
Verses 3 and 5 are NOT about disdaining people trying to establish works and getting holy. It’s about disdaining the Jews continuing Jewish practices to obtain salvation—which is not of God.
Romans 11: 5,6:
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Again, by disparaging “works,” he is not talking about ignoring obedience to Christ. He’s talking about Jews who have been saved did not get there by the works of the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 2:3-5 is about circumcision. In Galatians 3:2, the works of the law is referring to the Law of Moses. Ephesians 2:8-17 has a couple of our favorite verses disparaging works, but Paul is AGAIN disparaging the Mosaic Law, note the reference to circumcision in verses 11 and 15. Philippians 3:2-5 disparages “confidence in the flesh” but he’s talking about circumcision, the Mosaic Law. Colossians 2:11-17 same story.
As you can see, this “ammunition” used by some to disparage as “legalism” our obedience to Christ are clearly out of context. In those cases, he is talking about how wrong it is to try to live the Law of Moses as the basis for salvation.
Mr. Bercot also talks about the other corrupt methodologies of twisting the real context of Scripture as we have seen here. He has some interesting remarks about the “updating” of King James in 1769 (striking large “L” and making it small in Romans 3, above, for instance, helps produce confusion—the Mosaic Law, or another law?) He also talks about how the words “grace” and “justification” have lost their original simpler meaning. They were given a theological meaning that supports a false gospel.
In summary: getting on the Vine requires belief, repentance, washing the water of regeneration. Abiding on the Vine requires obedience, a regular relationship with our Lord. You can lose your salvation by living by the flesh. Examine yourselves, readers! Read all Jesus’ words on what it takes to escape hell. Determining what it takes to spend eternity in heaven is a worthwhile occupation!
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