THE GREAT MYSTERIES LISTED IN THE BIBLE

 One of the  first mysteries mentioned in the Bible is found in Matthew 13 is told by Christ and pertains to the “kingdom of heaven”.  So of course the next question is; “What is the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ ”?  The next major mysteries, also the majority of mysteries come from the writings of Paul.  These are the ones that pertain to the Church Age, which is the present time or age that we are living in right now.  The last major mystery listed in the Bible is found in Revelation 1: 20 which is the mystery of the seven stars.  The mysteries are explained in God’s Word, but one must get off the milk and study for the “meat” of the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15).

First we will start with a short explanation of the “kingdom of Heaven”.  The phrase “the kingdom of heaven” was announced by John the Baptist and first found in Matt. 3:2.  This is referring to Christ, the Messiah who was among them right then and there, in physical form walking among them, ministering, healing and showing miracle and signs proving who He was (1 Cor. 1:22).  We can gather from this that Christ has to be physically present in order for the “kingdom of heaven” to be here on earth.  We also know that the kingdom is what the Jew has been looking for as is mentioned many times throughout prophecies listed in the Old Testament.  Christ is now in heaven, so the kingdom is currently in heaven.  This kingdom will not return to the earth till King’s second coming and then He will reign 1000 years as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19 and 20).  This time is known as the seventh dispensation, the kingdom and it is also referred to as the Millennial Reign.  So when the Bible talks about the “kingdom of heaven” it is talking about an earthly event (as far as man is concerned) and this is exactly what Israel was looking for the first time Christ was on earth.  This seventh dispensation also is referenced in Eph. 1:10 as, “the dispensation of the fullness of times”, where Christ brings together things of heaven and earth in His reign in this 1000 year kingdom.  One should always keep in mind that these covenants and promises of this wonderful kingdom and age have always been directed to the Jews.  So when this happens it will once again be a fulfillment of prophecies, covenants and promises made to the forefathers (the Jewish nation).

The next mystery mentioned is that of Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, . . .that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in”.   Another reference found in Rom. 11:7-8, “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear) unto this day”.  These verses tell that Israel will be spiritually blinded by God for a time.  And additional verses found in 2 Cor. 3:14 and 4:4 tells of Israel’s blindness today.  But God’s hiding His meaning to the Jews is not new, (look up Luke 18:34).  What are they blinded to:  they are blinded to the fact that God walked among them 2000 years ago.  This blindness in turn leaves the Jewish majority blinded to the Gospel of Grace (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 10: 9-10 or the “death, burial and resurrection), naturally if you do not believe that Christ was here in the first place (1 Cor. 2:7-8), then certainly one cannot believe in His death or resurrection. 

Another mystery revealed by Paul is found in Romans 16:25-26 and this mystery tells about salvation going to “all nations”, meaning the Gentiles.  It will be taken by the apostle Paul to the Gentiles and their conversion being by faith alone.  A better detailed explanation of this mystery is found in Eph. 3:2-7, here you will discover that this was a revelation given to Paul by the ascended Christ to give to the Gentiles and that past ages had no knowledge of it.   Now in this time period God is giving salvation through grace alone to all having faith in that gospel of grace. 

Another mystery found in 1 Cor. 2:7, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory”.  For further explanation drop down to verse 12 which tells us that we have received the indwelling Holy Spirit, “that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (Dt. 29:29).  Then drop down to verse 14 to find out why not all can understand the deeper meanings of Scripture, “But the natural (carnal or the unbelieving) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. . .”, but this means that the believer can. 

One more mystery is that now the Church is now the body of Christ, (Col. 1:24-27). 

Another mystery that all Christians are waiting for is found in 1 Cor. 15:51”Behold I show you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  More information about this event is found in 1 Thess. 4:13-17 and in verse 17 we find the words, “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 so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  These underlined phrases answers much confusion today.   Also found in 2 Thess. 2:1-3 which tells us about the being gathered unto to the Lord and that the “man of sin” cannot be revealed until there comes a “departure” (which is what “falling away” means and is what word most older version use).  This brings about another mystery mentioned in verses 7 and 8.

The mystery of 2 Thess. 7 and 8 where the antichrist is revealed is another mystery which of course takes place in the tribulation period.  This section of scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit is hindering the man of iniquity.  And how is this accomplished today?  The indwelling Holy Spirit in Christians is a hindrance to keep sin from taking over the world today.  Now what is going to happen when all believers depart?  When those doing the hindrance will no longer be here and now verse 8 can come about, “And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth…”   What we have here is a verse that validates a pre-tribulation rapture.

When we READ and study the Bible we find that it is definitely multi-leveled and when we actually do what Christians are supposed to do (that is to mature in the Word), then we are following 2 Tim. 2:15 by rightly dividing the Word of truth.  And when the Bible is rightly divided into the applicable groups we find that the Bible is not confusing (1 Cor. 14:33), it actually fits nicely like a puzzle.

Col. 1:26, “Even the mystery which hath been hidden from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”.  (Gal. 2:20”…but Christ liveth in in me:…”.)  To understand about this mystery read and apply what Jesus told the Pharisees in John 8: 12-19 about “…if you had known me, you should have known my Father also”, again reference to the trinity all in one.  The Church now has the indwelling Holy Spirit which is the third part of the trinity, so statements like “God in us” or “Christ in us” or “the Holy Spirit in us” is concerning the trinity and all become one in the same.  Romans 8:9, ”But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you,.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”  1 Cor. 3:16”…and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you”  1 Cor. 6:19, Eph. 4:6, “But God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”    Of course there are other references to the indwelling Spirit, but this is just one more new thing to identify this age of grace like Col. 1:27, etc. 

Many more things are brought out to this age of grace here in the Pauline writings; such as the Church is the Bride of Christ, Eph. 5:23-32.  Christ is the head of body (the Church), Col. 1:18.  Sin is not imputed, Romans 5:13; Col. 2:13; 2 Cor. 5:19.  The Church’s citizenship is in heaven, Phil. 3:20 and Col. 1:13.  Paul’s important part when he was given these revelations to reveal to us, Gal. 1:10-19, Eph. 1:9, 3:3.  The Church is joint-heirs with Christ, Eph. 1:11, Rom. 8:17, and the list could continue.  But we must realize that we are living in a very special time this “Age of Grace” and these mysteries revealed mostly here in the Pauline Epistles give us great insight to what is happening today and how special we really are to God.

The last major mystery spoken of is the one of seven stars in Rev. 1:20.  These seven stars are angels or messengers that take God’s message to a believer.  In this particular instance the message was sent to the seven listed churches found in chapter two and three of Revelation.  A star represents light and God is light and His Word represents God’s light, so consequently any bringing a message of God’s Word could be considered such a messenger.

Mysteries are only secret until God decides to reveal them to man (Dt. 29:29).  Now our job as believers is a combination of 1 Cor. 4:1-2 and Rom. 10:14-15 and here we are to be “ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.”  And in Romans it tells us that we are to proclaim or teach God’s Word.  Rom. 10:17, “…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Our job is not to SAVE sinners, but to present the Word to sinners and leave the saving of the soul to the one who can 1 Cor. 3:6.  To present the truth to sinners we must first know what we are talking about and that requires knowledge and wisdom of God’s Word that He has given us.  That requires searching the scriptures for the truth and this will prevent the spreading of false doctrine and teachings so often warned about in the scriptures.  All should often re-read 2 Tim. 2:15.

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What is the reason for asking such questions? It could be that they are searching for a reason explaining why God does what He does. Or perhaps the motive might be to find an excuse to bring judgment on Him like the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees did to Christ.

God knows our motives, heart and thoughts (I Chron.28:9) for asking such questions and since God has given all judgment to the Son (Jn. 5:22; Rom.2:1-8), the Lord Jesus will one day make the rulings about our true intentions.

Common sense tells me of two possible reasons someone might ask this type of question:
1. Because one does not believe what God has told in His Word, we can easily see that this would question the truth of God’s Word. That would mean that all faith in Christ and all the promises made in the Bible would be vain babblings, I Cor.15:2; Titus 1:10, 11.
2. Those asking such questions have not thoroughly “read” the following verses, Romans 1:8-20; 10:18; Titus 2:11 and John 1:9, nor Paul’s sermon on Mar’s Hills in Acts 17:22-34 (paying particular attention to verses 30 and 31). These questioning individuals are ignorant, or unaware of God’s scriptures where God tells us that “all” are aware of Him.

Above in case number one, this person does not believe God’s Word. In the case of number two, this person should know (or be in the process of knowing) the difference. They should be able to show the difference to anyone that should ask such a question of them. This is what “thoroughly” reading the Bible is all about. It’s not that we know everything but it is that we are ignorant of what it says in “all” places. Believe me when I say that everyone is ignorant (unaware) in some way or another about God’s Word. No one will ever exhaust “all” knowledge that is to be found in the Bible. I don’t care how many lifetimes they may spend studying the Word.

The secret to learning the Bible is not complicated. First we have to actually put the Bible into our hands and then do a thorough study of each word, phrase and verse, putting these in context of verse, chapter and book. You have to put things that are alike together in groups, next fit the pieces together to make an ever enlarging picture.

At first the Bible may not make sense, but remember that it is like the many piece jigsaw puzzle. First you have the box in your hand, empty it onto a flat surface (a jumble of pieces right side up, upside down, confusing) but what do you do then? You have to decide if you really want to work it or not. If you do want to work the puzzle, you start grouping pieces that have like characteristics (2Tim.2:15). For instance, starting with the edges first. If you choose not to work the puzzle, put it back in the box and back on the shelf. Does the working of the puzzle sound familiar? It should. It’s done the same way as when you put the pieces of the Bible together.

It’s all about choice. You can work the puzzle. You can study the Bible. You can put the puzzle in the box on the shelf and you can put the Bible back on the shelf. It’s your choice. In either scenario, it takes time and effort and you will have to group like pieces together, things that have common characteristics.
The Bible is that puzzle. The separation of pieces, the grouping together of pieces that are alike and then starting to place those pieces one by one into the place they fit.
What about you? Are you ready and willing to work the puzzle?

What you will see in the end is that the Bible makes a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Questions often brought up on these verses. (1)What is sin? Acting in a way that God does not approve, now this becomes an infringement against God. (2)What does it mean when these verses say that sin is not imputed? To impute means to put on our account or into our personal file. (3) Was Adam’s sin imputed to others? Yes, and how long will this last? (4) Was Christ’s righteousness imputed to others? When did this begin?

Romans 4:15b, for where no law is, there is no transgression. 5:13b, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 2 Cor. 5:19, To wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, that hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Col. 2:13-14, And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he [made alive] together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way nailing it to his cross;

THE LAW was specific and demanded complete obedience to maintain a righteous relationship with God. The LAW was EXACTING and CONDEMING and God said if one broke the LAW then that was a sin and you died (Ez. 18:4; Rom. 3:23 and 6:23). But the characteristic of the LAW came from the traits of God Himself and He expects these rules to be followed by man in order to maintain a righteous relationship with Him. But ever since Adam, man has never been able to step up to that level of accomplishment.

Man has always broken this relationship by violating at least one of these character traits of God. The violation of one (Gal. 5:3) of these traits is called sin. Since God’s judgment or sentence on sin is death (Romans 3:23, 5:12 and 6:23), then in order to be a just God, he must carry out this sentence.

This is God’s commandment given to Adam (Gen. 2:17), if this should bring up the question on how this is accomplished then read Romans 6:1-11. Did God know that man would never be capable of carrying out such a LAW? Sure He did, but through His mercy and grace the Determinate Counsel made a way for man to get back such a relationship with God and this way is what Romans is all about.

What did Christ say about the LAW in Mt. 5:17-18, Think not that I came to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Also Mt. 26:56, But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.

Then in John 19:20, Jesus said, it is finished. What is finished? The O.T. promises, the demands of the LAW and covenants were fulfilled. These are now finished and nailed to His cross, (Col. 2:14). Romans 15:8, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. The demands of the LAW are now finished and we start something new, a New Testament, a New Covenant.

This new group (The Church) will not be subjects of The King, they will be heirs of God. Eph. 4:4-5, But, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. To show that something new was about to happen read Mt. 27:51 where the veil was torn top to bottom allowing access into the Holy of Holies by all (Rom. 5:1-2).

It is a human trait not to like change and Paul had a lot of trouble with those steeped in Judaism trying to bring in his new converts back under the Law. This is what Galatians and Acts chapter 15 are all about. So what did Paul say in his epistle in Gal. 3:10,

For as many as are of the law are under the curse; for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law; 3:24, Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ… 25, But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 4:4 But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 5:4, Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

We know that the LAW CANNOT give any salvation, Gal. 2:16, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the lawfor by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified., and justified means just as if one never sinned. We know that sin cannot enter into heaven; consequently if one is not justified then they cannot enter into heaven. Romans 3:20, Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge if sin. And in 8:3, For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.

THE LAW IS DEAD TODAY FOR THE CHURCH

Romans 7:1-7, 4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ 6. But now we are delivered from the law Col. 2:14, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Eph. 2:11-13, Wherefore, remember that ye, being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands€”12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. 13. But now in Christ Jesus ye who [once] were far off are made [near] by the blood of Christ.

We are or were all sinners that are filthy in unrighteousness, Isa. 64:6. We cannot possible do anything that will save us or make us righteous in God’s sight. God realized that man is hopeless this way so He had to make a way for His fallen creation to get back to a righteous relationship with Him. Since man does not have the ability to bring about his own justification, righteousness or salvation (which was proven by the LAW), God had to just GIVE it to man as a gift. This process was through the mercy and goodness of God and is called Grace. And that is why today we are living in what is called the age of grace.

God paved the road to His riches through His grace, Eph. 2:8-9.

God sent the bus, the means to return to a righteous relationship with God. (Jesus Christ), Jn. 3:17.

God paid for the ticket, (Jesus’ resurrection), Rom. 4:25 and 1 Thess. 1:10.

God offers the ticket as a gift, (Gospel of Grace), 1 Cor. 15:3-4 and Rom. 5:8-11.

But we have to take the ticket and get on the bus, (man’s free will), Rom. 10:9-10.

Man makes the choice, 2 Cor. 6:2.

Who or what is Gog and Magog? Will Armageddon be the first war? Has there been enough revealed to answer these questions? We know that there are going to be wars and rumor of wars (Mt.24:6), but there are at least two major battles in the future. One battle will be at the end of the tribulation and another at the end of the Millennium reign.

Who or what is Gog and Magog? The word Gog is found in eleven places starting with 1 Chron. 5:4, which lists him in the genealogy of Shemaiah. Strong’s Concordance (1463) lists Gog as a name of an Israelite, also of some northern nation.

In the N.T. the word Gog is associated with the antichrist. But I think that we get a better idea of who or what Gog is in Ezekiel 38:2-3, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Mesheck and Tubal and prophesy against him, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Mesheck and Tubal. Here we can see that Gog is a chief prince of Mesheck and Tubal.

The word Magog is found in the Bible in two places, one in Genesis 10:2, The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog€¦ and in 1 Chron. 1:5 stating the same genealogy. Japheth was a son of Noah. Magog is listed in Strong’s Concordance as a son of Japeth; also a barbarous northern region (4031).

Gog is often referred to as the king of Magog a land north of Israel. Today all countries North of Israel is considered its enemies, especially Turkey and Russia. The other name, Armageddon has come up many times in modern day from movies, songs, wars and other topics that are associated with doomsday events.

This is a location and is thought to mean the mountain of Megiddo located on the north side of the plains of Jezreel where many military battles have been fought. Let’s try to shed some light on these battles scripturally and logically.

The Bible prophesies of wars in the latter days (Mt. 24:6) and gives a name for one of them, it is called Armageddon. Gog and Magog are names also associated with these battles. In each case the battle objective is to overtake Jerusalem.

One war mentioned is to be fought at the end of the tribulation and another at the end of the Millennium. First let’s review Armageddon. Armageddon is mentioned one time in the Bible, Rev. 16:16, but is not described here. The account of Armageddon in Revelation found in chapter 19:11-21 has a sparse description, but enough to go on to compare with other scriptures. To get a better picture of these battles one has to use chapters Rev. 6, 19, 20, Ezek. 38 and 39, and Zech. 12 through 14, Mt. 24 and 25 and there are many verses found in other chapters that will offer more information. But the above mentioned will give a good start to the study.

In the Armageddon battle

(1) Christ will be the only one doing the destroying
(2) even though the armies of heaven will also be there (Zech. 14). After
(3) Christ defeats the armies that are attacking Israel
(4) He will cast both the beast and the false prophet into the lake of fire. And this account also reveals that
(5) the fowls will eat the flesh of kings, captains and mighty men. In Zechariah 14 we find that Christ has come back to stand on the Mt of Olives and this is prophesied in Acts 1:11 and this is talking about the
(6) second coming which is right before Christ sets up His kingdom. To read about the battle one will have to start in Zech. 12 and read through 14. He reason we can pinpoint this particular battle is because we know
(7) when it is to happen. In many of these battles the enemies attacks from the North.

Now the second battle that the Bible speaks of has often been called the battle of Gog and Magog. But Gog and Magog is spoken of in both Ezekiel 38 and 39 and also in Rev. 20:8. But these are clearly not the same battle.

In Rev. 20, verses 1 and 2 tells us of events that happen at the end of the battle named Armageddon, the battle spoken of earlier. Here an angel binds Satan a thousand years and this is at the start of the Millennium. At the end of this period verses 3 and 7 tells us that Satan must be loosed out of his prison.

Satan is loosed to gather nations together for one final battle. The two names mentioned here are Gog and Magog, same names as in Ezekiel, consequently they must be involved in at least both of these battles. But we know that these are different battles because this particular battle (1) ends with Satan being put into the lake of fire and the (2) rest were devoured by fire (not fowls) that came down from God (v. 9). (3) They were not buried by the Israeli, they were devoured, consumed by God’s fire. (4) After this post Millennium battle we have the destruction of heaven and earth and the Great White Throne. After the first battle there is time to bury the dead, etc. but not after the last battle.

Now in Ezekiel 38 and 39 the dead of this battle was ravished by birds and the burying detail went on for seven months. Also you will find that these were also slain by God, but with plagues, turning one against the other (38:21) similar to what happened in the O. T. God also used rain, great hailstones and brimstones. But this battle gives no time for it to happen.

In Zechariah 14 it talks about Christ’s feed standing on the Mt. of Olives. Here a time is given, the second return of Christ. This is the same time and in the same location as the battle of Armageddon, so logically it is another account of the same battle.

The results of comparing the battles show that there are similarities of nations and weapons used by God to defeat the individual armies in these different battles. But remember Christ’s warning in Mathew 24:6, And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars€¦.

Also remember in Rev., 6:3-4, the red horse of war in the second seal. Therefore, it is probable that multiple wars will be scatted though out the entire tribulation and that Gog and Magog will be involved with several if not all battles.

Christ, God the Son verified in Mt. 8:29, and Satan, the god of this world, 2 Cor. 4:4 are at “enmity” with each other, Gen. 3:15.  There is no question but Christ stands for good and Satan stands for evil.  But think about this for a second, that one could not be known without the other.  For at this present time we need both, this will force man to use his God given “free will” and make a choice. 

Good is often represented by the word light and evil by the word darkness in the Bible.  The two cannot exist in the same space, they are totally opposites.  Light overpowers darkness, Jn. 1:5 and Christ says that, “I am the light of the world”, Jn. 8:12.   Satan is linked to darkness, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against; powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.    And 2 Cor. 6:14, “…And what communion hath light with darkness?”  Just like the reaction between light and darkness, turn the lights on in a dark room and darkness flees, turn the lights off and darkness returns. 

The conflict is over the relationship of God the Father with man.  Satan’s goal is to drive man away from God, but through Christ is found the way back to God.  We find this conflict first prophesied in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he (Christ) shall bruise thy head, and thou (Satan) shalt bruise his heel”.  The first major face off happened during the first advent found in Mt. 4:1-11,”Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil…”  the next major encounter will be at the second advent when Christ has an angel to bind Satan for a thousand years, Rev, 20:2-3.  And the final battle is found a few verses later 20:7-10 and Satan “was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever”.

Jesus leads the way.

Jesus says, “I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”, Jn. 8:12.   And those that believe in Jesus, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (17) And if children, then heirs-heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ-if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”   Rom. 8:14, 17.   Paul talking to the believers also said in 1 Thess. 5:4-5, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all children of light, and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”  So for the believer, those that follow Christ are not still in darkness (evil) ways.  The believer is to be Christ-like (that is what the word Christian means) and therefore follow good not evil.  But we know that even though we are Christians we still are in our physical (carnal, evil) bodies.  John writes in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”  Yes, we still have a physical body and occasionally this carnal or Adam nature will win out at times and we will sin.  What do we do then?  That what John was telling us is to do, our very best not to sin, but if and when it happens Christ is there at the right hand of the Father pleading our case.  But also before God is another there accusing us of each sin day and night.  Rev. 12:10, “…for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night”.  Satan is there and each time we sin he is telling God now look at so and so, look at that sin, and then Christ will respond and say to the Father that we are one of His and that our sin has already been paid for by the shedding of His own blood.  Of course, that probably is not literally what is said, but hopefully there is enough there for you to get the idea.

Christ the mediator.  1 Tim. 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus”.  Heb. 8:6, “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises”.  Heb. 12:24, “And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel”.    Peter also warns us of the devil by saying, 1 Pt. 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil. Like a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;” 

We have two places in the Bible that talks about Satan’s origin.  He was covered with every precious stone, anointed as a cherub, Ez. 28:12-15.  Satan’s sin Isa. 14:12-14, “How are thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of morning!  How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will set also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High (Christ)”.  Ez. 28:16-17, “By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee, with violence, and thou hast sinned; therefore, I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God,  and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.”   God says that Satan will be punished.

Power of Satan is spoken of in many places in the Bible.  So one should never, never underestimate his power.  Michael would not rebuke Satan, Jude 9, “Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”  Eph. 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.  A Christian does not have to go looking for this evil, it will come to him.

How does one fight against such evil? How did Jesus fight Satan in the wilderness?  How will Christ fight Satan at Gog and MaGog?   He will with the sword that comes out of His mouth, the word, just speaking to cause a plague.

How are we to fight against these powers?  Go back to Ephesians 6:11-20 and here we find that we are to “Put on the whole armor of God…, loins girded about with truth,… breastplate of righteousness…feet shod with preparation of the gospel…shield of faith…helmet of salvation…sword of the Spirit… (and all of these come from where) which is the word of God”.

One thing I have assurance of is that in the life after this, everything for everyone will be different.

But we can look to see the light at the end of the tunnel in that New Heaven and New Earth where there is no evil.

 What is the main thing a Christian should look for when someone is teaching Scripture.  The Christian should be looking for “TRUTH”.   I will tell you where to find truth.  I will give an example of something someone wrote in the paper that is not scripturally correct and give scriptural reproof using the Bible why such statement is not scripturally true.  Many claim to teach and explain Biblical truths, but some of these are not in line with the Scriptures even when they quote a verse to validate their statements.  Most often the verse is taken out of context and once in a while the verse is just plain misused.   The condition of the proclaimer and also the reaction of the hearer concerns me.  The proclaimer is taking a position of authority or an elder of the Scriptures and what they say is most generally taken as truth by inexperienced Christians.  This can be very detrimental to the growth of new Christians.  It is a fact that most Americans do not like change, the same holds true with false teachings about scripture and doctrine, once someone believes one way it requires much more evidence to win over that individual to the truth. 

The example, I recently read in an editorial that the grave is the end of conscious existence for the unbeliever.  Does this raise a question with you?  It should!  Then we should look it up and find what the Scriptures say?  1 Cor. 2:13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual”.  What one reads or hears from those who are supposed to know the “truth” is sometimes not scriptural.  So always compare man’s words to the Bible. 

Where do Christians go to find truth?  In Sunday School?  The church?  I wish that that one always heard the truth in church, but sometimes it is not the truth.  Some have succumbed to what Paul called social pressure, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itchy ears; and they shall turn away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”.    Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying “don’t go to church and listen to the sermons”.  What I am saying is for one to study and  become familiar with the Bible so you will recognize the “truth” when you hear it, 2 Tim. 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.  Then you can make a wise judgment to whom you want to listen and believe.  1 Jn. 4:12, “…try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world”.   What does the Bible say about seeking the truth?  Jn. 8:31-32, here Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.  And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”.  Jesus said that if we follow what He tells us then we are following the truth.  Jn. 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him. I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto Father, but by me”.  Again Jesus is saying follow me I am the truth.  And what is the best source to learn of Jesus?  The Bible.   Eph. 4:21, “If so that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus”.  Eph. 4:14-15, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive; But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is the head, even Christ;”.  Become mature knowledgeable Christians to avoid the pitfalls of man.   Gal. 5:7-8, “Ye did well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?  The persuasion cometh not of him that called you”.  It didn’t come from Jesus, He does not mislead anyone.  In Gal. 1:7-9 Paul rebukes false teachers, “…but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again.  If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”.  Christians are told to search for the truth by Dt. 13:14, “Then shall thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and behold, if it be truth, and the things certain, that such abominations is wrought among you”.   Ps. 33:4, “For the word of the LORD is right, and all his works are done in truth”.  Jn. 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth”.  The word, our Bible is truth, and who will guide us in the reading of his word?  Jn. 16:13, Nevertheless, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth;…”.  God the Holy Spirit indwells in us today and is our guide.   Rom. 1:15, “Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie,…”.  False teachers.  Gal. 3:1, “O Foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been openly set forth, crucified among you”?  1 John 4:1, “Beloved believe not every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world”.   Here we have several scriptures telling us that Jesus is the “TRUTH”.   And the Bible is the truth.  And that many false prophets are telling things that are not true.  Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and life, Jn. 14:6.  Jesus also said that the devil has no truth in him, Mt. 8:44.  We must go to Jesus for truth and we will find Him in the Bible.

At the beginning I mentioned the editorial about the grave being the place where the unbeliever would remain in an unconscious state and I also said that I would present Scriptures that illustrate otherwise.  First of all let’s get a little background of man and his physical death.  Paul said that a believer has a spirit, soul and body, 1 Thess. 5:23, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  In Gen 35:18 we find at physical death the body is separated from the soul, “And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name…”.  Rachel’s soul left her body at death.  Again in Heb. 4:12 we find the separation of the body and soul, “…even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit…”.  Now the physical body goes to the six foot hole in the ground.  The soul and the spirit go other places.  Lk. 16:19-31 tells where the souls went before the resurrection of Christ.  The rich man went to hell and on the other side of the “great fixed gulf” in Abraham’s bosom (paradise) was Lazarus.  David is quoted in Acts 2:27 as saying, “Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou allow thine Holy One to see corruption”.  So where is the soul at that time?  In hell, now don’t forget that hell was divided at this time, Lk. 16.  I think that there is enough evidence to show that the body is one place and a very conscious, knowing, feeling soul is in another.   Death is just a tollgate and after this physical death you do not remain unconscious.  Now these next scriptures follow up what hell is like and how long it lasts for the unbeliever.   Mt. 18:8-9, “Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than, having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than, having two eyes, be cast into hell fire”.   Here in verse 8 we can see the time element word, “everlasting” and in verse 9 we can see the subject “hell” and we can also see what is in hell, “fire”. 

At the end of the tribulation we read about the judgment of the sheep and goats, Mt. 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand [the goats or unsaved], Depart from me ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels;”.  The goat or unsaved here is man and his judgment is to be put into a place of everlasting fire.  2 Thess. 1:8-9, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power,”.  Again the word “everlasting” is used.   Mt. 13:41-42, “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them who do iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth”.   An expansion on, Lk. 16:19-31 tells of the story of the rich man and Lazarus.  I feel that this is a story and not a parable as some claim, for this story uses names and parables do not use names.  Here the rich man is conscious, sees, feels, thirsts, has memory, tormented in flames, and talks to others.  Rev. 20:10 tells of the place called the “lake of fire and brimstone” where the devil was cast to be “tormented day and night forever and ever.”  The verse 14 tells us that those rise from the dead [unbelievers] they will be judged and “cast into the lake of fire”.  The Bible says nothing about there being two “lakes of fire” so I will have to assume that the lake of fire that the devil is sent to will be the same for the unbelievers. 

Many scriptures have been presented to let you see what Jesus, John, Peter and Paul have said about whether or not hell exists and if it is everlasting.  These scriptures certainly would not give me the opinion that hell is just a place the unbeliever goes after death where they remain in an unconscious state.  If they were unconscious they would have no feelings, emotions or knowledge of surroundings.  I hope this is enough Scriptures to convince one that the grave is not the end.  I want to believe that the ones that teach things like this do it out of ignorance, and not out of a willing ignorance (2 Pt. 3:5).  Nonetheless it is apparent that they have not made a diligent study of the Scriptures on the subject.  I pray for these individuals to search the scriptures and I also feel that they should not rest their case on just one verse.  This is what Peter was saying in 2 Pt. 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”.   All who proclaim or teach the scriptures to others should memorize 2 Tim. 2:15 and include this in their daily prayer, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.  Following with verses 24-26, “And the servant if the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose him, if God, perhaps, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will”. 

If people are teaching false doctrine in ignorance, then we need to pray for them.  If they are teaching false doctrine for some reason other than ignorance, then Paul said in Gal. 1:8-9 to let them be accursed.  2 Tim. 3:7 and 13 prophesying about the last days shows the people will be, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.  And v. 13, “But evil men and seducers shall become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived”.  Again we need to be aware what Peter said in 2 Pt. 2:1-3, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in destructive heresies…And many shall follow their pernicious ways…And through covetousness shall they, with feigned words, make merchandise of you;…”. 

It is the Christian’s responsibility to be wise, alert and to know the truth.  Eph. 4:14-15 says that we are not to be children, we are to mature in knowledge of the Bible so we will not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive…”. 

What can Christians do?

1.  Listen with discernment.   Heb. 5:14
2. Remember that which does not sound right then look it up in the Bible.  Dt. 13:14.
3. Follow along with the speaker in your Bible.  Remember the Bible has the final say in “truth”. Jn. 8:31.
4. We are all human and humans make mistakes.  Only God is omniscient.  Job chapters 38-41.
5. God gave us His word so we would have access to the truth.  2 Tim. 3:16.  But God has also given us free will, so it is our choice whether or not we study the Bible.
6. It is the Christian’s responsibility to grow, mature and to learn of God.  2 Tim. 2:15.
7. We can only point out the truth of scriptures, we can’t make others believe it.  They also have been given free will about accepting the truth or not.

I can only hope that this has enlightened you to the fact that there are false teachings presented to any who will listen.  I also hope that this will give you some tools if you choose to seek out the real truth.

In this world people tell us many things about what God wants us to do.   If one visits several different churches, you will probably hear many conflicting statements concerning doctrine (something taught as a creed of one’s religion).  Just take, for example the one topic of Hell.  Some say there is no Hell, some say that God will never send anyone to Hell.  Some say that when they die that is the end of all conscious life.  Of course this is just one topic out of many.  Others say that Christ was a good man, got married, had children, and lived a long life.  Yet in another service you could hear something about how we must tithe, follow the Mosaic Law, others say that when you put all gods together it makes up The God, and the list is endless.  What are we Christians to believe when different people who present themselves as knowledgeable of the Bible give us contradictory statements.  And this is exactly how most Christians can be lead in a wrong direction.  The majority of Christians sits in church listening to someone preach.  Now don’t get me wrong, this is great as long as the preacher is Scripturally sound.  Which brings us around to my major point.  How do we know when a teacher, preacher or proclaimer of the Bible is telling us the truth?  How do we know that he is Scripturally sound?  Or perhaps a better question is do we ever even question whether this person is Scripturally sound of not?  Should our faith be put in what man tells us is right or should it be in what God tells us is right?  Now we all know the answer to that.  And we also know that the people in the various churches cannot be right when they disagree with what the Scripture says.  A wise man once said that when this happens there is a very good chance that both are wrong.

1. Personally I become very uneasy when a man gets up to proclaim the word ofGod without a Bible.  I need to see and hear him back up his points with God’s words not his own.
2.  2 Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”. Meaning that an interpretation is not isolated from what the Scripture says in other places.  Therefore, major points should be backed up by more than one Scripture.
3. When you are listening to someone how can you be sure if you are listening to the truth or not?    There is only one absolute source concerning the truth about God.  This is His Word, the Bible.  And the only way that one is going to find out the truth is to study God’s Word.  That means that one will have to spend time actually studying the Bible.  2 Tim. 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.    The Bible is the tool that God gave us to use and if we decide not to use it then we will be at the whim of any proclaimer.   And sooner or later, we will run into what 2 Tim. 4:3-4 is talking about, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but, after their own lusts, shall they heap to themselves teacher, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”.  The warning here is that we must stay vigilant to make a distinction between what man says and what God says.  We must constantly be comparing what man proclaims and the “truth”.

 Acts 5:29, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered, (the Sadducees) and said, We ought to obey God rather than men”.  There are several verses that will give us insight to such a question.  Heb. 13:9, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines . . .”.   1 Thess. 2:4, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men but God, who trieth our hearts”. 

What does Paul say about those who misrepresent the truth?  Gal. 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are do soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.  Which is not another; but there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again,  If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”. 

I feel that these are strong words that Paul has said about those that misrepresent the truth and I certainly cannot add to such strong warnings.  2 Peter 2:1, “But there were false prophets; also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction”. 

And as a final Scripture, 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, like a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;”.
Remember if one is not proclaiming the “truth” then it is not of God.   And if the teaching is not of God, then it must be of the devil. 

 Would like to thank all for the prayers.  May God’s grace bless you abundantly.

What does the word “church” mean?  Is it a word that has changed meaning over the years?   The word church means a calling out of people such as an assembly or group for a specific cause.  Now this cause could be for religious purposes, but it could also be for any purpose that anyone might call, such as a town or committee meeting.  The word “church” is often associated with a building where religious people assemble for worship.  This use of the word church is used in the Bible for the building at Ephesus, Galatia, Thessalonica, Jerusalem and the ones mentioned in Revelation. 

The church is actually the group of people that are referred to as Christians today, ones who are reborn by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12:13-28.  This is a body of people that are selected during the time (dispensation) after the law was completed (“it is finished” Jn. 19:30), until the rapture occurs (the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:14-17).  The church is referred to under many names, as the “body of Christ” (Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18), the “bride of Christ” (Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2) and also as those in the “dispensation of grace”.  The seal (proof) of a member of the church is the “indwelling” Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) within the Christian.

The Old Testament has not one prophesy mentioning the “Church Age”.  But one must remember that while studying the Bible one must read what it says and also “read” what it does not say.  There is no mention of the word church until Mt. 16:18 and this word is the Greek word ekklesia which is a verb meaning to call out.  This word is used to depict an assembly or gathering of people together for a specific purpose.

The Old Testament goes from talking about Christ’s first coming (first advent) straight into the second.  This is why the Apostles felt that they were in the “last days” and they were very soon to go into tribulation and then the Kingdom.  Examples of these scriptures are found:

Joel 2:28 and 29, they take us up to Pentecost, but verse 30 goes straight into the tribulation.

Ps. 2:1-4 talks about how the nations together crucify Christ and then in verse 5 talks about the tribulation.

Ps. 118:22 talks about the refusal of Christ and straight into the Kingdom.

Isa. 9:6 from His birth straight to His government.

Isa. 61:1-2 from preaching the good tidings to tribulation to millennium.

Dan. 9:24 from making a payment for sin to Kingdom.

Zech.  9:9-10; Lk. 1:31-32; Acts 2: 7, 12, 17-21; Acts 15: 15-16, etc.

The mystery of the church age, the taking out of the world a body for Christ, the time from when the Holy Spirit started “indwelling” up to the time of the rapture was not revealed to just anyone, it was revealed to Paul (Rom. 16:25; Gal 1:16:  Eph. 3:3).   Paul brought his gospel (good news) to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected his message just the same as they did Christ’s good news of the kingdom.  For this reason the Jews as a nation are spiritually “blinded” (2 Cor. 3:14) as well as the lost are blinded (2 Cor. 4:4).

As Paul says in 1 Cor. Chapter one, when we are sanctified by being called by Jesus Christ who is going to faithfully keep us to the end (rapture) so we can be presented that day blameless (bema seat).  What a beautiful time (church age) we are so fortunate to live so we can have such an opportunity that has never been offered before, nor will ever be offered again.  How long will this opportunity continue?   Paul writing to Christians said in 1 Thess 5:4, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.”  Remember this is to Christians and this scripture is not in conflict with Mt. 16:1-3.  Who was Jesus talking to?  Hypocrites, not Christians, these are among the lost and as mentioned before in 2 Cor. 4:4 the lost are blinded by the god of this world (Satan) who does not want the light (word of God) to shine and light up the “Truth” to their understanding.