Wednesday, April 25, 2012

"Seventy Sevens"

Daniel 9:25a Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks.

Isaiah 44:

24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

25 who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish,

26 who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built, and I will raise up their ruins';

27 who says to the deep, 'Be dry; I will dry up your rivers';

28 who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose'; saying of Jerusalem, 'She shall be built,' and of the temple, 'Your foundation shall be laid.'"

Isaiah 45:

1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed:

2 "I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name.

4 For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me.

5 I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me,

6 that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7 I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.

Ezra 1:

1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

3 Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel--he is the God who is in Jerusalem.

4 And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.

6 And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered.

7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods.

Note that the first seven weeks starts with the going out of the word re:Cyrus, and the rebuilding of the temple and city (Isaiah’s prophecy), and ends with Cyrus’ ascendancy as king. It does not start with Cyrus coming on the scene. Seventy sevens or 490 is a symbolic prophetic number, not literal. Today’s hyper dispensationalists are dancing on the head of a pin “trying to make the numbers work”

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Daniel 9:25b Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

538 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity
After conquering Babylon, Cyrus offers the Jews their freedom to leave Babylon and to return to Judah. Cyrus' kingdom rules over Judah and many other parts of the Middle East, but Cyrus allows people more cultural and religious freedom than did the neo-Babylonian Empire.
536 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Work begins to rebuild Temple
Some of the Jews in Babylon return to Judah and begin work in about 536 BC to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
516 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Second Temple is dedicated
The Temple is consecrated for worship, 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it in 586 BC.
333 BC (about 2300 years ago)
Greeks begin rule over land of Israel
The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire and the rise of the Grecian Empire.
332 BC (about 2300 years ago)
Alexander conquers Tyre (Phoenician Empire)
Alexander wars against the island fortress of the Phoenician city of Tyre. He takes rubble from the mainland of Tyre and builds a walkway to the island. Alexander's forces then conquer the island fortress, bringing an end to the Phoenician Empire.
250 BC (about 2300 years ago)
The Old Testament is translated into Greek
A Greek ruler asks the Jews to translate all or part of the Old Testament into the Greek language. The translation is called the Septuagint.
175 BC (about 2200 years ago)
Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes torments the Jews
Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes rules Syria from about 175 BC to about 164 BC. He reigns over Judah and tries to destroy the Jewish religion. He also defiles the Temple.
164 BC to 63 BC (about 2200 years ago)
Jews have independence
The Maccabees, a group that fought for Jewish independence, stage a revolt against the Greeks and establish the Hasmonean royal dynasty, as well as sovereignty over all or part of the land of Israel for about 100 years, from about 164 BC to 63 BC.
63 BC (about 2100 years ago)
The Romans take over land of Israel
After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire of the Greeks is divided up and becomes weaker. During this time, the Roman Empire becomes increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey seizes control over the land of Israel.
About 5 BC (about 2000 years ago)
Jesus is born in Bethlehem
Jesus is born in the town of Bethlehem. The Apostle Matthew later points out that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy delivered by the prophet Micah, about 700 years beforehand. (See Micah 5:2).
Source:http://www.konig.org/timeline.htm

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Daniel 9:26a And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing.

Luke 2:

10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

John 19:30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Luke 24:

44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

46 and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

The incarnation/birth,life and death of Christ mark the beginning of the 63^rd (last) week.
Cyrus was called an anointed one (mashiach), a prince (nawgheed) a civil or military commander; a governor. Jesus is simply the anointed one, i.e. the Christ.

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Daniel 9:26b And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.

Titus conquers Jerusalem and destroys the temple in 70 AD

Matthew 24:

1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.

2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

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Daniel 9:27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."

Luke22:

19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

Hebrews 9:

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.

17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

Hebrews 9:

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,

26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hebrews 10:

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,"

17 then he adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."

18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Titus, and Rome are one of many historical manifestations of Babylon, and so they symbolically represent the presence of Babylon in the earth until its’ destruction. (Rev 17 and 18)
Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, until the decreed end of Babylon comes. (Mark 13:32)

Daniel 2:31-35; the king of Babylon is always the head

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Who Are The Nephilim?

Genesis 6:1-4

1When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

It is my belief that the error regarding the nephilim and the sons of God begins with a misreading of this passage.The nephilim and the sons of God are two different groups, and not only that, neither the nephilim, nor the sons of God are spirit beings, i.e. angels, demons..

Verses 1-3 deal with the daughters of men and the sons of God. Verse four deals with the nephilim. The word nephilim in the Hebrew is translated as giants, i.e. a bully or tyrant. The words nephillim and giants are used interchangeably in different translations. The Scripture reveals that these nephilim were of larger than average size, giants.

This verse says that the nephilim lived on the earth at the same time, and even beyond the time, that the sons of God began to marry and procreate with the daughters of men. It then concludes with this:

“These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.”

The nephilim were men, not half human, half angel.

So who are the sons of God?

Genesis chapter four relates the story of Adam’s first two sons Cain and Abel, with which we are very familiar. After Cain murders Abel, God banishes him from his current dwelling place and Cain settles in the land of Nod, i.e. the land of wandering. 4:16

Cain begins a family, and a people group is established through him.

Chapter 4 ends with Adam and Eve conceiving a third son, Seth.

Seth later has a son of his own, Enosh.

Genesis 4:

“25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, "God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him." 26To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.”

Note carefully, only after Seth was born did people begin to call on the name of the Lord.

Genesis five is a listing of Adam‘s descendants through Seth.

Genesis 5:1-5

1This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.

Adam made from the earth in the image and likeness of God, conceived a son in his own likeness through Eve. Chapter five finishes with:

“28When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29and called his name Noah, saying, "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands." 30Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

32After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”

Now go forward all the way to Luke’s gospel, and the listing of the lineage of Jesus through Joseph, His “step-father”

The genealogy ends with this:

Luke 3:

the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

So based on the facts that;

Adam is called the son of God;
That after he fathered Seth who fathered Enos, then men began to call on the Lord’s name,
That the lineage of the Messiah came through Seth……………

I believe that the sons of God of Genesis 6:2 are all who are of the lineage of Adam, though Seth. They intermarried with the daughters of men, such as Cain’s descendants from Genesis 4.

We can see also, that up to the days of Noah and the flood. It was common for men to live an extremely long time. However, God announces in Genesis 6:3 that He is about to shorten mankind’s life span. This is a consequence of how bad things had gotten. Genesis 6:5-8

It is quite possible that before the flood, not only did men live incredibly long lives, but they (Adam and his direct descendants) may have been of extraordinary size also.

So, the nephilim were roaming the earth, as the sons of God were intermarrying with the daughters of men, not with their own kind. (God later prohibited Israel from intermarrying with unbelievers. Exodus 34:15-16)

Let’s look at the story of the flood very carefully.

The remainder of Genesis 6, as well as chapters 7-8-9, tell the story of the building of the ark and the ensuing flood. Only Noah and his wife, along with his three sons and their wives, survived from all of mankind. This would then mean then the descendants of Cain, and all of the peoples born from the intermarriage perished in the flood. Did the nephilim perish in the flood also?

Recall the story of Moses sending the spies into the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb brought a favorable report, the rest were negative;

Numbers 13:

32So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. 33And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

Because of this Israel spent forty years wandering in the wilderness until that whole generation died off. Only Joshua and Caleb lived to enter and inherit their portion of the land.

Joshua led Israel into the land, and through the many battles fought to take possession of it.

Joshua 11:

21And Joshua came at that time and cut off⁽ the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities. 22There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.

23So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war

Joshua completed the conquest by driving the Anakim, and the descendants of Anak, i.e. the nephilim, from the land, except for some who remained in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod.

Now we move ahead once more to the time of Saul and the rise of David:

1 Sam 17:

1Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. 2And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines.

3And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. 4And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

Goliath was a “giant”. He stood over nine feet tall. More importantly he was from Gath, one of the regions where the nephilim managed to remain after Joshua defeated them. Goliath was descended from the nephilim.

How then did the nephilim survive the flood ?

Genesis 10:

6The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. 7The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man 9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD." 10The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and 12Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 14Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.

The Philistines are descendants of Ham, Noah’s son. The nephilim continued on, through the lineage of Ham.

What is the point of all this? Just to say that the teachings that the sons of God were angels or fallen angels, and that they were either the same as the nephilim, or that the nephilim were the offspring of the union between mortals and spirit beings/angels, are not scripturally based.

Jesus answered the Pharisees in Matthew 22:23-33 with this statement :

30For in the resurrection they(men and women) neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

So the angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage, or Jesus doesn’t know what He is talking about.

If fallen angels, who are created spirit beings, were able to impregnate human females, then the conception of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit would not be a unique act. In fact they would seem to possess the same power as the Holy Spirit. Obviously men and women are able to conceive children, but we are created to procreate. That is a function given to us by our creator.

There is no evidence that angels were ever given this function as created beings. There is no evidence that angels actually possess a body such as ours.

Since human flesh is the only flesh that God will raise again incorruptible, and apparently angels don’t die, then there is no similarity at all between angels and men that would make them physically compatible to have intercourse.

Remember that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of life. Angels are like us only in that God created them. They are immaterial beings, and we are not.

Luke 1:

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34 And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

35 And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The Spirit of God overshadows or hovers over as it “creates” something from nothing.

I don’t believe that angels, whether they be fallen or not, have the ability to reproduce through a union with a human agent. The idea that the “sons of God” are fallen angels is mere conjecture. If the sons of God are angels, and they were able to be seen and touched by men, then it would be so today. It would seem that the alleged danger of angels mating with humanity is just as possible today as it allegedly was millennia ago. The angels who delivered God’s messages to men throughout scripture were visible to man, by God’s discretion only, and always “appeared” as men. It would seem that is the preferred way for heaven to enter earth and communicate with men. There are too many scriptures to reference which would back this up.

There is one last point to be made.

Many use the argument that Jude in his letter, says that the angels participated in sexual immorality, i.e. going after “strange, or other flesh” just like the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.

That is also a misreading of the passage.

Jude 1:

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

“The angels who did not stay within their own position of authority.”

If one is not willing to stay in the position of authority, it is generally because one desires greater authority that one has not been given. No one leaving a position of authority leaves it for a lesser position. Satan, and his followers, desired to be elevated; they did not desire the daughters of men.

This brings up an interesting point;

If Satan is a fallen angel, and the sons of God of Genesis 6 are fallen angels, which would include Satan, and they are procreating with human females, then how many spawn of Satan have inhabited or are inhabiting the earth?

Jesus told the people that they are of their father the devil, the father of lies, and the truth does not dwell in them. So Satan’s seed are those who do not love the Truth.

John 8:

38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

39 They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,

40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.

41 You are doing the works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father--even God."

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.

46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

…………… back to Jude)

Therefore Jude is speaking of rebellion re: the angels. They left their proper dwelling. They suffer the eternal consequences of their actions.

Sodom and Gomorrah are guilty of the same transgression, that is, leaving their position of authority and responsibility re: sex and procreation. They left what is proper for the improper, the unnatural. This is what Paul is addressing in Romans 1: 18-32. There is an attempt to usurp God’s established order. This is why homosexuality is specifically pointed to by Paul. Men were to be fruitful and multiply. Homosexuality will never be able to fulfill that divine mandate. Obedience is worship, and Paul is stating emphatically that those who desire to leave their divinely appointed “positions” of authority are not worshiping God, but are worshiping the creation, which includes “man worship”. They are handed over to their disobedience, their rebellion.

The rebellious angels and the populations of Sodom and Gomorrah are being compared not in the specific circumstances of their wrongdoing, but in the fact they are both being held up as examples of the eternal consequences which accompany rebellion against God.

My conclusion is that Jude is not saying the angels engaged in sexual relations with humans and produced the nephillim. Jude’s entire letter is speaking of those who are disrupting the church with their anti-Christ theologies and activities. He is speaking of the rebellious.

I believe that even today we see that the dna of the nephillim survives. There are indigenous peoples in the African nations, for example, who are beyond what we call normal height, and the Book of World Records along with the NBA have several examples of those of abnormally large stature.

The world bears the evidence of the fall, and what was lost, everywhere one looks.

Soli Deo Gloria

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Fire/The Judgment

Isaiah 66:

15 "For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.

16 For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

Hebrews 9:

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Simply put, God’s fire is judgment. It is judgment for the unbeliever, and it is

judgment for the saints.

God be praised that both the purpose and the consequence of that judgment by fire

are as different as night and day regarding its’ implementation in the lives

of the unbeliever, as well as the saint.

The use of the word fire, in specific context, determines its’ meaning to God’s people.

The Saints

1Peter4:

17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Hebrews 12:

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.

6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

John 15:

1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

1Cor 3:

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--

13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Malachi 3:

2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.

4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

6 "For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.

What should be clear is that God’s discipline toward His disobedient children displays His great love for them. Those who are not His children, the illegitimate, i.e. the pretenders, are not judged by the Father’s loving disciplinary judgment. Peter proclaims the fact that judgment always begins in the house of God. He tells us further on in his letter that we are that house. 1 Peter 2:5

If judgment begins with us, then how will it be for those of us who are not obedient to the Gospel? That question applies to the church.

Jesus tells us that the father prunes the fruitful branches in Christ, the vine. And cuts off and burns the unfruitful branches in Christ. Both are branches in Christ, therefore John 15 is not speaking of eternal damnation, but rather the Lord uses the metaphor of burning unfruitful branches to speak of the discipline of judgment in a believer’s life.

(Let us not forget, Paul reveals in Romans 11:23 that God can graft any branch that has been cut off, back into Christ)

Paul in 1 Cor 3 writes of the judgment on the work of the saints concerning their use of proper building materials. Only the right material will withstand the fire which will reveal the quality of their work. Many, if not all, will suffer some loss in that day, but will be saved through the fire.

In this passage Paul is stating that the builders he is speaking of are building on the true foundation, that is Jesus Christ, so there is no question that this refers to believers.

In contrast we see Jesus referring to true and false foundations in Matthew 7:24-27, a different matter entirely. The materials used in both houses seem to be of quality, it is the foundation that they are built on that reveals their ability to weather the storms. Therefore many will come in his name, saying all the right words, doing all the right things, and will not be doing the will of the father, i.e. not building on the true foundation, Christ Jesus. (Matthew16:15-19)

Matthew 7:

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'

23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

The prophecy of Malachi is directed to the Levites, the temple priests. Thus in copy and shadow it speaks to God’s kingdom of priests who attend His living temple. He is the refiner’s fire which purifies and refines us, as silver and gold are refined. He is the fuller’s soap that cleanses. Then our offerings are acceptable to the Lord. Then our sacrifice is wrought in righteousness. (Eph 5:25-27;Romans 12:1)

Then when He appears in judgment toward us, His fire consumes all that is not of Him, all that is evil and impure, but the sons of Jacob are not consumed, since they have already been through the fire. Malachi 4 prophesies of the Lord’s return. Only those who have already been through the refining fire of judgment will endure and stand in that day. More on that further on.

Hebrews 10:

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

So for the saints, there is not the loss of salvation, but rather the loss of the impurities, and all that is not of God in our lives.

The Unbelievers/The Condemned (John 3:18)

1Peter4:

18 And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

Matthew 3:

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

:9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

Malachi 4:

1 "For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

Mal 4:2 But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Mal 4:3 And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts.

Rev 20:

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison

8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,

10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

There is judgment by fire for the unbeliever at the return of Christ. The intensity of the fire of the Lord’s coming will turn them into ash; ash which Malachi says we will tread upon. He is coming to judge in power. John the Baptist in Matthew 3 is speaking both of, and to,the saints and the unbelievers. Note that he says the axe is already laid at the root of trees. Christ's initial advent into creation brings judgment.

Rev 11:

16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17 saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

To put it bluntly, the fire of judgment for the unregenerate never ends (the lake of fire). This is so since they have never suffered through the judgment leading to salvation in this life. For them, the fire is never ending, as their impurities are never ending, and their salvation never comes.

Job 22:

4 Is it for your fear of him that he reproves you and enters into judgment with you?

5 Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.

Rev 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

So let us thank God for His judgment and discipline in our lives. He not only makes us fit to be co-workers with Him in his kingdom now (Php4:3), not only makes us a fit temple for Him to dwell in (Eph 2:19-22), but makes us fit to dwell with Him in eternity. (Rev 21:3)

Hebrews 12:

28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,

29 for our God is a consuming fire.

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Genesis 5:1-5

Sunday, December 19, 2010

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