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Understanding What We Preach

Basic biblical Christian doctrines

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44 views310 pages

Understanding What We Preach

Basic biblical Christian doctrines

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research

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

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Understanding what we Preach

from the Ekklesia Research Group

Artwork edited from Coral Clipart, 1998, using CoralDraw Home X6

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Index

Introduction ........................................................................................ 4

Chapter 1: The Gospel of the Kingdom

1.1: The Gospel ...................................................................... 5
1.2: Kingdom of the Heart ...................................................... 9
1.3: A Heart of Slavery ........................................................... 15
1.4: The Wrath of God............................................................ 21
1.5: Delivered from Sin and Death ......................................... 27

Chapter 2: The Gospel of Grace

2.1: Justified........................................................................... 33
2.2: Righteousness ................................................................. 40
2.3: Sanctification .................................................................. 46
2.4: Grace to the Humble ....................................................... 52
2.5: God’s Love and Grace ...................................................... 57

Chapter 3: The Gospel of Salvation

3.1: Salvation ......................................................................... 61
3.2: Being Saved ..................................................................... 67
3.3: Are Saved ........................................................................ 72
3.4: All Men to be Saved ........................................................ 77
3.5: To be Saved ..................................................................... 81

Chapter 4: God as our Father

4.1: Father, Son and Holy Spirit .............................................. 86
4.2: All in a Name ................................................................... 92
4.3: YHVH .............................................................................. 97
4.4: Jesus Reveals the Father ................................................. 103
4.5: Chastisement from a Father ............................................ 108

Chapter 5: From the Feasts to the Cross

5.1: Slaves in Egypt ................................................................ 115
5.2: Times .............................................................................. 120
5.3: The Spring Feasts ............................................................ 128
5.4: Christ the Passover Lamb ................................................ 135
2.5: Christ the First Fruit ........................................................ 141

Chapter 6: The New Covenant

6.1: Pentecost ........................................................................ 148

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6.2: Negating the New Covenant ............................................ 155
6.3: New or Renewed ............................................................ 161
6.4: The Covenant of Circumcision ........................................ 167
6.5: The Law of the Spirit ....................................................... 174

Chapter 7: In His Rest

7.1: The Sabbath (Shabat) Millennial ...................................... 181
7.2: In His Rest ....................................................................... 187
7.3: Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) ..................................... 195
7.4: The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) ............................... 203
7.5: The Feast of Tabernacle (Sukkot)..................................... 211

Part 8: Judgment to Come

8.1: From Tribulation to Millennial ......................................... 216
8.2: The Seven Years Tribulation ............................................ 222
8.3: The Mark and Armageddon ............................................ 227
8.4: Millennial Worship ......................................................... 232
8.5: Gog and Magog ............................................................... 237

Chapter 9: The Afterlife

9.1: Hades .............................................................................. 243
9.2: Sheol ............................................................................... 248
9.3: Defining Death ................................................................ 253
9.4: Jesus in Hades ................................................................. 258
9.5: Tartaroo .......................................................................... 263

Part 10: Eternal Life

10.1: Gehenna ....................................................................... 268
10.2: Two Judgments ............................................................. 273
10.3: The Resurrection .......................................................... 278
10.4: The Second Death ........................................................ 283
10.5: Everlasting Life .............................................................. 288

Question and Answers ......................................................................... 295

Bibliography ........................................................................................ 300

Contact ................................................................................................ 303

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Introduction

I must admit that I wrote this study in response to Bible teachers who elevate their
knowledge and doctrines above the unity of Christ’s church. I don’t claim that my
perspective on these topics represents the ultimate truth; rather, they present
reasonable arguments against those who make such claims. My goal with these
topics is to demonstrate that the apparent watchmen of the modern church lack the
justification they claim to divide the church. While we currently know only in part,
full understanding will come when we see Jesus face to face. Until then, let’s explore
these teachings together without causing division, as long as these doctrines don’t
lead us away from Christ.

Christianity isn’t solely about having the right doctrine; it’s about having the right
Person, Jesus Christ. The essence of Christianity lies not in believing the right things
but in placing our faith in the right Person—Jesus Christ. Many Bible doctrines are
peripherals, and their significance is determined by their impact on our relationship
with the Father through His Son, the One who died for us.

I explore a range of topics that address these peripherals—subjects that are

interesting and may (or may not) impact the way we conduct ourselves wisely in this
world. Nevertheless, I don’t consider these peripherals significant enough to cause
division in the church. On the other hand, there are certain topics on which I place
much more emphasis due to their profound impact on our relationship with our
Father in heaven and our eternal destination through His Son.

My aim is to present my understanding of these subjects in harmony with all scrip-

tures, avoiding any form of scriptural gymnastics. If my understanding is correct,
those led by the Holy Spirit will find it easy to reconcile what I’ve written with all of
scripture.

Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those
things were so. (King James Version - KJV)

Please take note that all Bible quotations are taken from the King James Version
abbreviated as: (KJV), unless specified otherwise. All bible texts are copied from e-
Sword version: 13.0.0. Texts that are formatted in bold and/or underline are done for
emphasis to highlight certain points.

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Chapter 1: The Gospel of the Kingdom
1.1: The Gospel

What does the term “gospel” mean? The word originates from the Greek
“euangelion,” initially signifying “a reward for good tidings.” Over time, the notion of
“reward” was abandoned, and the word came to represent “the good news” or “the
good message.” In the present day, the term “gospel” has taken on various meanings
in the secular world that don’t necessarily adhere to the Bible. For example,
individuals might refer to policy manuals in a company that must be taken seriously
as “the gospel” of the company. Others might use the phrase “the gospel truth” to
underscore the reliability of the information they are presenting.

Similarly, different Christian groups and denominations have offered various

interpretations of the gospel, often supporting their views by attaching specific
verses. Regrettably, our understanding and interpretations of the gospel are
frequently influenced more by our individualistic, humanistic mindsets than by a
genuine adherence to biblical teachings. Our personal experiences, cultural
background, and the society in which we live shape our value systems and,
consequently, our belief systems. What we might perceive as good news in today’s
self- and pleasure-centered society would likely differ significantly from what was
considered good news in biblical times.

For instance, in today’s context, almost everybody would consider winning the
lottery as “good news.” Conversely, if you were to tell a woman today that God is
going to bless her with seven sons, it’s doubtful she would perceive it as “good
news.” However, in eastern cultures during biblical times, women placed immense
value on having seven sons, prioritizing it over winning a lottery. Their entire value
system revolved around the ability to bring forth and secure an heir for their
husband. Many women today might ridicule this value system.

So, we can agree that what we consider today as the gospel or good news is closely
tied to our value system. If our modern value systems differ from those of the
cultures in the Bible, it is likely that our perception of what constitutes good news
has also changed. This, inevitably, affects how we interpret Scripture concerning the
gospel message. Allow me to provide some examples of the various views that have
developed throughout history regarding the gospel message.

The Eastern Orthodox Church gradually separated from the Western Catholic Church,
ultimately culminating in the Great Schism of 1054 AD. Unlike the Catholic Church,
which adheres to Augustine’s view, the Eastern Orthodox Church rejects the notion
that humanity inherits the guilt of Adam’s sin. 1. Instead, the Eastern Orthodox

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perspective asserts that we only suffer the consequences of Adam and Eve’s
transgressions without sharing in the guilt. According to the Eastern Orthodox
Church, these consequences manifest as being born into a fallen world, where we
may be drawn toward the pleasures of sin, leading us to transgress against God and,
in the process, damaging our divine image.

The Eastern Orthodox belief holds that sin represents a departure from the divine
nature of God’s image. In this context, the gospel is viewed as a call to repentance,
achieved through baptism, aimed at restoring individuals to union with God. This
restored union not only brings individuals back into communion with God but also
reinstates the fallen image with which they were originally created. Through this
process, believers embark on a journey towards reclaiming the divine image
bestowed upon them by God. This transformative journey commences on earth and
extends beyond death. Central to this perspective is the idea that individuals possess
the choice to participate in this journey with God, restoring their image and
communion with Him. Practices such as meditation, prayers, and other religious
activities serve as means to commune with Christ, who sacrificed for humanity and
was resurrected.2.

The Catholic Church maintains the belief that all humanity shares in the guilt of Adam
and Eve’s sin. The consequence of this original sin is not only the damage to our di-
vine nature but also our culpability for breaking God’s commandments. According to
Catholic doctrine, baptism, often administered in infancy, serves as the means
through which individuals are infused with God’s grace, partaking in Christ’s divine
nature. This initiates a lifelong journey of living out this divine nature, but due to the
persistent influence of sin, regular cleansing through penance is deemed necessary.

However, despite these efforts, the Catholic Church teaches that the extent of one’s
penance is uncertain, leading to the possibility of additional purification through the
process of purgatory after death. 3.

In the 16th century, a Catholic monk named Luther grappled with profound feelings
of inadequacy in striving to obtain God’s justification through resisting temptation.
Luther found himself in a constant state of anguish, tirelessly attempting to cleanse
himself of sin. His uncertainty extended to whether he truly experienced a genuine
sense of penance for his sins, questioning the authenticity of his remorse in seeking
God’s justification.

In his quest for answers, Luther turned to the Scriptures and had a revelation. He
came to the understanding that justification and cleansing from sin could only be

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achieved through faith, rather than through the acts of penance or efforts of re-
morse. Luther concluded that we are cleansed and justified solely by placing faith in
the complete work of Christ on the cross. 4.

Calvinism, which evolved into Reformed theology, builds upon Luther’s teachings by
emphasizing the idea that it is good news that God chose us for salvation because, in
their view, we are inherently unable to make that choice. According to Reformed
theology, many adherents assert that regeneration must occur before one can have
faith. From their perspective, humans are spiritually dead in sin, rendering them in-
capable of having faith in God. In essence, God must first regenerate individuals in
their spirits before they gain the capacity to have faith in Christ. This, they believe, is
solely by God’s grace. The role of individuals is limited to being grateful and joyful
that God has chosen them for salvation.

In the Reformed theological framework, those who do not persevere in faith until the
end are seen as never having been saved in the first place. According to this perspec-
tive, the ability to maintain faith is attributed to God’s regeneration work, and those
who fall away were never recipients of this divine intervention. 5.

Arminianism, a variant from Calvinism that also upholds the belief of ‘once saved,
always saved,’ diverges in its views on predestination. In the early 17th century,
Jacobus Arminius argued against the notion that we have no choice in our salvation.
Instead, he asserted that God grants us grace to enable our belief. 6.

While there is no explicit record of Arminius’ view on ‘once saved, always saved that I
could find,’ many within the Arminian tradition argue that once a person is born
again, they cannot lose their salvation. According to this perspective, if someone
forsakes their faith, it is attributed to the belief that they did not experience a
genuine conversion initially or were not truly regenerated by God’s Spirit.

A variant often referred to as the ‘gospel of grace’ or ‘hyper grace’ can be traced
back to a doctrine originally termed ‘Antinomianism’ by Luther, derived from the
Greek meaning ‘against law.’ Luther addressed the teachings of Johann Agricola
concerning the role of God’s Law in the lives of Christians 7.

Similar to John Calvin, Agricola also converted to Luther’s Protestant movement,

which emphasized faith alone as justifying a believer. However, Agricola diverged in
his preaching, asserting that no form of works held any relevance to the gospel.
While Luther emphasized the importance of preaching the law to help Christians
understand the necessity of God’s grace through Christ, Agricola argued that grace is
entirely free from the judgment of the law. According to Agricola, the law should not

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be incorporated into the grace message of the gospel.

Hyper grace, subscribing to the ‘once saved, always saved’ doctrine, asserts that once
an individual believes in Christ Jesus, they can never lose their salvation. Where this
perspective differs from previous views of God’s grace is in rejecting the requirement
of endurance of faith as proof of being born again. Hyper grace proponents argue
that insisting on maintaining faith as a requirement is a form of manipulating works.
According to this belief, once a person is born again, they can never lose their
salvation, even if they lose their faith and do not endure to the end in the walk of
faith.

The Universalists take the gospel of grace one step further by asserting that everyone
will eventually be saved because of what Christ has done. They argue that since
Christ died for all, salvation is available to all. According to this perspective, every
individual will be saved sooner or later. Universalists believe that accepting salvation
now allows one to enjoy the fellowship with the Father immediately. Alternatively,
those who do not accept it now may go through a form of purgatory to purge all
rebellion from their hearts, but ultimately, everyone will be saved. 8.

In the 18th century, John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist church, built
his views on the teachings of Jacobus Arminius, who rejected the Reformers’
perspective on predestination. Like Arminius, Wesley believed that, by the grace of
God, allowing God’s Spirit to work within us enables victory over the power of sin in
our lives. However, Wesley departed from the notion of ‘once saved, always saved.’
Instead, he emphasized that it is not merely a one-time act of faith that saves us but
rather a daily walk of faith. 9.

I acknowledge that these summaries are somewhat condensed, and I have omitted
some details regarding the perspectives among Christian groups on the gospel.
Additionally, there are many other views that I have not mentioned. One of these,
which I will explore in later chapters, is the perspective of Torah observers, such as
the Hebrew Roots and Sabbatarians. My objective here is to emphasize how one’s
culture, social environment, and personal experiences likely play an important role in
interpreting Scripture regarding the gospel.

What is noteworthy is that in each of the views I mentioned above, we do find

support in Scripture. However, the error, I believe, lies in our tendency to filter our
doctrine through an inconsistent set of suppositions influenced by our personal
experiences. This often leads us to deliberately ignore Scriptures that may contradict
our established views. The singular truth we discover sometimes clashes so forcefully
with other truths that we inadvertently push ourselves outside the whole counsel of

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God’s Word.

In the rest of this study, I am going to attempt, by God’s grace, to harmonize

Scripture in such a way that I don’t fall into the same trap of cognitive dissonance
that we all so often and so easily fall into. Father God, let your Spirit of truth lead us
into all truth, who is Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

1. W.E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine Copyright Ltd., Bath, England
and Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN (Bath, England & Nashwille, 1984, 1996.) “gospel” e-Sword 13.0.0
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church, https://saintpaulemmaus.org/for-visitors/what-is-the-gospel-
message/, 24 September 2022
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_(theology), 18 June 2022
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology_of_Martin_Luther, 18 June 2022
5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Calvinism, 2022/06/11
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminianism, 2022/06/11
7. https://www.britannica.com/topic/antinomianism, 2022/06/11
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_universalism, 2022/06/11
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley, 2022/06/18
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_Roots, 2022/06/27

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1.2: Kingdom of the Heart

Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease among the people. (KJV)

Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent
ye, and believe the gospel. (KJV)

Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (KJV)

Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom
of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
women. (KJV)

Act 19:8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three
months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his
lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them
concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from
morning till evening. (KJV)

In my previous book, ‘Church at Home,’ specifically in Chapter One titled ‘The

Ekklesia Gathering,’ 1. I referenced that there are more than 140 verses in the New
Testament alone that speak about the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. To
the Jews, the kingdom of heaven meant the same thing as the kingdom of God, as
heaven is seen as God’s throne. Therefore, the kingdom of God is synonymous with
the Kingdom of Heaven. This raises two important questions: Number one, what is
the Kingdom of God? Number two, what does the Kingdom of God have to do with
the good news?

The Greek word for kingdom is “basileia.” The meaning of “basileia” or kingdom has
remained constant in most cultures today. 2. It denotes a territory where one person
rules over others. The ruler possesses dominion and sovereignty, allowing them to
dictate how things must run in the territory they rule.

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Near the end of Jesus’ ministry, just before His crucifixion, Jesus asked His disciples
what people thought of Him. After they responded, Jesus posed another question to
them. We read in:

Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church [ekklesia]; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (KJV)

The revelation that Jesus is the Christ is the foundation upon which the church is
built. But what is the significance of Jesus being the Christ? The term “Christ” is de-
rived from the Greek word “Christos” and the Hebrew word “Messiah,” both mean-
ing “the Anointed One.” 3.

In the Old Testament, anointing was a ceremonial act signifying the appointment of
someone to function either as a Priest or as a King over Israel. Prophets used the
term “The Anointed One” to indicate the anticipated King over Israel, descended
from the line of David, who would establish God’s Kingdom on Earth. Therefore, the
church is built on the revelation that Jesus is the King, the Messiah, of God’s King-
dom.

The gospel of the kingdom revolves around the awaited One of God, destined to rule
as King and establish God’s righteousness and judgment on Earth. We read about this
in:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall
be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty
God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will
perform this. (KJV)

This everlasting kingdom of God would come from the tribe of Judah, from the line of

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David:

1Ch 28:4 Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father
to be king over Israel for ever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the
house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me
to make me king over all Israel: (KJV)

Further on, we read about God’s kingdom being prophesied about in:

Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,
which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but
it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for
ever. (KJV)

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with
the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all
people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting
dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed. (KJV)

Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star
in the east, and are come to worship him. (KJV)

The gospel of the kingdom is closely tied to Christ’s rule. Some hyper grace teachers
deny any connection between the kingdom of God and the Gentiles. They argue that
the gospel of grace is meant for the Gentiles, while the gospel of the kingdom is
reserved for the Jews in a future time. This perspective stems from the doctrine of
dispensationalism, formulated by John Nelson Darby in the mid-19th century. I’ll
delve deeper into the differences between dispensationalism and covenant theology
at a later stage. For now, it’s crucial to note that this extreme view of
dispensationalism, where the gospel of the kingdom excludes the Gentiles, finds little
basis in Scripture. In fact, consider what Paul writes to the Gentile church in:

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1Th 2:12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom
and glory. (KJV)

Prosperity teachers assert that the kingdom of God is centered on our prosperity and
health. However, Scripture teaches a different perspective, emphasizing that the
kingdom of God is primarily concerned with righteousness and justice flowing from
Christ’s rule over people’s hearts. This understanding underscores the importance of
a church meeting being an “ekklesia” judicial gathering, addressing the affairs of
God’s kingdom and His righteousness. This stands in contrast to a mere religious
public performance aimed at seeking blessings from God. 1.

So, how is the gospel of Christ’s rule good news? The Scribes and the Pharisees com-
prehended that the awaited Christ would establish God’s kingdom, and this King
would consequently be their Savior. The challenge was rooted in their erroneous
value system, leading them to misconstrue what this King would save them from. The
Scribes and the Pharisees believed they needed salvation from the oppression of
heathen nations. They anticipated that the Messiah would liberate them permanent-
ly from the rule of these nations.

However, the core issue for Israel wasn’t the heathen nations ruling over them; ra-
ther, it was their stubborn and rebellious hearts that governed them. As a rebellious
nation, they rejected God’s rule over them. This rejection is highlighted in:

1Sa 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us.
And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
1Sa 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all
that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me,
that I should not reign over them. (KJV)

Israel’s rejection of God resulted in injustice and unrighteousness prevailing in their

nation. As a judgment for this rejection, God allowed other nations to rule over
them. The consequences of them rejecting God were forewarned in:

Deu 28:47 Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with
gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;
Deu 28:48 Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send
against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and
he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:49 The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the
earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand;

13
Deu 28:50 A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the
old, nor shew favour to the young:
Deu 28:51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou
be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase
of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
Deu 28:52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls
come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege
thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given
thee. (KJV)

Israel’s fundamental problem lay not in the nations ruling over them but in their re-
bellious hearts, which incurred God’s judgment upon them. The true issue they
needed salvation from was their heart of rebellion, the root of all sin.

Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me
with their lips; but their heart is far from me. (KJV)

Jeremiah speaks of humankind’s heart in this way:

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it? (KJV)

Why the heart? We read in:

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (KJV)

As mentioned earlier, Israel desired salvation from the consequences of their sin but
showed little interest in addressing their rebellious heart of sin. Jesus, however,
confronted their rebellious heart of sin as the primary issue requiring salvation.
Dealing with the heart is the crucial first step before deliverance from the
consequences can take place.

Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blas-
phemy, pride, foolishness:
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (KJV)

Israel’s value system diverged from God’s intended perspective. They perceived the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob merely as a component of their religion, a system
delivered to them by Moses. A religion typically comprises rituals, obligations, or

14
beliefs adhered to in the pursuit of obtaining something from a divine being. Instead
of being a deity called upon in times of need, God desired to rule over them as a
nation. The Creator, God, sought an intimate connection extending to the very core
of the heart.

Ironically, God fulfilled His plan through the leaders of Israel by exposing their heart
of rebellion. Their disdain for Jesus Christ, who laid bare their hearts, led them to
execute their long-awaited King. In this unfolding drama, the magnificence of God’s
plan becomes evident. The Jewish religious leaders, anticipating their Messiah and
King to liberate them from heathen rulers, unwittingly became instruments in
delivering the very Messiah to be put to death by the same heathen kingdom they
sought deliverance from. God’s wisdom shines through this irony, revealing a
marvellous truth for those who can perceive the deeper meaning within it.

Mat 27:37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING
OF THE JEWS. (KJV)

The marvellous aspect of this irony lies in the fact that through the death of Christ—
the Messiah—the rule of sin was addressed. The very heart of rebellion was
confronted by putting to death the only One with the legal right to rule over
humankind’s heart. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf, He redeemed us
from the power of darkness with His own blood.

All of humankind serves another kingdom, one far more sinister than the Roman
Empire the Jews had to endure—the kingdom of darkness. This realm rebels against
God, with Satan as its ruler, perpetuating unrighteousness and injustice, the root
causes of all misery in the world. The grip that the kingdom of darkness had on
humankind was addressed through the blood of Jesus Christ. The King purchased us
with His blood, providing a means to escape from the clutches of the kingdom of
darkness and be transferred into God’s kingdom.

1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s. (KJV)

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fa-

15
thers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot: (KJV)

At this crossroads, we confront the essence of a true or false gospel. Did Jesus come
to save us solely from the consequences of sin, or did He aim to free us from sin’s
dominion? Are we akin to the Jews, seeking only deliverance from the consequences
of sin while avoiding the deeper issue—the heart of sin?

1. A. Boshoff, Church at Home, chapter 1.1. The Ekklesia Gathering, 6-8, Independent digital ebook., 2021
2. Vine’s NT “kingdom” e-Sword 13.0.0
3. Vine’s NT & OT “Christ” e-Sword 13.0.0

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1.3: A Heart of Slavery

The most popular proof text used by Hyper Grace teachers, who claim that Jesus only
dealt with the consequences of sin rather than the heart of sin, is found in:

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Joh 10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall
anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is
able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. (KJV)

This passage is often used by Hyper Grace teachers as a slam-dunk proof that you
cannot lose your salvation. Yet, even in this passage, there are some glaring
problems that are often ignored. Let us first affirm the fact that Jesus makes it clear
that NO ONE can snatch us out of Jesus and the Father’s hands. However, there is a
very important prerequisite: we need to follow Jesus’ voice as a sheep would follow a
shepherd. Furthermore, this passage does not address whether the Father would not
cast aside those sheep who do not follow Christ’s voice.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (KJV)

Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold
or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth. (KJV)

If we have the wrong understanding of what Jesus actually did on the cross, we
would need to perform scriptural gymnastics to make our foundational beliefs align
with all Scripture. So, the main question is, did Jesus only come to save us from the
consequences of a rebellious heart, or did He come to save us from our rebellious
hearts, where the issues of life reside?

Up to this point, we have seen that the gospel of the kingdom has to do with Christ
purchasing us with His blood from the kingdom of darkness and placing us into His
Kingdom. Yet, how does this purchase from the kingdom of darkness influence our
lives?

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A shadow from the Old Testament, the ‘Passover Lamb,’ speaks of this purchase. The
Passover Lamb illustrates how God purchased Israel out of the slavery of the
Egyptian kingdom. Among all the plagues that befell Egypt, it was the killing of their
firstborn that compelled Pharaoh and the Egyptians to release Israel to serve God. 1.
The Passover was instituted as a yearly reminder of how God delivered Israel.

Exo 12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What
mean ye by this service?
Exo 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed
over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and
delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. (KJV)

It is in reference to the Passover feast that John the Baptist called out in:

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (KJV)

The devil has power over us because of death through sin. Christ came to deliver us
from sin, to deliver us from the hold that death and Satan have over us:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. (KJV)

There was another feast that Israel observed every year, seven months after the
feast of Passover. This feast was called the Day of Atonement. Throughout the year,
Israel was required to shed the blood of unblemished animals for the sins they had
committed. The Day of Atonement was the pinnacle of the sin offering. The author of
Hebrews explains it like this:

Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an

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atonement for the soul. (KJV)

Christ’s work on the cross was therefore twofold, as demonstrated by the bi-annual
feasts. The Feast of Passover symbolizes our deliverance from the power of sin over
our lives, while the Feast of Atonement symbolizes our deliverance from the judg-
ment for sin to come. We cannot separate one from the other. Jesus’ death not only
provided forgiveness for our sins (Atonement) but also dealt with the power of sin
over our lives (Passover). God wants us to be set free from the power that has en-
slaved humanity since the time of Adam and Eve. Paul explains it like this:

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his serv-
ants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto right-
eousness?
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for
as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniqui-
ty; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for
the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Je-
sus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

The doctrine of the ‘gospel of grace’ and its parent doctrine, ‘Once saved, always
saved,’ teaches that once you believe and are born again, you cannot lose your
salvation. Furthermore, hyper grace teachers often display a disdain for the ‘Lordship
gospel’ or ‘Kingdom gospel,’ particularly regarding the idea of obedience. The irony is
that the concept of obedience actually appears in the passages that are quoted as
proof texts for the doctrines they hold. For instance, we read in:

Joh 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not
believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (KJV)

19
Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life. (KJV)

According to the followers of this doctrine, once you believe, you have everlasting
life - past tense. So, they would argue that, how is it possible to have everlasting life
(past tense) and then lose it? Yet this ignores the tenses of the verb of “believe” and
“not believe” in those verses. The word ‘believe’ in both these passages is the Greek
word: “pisteuō” 2, which is written in the present continuous tense. To reinforce
what Jesus was saying in John 3, the Greek word for “not believe” is “apeitheō”,
which has a much stronger meaning than just disbelief. It actually indicates
“disobedience”.3. A more literal translation renders it as follows:

According to the followers of this doctrine, once you believe, you have everlasting
life - past tense. So, they would argue, how is it possible to have everlasting life (past
tense) and then lose it? Yet, this ignores the tenses of the verbs ‘believe’ and ‘not
believe’ in those verses. The word ‘believe’ ’n both these passages is the Greek word
‘pisteuō’ which is written in the present continuous tense. To reinforce what Jesus
was saying in John 3, the Greek word for ‘not believe’ is ‘apeitheō,’ which carries a
much stronger meaning than just disbelief; it actually indicates ‘disobedience. 3. A
more literal translation renders it as follows:

Joh 3:36 The one believing into the Son has everlasting life; but the one disobeying
the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (LITV) 4.

Jesus was therefore saying that those who continue to believe have everlasting life,
but those who do not obey the gospel, the wrath of God remains on them. This un-
derstanding, that the word ‘believing’ is written in the present continuous tense, is
verified by the following popular passage found in John:

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. (KJV)

As discussed already, those who teach the gospel of grace say that once we believe,
we have eternal life and therefore cannot lose it, even if we lose our faith later on in
our lives. However, many of them are inconsistent when interpreting John 3:18. They
engage in the most absurd Scripture gymnastics, claiming that the Greek grammar in
verse 18 should be interpreted differently from verse 16, despite the fact that the

20
Greek word for belief, ‘pisteuō,’ is written identically in both passages.

The issue for them lies in reconciling their belief in “once saved, always saved” with
the straightforward interpretation of John 3:18. According to Jesus in this passage,
those who do not believe are already condemned. This implies that individuals who
hear the gospel but reject it due to unbelief are already in a state of condemnation.
This interpretation presents a challenge to the idea that individuals can lose their
faith later on in life but still retain their salvation.

However, a reasonable interpretation of Jesus’ words in John 3:18 suggests that he is

actually saying that those who persist in their unbelief have already been con-
demned. Similarly, those who persist in their belief have eternal life, as eternal life is
found in the Son. This interpretation allows for the possibility that individuals may
initially reject the gospel but later come to believe and receive eternal life. It also
suggests that those who initially believe, but later turn away from faith, may forfeit
their eternal life.

Eze 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and com-
mitteth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man
doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in
his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall
he die.
Eze 18:25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is
not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? (KJV)

The accusation that teaching one must hold on to their faith to the end is a works-
based gospel is indeed a common one among proponents of the gospel of grace.
However, it’s essential to consider James’ teaching in this context.

Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have
not works? can faith save him? (KJV)

Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe,
and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac

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his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made
perfect? (KJV)

Regarding your question about claiming to have eternal life without faith, it’s
important to recognize that faith is the channel through which one receives eternal
life. If someone rejects or loses faith in Christ, they are effectively rejecting the
source of eternal life. In this sense, their claim to eternal life would no longer be valid
because they have severed their connection to the source of that life.

Similarly, becoming friends with the world, indicates a turning away from God and
His ways. This enmity with God is incompatible with genuine faith and salvation, as it
represents a rejection of God’s lordship and authority.

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God.
Jas 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us
lusteth to envy? (KJV)

Throughout Paul’s teachings, he does not condemn the works of faith, but speaks
against those who seek salvation through adherence to the works of the Law. If one
only needs to have faith once to be saved and is not required to endure, why would
anyone be willing to be a martyr for the faith? Those who face persecution in various
countries and throughout history, enduring torture and death for their faith, why do
they not forsake Christ at that moment if they believe they cannot lose their
salvation? Would these same hyper-grace teachers also be among those who accept
the mark of the beast to escape persecution, as they are convinced they cannot lose
their salvation?

1. https://owlcation.com/humanities/Ten-Plagues-For-Ten-Gods, 23 June 2021

2. James Strong, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “believing”–G4100”, 1890, public domain, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. James Strong, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “disobedient”–G544”, 1890, public domain, e-Sword 13.0.0.
4. Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, Copyright © 1976-2000 by Jay P. Green, Sr. All rights reserved. e-Sword 13.0.0.

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1.4: The Wrath of God

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word
preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the
foundation of the world. (KJV)

A wave of progressive Christianity has caused significant contention within

contemporary Christian circles. This movement prioritizes personal experiences and
enlightenment about God over the central truths found in Scripture. Humanistic
morality is elevated above the sovereignty of God’s justice. For instance, Progressive
Christians may deny that God required Jesus to die for our sins, instead suggesting
that Jesus came to die not because God mandated it, but because mankind
necessitated it. They prioritize the truth that ‘God is love’ above all other truths and
characteristics of God. Progressive Christianity tends to downplay the devastating
impact of sin on people’s lives, as well as the importance of God’s righteous
judgment on sin.1.

Progressive Christianity must not be conflated with a theological perspective known

as ‘Christus Victor.’ The Christus Victor theory of atonement posits that Jesus died
solely to liberate humanity from sin, death, and the influence of Satan in our lives.
However, it tends to overlook the aspect of our sin’s penalty, which is emphasized in
the theology of Penal Substitution. 2. Christus Victor maintains that death is the con-
sequence of sin rather than its penalty. This theological viewpoint disregards certain
key Scriptures, leading to conclusions with which I cannot fully agree.

Nevertheless, it’s important to acknowledge that certain aspects of Christus Victor’s

teachings may present legitimate challenges to the traditional doctrine of Penal
Substitution. As many are aware, Penal Substitution asserts that Jesus had to die in
our place for our sins, fulfilling the legal requirement of sin, which is death. God,
being not only loving but also righteous, demands justice. Jesus achieved
propitiation—a means for peace—between God and humanity through His death on
the cross.

However, many proponents of Penal Substitution take an additional step by asserting

that God brought about a reconciliation between Himself and humanity by appeasing
His wrath through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. It is at this juncture that those
of us who adhere to the doctrine of Penal Substitution must engage in re-evaluation.

23
The notion that Jesus satisfied God’s wrath on the cross is not without theological
challenges. It rests on assumptions about propitiation equating to peace achieved
through satisfying God’s wrath. However, Scripture teaches that propitiation leads to
peace by dealing with sin and not God’s wrath.

You may wonder, what’s the distinction? It lies in recognizing that not all of God’s
judgments equate to wrath, as Scripture clearly articulates that God is slow to anger.

Neh 9:17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst
among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to
return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. (KJV)

Psa 145:8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great
mercy. (KJV)

Many ancient pagan religions, and even some contemporary uncivilized cultures,
have promoted the belief that to placate the anger of their gods, they must offer a
sacrifice, often a consecrated virgin or even their own children, into a burning fur-
nace. Regrettably, this mindset has permeated certain aspects of Christian theology,
particularly in the perception of sin offerings as primarily appeasing God’s wrath ra-
ther than addressing human sin.

In the Old Testament, repentance is portrayed as quelling God’s anger, while sin of-
ferings are prescribed to provide a legitimate covering for sin. However, the doctrine
asserting that Jesus’ crucifixion appeased God’s wrath has become deeply ingrained
in Christian thought. Even respected intellectual Christians sometimes strain to find
scriptural support for this view, despite clear contradictions within Scripture.

Before delving into what Scripture teaches regarding whether Jesus actually satisfied
God’s wrath on the cross, it’s important to acknowledge a partial agreement with the
Christus Victor perspective, particularly in its characterization of this concept as akin
to cosmic child abuse.

Consider a scenario where two friends experience a significant falling out. The rift
escalates as one friend hurls insults and spreads malicious gossip about the other.
The injured party understandably harbours immense anger in response. Later, the
friend who committed the offense experiences genuine remorse and seeks reconcili-
ation. However, reconciliation hinges upon the injured friend’s wrath being ap-
peased. Yet, if the injured friend were to unleash their wrath upon the offender, it

24
would only exacerbate the damage to their friendship and fail to foster genuine rec-
onciliation.

In this allegory, the friend burdened with wrath approaches his son, asking if he
would be willing to bear the brunt of his father’s anger instead of it being directed
toward the guilty party. Out of love and obedience, the son agrees to bear his
father’s wrath. The father then proceeds to unleash his anger upon his son, utilizing a
leather belt as a metaphorical instrument until his wrath is appeased. Through this
sacrificial act, the father is able to make peace with his friend, and reconciliation is
achieved, albeit at the expense of his son’s suffering.

Indeed, despite its widespread acceptance among many Christians, the notion that
God’s wrath needed satisfaction through the sacrifice of His Son on Calvary before
peace could be made with the world may seem ludicrous and absurd upon closer
examination. This concept, often referred to as penal substitutionary atonement,
suggests that God’s wrath had to be quenched through Jesus’ suffering on the cross.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that this perspective lacks explicit support in Scrip-
ture and even contradicts some foundational theological principles found therein.
For instance, if God’s wrath has truly been satisfied on the cross, why do we encoun-
ter passages in Scripture that speak of God’s wrath still to come upon the earth?

This discrepancy highlights the importance of critically evaluating theological teach-

ings and ensuring they align with the comprehensive message of Scripture rather
than relying solely on traditional interpretations or popular beliefs.

1Th 1:9 For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you,
and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even
Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (KJV)

Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, un-
cleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idola-
try:
Col 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedi-
ence:
Col 3:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth. (KJV)

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuf-

25
fering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour
and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew
first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew
first, and also to the Gentile: (KJV)

Rev 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to
stand? (KJV)

It is inconsistent to claim both that Jesus satisfied God’s wrath on the cross and that
God’s wrath remains on those who do not believe. Such a belief contradicts the
fundamental message of Christianity. Jesus’ sacrifice was not primarily about
appeasing God’s wrath but about dealing with humanity’s sin. His death on the cross
was a demonstration of God’s love and grace, offering forgiveness and reconciliation
to all who believe. It is essential to maintain coherence in theological understandings
and to ground them in the holistic message of Scripture. John writes:

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

Jesus, therefore, is the propitiation not only for our sin but also for the sin of the
whole world. If propitiation means Jesus satisfied God’s wrath, then Jesus satisfied
God’s wrath for the whole world, which clearly contradicts the rest of the Scripture.

In light of this and many other Scriptures, we need to consider that, if Christ’s death
was meant to satisfy God’s wrath, then Christ’s death could not have been a success,
because God is still going to pour out His wrath on all unrighteousness. This is
obviously an incorrect conclusion.

26
Most importantly, the teaching that Jesus satisfied God’s wrath on the cross is not
taught anywhere in Scripture, unless one reads it into the text. It is theologically
dangerous to interpret Scripture with a preconceived theology, when there is not
one passage of Scripture that actually states that theology clearly. It cannot be found
in any of Jesus’ parables or teaching, and neither do we see the apostles teaching
this belief.

However, there is one well-known passage in the Old Testament that seems to imply
this, if we are to read it superficially. Let us look at that passage:

Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed. (KJV)

From these two verses, it is claimed that it is God who “striked” and “smited” Jesus.
Yet, if you read carefully, you will realize that is not what Isaiah was saying. Isaiah
was only showing what it looked like to the observers of the cross. The Strong’s Dic-
tionary explains that the word “esteem” in the phrase “... yet we esteemed Him...” is
the Hebrew word ‘khaw-shab’ - “it is a primitive root; properly to plait or interpret,
that is, (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; ...” 3.
It might thus appear to us as if God did this to Christ, but it was not God, it was actu-
ally mankind who did it all. Men wounded, bruised, punished and whipped the
stripes on Christ’s body, not God. Yet it needed to be done by the hands of men, be-
cause mankind had to put to death the One who created them. By the hands of sinful
men, Christ could take their transgressions and iniquities into His death and so bring
peace and healing to mankind. In the same way, Israel had to bring their sin offering
each year, to be killed for their sin. By His death, Christ dealt with sin, which caused
hostility between God and mankind. It was SIN and not God’s wrath that Jesus died
for. Paul explained it this way:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of sin and death.
Rom 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: (KJV)

So let us read further:

Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou

27
shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniqui-
ties. (KJV)

Obviously, God is not some sadist that found pleasure in beating His Son. Isaiah is
written in an allegorical language. Which means one cannot read a sentence in
isolation from the whole text. It is written in such a way to create atmosphere, by
how it sounds and the symbolic pictures it creates in one’s mind. It would create a
warped theology to base a doctrine on one isolated verse. By reading all the verses
as a whole, we get the true idea of what Isaiah was trying to illustrate.

Isaiah was not trying to portray that it was God’s Spirit on the Roman soldiers, taking
pleasure in hitting His Son. The poetic context speaks of the bruising and grief that
was on the soul of Christ being the offering of sin. This anguish was already seen
when Jesus was in Gethsemane praying to the Father, as blood of sweat came from
His brow. It is this anguish in the soul of Jesus, having to take on the sin of the world
through suffering and death, as though He is a guilty man. However, why did it
please the Father? Well, in the nature of the poem, let us read Isaiah’s conclusion.
Isaiah explained that the Father’s pleasure was for that which would be
accomplished. For Christ will see the labour of His soul, for He shall justify many as
He bears their iniquities. That is why it pleased the Father.

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the
right hand of the throne of God. (KJV)

If one is to read Isaiah 53 superficially, one can conclude that Jesus came to satisfy
God’s wrath, even if it does not actually say this. Yet, that idea contradicts God’s
heart behind the cross. A friend of mine paraphrased John 3:16 by saying: “for God so
loved the world, that He gave His only Son... NOT ... for God was so angry with the
world that He killed His only Son...” God is slow to anger and abounds in mercy. The
motive of God giving His Son into the hands of sinful men was His love, not His wrath.
The wrath of God is still to come, because people do not repent and obey the gospel
of Jesus dying for their sins.

Throughout the rest of this study, the reader will notice that I consider both the
Christus Victor, and the Penal Substitution position, as I believe both are taught in
Scripture. At the same time, however, I believe that both make some conclusions or
claims that are not supported in Scripture.

28
1. These points are based on my personal correspondence with those who are part of the progressive Christian movement.
This however can be confirmed by many bible teachers online as well.
2. Gustaf Aulèn, Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of Atonement [1931], trans. A. G.
Hebert (New York: Macmillan, 1969), Internet source: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/christus-
victor-theory-of-the-atonement/#_edn1, 3 July 2021
3. James Strong, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “esteem” – H2803”, 1890, public domain, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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1.5: Delivered from Sin and Death

Those who teach the gospel of Grace often quote Paul’s writing found in:

1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, be-
cause it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort
it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall
be saved; yet so as by fire. (KJV)

They argue from this passage that Paul is teaching that we won’t lose our salvation,
but instead we will only lose our rewards if we are not faithful. However, in this
passage, Paul is not referring to works that demonstrate our walk of faith, but rather
our works regarding church ministry. Some Christian leaders will receive rewards due
to their works that are built on Christ being the Head and how His body ought to
function. In contrast other church leaders’ works will come to nothing as it is built on
their own ego and agendas, but they still will be saved. The context, therefore, is not
relating to spiritual fruit, but rather their work in building the church.

Christ came to deliver us from sin and death. So what is meant by sin? The word sin
comes from the Greek word “hamartia” which literally means, “a missing of the
mark”. Yet sin is not merely doing something wrong. It is an actual force that en-
slaves us. Sin and death are powers that hold mankind captive. We are totally en-
slaved to it, and we cannot set ourselves free from it. When Augustine addressed the
wrong teaching of Pelagius in the late fourth century, Augustine highlighted this fact
that sin is not merely bad things we do, due to ignorance, but rather an uncontrolla-
ble passion in us that makes us do what is wrong. 1. Paul explains it like this:

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in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (KJV)

What a pitiful state we find ourselves in. We are powerless to the power of sin. That
is why religious practices will not deliver us. Neither will pure will-power or good in-
tentions do it. In the same way Israel was under bondage to Egypt, so are we under
bondage of sin, unable to set ourselves free. Paul continues his teachings:

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (KJV)

Jesus Christ is the One who delivers us. Many people believe that, if they try hard to
be good enough, then they can get to heaven. Yet, an attempt at self-righteousness
is self-deception. We cannot set ourselves free from the power of sin by our own
efforts. Why not? It has to do with the flesh.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (KJV)

That is why Christ suffered in the flesh, as Paul explains:

The reason why Jesus had to die in the flesh is because sin has its power in the flesh.
The wages of sin is not hell, but death, which is why Jesus dealt with sin in the flesh,
as opposed to being tormented in hell, as John Calvin claimed.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

The wages of sin is not only death in the flesh; death is also the end of sin.

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Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. (KJV)

Before we continue, we have to first clear up something. The idea that Christians are
warring within themselves, with two natures, just confuses the issue. The apostles do
not even depict themselves as having different natures to that of non-Christians:

Act 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions
[nature] with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto
the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are
therein: (KJV)

“Nature” only means that which comes naturally to one. Paul is clear that in the
flesh, it is our nature or passion to sin, but in the Spirit, it is our nature to fulfil God’s
will.

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye 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.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. (KJV)

Keep in mind, Paul is not saying that we have two natures. However, he does speak
of two natures that work within us. The one is the nature of the flesh and the other is
the Spirit who dwells within us. However, you might ask, whether this is not the
same thing as having two natures? For instance, some claim that we received a new
nature when we became a new creation.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)

However, is Paul speaking of a new nature when he said that we are a new creation
in Christ? From the context, Paul was speaking about our reconciliation to God.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation. (KJV)

Paul speaks of this new creation in another letter, this way:

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Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the
middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having
slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that
were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (KJV)

In both of these letters of Paul, we read that the new creation has to do with us
becoming part of Christ in His body. So the new creation is not about a new nature,
but rather a new entity called the body of Christ. Christ is the One, with His divine
nature dwelling within us. Through Christ dwelling in us, we partake of His divine
nature.

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world through lust. (KJV)

So, in fact, Peter teaches us that we don’t have a new nature as such, but through
God’s promises, we can be partakers of the divine nature. In other words, it is not
something that we already have, but something we partake of. We partake of this
divine nature through Christ, who is Divine, dwelling in us.

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (KJV)

That is why Paul wrote:

Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (KJV)

If one could have named a person who might have confidence in the flesh when it
comes to religion, then Paul would have been such a person. Yet Paul realized that
any effort in the flesh is futile when it comes to God’s righteousness. Paul
understood that our flesh is under the power of sin. Dependence on self, in any form
of religious works, is walking in the flesh.

The more we try in our own effort to be a “good Christian”, the more we will keep on

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falling to the power of sin. None of us can be a good Christian. Christ is the only One
who can be a good “Christian”. So, the point is: we have a carnal nature within our
flesh, but we can partake of Christ’s divine nature. So we address this carnal nature
through death.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be
also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (KJV)

Christ in us helps us to overcome the temptations of the sinful nature that dwells in
our flesh. Therefore, the walk of faith has to do with us being dead to our old lives
that were separated from God and now having a deep and intimate relationship with
Christ, dwelling in our heart through the Spirit.

Heb 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to
make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour
them that are tempted. (KJV)

We read further:

Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of
our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (KJV)

When faced with temptation, we must not try to overcome it by religion or will
power. We need to have a conscious dependence on Christ within us. Christ, through
the Spirit, is able to show us a way of escape.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (KJV)

Christianity is about having a relationship / communion with the Father, through the
Son dwelling within us. That is all it is. It is not about believing the right doctrine or
holding to the correct religious practices. It is holding to the correct person–Jesus
Christ. Christ is the only one who conquered sin in the flesh by his death.
Furthermore, Christ has purchased us from the rule of sin and death, so that we may

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become part of His kingdom under His rule of righteousness. Therefore, we need to
subject ourselves to the Lordship of Christ within us; in other words, a dependent
relationship with our king Jesus Christ.

How do we live in the Spirit in practice? I will get into this in more detail in the next
chapter, but for now let me just say it has to do, with what we keep our minds
focused on.

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they
that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagius

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2. The Gospel of Grace
2.1. Justified.

As stated in the previous section; we have many opposing views when it comes to
the salvation message. In addressing these opposing views, I would like to do so by
defining four important terminologies find in Scriptures, namely: Justification,
Righteousness, Sanctification, Grace and Salvation.

The Catholic Church defines justification, righteousness and sanctification to mean

kind of the same thing.1. In other words, they would say it starts with faith, but then it
would continue with religious effort. I already mentioned in chapter one that the
Catholic Church teaches that at baptism (mostly infant baptism), that Christians are
infused with God’s grace, which, according to them, is like saying they have been
infused by Christ’s Divine nature. They would then continue by teaching that we, as
Christians, are required to resist the temptations of the flesh and do penance if we
sin, if we are to sustain God’s justification. In other words, we can lose the justifica-
tion through sin. For instance, we read in:

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

I also mentioned in chapter one that it is on this point that Luther resisted due to his
own feelings of inadequacy to sustain God’s justification through resisting the temp-
tation of sin. He further felt unsure whether he has a true sense of penance for his
sins. Luther felt he was not remorseful enough when doing penance for his short-
coming to hold on to God’s justification that he received from Christ. Finally, through
a long personal struggle and studying the Scriptures, he came to the revelation to
what Paul meant in Scripture, that the just shall live by faith, as opposed to what his
Catholic upbringing taught him.

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The Greek word for justification is “dikaiosis” and means to be acquitted of guilt. 2.
Those who teach Once saved, always saved, would say that justification means free
from penalty. This is not technically correct. Penalty may be due to the consequence
of guilt, but that does not make it the same thing. This is an important distinction
which will become clear later on.

Luther is correct in stating that our justification is not received or maintained by our
religious efforts or our so called “penance” but through our simple trust in the One
who would deliver us from sin. So Jesus was not trying to highlight penance in his
parable found in Luke 18, but was speaking against the hypocrisy of self-
righteousness. Paul writes in:

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus:
Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God;
Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and
the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by
the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law. (KJV)

We are justified by trusting in God’s grace shown to us through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus. Neither the Law of Moses nor our efforts and religious
performances can justify us. We read in:

Act 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man
is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
Act 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses. (KJV)

The next question we need to address is whether we are justified by our faith or
whether we are justified by Christ’s death. Sometimes it seems in Paul’s writings that
we are justified only through the work of Christ:

Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

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Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our
justification. (KJV)

The Greek word: “for” in the text: “raised again for our” is: “diva”. 3. It is used both to
mean: “the reason” or “the purpose for”. Paul was saying here that as Jesus died for
our offences, in the same way Christ was raised for our justification. The death of
Christ completely accomplished what was needed for us to be justified. For that
reason, Christ was raised so that we can obtain justification. If Christ has been raised
so that we can be justified, when does that justification come into effect? We read
in:

Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified. (KJV)

The death of Jesus Christ gives the reason for us to be justified, but justification is
bestowed on us when we believe. It is not the works of the law that justifies us, but
our faith in Christ who died for our guilt of breaking the law of God. We read in:

Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be
blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (KJV)

Speaking of Abraham’s faith, the letter of James does bring a complexity to the view
of faith, which is the basis for Catholicism regarding faith. James writes:

Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac
his son upon the altar?
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made
perfect?
Jas 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it
was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Jas 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Jas 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had

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received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also. (KJV)

So what is the “works” that James wrote about? We understand that from Paul’s
teaching that we cannot be justified by trying to observe the works of Law of God.
James, in contrast, teaches us that faith without works is dead. Therefore, just saying
we believe is not necessarily a true faith (Trigger warning to the hyper grace). John
Wesley, in the 18th century, stressed the point that faith alone does not justify us. 4.

So, does one time faith justify us of all future sins and transgression? John Wesley,
like the Catholic church, emphasises the importance of victory over sin in order to
demonstrate a true faith. However, as most Christians can tell you, trying to have
victory over sin hardly ever produces good fruit. It is only by faith in the complete
work of Christ – in His death and resurrection that justifies us and not our victory
over sin. Future acquittal of sins is dependent on future faith. In other words, to
continue in justification, it is required to continue in faith.

John Wesley, like the Catholics, believe that our justification is linked to our
continues performance of resisting to sin. Wesley believed justification starts with
faith, but it is sustained by sanctification. This is similar to what the Torah observers
believe, who believe we sustain our justification by observing the Torah. (I will
discuss the Torah in the Christian life from chapter 5 to chapter 7). If it is not the
works of the law that save us, nor the sanctification from sin that saves us, what type
of works is James talking about? James teaches that if we truly have faith, we would
show love towards our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Jas 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have
not works? can faith save him?
Jas 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
Jas 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what
doth it profit?
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe,
and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (KJV)

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The faith of Abraham transformed him to become a man of promise. Our faith in
Christ should transform us as well, into people that will love as God loves us. If we
say we believe that God love us to send Christ to die for our sins, then we would be
willing to love as He does.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in
us, and his love is perfected in us. (KJV)

John also teaches this.

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer
hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and
we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him?
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and
in truth. (KJV)

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth
is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (KJV)

This is nothing new, as John and James got their teachings from Christ:

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another.
Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another. (KJV)

Joh 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Joh 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and
that your joy might be full.

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Joh 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Joh 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (KJV)

Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them
one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of
my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me
drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison,
and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed
thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me.
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not:
sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal. (KJV)

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Even Paul, who taught that we can’t be justified by the works of the law, does
confirm that faith is worked out by love.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision;
but faith which worketh by love.
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. (KJV)

So, we see that Jesus, James, John, and Paul teaches that we are not justified by faith
alone, but faith that is demonstrated by the love we have for the brethren. That love
is the “agape” love, which means charity. This love is not based on feelings, but
rather a care for the Christians in the household of faith. It is the kind of love that is
willing to sacrifice our own comforts for the wellbeing of our brothers and sisters in
the Lord.

Those who believes in once saved always saved, believe that we only have to believe
one’s then we are justified from all our sins, past, present and future sins. However,
this is a shallow reading from Scripture. We have to continue in faith to be
continually justified from all of our sins. Justification is only through faith, and
continued justification is through a continued faith. The evidence or fruit of a walk of
faith is when we love our family in the Lord, because of the Love that God that has
transformed us.

1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest
of these is charity [love]. (KJV)

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justification_(theology) 18 June 2022

2. Vine’s “justification”, e-Sword 13.0.0
3. Vine’s “for”, e-Sword 13.0.0
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wesley, 18 June 2022

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2.2: Righteousness

The hyper grace teaching is very much against the teaching of a “Lordship Gospel”.
To them, teaching that Christ needs to be Lord in our lives equates to a “works
gospel”. However, as seen in the previous section, the bible teaches that we need to
demonstrate the works of love, or our faith is dead. Furthermore, one cannot have
the gospel without the Kingdom of God. The only passage that actually speaks of the
“gospel of grace” is within the context of the gospel of the kingdom.

Act 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,
so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of
the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Act 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching
the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.(KJV)

The gospel of the kingdom is about God’s governing the earth through righteousness.
In fact, there is no good news without righteousness. Righteousness is central to the
gospel and it can only be accomplished by the kingdom of God.

Psa 45:6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right
sceptre.
Psa 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (KJV)

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and
justice in the earth.
Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his
name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (KJV)

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre
of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. (KJV)

That is why Jesus said in:

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. (KJV)

Have you ever noticed that the gospel of the kingdom is closely linked to

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righteousness? This is actually an answer as to why it seems that the gospel of God’s
kingdom is often directed to restore righteousness in an unrighteous world. That is
perhaps why the gospel message is so well received by the poor, the meek and the
down-casted. We read, for instance, in:

Mat 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to
them. (KJV)

Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, (KJV)

Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for
yours is the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love
him?
Jas 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you
before the judgment seats? (KJV)

There are lots of things wrong in this world because unrighteousness rules the earth.
Many of the rich become richer at the expense of the poor. The powerful are unjust
and those that are at “the bottom of the food-chain” suffer because of it. Even those
who try to take matters into their own hands to establish a so-called righteousness
do so with warped ideas of justice, which end up in self-righteous evil. This is clearly
seen by the socialists, communist, progressive, and their tyrannical agendas. The law
of God points to righteousness, but was incapable of establishing righteousness.

Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)

Christ’s rule is the only thing that conquers the injustice that rules in the world.
When all other rules come to an end and only Christ’s rule prevails, then
righteousness will govern all.

What does this mean for us now? The Greek word for righteousness is “dikaiosune”
which looks similar to “dikaiosis” – justification (which we looked at the previous
section) however, means something different. Righteousness - “dikaiosune” means

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the character or quality of being and doing what is just and right. 1. In other words,
living rightly according to God’s standards. In contrast to justification, which is about
our standing right with God, righteousness has to do with living right before God. The
concept of righteousness presents us with a problem; because no one can really live
righteously before God. Paul writes in:

Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit;
the poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Rom 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Rom 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Rom 3:17 And the way of peace have they not known:
Rom 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. (KJV)

The reality is that we cannot live a life that is righteous or rightly according to God’s
standards. Our own effort of righteousness is diluted self-righteousness. We don’t
have the ability to live righteously the way God requires, even if we wanted to.

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I
hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth
in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? (KJV)

That is why the whole earth is full of unrighteousness. However, Paul continues by
saying that Jesus Christ, our Lord, has delivered us. Through Christ, we are delivered

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from sin, so that we can live righteously in an unrighteous world.

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (KJV)

The letter of the law does not give us the ability to be subject to God’s rule. However,
when Christ comes and dwells within us, we have the ability to subject ourselves to
God’s rule. Righteousness is therefore not our position in Christ, but rather our
expression of Christ. Righteousness is the fruit of being in Christ. Christ did not only
justify us, or make us stand right before God; He also came and dwell within us so
that we have the ability to live right before God. This is what the kingdom of God is
about; Christ ruling in our hearts that we may express His righteousness.

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

The kingdom of God is not what we can get out of it, but what Christ works within us.
Peace and joy are fruit of the Holy Spirit, so from this context, it is clear that right-
eousness can only come from the Holy Spirit working in us. This means righteousness
is the fruit of the sanctification work of Christ in us. Righteousness is the ability to live
a life pleasing to God because of Christ, who is God’s righteousness dwelling inside of
us. We read from:

1Co 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty;
1Co 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God
chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord. (KJV)

Christ Jesus is our wisdom from God; He is our righteousness; He is our sanctification

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and our redemption. These can only be accomplished in and through Christ.

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous [dikiaos – just].
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

Contrary to what most Christians understanding, righteousness comes neither from

our position in Christ nor from our own religious efforts. Where justification is our
position in Christ, righteousness is the fruit of Christ’s rule in us. Both justification
and righteousness come about through faith in Christ. Righteousness cannot be
accomplished by our efforts; only through a circumcised heart towards Christ. So
how do we sustain its fruit in our lives? Paul explains it like this in:

Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your
members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid.
Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness?
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed
from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for
as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto
iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Rom 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Rom 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for
the end of those things is death.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have
your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

It all boils down to whom we serve from the heart. We can try to be a Christian by

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outward appearances, which just leads to self-righteousness. Christianity will become
just another religious burden to carry. If our hearts are not circumcised–meaning
belonging to Christ, we cannot live the Christian life. That type of Christianity is not
fruitful, and just leads to a carnal and empty life.

Jesus has come to destroy the kingdom and works of the devil through His death. As
Jesus, the King of righteousness, dwells within us, we can give expression to His
righteousness. John explains it like this for us in:

1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil.
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother. (KJV)

As with Abraham, righteousness comes through faith in Christ that is worked out in
love, and not in works of the law or religion. The person walks in righteousness when
their hearts submit to Christ in faith.

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by
faith: (KJV)

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)

1. Vine’s “righteousness”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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2.3: Sanctification

We have established that we cannot separate the gospel of grace from the gospel of
God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Sanctification is God’s work in us to establish
God’s righteousness. Sanctification which follows justification by faith will result in
Christ’s righteousness in our lives. Sanctification is the process of living out the right-
eousness of Christ, who dwells within us by faith, as explained in the previous sec-
tion.

In this section, we will deal with how we, as disciples of Christ, should deal with sin in
our lives in the work of sanctification. The word “sanctify” comes from the Greek
word “hagiazo” 1., which means “to be set apart”; which is often translated as holi-
ness. Sanctification works in three levels of being set apart for God. The first two lev-
els of sanctification are God’s work in us, while the third level is our responsibility.

The first level of sanctification is Christ purchasing us with His blood to be set apart
for God; which by faith leads to justification. The second level is the Holy Spirit, who
is working in our lives so we can live a life set apart for God, which produces right-
eousness. The third level is us setting our hearts apart for Christ. All three levels ad-
dress the sin in our lives. Justification clears us from the guilt of our sin. Righteous-
ness produces the victory over sin’s deception in our lives. The third level is us sub-
mitting to God’s kingdom in all areas of our lives, which assists in the second level of
our sanctification.

Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord:
Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of
bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Heb 12:16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one
morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it
carefully with tears. (KJV)

With so much emphasis on the “gospel of grace” that is being preached lately, it
would be good to deal with the many assumptions of this philosophy. One major
point in this philosophy of hyper grace is that the Holy Spirit does not convict Chris-
tians of sin. According to this belief; the only thing the Holy Spirit would convict
Christians concerning sin would be the sin of unbelief. 2. This view is based on a crea-
tive way of interpreting the following passage:

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Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness,
and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (KJV)

Does this passage really state that the Holy Spirit will only convict us of the sin of
unbelief and that we are righteous in Christ? This view is appealing, but is not what
Jesus is actually saying here. Let us go through this passage and analyse Jesus’ words
carefully and honestly.

In verse nine, Jesus is saying that the Spirit will convict the world of sin. Why does He
say this? The answer is BECAUSE they do not believe in Him. If you think about it
carefully, Satan does not want people to see their sin because without guilt there is
no need of a “Redeemer” and then there is no need for an “advocate in heaven”.
Verse nine does not read “of sin, the sin of not believing in Me”. It literally reads “of
sin, BECAUSE they do not believe in Me.” The Holy Spirit does, in fact, convict the
world of sin and the reason He convicts the world of sin is: because they do not
believe in Christ. Only after the world is convicted of sin, only then they will seek a
Saviour for their sin.

When verse ten reads that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness, it does
not speak of OUR righteousness in Christ. Firstly, logic dictates to us that the world is
not righteous, especially if they do not believe in Christ. Secondly, this righteousness
refers to God’s righteousness fulfilled in Christ in order to forgive our sins.

Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; (KJV)

John 16:11 continues by Jesus’ teaching that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of
judgment. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of judgment because the ruler of this
world is judged. That is why we see Paul preaching about judgment when he
preached about faith in Christ.

Act 24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a
Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
Act 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come,
Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient
season, I will call for thee. (KJV)

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Paul even teaches:
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and
honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew
first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the
Jew first, and also to the Gentile: (KJV)

You will find that most people who adhere to the gospel of grace will never preach of
the judgment to come. This idea that the Holy Spirit does not convict us of our sins
has led to another ideology that states we should not confess our sins. The reasoning
behind this idea is that Jesus dealt with sin in such a way that God looks at us as if we
have no sin even if we do sin. This obviously contradicts John’s instruction.

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (KJV)

Why do we need to still receive forgiveness and be cleansed from our sins, if Jesus
already paid for it ones and for all? Well, let us look at an everyday household item
as an analogy. We may pay for soap or disinfection ones and for all, but each time we
get infected or dirty, we still need to apply it on the affected areas. Just because it is
in our possession does not mean we don’t ever have to apply it when we need to.

Before we get into how some in the hyper-grace movement, do scriptural gymnastics
with this passage in 1 John 1, let us first look at the background of this text. John
wrote to deal with Gnosticism that was influencing the Christian faith. Gnosticism
had many belief systems; one was the belief that all matter is evil, whereas the
spiritual realm is all good. It is because of this reason the Christians who adopted the
Gnostics’ beliefs held that Jesus did not come in the flesh because He would not have
entered into the evil realm of the human flesh. 3.

Gnostics also believe that anything done in the body, even the worst of sins

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committed, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only.
Gnosticism teaches that salvation is gained through the acquisition of divine
knowledge, which frees one from the illusions of darkness of the carnal world. 4.
According to Gnosticism, our spirits are pure and good and can do no wrong, but are
asleep in the material world, trapped in darkness. Our spirit has no sin but lives in a
body of sin. To them, salvation means to be awakened in the spirit to our divine
goodness.

What made Gnosticism so dangerous is that there are many proof texts to be found
in Scripture, if we completely ignore all the other Scriptures that clearly contradict
these views. The fact that Scripture, teaches things such as sin dwelling in the flesh,
makes it even harder to discern the falsehood of the other Gnostic ideas. One just
such an idea held by the hyper grace teachers are that we don’t have to confess our
sin, because according to them, God sees us, as having no sin. For Gnostics or Hyper
Grace teachers, to acknowledge sin, is to be carnally minded, and to be unconscious
of sin is being spiritually minded.

Furthermore, John was not addressing unbelievers as some Hyper Grace teachers
claim, but believing Christians who were influenced by Gnosticism. This is why John
writes:

1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. (KJV)

Another wrong doctrine John confronted the Gnosticism on, is them denying that
Jesus’ came in the flesh, because they believe Jesus would not come in the flesh,
which is the epitome of sin for them.

1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world. (KJV)

The grace teachers would question why Paul never wrote in his epistles about
confessing sins if it is such an important Christian practice? The answer is quite
simple. The New Testament letters were written to address problems as they arose
in the church. Paul had no need to address the issue of confessing sin as John had to
do, because Paul did not have to deal with Gnostics who proclaimed that “we have
no sin”. The letters that John wrote were written long after Paul wrote his letters,
when Gnostics teaching were starting to infiltrate the church.

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Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (KJV)

Confessing sin is necessary for sanctification. The social sciences will tell you that as
long as we do not acknowledge our wrong doing we will inevitably continue with it.
Even the AA will not deal with alcoholics until they acknowledge that they are
alcoholics. When we confess our sins, we receive the forgiveness for all “our
unrighteousness”.

Without confessing, there is no cleansing of sin. This is a real theological dilemma for
those who believe that the cleansing of our sins is a done deal at Calvary. The blood
of Jesus only cleanses us from our sins in the present when we acknowledge our sins.
The forgiveness of sin does not happen as a matter of course. That means we are not
forgiven before we have sinned, as some claim theologically. The forgiveness of sin is
something that happens continually.

1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (KJV)

John wrote in the present tense when he wrote “and the blood of Jesus Christ His
Son cleanses us from all sin.” This happens only when we walk in the light; which
means we should not hide our sin in the dark, but walk in the light, acknowledging
our sins when we mess up. The blood of Jesus Christ gives us the opportunity to be
forgiven, but we only get forgiven when we confess our sins. What is this confession?
The confession is that we acknowledge that we have sinned. We acknowledge that
we can do nothing to clear our guilt from our sin. We acknowledge that only the
blood of Christ cleans us from our sin. This is the faith that justifies us.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may
be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (KJV)

Even though confessing sin is important for sanctification, we must understand that
the work of being set apart for God does not come from our religious efforts. For us
to walk in sanctification, we must walk in Christ.

1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and
righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the
Lord. (KJV)

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How are we sanctified so we can walk in righteousness? As we saw in the previous
section, we can’t live righteously without Christ; so what is our role? Paul writes in:

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they
that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. (KJV)

The life of righteousness is accomplished by being led by the Spirit of God. We are
led by the Holy Spirit by putting our mind on things of the Spirit.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God. (KJV)

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (KJV)

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any
praise, think on these things. (KJV)

1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an
answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with
meekness and fear: (KJV)

So the key to being led by the Spirit of God is by setting our minds – sanctify our
hearts towards Christ. If we meditate (think about) the things of God, then we will be
sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. In contrast, if we constantly think about the
things of this world, then we are likely going to be led by the dictates of the flesh.

I would like to just address one more thing in this chapter and that is the passage
found in:

Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the

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truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which
shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three
witnesses:
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy,
who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the
covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto
the Spirit of grace?
Heb 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will
recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I don’t believe there is Christian among us, that through the deception of satan mak-
ing use of the desires of our flesh who can say they have somewhere in their Chris-
tian lives sinned wilfully. This verse therefore condemns all Christians unto God’s
wrath, not so? However I believe that something is lost in translation. The Greek
word for sin here is harmatano which is the verb form of harmatia. 5. Literally the
Greek word harmatia, means: “to miss the mark”. It not only refers to a specific law-
less deed, but often refers to the way we direct our lives. Looking at the context of
what the author of Hebrews were addressing, it looks more likely that he was not
referring to a specific deed that we might have done, but rather the direction in
which we direct our lives in, where we completely miss God’s mark in Christ Jesus.

Heb 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of
reward.
Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye
might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall
have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul. (KJV

1. Vine’s “sanctify”, e-Sword 13.0.0

2. This is from personal conversations with those who seem to be the leaders in teaching this doctrine.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism, 14 August 2021
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism, 14 August 2021
5. Vine’s “sin”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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2.4: Grace to the Humble

What differentiates Christians from unbelievers, or better yet, from those who will
be saved from those who won’t be saved? Why is it that some find faith in believing
in Christ, and others don’t? Is it merely the fact that God gave some to have faith and
others He left to be dammed as the Reformation theology teaches? The doctrine of
complete depravity, states that we have no inherit ability to respond to God’s call for
repentance due to the fact that we are dead in our sin unable to respond to God.
God in His mercy choses who will be regenerate spiritually in order to be saved and
who are left dead spiritually and so doing destined to be perished in hell. By this
mercy of God, our part in it, is that we can be grateful that we are randomly chosen
by God’s Sovereignty. 1.

This phrase, namely: God’s sovereignty, is the cartelist that the reformers use to push
the idea that mankind has no choice in the matter. In fact, if you just bypass all the
theological mumbo jumbo, reformed theology is plainly absurd. Don’t get me wrong,
I respect John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, Martin Bucer, Wolfgang Capito and all the
rest of the reformers. However, like Jacobus Arminius, I have a problem with the
reformist’s view on predestination. The questions is, on what basis does God choose
us, if it is not by pure randomness?

Arminius would argue that God gives all the grace (ability) to believe, and therefore,
the choice is up to us, whether we will believe or not. My question then is: why
would some not believe? I agree with the Arminius believe that God’s sovereignty is
about God’s power over all things and NOT about God’s control over all things. In
contrast to the Arminius view, I actually agree with the Reformers that God does not
give all people grace. However contrary to the reformers I do believe it does actually
depends on us. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying that God give us grace because
of our religious performances, but rather our humility.

Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but
giveth grace unto the humble. (KJV)

1Pe 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be
subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud,
and giveth grace to the humble.
1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may
exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (KJV)

Pro 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though

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hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (KJV)

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up [proud] is not upright in him: but the just
shall live by his faith. (KJV)

Faith is the result of humility. Pride and arrogance are what caused Satan and the
demons to rebel against God. Pride is the reason that Adam and Eve ate of the fruit
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Pride is the reason why most of
humanity will not be saved. In order for us to place our trust or faith in Christ, we
need to acknowledge that we can’t save ourselves. God’s way, which is Christ, is the
only way. Pride prevent us from acknowledging that we are sinners’ and in need of a
Saviour. Having faith in Christ is not just a mere acknowledgment that He came to die
for our sins and was raised up on the third day. Faith is the trust that we need to
place our lives in His hands to save us.

Let me illustrate this point through the example of the first two kings of Israel, where
Samuel the priest and prophet of God in Israel spoke to King Saul:

1Sa 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man
after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his
people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. (KJV)

A little further on in Scripture, we read Samuel went on to say to King Saul the
following:

1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected
thee from being king. (KJV)

How is it that God rejected Saul as king to replace him with David? God knew David
would later on in his life covet another man’s wife, commit adultery with her, and
have her husband killed? This is breaking three of God’s commandments with one
stroke. Yet despite these terrible sins, God did not reject David as He did with Saul,
but appointed David’s descendant to be the Messiah. It seems that Saul’s sins are
meek compared to David’s sins, but David received grace from God, and Saul was
rejected by God. David had to face the consequences of his sins, as his punishment
was the death of his son that was consummated by the adulterous relationship, and
he had to face the continues turmoil and betrayal within his own household. Despite

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the consensuses of his sins, God still showed him tremendous grace.

What makes David different from Saul? It has to do with this key aspect called
“humility”. When David was confronted with his sins, he did not try to justify his sins
or try to make excuses for his sins or worse yet, hardened in his sins, or rejected the
rebuke from those who confronted his sins. David showed humility and
acknowledged that he sinned and did not blame anyone but himself for the
consequences of his sins. By this act of humility, David’s relationship with God was
restored and God lifted him up.

2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan
said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. (KJV)

It is not possible for a healthy relationship to exist between two parties when one or
both of them are ruled by pride. This fact holds true between a husband and wife,
between a child and a parent, or between friends. Furthermore, genuine
reconciliation can only take place when both parties are able to humble themselves.
Christ took the first step, and humbled Himself in being born in the weakness of a
man, and lived in that humility right unto death on the cross because of His love for
us. Are we humble enough to admit that we are sinners, that we need Him as our
Saviour, and the Lord of our lives?

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (KJV)

We, as followers of Christ, are likely no better than most of the sinners on earth. If
we happen to be free from some of our sins, it is because of God’s grace working
inside of us. The only difference between us, who follow Christ, and those who don’t,
is that we have come to realise that we need a Saviour. Often we think that we will
serve God in a way that suits our own blend of Christianity, ignoring His will for us.

Rom 3:9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (KJV)

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Pride and humility are the difference between whether we will place our faith in
Christ or not; and whether we will be saved or not. It has nothing to do with our
performances, but everything to do with a heart of humility. Jesus illustrated this in
the following parable:

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

Often, we hear people say: “So and so are such a good person, how can we say he or
she won’t go to heaven just because they are not followers of Christ?” We have to
understand that God does not judge according to our “goodness”, but according to
“righteousness”. Let me illustrate this by the following scenario. Take, for instance, a
child that has been brought up in a hideously bad circumstance. That child is unlikely
to grow up with “good” morals. A child that has had the good fortune to be brought
up in a loving, caring and moral environment is more likely to behave “good” as an
adult. God, however, loves them both and understands that most people are broken
and hurting, which is why many behave the way they do. He therefore requires, from
us all, that we humble ourselves by admitting that we are not as great as we think we
are. We all need a Saviour from sin, irrespective of whether we are “good” or “bad”.

Psa 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
Psa 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his
way. (KJV)

Deu 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these
forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was
in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Deu 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with
manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make
thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

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With the very words that Jesus quoted, “... that man shall not live by bread alone; but
by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord...” 2. He refuted Satan’s
temptation in the wilderness when He faced extreme hunger. When we go through
hard times, we are tested what is really in our hearts. Pride will cause us to forsake
God’s way to follow our own ways. Humility will hold on to God’s word knowing it is
LIFE. How often do we rely more on our own “wisdom” and “clever thinking” than
finding out what is Christ’s way?

Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (KJV)

Heb 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out
of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them
that believed not?
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

It is not whether a person has faith or not, because everyone actually does have
faith. Some people place their faith in themselves, others in their bank account,
others in another person, thing, or on an idol. The cross, however, makes all man’s
efforts to nothing. Why do both non-Christians and Christians alike find it so hard to
walk this walk of faith in Christ? It is because it deals with our pride to the core. Faith
in Christ means we have to place a rebellious and arrogant heart on the cross.

1Pe 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you in due time,
1Pe 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. (KJV)

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arminianism; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism; 18 June 2022

2. Mat 4:4

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2.5: God’s Love and Grace

As stated in the previous section, God chose us not because we are good, nor does
God choose us, by random luck; which the reformed theology portrays. God choose,
those whom He foreknew would humble themselves to place their faith in Christ.

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (KJV)

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

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

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

So how do we understand this love that God has for the world? In biblical Greek,
there are at least four different meanings for love. A romantic infatuation for
someone is the Greek word: eros. A kinship for a close friend or a family member is
the Greek word: philia. The devotion one has for a family member, especially for the
care of one’s own child is the Greek word: storge. The compassion one has for
someone in need is the Greek word: agape, which is often translated as “charity”. 1.
Some New Agers would even try to personify the concept of love as a god by
quoting:

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (KJV)

However, John was not explaining what love is, but rather who God is. He describes
God’s nature and what God expresses by His actions. The context of this verse
indicates that John was making the point that if we don’t love we are not born of
God, as God’s very nature is love. In this verse as well as all the other verses God’s
love is in reference to the Greek word: agape, which is often translated as “charity”.

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth
is born of God, and knoweth God.

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1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his
only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (KJV)

God shows His charity to the whole world because of His care He has for all who He
has created. It is because of this care God has for us in Christ, that He won’t let
anything separate us from Him in Christ Jesus.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (KJV)

The hyper grace teachers uses this verse as proof text that you cannot lose your
salvation. However, is this what Paul is saying here? Let us first think about this. We
already read in John 3:16 that God loves the whole world. If God loves the whole
world, then one has to conclude that nothing can separate the whole world from
God, which is in Christ Jesus. However, most of the grace teachers who don’t follow
the Universalist gospel do teach that only those who has faith in Christ will be saved.
This prerequisite of belief would then get in the way of the blanket proof text that
Romans 8 is supposed to provide.

So, what is Paul saying then in Romans 8? Simply put, that love or charity that will
prevent us from being separated from God is found in Christ Jesus, our Lord. If you
are not found in Christ, you are already separated from God. The only way not to be
separated from God’s love is to be found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s grace goes much further than saving us from judgment to come, as it also
affects how we live. It determines whether we have something to eat or not,
whether we are ill or not, whether we live or not. God’s grace determines whether
we will have the strength to go to work tomorrow, or whether we will have the
insight to solve a problem that we face in life. Paul explains it like this.

1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle,
because I persecuted the church of God.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was
bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet
not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (KJV)

Even the spiritual gifts are by the grace of God:

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Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; (KJV)

The trials that we face, we can only face by the grace of God:

2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (KJV)

Paul therefore writes in:

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man
despise thee. (KJV)

God’s love and grace will not leave us where we at, but transforms us into the image
of Christ Jesus. It is in Christ Jesus that we not only have the forgiveness of sin, but
the knowledge of how to say: “NO” to ungodliness and worldly lust and live in His
righteousness. In other words, His grace assists us so that we can fellowship in the
holiness of the Father and the Son. Paul writes in:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (KJV)

Any good works that we accomplish are by the grace of God. The reason we can do
good works is because of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. God had mercy on us, because
He knows we can’t do it. He knows we are helpless without Christ. Even though we
do not deserve it, by His great love / charity towards us, He creates us anew in Christ
through His death and resurrection, so we can live out Christ’s righteousness. John
Newton wrote about these great truths with this famous song:

“Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost,

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but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious
did that grace appear, The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ‘Tis grace hath brought
me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and
portion be, As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease, I shall possess,
within the veil, A life of joy and peace.
The world shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun refuse to shine; But God, who called
me here below, Shall be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less
days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’d first begun.” 2.

By God’s grace and love, we are able to partake off and enjoy the gospel of God’s
kingdom where Christ rules in our hearts in order to live in Christ’s righteousness.
The only thing we can do in regards to our salvation, is humble ourselves and submit
to the gospel of grace. Amen.

1. https://www.learnreligions.com/types-of-love-in-the-bible-700177, 26/11/2021
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace, 25/10/2020

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Chapter 3: The Gospel of Salvation
3.1: Salvation

We saw that Israel wanted to be saved from the nations that were ruling them. Yet,
before they could be delivered from the nations that were ruling them, they first
needed to be saved from their rebellious hearts that were unwilling to submit to
God’s rule. In fact, it was because they rebelled against God, that God caused them
to fall under the oppression of the heathen kingdoms.

All of humanity has this problem of having a rebellious heart; a heart that is unwilling
to submit to God. We all want to be delivered from the consequences of our sins
without having to be delivered from the actual sin keeping us captive. In this chapter,
we will look at this important topic of salvation in relation to being delivered from a
rebellious heart.

In the New Testament, we come across three parts of our salvation. Each part of our
salvation affects the next. These three parts of our salvation are depicted through
the use of three tenses: we ARE saved; we ARE BEING saved; and we WILL BE saved.
Without understanding these three parts or periods in our salvation plan, many have
trusted in a false gospel. This false gospel has given people a false sense of security,
which will cause many to be disqualified from God’s salvation plan.

The philosophy of “once saved, always saved” and the daughter philosophy of “hyper
grace”, comes from the understanding that one cannot be saved, the one day, then
not be saved the next day, and then get saved again the following day. This sounds
logical, but this logic comes from an incorrect assumption of the three parts of our
salvation. It is true that we cannot be saved on a particular day and then be unsaved
the next day. Yet the question is this; which part of our salvation does this apply to?

Those who believe in ones saved always saved, but who has recognized the three
tenses in Scripture, would explain that we are already saved from judgment to come.
They would then argue that we are being saved from the influence of the world, and
we will be saved from the presence of sin in the future. I agree with their second
point that we are being saved from the influence of the world presently, as Scripture
makes this clear. However, their explanation of what we are saved from already and
what we will be saved from in the future is purely conjecture in their part, not found
in Scripture.

I believe the correct interpretation from Scripture can be learned from how Israel
was saved from the bondage to Egypt, and how God kept delivering them from the
Canaanite nations on their journey to the promise land. Israel did not receive the

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promise land ones they were “baptized” through the Red sea. In fact, God had to
continue delivering their minds from idolatry and the threats from the Canaanite
nations on their journey to the Promised Land. Because they fell into unbelief, most
of them did not enter the Promised Land.

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God.
Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Heb 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence stedfast unto the end;
Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in
the provocation.
Heb 3:16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out
of Egypt by Moses.
Heb 3:17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them
that believed not?
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (KJV)

Let us start by having a look at what Scripture actually teaches about the part of our
salvation that will only become our possession on Judgment Day.

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that
endureth to the end shall be saved. (KJV)

Jesus stipulates that only those who endure to the end will be saved. Jesus speaks of
this again in:

Here Jesus speaks of those who endure the hardship of holding on to the faith; that

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we will be saved. He is speaking of this “gospel” that would be preached throughout
the world as a witness. Those who teach “once saved always saved” claim that this
salvation has to do with being saved from God’s wrath that will fall on earth. Well, let
us look further into this, to see what we will be saved from. Paul writes, in:

2Ti 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain
the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2Ti 2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
2Ti 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny
us: (KJV)

Paul makes a couple of things clear here. Firstly, the salvation is in Christ and it is
imbued with eternal glory. The eternal glory has to do with our eternal salvation that
is to come. Paul also makes it clear that we have to endure the confession of our
faith if we are to inherit the eternal glory. If we do not endure, we will not be saved
for eternity. This is confirmed, again, in:

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of
the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bring-
eth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto
cursing; whose end is to be burned. (KJV)

This passage has to be really twisted to make any sense to those who believe that
once you have given your heart to Christ and received the Spirit, that you are home
free for eternity. Yet, any honest scholar would agree that this passage talks of
people who were born again, but did not endure to the end and, therefore, were
disqualified in obtaining salvation on judgment day. Some say that this passage was
not speaking to Christians by quoting the next verse in:

Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that
accompany salvation, though we thus speak. (KJV)

However, one needs to understand that Paul was not talking to just any group of
Christians, but to a specific group whom Paul knew personally. Paul was saying that
he had confidence in “them” that they would not fall away. In the same way, we

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might know of some brothers and sisters of whom we are confident that they will
endure to the end, which, of course, leaves the possibility that some will not
complete the race. Paul warns us, in:

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates
[disqualified]?
2Co 13:6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
2Co 13:7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved,
but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates
[disqualified]. (KJV)

Here, Paul is defending his work in the Lord; affirming that he is not disqualified,
while imploring the Corinthian church to examine whether they may not be
disqualified. Being rejected for salvation was a very real thing to Paul. He talks of it as
being cut off:

Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed
in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by
faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare
not thee.
Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell,
severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise
thou also shalt be cut off. (KJV)

The passage in Peter makes an even stronger case. We read in:

2Pe 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the
lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from
them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of cor-
ruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein,
and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteous-
ness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered
unto them.
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is

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turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the
mire. (KJV)

It is often argued by those who hold to the “once saved, always saved” philosophy
that Peter is not referring to Christians here, but rather to false teachers that have
infiltrated the Christian church. It is correct that Peter is addressing false teachers in
this passage, however this does not bypass the fact that Peter is writing to Christians
that has escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. One cannot ignore Peter’s words that it would have been better
for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to know it and then turn
from the holy commandment delivered unto them. These words are referring to
those who have had faith in Christ.

As stated before, the Bible speaks of past, future, and present tense when speaking
of our salvation. We are saved from the hold of sin and Satan over our lives. We are
being saved from sin’s influence in our lives, and we will be saved from judgment if
we keep the faith to the end. Let us have a look at the all the passages that clearly
teach that we will be saved from judgment if we endure to end.

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned. (KJV)

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso-
ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

Act 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disci-
ples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be
saved, even as they. (KJV)

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from
wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of
his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (KJV)

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. (KJV)

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Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (KJV)

1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my
spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (KJV)

Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall
be heirs of salvation? (KJV)

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son. (KJV)

Every one of these passages refers to salvation that occurs in the future, rather than
something that we have already inherited. In other words, we are not presently
saved from the Judgment Day, because we are only going to be saved from judgment
when we have endured to the end. Let us be reminded that, like the Jews, perhaps
we want to believe in a gospel that only saves us from the consequences of our
actions and reject a gospel that deals with our heart of rebellion?

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3.2: Being Saved

As stated before, the Israelites only wanted to be delivered from the consequences
of sin without having to deal with their rebellious heart of sin. It seems that many
Christians follow a gospel that would teach them that they are saved from the
consequences of sin, without having to deal with the power of sin in their lives.
Salvation is not only something that will happen or something that has happened,
but is also something that is presently happening.

As seen in the Old Testament, the Israelites were set free from the bondage of the
Egyptian kingdom, using ten plagues. It was, however, the tenth plague that sealed
the deal, which was the killing of the firstborn throughout all the land of Egypt, who
were not sealed by the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. From this, the feast of
the Passover lamb, which foreshadowed Christ, were institutionalized. However, the
Israelite’s complete deliverance came through a symbolic baptism when they crossed
the Red Sea and by which the armies of Egypt were destroyed. The baptism
symbolises our old lives, which pursue us, in order to destroy us, being put to death.

Followed by the crossing of the Red sea, Israel wandered the desert for forty years as
God delivered them from the Canaanite nations and all the other enemies. All of
their enemies also sought to destroy them and therefore tempted them back to idol
worship. This is a typology to our own journey in the walk of faith.

At the end, before the Israelites entered the promise land, God delivered them from
the most feared enemy they had to face, Jericho, which symbolizes “doubt”. That can
be compared to the salvation we will receive if we keep the faith, without wavering,
to the end. The author of Hebrews writes it like this:

So let us look at the symbolic Canaanite nations that we need to be saved from. We
read, for instance, in:

Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to
the church daily such as should be saved. (KJV)

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1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
us which are saved [being saved] 1. it is the power of God. (KJV)

2Co 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved
[being saved], 1. and in them that perish: (KJV)

So, what are we presently being saved from? The previous passage hints to being
saved from the judgment to come. Yet we are also being saved from the perversities
of this world, as described in:

Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save your-
selves from this untoward generation. (KJV)

James writes it like this:

Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive
with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. (KJV)

Yet, how are we being saved from the perversities of this world? It has to do with
obeying the King of life. We read in:

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey him; (KJV)

Only those who obey Christ will be saved. We can have all the faith and claim that we
are righteous in Christ, but if we do not live under the rule of Christ dwelling within
us, we will not be saved. Self-rule needs to end in order to have Christ’s rule in our
hearts. Self-rule is at the heart of pride, which leads to sin and lawlessness. Jesus said
in:

Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny him-
self, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life
for my sake, the same shall save it.
Luk 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself,
or be cast away?
Luk 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the
Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and
of the holy angels. (KJV)

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To die to self is at the heart of the cross and at the heart of Christ’s rule. Is faith then
not enough? I am not teaching that performing religious works saves us. What I am
talking about is whether Christ is ruling our hearts. In other words, faith that does
not submit to Christ is a faith that won’t save us. Either we rule our own hearts or
Christ rules our hearts. It takes real faith to relinquish control of our lives and to trust
our lives in someone else’s hands. Remember, God resists the pride but gives grace
to the humble. We need to humble ourselves under Christ’s rule. That is the true
faith that the Bible teaches us. That is why Paul would constantly remind the church
of the following in:

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in
chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh,
to fulfil the lusts thereof. (KJV)

Peter writes the following in:

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to
his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in
heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that per-
isheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV)

Peter explains that the end of the trials that we face would reveal the genuineness of
our faith. At the end of our enduring faith, we will receive the salvation of our souls.
As we are being saved from self-rule and the contamination of the world, so we are
preparing to inherit our eternal salvation. Every day that we walk this walk of faith,

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we are to decide whether we rule our own lives or subject ourselves to Christ’s rule.
Those who claim to be Christians, but do not subject themselves to Christ’s rule, will
not inherit the kingdom of heaven. This is clearly taught in Scriptures.

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind,
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God. (KJV)

Paul writes in:

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornica-
tion, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God. (KJV)

You may believe that you are saved and righteous in Christ, but Paul is clear about
the fact that those people that practice the deeds of darkness will not inherit the
kingdom of God. Those who follow Christ also have to put an end to self-rule that
manifests through the passions of the flesh:

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and
lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (KJV)

Paul repeats it again, in:

Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. (KJV)

We should be concerned about those who teach differently and deceive people with
the empty words: “once saved, always saved”. Paul encourages us in the following:

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence

only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and

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trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleas-
ure. (KJV)

It is clear that we are not saved by works, for God is the One working within us, but
we are to work out our salvation. That means we have to test our hearts to see
whether we are subject to Christ’s rule or not. We read about this in:

Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we
have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and
disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him; (KJV)

Peter writes the following:

2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and
election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
2Pe 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (KJV)

Jesus taught exactly the same things to His disciples in:

Luk 13:23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said
unto them,
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to
enter in, and shall not be able. (KJV)

1. Insertion from: McReynolds, Word study Greek-English New Testament, Tyndale House Publishers, 1998, - indicates “save”
written in the present continues tense.

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3.3: Are Saved

In all of this, what are we actually saved from if we have not received our eternal
salvation yet?

Heb 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself
likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the
power of death, that is, the devil,
Heb 2:15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. (KJV)

What is the “Egyptian” bondage that we were under, that Christ delivered us from?
We read in:

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spir-
it, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a
man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? (KJV)

The hope that Paul is talking of here is everlasting life, but in this passage, he does
not explain what we are presently being saved from. However, we get a hint in:

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

In this passage, reference is made to: “sin”, in that the salvation we will receive when
Christ comes would be apart from sin. In other words, the second time Christ comes,
it will not be to bear sin as He did when He came the first time. The second time
Christ comes, it will be for our eternal salvation.

When Christ came to save us from sin, He saved us from the power of sin. Therefore,
our salvation firstly has to do with the power of sin, before it has to do with the con-
sequences of sin. What is the power of sin, then? John describes it like this in:

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the trans-
gression of the law.
1Jn 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no
sin.
1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen

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him, neither known him.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is right-
eous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the begin-
ning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil. (KJV)

The works of the devil are through sin, and sin is lawlessness. Lawlessness means to
live as though we have no law to govern us, which boils down to rebellion towards
God. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil by dealing with the heart of
rebellion. How did Christ do it? Christ exchanged our heart, which are programmed
to rebel against God, for a heart that can be subject to God’s rule. We read about it
in:

Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more. (KJV)

In each kingdom, there is a rule of law that the king puts over his subjects. Yet the
kingdom of heaven is far superior to the kingdoms on earth. The kingdom of heaven
is governed by the law of the Spirit, which is written in our hearts.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of sin and death. (KJV)

The law of the Spirit, working through our lives in Christ, has set us free from the rule
of sin in our lives. As previously explained, the law of the Spirit is Christ dwelling in
us, helping us to live as God wants us to. The law of the Old Testament was holy, but
had no power to save us because of the power of sin which enslaved us. Through the
death of the King of life, the law of sin and death lost its hold on us. Christ has His
hold on us now in order for us to live in righteousness, as opposed to lawlessness.
We will get into the subject of the Law in chapter six, but let me just briefly quote
what Paul taught on this:

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we

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might be justified by faith.

How would the law tutor us towards Christ? We read in:

Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not
covet. (KJV)

The law of the letter was to make us aware that we have a heart of rebellion, a heart
that is lawless. With the law of the letter comes condemnation. When we are
condemned, we seek a Saviour. Without a sense of condemnation, we will not see
the need to be saved. Jesus came to save us by giving us a heart that would obey
God. With Christ in us, the Spirit changes our hearts to serve God from the inside out.

Jesus did not come to bring us back to an outward following of rules and regulations.
Jesus came to change our very hearts. The hearts of man do not change by the
outward practice of rules and regulations, but changes from and inward renewing
through the Spirit of God. Paul writes:

Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were
held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the let-
ter. (KJV)

Getting back to the original point, we have to realize that not being under the law of
the letter or the law of the Old Covenant is not the same as being without a law. We
saw from John that lawlessness is sin:

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the trans-
gression of the law. (KJV)

We read in:

2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness.

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Somehow, it seems that people claim they live by God’s grace and not by any form of
“law,” so to speak. They like to put forth signs and wonders, as a sign that they live
by God’s grace. What is so scary about this? Jesus prophesied about these same
people:

Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. [lawlessness] (KJV)

As said before, lawlessness means being under NO law. Any gospel that teaches us
that we are not to live under any kind of law is a false and corrupt gospel. A heart of
lawlessness is the basis on which Satan builds his kingdom. Some might ask that, if
sin is lawlessness, then what does Paul mean when he writes:

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace. (KJV)

Well, Paul explains further in:

Paul follows this train of thought in:

Rom 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:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they
that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

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Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye 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. (KJV)

When the Bible talks of the “law” it firstly refers to God’s regulation to rule His
people. From here on, we see that the Law given to Moses was to consecrate a
people in the flesh, namely the Israelites, to God. There is also a law of the Spirit
given to consecrate a people by the blood of Christ. The true grace of God teaches us
to live under the law of the Spirit and NOT to live without law, as some Bible teachers
would teach. In conclusion, we are saved from the power of sin and Satan’s hold on
our lives. We are being saved from the influence of sin and the world over our lives.
If we endure to the end, we will be saved from judgment to come.

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3.4: All Men to be Saved

The doctrine that teaches that everyone will be saved is called Christian
Universalism. Christian Universalists have a couple of variances within their umbrella
of beliefs, but ultimately it boils down to all people eventually being saved or
reconciled to God, whether they are disciples of Christ in this life or not. It is based
on the belief that if Christ has died for all and therefore, it would stand to reason that
His atonement work on Calvary is accomplished for all people’s sins and therefore all
people would be saved, eventually. This view has become popular of late; most likely
due to postmodernism or relativism that have taken root in most areas of our
westernized societies.

One would question what role does faith play in our salvation if this teaching is to be
true? It is from this question that we also find some variances within the Christian
Universalism worldview. For instance, there are those who would say that faith only
plays a role in that we can experience reconciliation in our current lives. In other
words, we can enjoy reconciliation now, or suffer through life without faith, but after
death, we will still be saved. Then there are those who teach that some would go
through some kind of purgatory, for a specific amount of time, to purge them from
their sin of faithlessness, by fire, and then they would eventually be saved. I don’t
have space to consider each of these variances individually, within the umbrella of
Christian universalism, but will only deal with the actual premises of their core beliefs
that everyone will eventually be saved.

It is interesting to note that those who follow the Universalists’ beliefs do not
consider Scripture as that important in determining doctrine and merely use it to
persuade other Christians of their teachings. That is why you will find that when
talking to them, that they will only use what is called “proof text”. Proof text is a
strategy to use a verse in isolation, to create doubt in the receiver’s mind as to what
one would think the Bible actually teaches, as to give some kind of plausibility to
their arguments. They have a shallow look at the actual contextual text. In saying
this, I don’t mean that they ignored Greek or Hebrew words, but rather that they will
only use the original meaning of particular words that seems to support their view
and ignoring the actual contextual usage of those words. In other words, if the
original word could have two meanings, they will only use the meaning that supports
their viewpoint and ignore how consistently that meaning is used throughout
Scripture. Honestly, I think we all are guilty of doing that, which is why we need to be
dependent on the teaching of the Holy Spirit, instead of gathering teachers that will
tickle our ears.

Let us have a look at some of these “proof texts” that are used by the Christian

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Universalists. The first passage is:

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the
living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. (KJV)

The Universalist’s argument from this passage is based on the rationale of how Jesus
can be the saviour of all men, if not all men are saved? It seems to be a logical
question. Yet keep in mind that, all throughout Paul’s letters, he is confronting the
Jewish mind-set that the Messiah was only there to save the Jews. In other words,
Paul was merely reinforcing the truth in Timothy’s mind, to proclaim that Jesus was
not only the Saviour of the Jews, but in fact the Saviour of all the nations. This
passage therefore does not say that all people will be saved, but rather that the gift
of Salvation is open for all people who believe, and not only to the Jews. Jesus says:

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall find it.
Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his
own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV)

The next two proof texts used by Universalists have to do with God’s will for all men
to be saved:

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

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

It is argued from this passage that it is God’s will that all men should be saved, which
is the reason why all men will be saved. However, it is obvious that this passage does
not stipulate that all men would be saved, it only indicates that God desires for all to
be saved. This is contrary to what Calvinism teaches, which is that God only wants
some people to be saved and others to be condemned. Yet it is clear that what God
wants and what God allows can often be different. For instance, He desires that we
all should live in holiness, but the painful truth is that most of us often do not walk in
holiness.

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So many would question why God would allow things that are contrary to His will or
desire to happen. Simply put, God’s righteousness and justice determine that all
should have a choice in the matter and should live with the consequences of those
choices. It is this fact of choices and consequences that affects all areas of our
relationships, especially our relationship with our Creator.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap.
Gal 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (KJV)

The next two passages that are used as proof text, has to do with the fact that Christ
died for all. We read in:

Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to con-
demnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. (KJV)

Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven. (KJV)

Yet, if one takes this passage in Colossians as an example, we read further on:

Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled
Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable
and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away
from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (KJV)

Those who hold on to the Universalistic belief play with words the way a criminal
lawyer would, in order to create doubt in the jury’s minds. They try to make one
think that the passage says things it does not really say. In all of these cases, we must
not confuse God’s intent and desire with God’s will to give us freedom of choice. As
Paul wrote in Romans 5, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life,
but not all men will accept it. Once again, we see the same rationale used as a proof
text in:

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Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be
cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (KJV)

Yet we also read in the gospel of John the following:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (KJV)

I will look at one more popular passage that is used by the Universalist teachers as
proof text, as to why they say that everyone will be saved. It has to do with the fact
that everyone will finally acknowledge that Jesus is King and that everyone will bow
their knees before Him. Their argument is that, by acknowledging that Jesus is the
King and bowing your knee before Him, you would be doing what is required to be
saved.

Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. (KJV)

Once again, this rationale ignores so many other passages that contradict this
assumption made by the Universal theology. For instance, let’s take the following
passage:

Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and
every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (KJV)

We see in this passage that Paul explains that “every knee shall bow”, means that
every person will give an account to God. The point is that every person will bow
their knee and acknowledge Jesus as Lord sooner or later, but it does not indicate
that everyone would be saved, sooner or later. The difference is that those who bow
their knee in this life will inherit the kingdom of God, but those who wait till after this
life will only do so to give an account to God for the life they lived.

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3.5: To be Saved

Thus far, we saw that God’s salvation plan, through Christ, has three parts or levels
to it, namely: we have been saved from sin and Satan’s hold over our lives; we are
being saved from the influences of the world and sin on our lives; and if we hold on
to our faith to the end, we will be saved from God’s judgment to come. We also saw
from Scripture that even though it is God’s desire for all to be saved, the sad fact is,
many will not be saved from God’s wrath and judgment. So, concluding chapter
three, we will look at what we ought to do to be saved from judgment to come.

I would like to make the following plain. God is not particularly concerned with
whether we have a comfortable life on earth or having prosperity and health. For
that matter, God is not concerned with whether we live a little holier, or whether we
are feeling a little more blessed, or are grasping the grace of God a little better. All
these things eventually end up in a futile exercise of religion and the puffed up
knowledge of a man-centred gospel. Paul wrote something that moves away from a
man-centred gospel to a Christ-centred gospel in:

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or pow-
ers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven. (KJV)

Christ is the object of God’s love and the reason why you and I are created. We are
not as much at the centre of God’s mind as what Christ is; as hard as this truth might
be to accept in a humanistic mind-set. Paul wrote that everything that was created
was created through Christ and FOR Christ. In other words, the reason why every-
thing was created is for Christ. Christ is the focal point, not us.

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From this standpoint, we see that it is the Father’s intention to replace everything
that exists with who Christ is. Through the cross, God dealt with the kingdom of
darkness by putting an end to our religious efforts. That means the Father plans to
replace our shame with Christ, who is the grace of God ... Replace our works with
Christ, who is our justification... Replace our religious performances with Christ, who
is our holiness ... Replace our pain with Christ, who is our joy and peace... Replace
our understanding with Christ, who is the truth ... Replace our church with Christ,
who is the head of His body ... Replace our sin with Christ, who is our righteousness...
Replace heaven and earth with Christ, who is the living waters, the bread of life...
Paul continues in:

Col 1:27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Col 1:28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. (KJV)

How does God replace everything with Christ? Paul explains in:

The word baptism comes from the Greek “baptisma” 1., which means: “immersion or
submersion”; which is from the Greek word “bapto”, which means “to dip”. Yet the
word goes much further than the fact that we are to be completely immersed in
water. It also has to do with us being completely immersed in Christ’s death and
resurrection. By putting on Christ, through baptism, we have immersed ourselves in
Christ, His death and His resurrection. Baptism has to do with being dead to our
culture, our identity, and everything that binds us to the kingdom of this world, as we
immerse ourselves in the kingdom of God. It is for this reason that we read of Jesus
placing baptism in the following context in:

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned. (KJV)

Why does it seem that Jesus is saying that we need to both believe and be baptized
to be saved? Now it is crucial that no misunderstanding comes from what is going to
be brought forth now, as that would cause us to miss one of the marvellous truths of
our salvation plan. Let us first deal with the fact that baptism does not wash us from
sin, but is an important process of delivering our minds from our old lives. Peter
addresses it this way:

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1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight
souls were saved by water.
1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward
God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (KJV)

Paul used Israel, who crossed the Red Sea as an example of baptism, in:

1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all
our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual
Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
1Co 10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown
in the wilderness.
1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after
evil things, as they also lusted. (KJV)

Both Noah and Moses are examples of how water is representative of letting go of
the old life, to start a new life. For instance, God delivered the Israelites from Egypt
by killing the firstborn who were not covered by the blood of the Passover Lamb. Yet,
it was at the crossing of the Red Sea where the hold of the Egyptian King on Israel
was finally broken. Many Christians have testified that in their own lives they had
faith in Jesus Christ, but that they still underwent some serious spiritual battles in
their minds, relating to Jesus being their Lord, up to the point of their baptism. Why
is that? Well, because baptism is an act whereby you show that you lay down your
past life in Christ’s death, so that you can live the new life that is found in Christ’s life.

However, if it is true that baptism somehow delivers our minds from slavery of our
old lives, to have Christ ruling our hearts, why do we still experience problems and
struggles with life and sin after our baptism? Well, as you may recall, Israel had to
deal with the Canaanites as they travelled towards the Promised Land. Those
Canaanite nations are awaiting us, even though we may have been set free from
Egyptian slavery. If we don’t deal with them swiftly, they will become a huge struggle
for many years to come, in the same way they were for Israel. The Canaanite nations
gave Israel so much problems, because they did not follow God’s command to deal
with them, as they should have done. So in the same way, we as Christians need to
deal with the Canaanite nations that symbolise sin in our lives, so that they don’t

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hassle us for years to come. Paul writes the following:

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)

Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. (KJV)

As stated at the end of chapter 3.1 called “Salvation”, I stressed the point that the life
in Christ can only be obtained through death. We have died in Christ through
baptism; we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh and we will obtain the likeness
of Christ after laying down this corruptible body. Emersion into Christ’s death and
resurrection means that we also immerse ourselves in the new creation of Christ’s
body, which establishes His kingdom in our hearts. Paul writes it like this in:

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many. (KJV)

Paul makes it even clearer in:

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is nei-
ther male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the
promise. (KJV)

What is Paul actually saying? Paul is confirming that when we are baptized through
the Spirit, we consider ourselves dead to our old lives, our identity, our culture, and
anything that attaches us to the kingdoms of this world. The body of Christ is the way
in which God has replaced everything with whom Christ is. You see, a person’s
identity has a huge impact on a person’s behaviour. The way in which we see
ourselves determines our choices and actions in everyday situations. This is why it is
so crucial that we discover that we are the beloved, we are saints; we are justified;
we are sons and daughters; we are... in Christ.

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When we look at the fruit of all these amazing teachings about our identity in Christ,
it seems as if they have had no lasting impact on the behaviour and choices of the
majority of Christians. Some would say that the reason for this is that Christians ha-
ven’t come to a genuine faith in these truths. And so we deliver even more teaching
and do more preaching about their new identity in Christ, hoping that if we describe
it in a better way and if we can truly manage to explain how much they are loved by
God their Father, they will come to a real revelation. But statistics still show that very
few Christians have truly had their lives transformed by these truths.

The reason for this lack of true transformation is that our old identity was in printed
in our psyche for a number of years by our mothers, fathers, siblings, culture, etc.
They formed our value and belief systems, as well as our identities. These values and
belief systems, and identities have been engraved into our souls through many years
of living in a daily relationship with our earthly families. This means that simply tell-
ing someone who they are in Christ battles to compete against this ingrained image
from many years in an unsanctified family. That is, not until they have experienced
this through a new family in the Lord. People’s value systems, belief systems and
identities are only formed through relationships - and not through mere preaching.
When they actually experience how other people relate to them with regard to this
new identity, true faith will spring up. Specialists who have studied the human brain
call this ‘the power of reparative relationships.’ 2.

We experience ourselves in a new light by being in meaningful relationships with

others. That is why, when we are called into a relationship with the Father through
Jesus Christ, we are also called into this new family - the family of God. Our minds are
conformed to this new identity, by the way we DAILY relate to one another as a fami-
ly, in accordance with who we are, in Christ. Our daily relationship with the Father
through the Son, through His BODY, the church, transforms our identities so that we
see ourselves as a new people in Christ Jesus.

1. Vine’s NT “baptize” e-Sword 13.0.0

2. https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-news/reparative-power-relationships. 10 August 2021.

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4: God as our Father
4.1. Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over
the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon
the earth. (KJV)

God says “let US make men in OUR own image, after OUR likeness”. Who is this US?
Perhaps this Us refers to angels that helped God? Yet God said it was Him alone who
stretched out the heavens:

Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the
womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone;
that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; (KJV)

The prophet Malachi says it was just one God who created us:

Mal 2:10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal
treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our
fathers? (KJV)

So, if no angels assisted God in the creation and there was only one God who created
us, why does God speak in the plural form of “let Us” and “in Our image”? Some
would say God is just speaking metaphorically to the angels, when He meant “Him
alone”. Yet God does not anywhere else in Scripture say “Let Us” to the angels when
He means Him alone did things. So, that view is merely speculative. In the New
Testament we read that all were created through, by, and for Christ.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (KJV)

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

Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed

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heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our
sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (KJV)

Heb 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in
bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. (KJV)

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

Some scholars argue that some earlier manuscripts of Acts 20:28 do not have it
written: “...church of God...”, as it is in the Greek Textus Receptus, but rather “...
church of the Lord...” as it is in the Interlinear. Never the less, the previous four
passages above makes it clear that Jesus was with God in creating all things, and
nothing was created without Christ. If God alone created all things, but Jesus was
with God in creating all things, would that not be a contradiction if Jesus is God?
Besides these passages, we also have John’s gospel, which makes it even clearer in:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (KJV)

Now making this point, I have to add that there are Bible teachers that claim John 1:1
does not state that the Word was God, but rather that the Word was “a god”. 1. This
interpretation is based on how indefinite article are normally assumed when no
definite article was written in front of the noun. Greek only has definite articles (in
English the), and are written in almost all cases before the noun. The absence of an
article would therefore assume the indefinite articles (in English “a”). However, the
absent of an article cannot always be assumed as an indefinite article in Konio Greek.
2.
For instance, we see in verse 6 of the same chapter that no article written in front
of God either:

Joh 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (KJV)

So in order to be consistent with this passage in translating all absence of articles as

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“a God”, the text would have been written: “there was a man sent from a God…”.
This would render the text absurd. The context therefore makes it clear that
throughout the chapter, it always refers to God the Father. Furthermore, the view
that Jesus is just another god, would contradict the fact that God was alone when He
made all things as explained in Isaiah 44:24 and there was only one God that made
us, as explained in Malachi 2:10. Also, Scripture makes it clear there is no other God
besides God, so why would John say that Jesus is a god?

Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath
declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the
LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none
beside me.

Besides the fact that Isaiah writes there is no God besides Yaweh, Isaiah then
describes the same attribute of being the first and the last that Jesus also claims in
Revelations:

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I
am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I
appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let
them shew unto them.
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have
declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no
God; I know not any. (KJV)

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which
is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the
word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as
of a trumpet,
Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest,
write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus,
and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto
Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw
seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man,

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clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden
girdle. (KJV)

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand
upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore,
Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (KJV)

What is also fascinating, is what Isaiah said four chapters later:

Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I
also am the last.
Isa 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand
hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.
Isa 48:14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared
these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his
arm shall be on the Chaldeans.
Isa 48:15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he
shall make his way prosperous.
Isa 48:16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the
beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his
Spirit, hath sent me. (KJV)

Here in Isaiah 48:12 we see the use of “I am the first and I am the last”. Then in verse
16, we see three Persons are spoken of, namely: the Lord God, God’s Spirit, who has
sent the “I am he; I am the first and I am the last”.

The Hebrew word for one is: “echad”. 3. It is used for instance in:

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one [echad] LORD: (KJV)

Jesus often confirmed that He and the Father are One.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one. (KJV)

It would be redundant for God to stress that He is ONE if there was only one person
in God. There has to be more than one person in God, for God to stress He is ONE.
For instance, if a captain of a team would say to a television interview that he is one,
they would think that is a random thing to say. However, should he say that the team
is one; the television audience would immediately recognise he was talking about

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their team’s unison towards the same purpose and goal. The Bible speaks of the
same oneness in the flesh concerning a husband and wife or a group of people:

Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she
shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave
unto his wife: and they shall be one [echad] flesh. (KJV)

Gen 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one [echad], and they have all one
language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them,
which they have imagined to do.

Jesus and the Father are one in the Spirit. In fact, that oneness is so close that Jesus
said that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father.

Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou
not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest
thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me,
he doeth the works. (KJV)

Mathew quoted a passage from Isaiah chapter seven concerning the birth of Christ
with these words:

Mat 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (KJV)

If there is only one God, and God is one, and God had no help to create all things, yet
all things was made through Christ, then the only conclusion we can make is that
Jesus and the Father are two Persons in one God.

This leads us to the Holy Spirit? Is the Spirit just a force or a presence of God, or a
third Person in God? Well, we see clearly that Jesus and the apostles give the Holy
Spirit attributes of a Person yet at the same time He, the Holy Spirit is distinct from
the Father and Son, as seen as follows:

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

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Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate
me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. (KJV)

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no
greater burden than these necessary things; (KJV)

Act 21:11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own
hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem
bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the
Gentiles. (KJV)

Act 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that
Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our
fathers, (KJV)

1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will. (KJV)

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

Isa 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against
them as an enemy, And He fought against them. (KJV)

Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (KJV)

Psa 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the
face of the earth. (KJV)

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given
me life. (KJV)

It was by the Holy Spirit that the Word of God became flesh.

Mat 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary
was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the
Holy Ghost.
Mat 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a
publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

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Mat 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

We also see that it was the Holy Spirit that resurrected Christ’s body from the grave.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you. (KJV)

So, the Holy Spirit has attributes and characteristics of a Person. He was involved
with creation and caused the Word of God to become flesh. It was by Spirit that
raised Christ from the dead. The Holy Spirit is now dwelling within us, so we can get
to know and be intimate with the Father and the Son. The only conclusion we can
make is that He is the third Person in God. Now, the most fascinating aspect of all of
this is that it is the will of God that we can share in that oneness.

Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me
through their word;
Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (KJV)

1. Paul R. McReynolds, Word Study Greek-English New Testament, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1990), 432.
2. J. Gresham Machen, D.D., Litt.D. New Testament Greek for Beginners, page 23, number 26, Macmillan Publishing Company,
New York, 1951, 326
3. Vine’s Old Testament: “one”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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4.2. All in a Name

In describing who God is, we are faced with some real challenges. The first is that the
description we have of God is what God chooses to describe Himself to us. I suspect
that it would take an eternity to fully comprehend God. For this reason; I believe God
describes Himself to the extent that would make sense for us, with the limitations we
have, of time, space, matter and knowledge. This, however, does not mean we can
take the liberty to describe God in whichever way it suits our imagination. We are to
stay in the realms of what Scripture has set before us.

What is interesting to note is that all throughout the Old Testament, God reveals an
aspect of Himself, depending on who is receiving that revelation and under what
circumstance they found themselves in. So reading the Bible, we see God
progressively revealed more and more of Himself, according to what the people have
gone through or were going through. Let me use a couple of examples to illustrate
what I mean. In the beginning, God was revealed as the Hebrew word: El-Ohim.

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God [El-Ohim] created the heaven and the earth. (KJV)

El-Ohim in this passage is the plural form for God, which is “Gods”. 1. We already look
at the plural emphasis of God, which is reinforced by the phrase “... let Us (as-saw)
make man in Our image (tseh-lem)...” in Genesis 1:26. 2. The Hebrew “El” refers to
“supernatural power”. “Ohim”, is believed by some scholars to be the plural form for
“Oha” which indicates: “Majesty”. 3. Some argue that the plural form can also just
merely indicate respect, for instance how the plural form for “Kings” was used as a
sign of respect even when it only referred to one king. 2. This might have been a
legitimate argument, if such examples actually occurred in Scripture. Besides God,
we only see that el-ohim being used in its plural form when referring to plural gods:

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods [el-ohim] before me. (KJV)

“El” was often followed by an additive to explain other aspects of God. For instance:

Gen 33:20 And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel. [God the God
of Israel] (KJV)

When God was going to make the covenant of circumcision with Abraham, God
describes Himself as El-Shaddai to Abraham in:

Gen 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to
Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God [El-Shaddia]; walk before me, and

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be thou perfect. (KJV)

As with the King James Version, most translations translated El-Shaddia as “Powerful
or Almighty”. 4. This translations is, however, speculative, as the true meaning is not
really known among scholars.

We also see that God is often called Adon, which means Lord. 5.

Psa 136:3 O give thanks to the Lord [Adon] of lords [adonai]: for his mercy endureth
for ever. (KJV)

The plural form for Adon is Adonai which is not written as often as it was spoken
among the Jews. Jews often would say Adonai when the Scriptures use God’s Jewish
covenantal name: Yahweh.

The Torah observers would claim that we should not follow Jewish tradition by
calling God “Lords” as the word Lords also refers to the word “Ba‘al” 6.; often
translated as Baal. Baal was one of the idols worshiped by Israel when they rebelled
against God. Baal was mainly worshiped by the Canaanite, who regarded the idol as
lords of the heavens, storms or fertility. Torah observers would claim that this
tradition of substituting the name Yahweh for “Lords”, is actually substituting the
worship of God for the worshiping of Baal. It is as though God would get confused
who we are serving, if we would call God: “Lord”.

This leads us to one of the most controversial names of God. The name Yahweh
should not be this controversial, but because of Jewish superstition, it became
controversial in many Christian circles as well. It was the name given to Moses as a
covenant name for Israel in:

Exo 6:2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD [Yahweh]:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of
God Almighty [El-Shaddai], but by my name JEHOVAH [Yahweh] was I not known to
them. (KJV)

Here we are faced with, what seems, to be a fascinating Scriptural contradiction. God
says to Moses that He was not known to Abraham as Jehovah / Yahweh. However in
the following passage we see that Abraham actually did know God by the name
Jehovah / Yahweh

Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD [Yahweh]; and he counted it to him for
righteousness.

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Gen 15:7 And he said unto him, I am the LORD [Yahweh] that brought thee out of
Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. (KJV)

In fact, it seems that Abraham was aware of the name Yahweh in the following
instances as well: Genesis 2:4; 22:14; 24:35,40,42,48,50,51,56; 26:22; 27:20; 49:18.
So how are we to reconcile these seemingly contradiction?

I believe that this is proof that a name does not mean the same biblically as it has for
us in this age. A name in Bible times were not merely an identity marker, but about
describing the person’s reputation or glory in relation to that person. Even though
Abraham knew that God was the bringer of life, he did not know the extent of it all,
as was revealed to Israel through Moses. So Abraham did not “know” God’s
reputation – as Yahweh, in the way it was revealed to Moses and Israel. Let me
explain this point by the manner God revealed the name Yahweh to Moses in:

Exo 3:13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they
shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
Exo 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM [hav-yaw ash-er hav-yaw]: and
he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM [hav-ya] hath sent me
unto you.
Exo 3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, The LORD [Yod-hay-vav-hay ] God [el-oheem] of your fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my
name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. (KJV)

God declares Himself to Moses in the first personal pronoun: “I am that I am” with
the Hebrew words: hav-yaw ash-er hav-yaw. In some instances it can be translated “I
will be that cause to be”. 7. The context of God’s answer to Moses regarding his
question, about who must Moses say has send him, is of great significance, because
Egypt deified every aspect of creation. God is describing Himself to Israel, that He is
not like the idols of Egypt that needs to be maintained by them or part of the
creation. God is the One who causes all things to be, and He is the reason for all life
that exists.

Then God instructs Moses to introduce Him to the people as it is written in the
Masoretic text as Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. Most scholars agree that the context should
rendered the name in the 3rd person “He is who He is” or “He is who cause to be”. 8.
However this is not as clear in the name with the letters Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey, because
the third person “He is” or “He causes to be” would have rendered the text: Yod,
Hey, Yod, Hey (YHYH instead of YHVH). So why has the third letter Yod changed to a

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Vav when it comes to God’s name?

It seems to be a biblical practice that when a descriptive verb is used to describe a

person and therefore the verb becomes the actual name of the person, the yod often
is changed to a vav. An example of this is with the name Eve, Adam’s wife.

Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve [Chavah]; because she was the
mother of all living [chayah]. (KJV)

Here the Hebrew name of “Eve” is Chavah, and the verb “life giver” is Chayah.

The point I want to stress in this section is that the name Yahweh, was given to Israel
to set their minds free from the lies that the idols of Egypt presented. The covenant
name was to teach them that it was God who hold all the elements of nature in
balance and not these Egyptian idols. God is the cause of all things, yet God needs
nothing from creation as was the case with the Egyptian gods. Yahweh is the
beginning of all things, the source of all things, and the reason for all things.

There was another revelation that Israel needed to learn about who Yahweh is.
When Moses went back up the Mount Sinai to receive the commandments for the
second time on the tablets (because Moses broke the first tablets due to Israel
creating a golden idol), God revealed another name to Moses.

Exo 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous
[qanna], is a jealous God: (KJV)

Here God’s name is revealed as Qanna meaning “Jealous”, because God is jealous.
This reinforces the fact that a name in biblical times refers to God’s reputation in
relation to whom He reveals Himself to.

Just for clarification, jealousy is not a sin; if you are jealous over that which belongs
to you. Israel belonged to God, because He purchased them from the slavery, they
were under in Egypt. So, God, described Himself as their Owner. Jealousy is only
wrong when one is jealous of something or someone who does not belong to you. As
Israel belongs to God, He has the right to be jealous of them.

With God giving Himself the name of “Jealous” it is clear that God’s focus on a name
has very little to do with correct pronunciation, but rather a description of Who He is
in relationship with the people He reveals Himself in the manner He does. Despite
these clear truths in Scripture there are still many who claim that we need to call God
with the covenant name God made with Israel which is: “Yod Hay, Vav, Hay”. For this

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reason I have dedicated the following section just on the debate surrounding this
four letters of God’s covenant name.

1.James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, (1890; public domain), e-Sword 13.0.0.
2. Vine’s Old Testament: “God”, e-Sword 13.0.0
3. Vine’s Old Testament: “God”, e-Sword 13.0.0
4. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.
5.Vine’s Old Testament: “Lord”, e-Sword 13.0.0
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal, 9/10/2022
7.Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.; Vine’s Old Testament: “I am”, e-Sword 13.0.0
8. https://www.onepagebiblesummary.com/pad/pad_13.php , 6 January 2024

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4.3: YHVH

In this section, I will delve in a little deeper in the controversial issue regarding the
correct pronunciation of YHVH. As most of the readers or listeners might know, a big
portion of the Old Testament was written, in Hebrew, which did not have general
distinct letters for vowels within their words as we do in English. Yahweh is often
written in English as: YHVH, from the four Hebrew letters Yod, Hey, Vav, Hey. These
four letters are also known as the Tetragrammaton. 1.

The second challenge is that after the exile to Babylon, the only time Yahweh’s name
would be pronouns was ones a year by the High Priest when he would go into the
Holy of Holies for their annual atonement sacrifices. For the rest of the year, they
would either say Adonai, meaning: Lords, or HaSham, meaning: the Name, when they
would refer to YHVH. This was due to God’s third command that they should not use
God’s name in vain.

When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek, (Septuagint) the name
Yahweh was written in Greek as Kyrios, which means: Lord. 2. When the apostles
quoted the Old Testament, they would often quote from the Greek Septuagint which
has it written: Kyrios, instead of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton. This is of great
significance, as it indicates that even the apostles of Jesus did not make it an issue to
write Lord, when referring to God’s name when quoting the Old Testament. This is
why the English translators took this as a cue to translate Yahweh, in most English
Bibles as Lord.

After the fall of the second temple in Jerusalem, the correct pronunciation Yod, Hey,
Vav, Hey, went out of circulation. This is the cause why we are not sure what the
correct pronunciation is today. This has not prevented many to claim their assurance
of the correct pronunciation. Let us explore the most popular claims.

One of the reasons why we are not sure of the correct pronunciation is that the
original Hebrew writings look significantly different to the written text used by the
Jews today. For instance, Paleo Hebrew writings on tablets were found as old as the
7th century BCE. Here is a picture of the difference between the modern Tiberian
writing compared to the original Paleo Hebrew.

Sects like the black-Hebrews, claim that the Paleo Hebrew has
a primitive vowels systems which they claim would render the
original Tetragram as YA’OH. However, there does not seem to
be any scholarly review to substantiate these claims at this
point, in compiling this study. 3.

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The Hebrew bible that is used today is based on Tiberian Hebrew, which is used in
the Masoretic text. Between the 6th and the 7th century the Masoretic Scribes, that
was situated in a Tiberian Jewish community, in ancient Galilee, used something
called the Niqqud symbols, so as to formulate vowel pronunciations of the writings in
the Tanah (Old Testament). Before that time, the proper vowel pronunciations were
all based on oral tradition that were handed down from one generation to the next.
4.
The Niqqud symbols are dots and stripes that are placed either under, inside,
above or on the side of a letter that would give the vowel sound for that letter. There
were three types of these vowel systems at the time namely the: Tiberian;
Babylonian; and the Palestinian vowel system. The Babylonian and Palestinian were
not as well developed as the later Tiberian writings of the Masoretic text. 5.

What created a technical problem within these Tiberian text is that the scribes at the
time, in some instance, place the vowels of alternative words that could be spoken
out, instead of the written text. It is called: Ketiv Lo Qere. Ketiv meaning “written”
and Lo Qere meaning “to read”. They did it to some of the words that were
considered too crude or too revered for public reading. This was especially the case
with the Tetragram. The scribes would place the Niqqud symbols of Adonai on the
YHVH. So instead of reading out God’s name in public, they would just say “Adonai”.
6.

It is due to change of vowels that we often see the name rendered as “Jehovah”.
However, when the word Lords (Adonai) actually accurse in the same verse as the
Tetragram the scribes would place the Niqqud symbols of El-Ohim on YHVH and
therefore would read in public: “God” in the place of YHVH. In this instance we see
the name is rendered as “Yehovee”. Here are some examples: Isaiah 49:22; Jeremiah
1:6; 7:20; Ezekiel 2:5; 3:27; 5:5; 5:7.

You would notice that the “A” vowel of Adonai does not seem to correspond with
the “E” vowel of Jehovah. This is due to the fact that the first letter of Adonai is
actually a versatile silent letter called “Alef” with its corresponding Niqqud dots
below, called a Sheva. This Shewa stands in as a khataf, which means that it can take
the properties of both the vowel point system of an E and an A. So the Shewa would
indicate Khataf Sehgal referring to the E sound or the Khataf Patakh which is the A
sound. In other words the Shewa stands in for the A in Adonai or the E in Elohim.
This is called Ketiv Qere – perpetual. 7. Here is demonstrated below:

So what is the issue then? Well there was a very popular

Jewish sect during the middle ages, called Kabbalah who
pronounced these Niqqud symbols as the actual vowels

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that were to be read within the Tetragram which would render the pronunciation as
Yehovah / Jehowah when the Niqqud of Adonai is indicated and as Jehovi / Yehovee,
when the Niqqud of Ell-ohim was indicated on the Tetragram. 8.

Kabbalism used their own Zohar bible which was written in the 13th century by
Moses de León, who claimed he got the Zohar bible from the writings of Rabi Shimon
bar Yochai in the 2nd century AD. Yet there were no such records ever produced. All
evidence shows that these names were taken from the Masoretic text which was
written in the 6th and 7th century. 9. Kabbalah were the mainstream Jewish teaching
in the middle ages. Kabbalah is a mixture of Mysticism, Gnosticism, and occult. 10.
They believed that one is able to exercise supernatural powers, by the way one
pronounce different words. Every letter and accents on words has special mystical
meanings, which can be detected by revelation and intuition, and so by gaining and
exercise power in this world.

One of the things that the Zohar bible propagates is the seventy two names of God to
achieve some supernatural activity. They would often scramble these letters YHVH
to get all kinds of strange magical enchantments. There are two main pronunciations
that some of these Rabbis often would use, namely Jehovah (from the vowels of
Adonai) and Yehovih (from the vowels of El-Ohim). 11.

What is interesting to note is that those who claim that we ought to call upon God in
the name of Jehovah use these very Kabbala writings as historical proof. Even the
individual Rabbis who would claim not to follow Kabbala teachings would still
referenced these very Kabbala writings as their historical proof for the name
Jehovah.

Even though we cannot know for sure, I do believe that the pronunciation for the
Tetragram is likely: Yahweh. One of the reasons for this is that a church father named
Theodoret of Cyrus in the middle of the 5th century wrote that the Samaritans name
God as: “IaBe” whereas the Jews would call God as: Ah-Yah. Later on Theodoret
wrote that Hebrews would not utter the Name, but the Samaritans would say: IaBai.
Theodoret wrote this at least a hundred years before the Mosaic text was written.
The Greek at the time, which the Samaritans spoke, did not have the sounds of H, Y,
V or W in their alphabet. In writing Hebrew names the Greek would substitute the
Yod for an “I” sound; the Vav for a “B” sound and the “H” they would just omit, if
possible. You can see this substitution for the sounds of a name throughout the
Greek Septuagint. So one see that Iabe, does seem to indicate the name Yahweh. 12.

Some proponents who favours the name Jehovah would claim that the Samaritans
worshiped Jupiter with the name Iabe instead of Yahweh. This argument is based on

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the fact that some time after Alexander the Great conquered Israel, Israel was able
to influence much of Greece with their Jewish Religion, despite them being under
Greek rule. Even though the Jews absorbed the Hellenistic culture; they were able to
maintain the supremacy of Jewish Law, which in turned influence the Greeks. It was
during this time when the Old Testament was translated into Greek called the Greek
Septuagint. First the Torah, or Pentateuch was translated into Greek near the middle
of the 3rd century BCE and then the rest of the Old Testament was translated in the
2nd century BCE. 13.

However, the influence the Jews had on Greek society caused a reaction from the
Seleucid king Antiochus IV in 167 BCE. He ordered the religious persecution of the
Jews. The Seleucid ruler banned the Jewish religion, such as circumcision, feast days
and Sabbaths, in an attempt to force the Jews and the Samaritans to forsake their
belief in their God, in order to impose the worship of foreign gods and goddesses on
the Jews. This resulted in the famous Maccabean revolt. 14.

It was also during this persecution that the Samaritans changed their temple to be
dedicated to Jupiter, so as to escape the persecution. It is on this point that those
who would promote the name Jehovah over the name Yahweh, would argue that
Iabe refers to Jupiter. This argument is a bit of a stretch; firstly because the temple
dedicated to Jupiter happened a 167 years before Christ, which is about 500 years
before Theodoret wrote about the Samaritans’ pronunciation of God’s name as Iabe.
We read in the gospels that Jesus never mentioning the Samaritans worshiping
Jupiter at the time. Furthermore Iabe does not even sound like Ionis - the Greek
name for Jupiter.

There are others who would say that Iabe, is actually originated from the Hebrew
word Yafeh, which means “the Beautiful One”. The problem with this claim is that
there are no historical records that the Samaritans ever called God “the Beautiful
One”. 15.

The second proof for the name Yahweh is that around the 5th
century there has also been an interesting discovery made in
Soleb in Sudan, which used to be Egypt in the late 15th
century BC. On a temple ruin, there was an inscription in
Egyptian hieroglyphs which has been translated into English
as: “the Land Nomads Yahweh”. This is during the time that
Israel left Israel and wondered the desert under the Name of
their God which Egyptian hieroglyphs actually spelled out as: Yahweh. 16.

One more argument for the name Yahweh is the phrase: “Halleluyah / Alleluia” used

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by the apostle John in Revelations which means “praise to Yah” in Hebrew.

Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven,
saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our
God:...
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and
worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (KJV)

This shorten version Yah from Yahweh is also found in the Old Testament Masoretic
text:

Psa 68:4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the
heavens by his name JAH [YAH], and rejoice before him. (KJV)

The debate is still a fierce one, from various sides, each claiming to be experts in the
field and why we should use their pronunciation and use God’s name. There are even
those who would leave out O vowel between G and d when we write God (G_d) to
identify with the lack of vowel letters in the Hebrew language. We really need to ask
ourselves, whether God would ignore our prayers if we don’t call on Him by some
variant of the Tetragram?

People fixating on pronunciation of names miss the full revelation of God. All of this
insistence of using the Tetragram in order to call on God, miss the point of God’s
name. It never was about the pronunciations, but about God’s reputation, in relation
to the people who God reveals Himself to.

Isa 63:12 That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing
the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name [reputation]? (KJV)

Isa 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and
Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD [One who causes all things to be], art our
father, our redeemer; thy name [reputation] is from everlasting. (KJV)

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton, 24 July 2021
2. Vine’s Old Testament: “Lord”, e-Sword 13.0.0
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo-Hebrew_alphabet, 6 January 2024https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton, 6
January
4. Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), The Septuagint (LXX), edited by Alfred Rahlf, Published in 1935; public domain, e-Sword
13.0.0
5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Masoretic-tex, 24 July 2021t and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberian_Hebre, 24 Dec
2022
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberian_vocalization; . 6 January
2024https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_vocalization#:~:text=The%20Palestinian%20vocalization%20along%20with,as
%20in%20the%20Tiberian%20system. 6 January 2024
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qere_and_Ketiv, 6 January 2024
8. https://bnaimitzvahacademy.com/hebrew-vowels-chart/, 6 January 2024
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohar, 6 January 2024
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah, 6 January 2024
11. https://www.occult.live/index.php?title=Tetragrammaton&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop, 6 January 2024
https://www.kabbalah.com/en/articles/72-names-of-god/,
12. https://eliyah.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sn09Chap-1.pdf, 6 January 2024
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint, 6 January 2024
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maccabean_Revolt, 6 January 2024
15. https://lists.ibiblio.org/pipermail/b-hebrew/2005-August/025227.html, 6 January 2024
16. https://escholarship.org/content/qt07x6659z/qt07x6659z_noSplash_b41d2cc59a80dd132c3838e7ec75c0f8.pdf?t=q2zg3k , 6
January 2024

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4.4. Jesus Reveals the Father

Jesus is the second Person in God, the Word of God, who became flesh by the Holy
Spirit, to reconcile us to the Father. Jesus did not only come to destroy sin that
separated us from God but also came to restore our image of God that was distorted
by our sin. The very reason the religious leaders handed over Christ to be crucified
was because of Christ’s revelation of who the Father is. In fact, Jesus was crucified
because of His claims He made regarding His relation to the Father. One such
instance we found in:

Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I
am.
Joh 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out
of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (KJV)

“I AM” in this passage is written in Greek as “ego eimi”. 1. Compare that with the Old
Testament Greek Septuagint text of Exodos 3:14, I Am we see the same Greek words
used to describe Himself to Moses: ego eimi. 2. As you may recall the Greek
Septuagint was the Greek text that was translated for the huge Jewish community
that were more fluent in Greek than they were in Hebrew more than 200 years
before the writing of the gospels. 3. So the Jews knew perfectly well that Jesus was
claiming that He was the One who revealed Himself to Moses as the I AM, which is
why the Jews wanted to stone Jesus.

Yet where does the name Jesus come from? Well, Jesus being a Jew, would have
been called something like: “Yahoshua” in Hebrew if we are to write it with English
voles and consonants. Yahoshua in Hebrew means: Ya who saves, or Yahweh who
saves. 4. This is confirmed in:

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he
shall save his people from their sins. (KJV)

So how did we come with the name of Jesus if the Hebrew is Yahoshua? It was a
common practice in the day that when they would translate a name, they actually
would transliterate a name into another language that would sound the same
instead of meaning the same. So the name Yahoshua would have been written into
Greek as “Iesous. How does this sound the same? Well, as stated before in the
previous section the Greek did not have a “Ye” sound as such, so they just used the
closes equivalence “Ie”. The Greek also does not have an “h” sound, so that sound
was just dropped. Furthermore, in Greek feminine names ended with an “a”, which
they therefore had to drop and replaced it with a masculine ending “s”. 4. Some

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would argue that these changes are the work of the devil, and they would do some
creative Scriptural gymnastics and pseudo maths to try to claim that “Iesous” actually
means the number of the beast “666” or they would speculate that the name Jesus
actually comes from the pagan gods such as Isis or Zeus.

Is transliteration an actual against biblical practice? Well, we do see this practice

even in the Old Testament with the Hebrew name Yahoshua, being transliterated to
its Aramaic equivalent: “Yeshua”. The Old Testament was written in both the Hebrew
and Aramaic language. So if the practice of transliteration is seen in the Old
Testament from Hebrew to Aramaic, why do people think it strange if it is done from
Aramaic into Greek: “Iesous”?

You may be asking; how did we get “Iesous” to our English version of “Jesus”? Well,
the Greek name Iesous was transliterated into Latin: “Iesus”. However, as the Latin
language developed over time, the “I” changed to the letter “J” even though it was
still pronounced as an “I”. Then in the fifteen hundreds, the pronunciation of “J”
changed from a soft “I” sound to the harder “J” sound we have today. So from Latin
to the English name we have the name Jesus. 4. In that case, which name has been
given to us by whom we will be saved by?

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (KJV)

Remember, it is not the syllables that are spoke of here, but the reputation found in
the name. In other words, there is in no other reputation whereby men will be saved.
What is this reputation? Jesus did much more than declare offensively towards the
Jews that He is One with God. Jesus came to give the final and most important
revelation of who God can be for us. This revelation goes further than God being the
provider, God being the healer, God being almighty, God our Lord, God the all
sustaining One, God who is who He is. Jesus declared that He is the Son of God. Jesus
wants us to come to the same intimate revelation of God, the same as He has. That is
God as our Father.

Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good

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to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute
you;
Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust.
Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same?
Mat 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not
even the publicans so?
Mat 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect. (KJV)

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think
that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask him.
Mat 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name. (KJV)

I will get back to Mathew 6:9, “Hallowed be Your name...”; but before I do, I just
want to note that God being our Father was also spoken of in the Old Testament.

Isa 63:16 Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and
Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O LORD [Yahweh], art our father, our redeemer; thy
name is from everlasting. (KJV)

Isaiah is known as the prophet who reveals the identity of the Messiah.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (KJV)

So what has, who Jesus is, got to do with God being our Father? Well, Jesus, being
the Son of God, wants us to dwell within Him and He in us, so we can have the same
relation and closeness to the Father as He has. Emmanuel means “God with us”. It is
not merely a name of the Messiah, but a change of relationship the Messiah brings
towards God.

So when Jesus teaches us to pray in Mat 6:9 “Hallowed be Your name”. Jesus is
actually teaching the prayer by the words “Our Father in heaven, set apart your
reputation.” It is about God’s reputation in relation to us and not some
pronunciation.

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This then leads us to how should we approach God, if not with a specific set of
vowels and consonants? Well, for those who are led by the Spirit of God, Paul writes
this:

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God: (KJV)

You see, in Christ we have entered into a relationship with God, as Christ is with God,
and that is God as Father. This covenant that we have entered within Christ is a much
closer relationship than Moses’ Law could ever accomplish for us. Paul explains it like
this:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons.
Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ. (KJV)

When we are born again, we have come into the same close relationship with God as
what Christ has with God. Up to the moment of Christ’s death, He called God “Abba,
Father”:

Mar 14:36 And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away
this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. (KJV)

Another argument of those who stress the importance of using the correct
pronunciation or syllables often quotes Jesus’ instruction concerning baptism.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me
in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (KJV)

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The glaring issue in stressing the use of the correct syllables is what are we to make
of “in the name of... the Holy Spirit”? The issue is, there is no record in Scripture for a
name for the Holy Spirit? Furthermore, we see that Jesus does not make use of any
specific names that people are to be baptized in. In fact, He specifically uses
relational prescriptions or titles of “Son–Father–Holy Spirit”. The emphasis is on
relational attributes, and not specific names, as no-where in Scripture a name is
given to the Holy Spirit.

Right through Jesus’ ministry, Jesus emphasized His relationship with the Father as
the Son. It is in this relationship He invited people into the same relationship He has
with the Father. In fact, as we have seen, the apostles demonstrated how the Holy
Spirit endowed Christ within us, so we can relate to the Father as His children.

1Jn 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it
knew him not.
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall
see him as he is. (KJV)

1.Vine’s Old Testament: “I am”, e-Sword 13.0.0

2. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3.Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), The Septuagint (LXX), edited by Alfred Rahlf, Published in 1935; public domain, e-Sword
13.0.0.
4.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_(name). 29 June 2021

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4.5: Chastisement from a Father

Now that we get to come in this close relationship with the Father, we need to look
at how it plays out in everyday situations. The Father’s goal is for us to have that
closeness with Him as Christ has with Him. However, in doing that, our flesh has to
be dealt with, which at times results in chastisement. Some would argue that this
contradicts God’s Father-heart of love. The point I made right in chapter one, is that
our views are influenced by our value systems. Are our value systems conformed to
modern humanistic, self-centred, westernized philosophies, or to what Scripture
actually teaches?

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto
children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art
rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is
he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye
bastards, and not sons.
Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we
gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of
spirits, and live?
Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but
he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them
which are exercised thereby. (KJV)

Modern psychology dictates to us that child rearing should mainly be done by

communication and dialogue with children, and by so doing to get them to
understand the reason for them to change their bad behaviours, motivated by their
parents’ love. That would be fine if children always did things rationally. There are
times when children are not driven by rational thought, but by carnal instincts. That
is why, besides Christ, the wisest man that ever walked on the face of the earth, King
Solomon said:

Pro 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth
him betimes. (KJV)

Pro 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall

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drive it far from him. (KJV)

Pro 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his
mother to shame. (KJV)

Now I know that many abuses have come about from a misunderstanding of these
passages. Yet this is also true for many other passages of Scripture. That does not
disprove the validity of these Scriptures. Spanking children in anger does often
results in abuse. Yet spanking done out of love and concern for the well-being of the
child is necessary. In the same way, our Father in heaven loves us and will not spare
the rod if we behave recklessly. As a good Father, our Father in heaven will first try to
convict our hearts, followed by unction and rebuke. However, if that does not bring
any change, God will go so far to bring suffering to our flesh, so that our spirits can
take control over the passions of our flesh.

So how does the Father discipline us in the flesh? One controversial idea is whether
the Father would ever bring sickness to His children in order to discipline their flesh.
Many would respond by saying that it is a far cry from giving a child a spanking to
making someone ill. From a human perspective, I will agree, because, as humans, we
have absolutely no control over sicknesses in the way we have control over a rod.
This is not the same with our Father in heaven. God has perfect control over all
things and may use whatever He pleases to discipline His children. That is clear from
the Scriptures which we can read in:

1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
1Co 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should
not be condemned with the world. (KJV)

Now, if one is honest in reading what this passage is actually saying, we see that Paul
deals with the Lord’s chastisement of Christians in order for them NOT to be
condemned with the world. The context of chastisement in this passage is clearly
that of sickness. This might go against the “god” that many have created according to
their own imagination, that God will never cause sickness on people, but it is the God
of the Bible. God actually does put sickness and even death occasionally on saints, as
we can read in:

Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy
Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

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Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in
thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not
lied unto men, but unto God.
Act 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great
fear came on all them that heard these things. (KJV)

It is even clearer in:

Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I
am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you
according to your works. (KJV)

Jesus is talking to the churches in this passage and not unbelievers. God warned the
prophetess in the church about the sin of sexual immorality. How was God going to
deal with her sin? He was going to “cast her into a sickbed” and even kill the
prophetess’s children. How is this possible if her sins were already forgiven at the
cross? Why would she need to repent if she did not even need to confess her sins?
The truth of Scripture, if you don’t do scriptural gymnastics, is that God does afflict
people, even Christians, with sickness and even kill them because of their sins. Paul
instructed the church to deliver an unrepentant brother to Satan for the destruction
of the flesh that his spirit could be saved, in:

Does this then mean that whenever there are infirmities in our bodies, that it has to
do with us being punished for our sins? This is obviously a wrong assumption, as seen
in the instance where Jesus responded to a similar question, in:

Joh 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
Joh 9:2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his
parents, that he was born blind?
Joh 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the
works of God should be made manifest in him. (KJV)

Infirmities are a fact of life since Adam and Eve’s fall. Not all infirmities are because

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we have sinned. Yet we can have hope that even in these infirmities, God’s work can
be revealed. Even Paul speaks of God’s strength being revealed in weaknesses, in:

2Co 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong. (KJV)

Even though not all infirmities are chastisements from God, the fact is that God does
chastise Christians with sickness, according to Scripture. Jesus even confirmed this
after He healed someone, in:

Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou
art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. (KJV)

Many saints believe that healing is part of atonement which was accomplished work
at Calvary. Which means that it is unfathomable that God would ever use sicknesses–
of which Christ died for–to discipline Christians with. That is a reasonable argument.
The question, though, is it true that Christ’s death included healing for our bodies?
This belief is based on the following passage in the Old Testament:

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed. (KJV)

This is the second time we are looking into this well know passage found in Isaiah 53.
In chapter 1.4, we address the topic of whether Jesus’ death satisfied God’s wrath. I
stated that the passage of prophecy was written in a poetic genre that uses figurative
speech. It would therefore be unwise to create a doctrine from a single verse outside
its actual context of the whole passage and prophetic word.

So, in interpreting this passage, one needs to first verify whether Christ’s stripes were
for our physical healing or was it referring to spiritual healing, or perhaps both? For
instance, when Jesus referred to Himself as a physician, He was not talking about
being a doctor that heals people’s bodies but to someone who heals people’s
spiritual condition, in the following example:

Mar 2:16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and

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sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with
publicans and sinners?
Mar 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need
of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance. (KJV)

It is true that Jesus heals many people of their physical ailments, but in this context,
Jesus was referring to the sinner’s spiritual condition. So the question is then,
whether Isaiah had the same idea when he says “and by His stripes we are healed”?
Peter the apostle of Jesus explains that this healing has to do with our state of sin, as
appose to our physical ailments, as we can read in:

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (KJV)

If we are to interpret that this passage has to do with our bodily healing, then we
should be able to just claim our healing (as various churches teach) and just be
healed, irrespective of the situation. However, we find that various people who claim
healing does not have any results accept being accused of having a lack of faith in
Christ’s complete work on the cross. They would further state that any person who
believes that God would bring sickness on Christians blasphemes against the gospel.
However, is this how the apostles interpreted this passage?

We don’t see Peter interpreted this passage in Isaiah 53 to mean physical ailments,
but rather our spiritual condition. The word healing here means “being made whole”.
Peter teaches us that through Jesus Christ’s death, we were healed spiritually from
sin. That means that through Christ, we don’t have to yield to the corrupting power
of sin anymore. Let us quote the who passage by Peter in:

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Pe 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1Pe 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he
threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls. (KJV)

There is no passage of Scripture that ever claims that bodily healing is part of the
atonement besides this ambiguous poetic writing found in Isaiah 53. If that is the

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case, on what basis would people receive divine healing? It is on the basis of who
Christ is and not on what He has done on Calvary. Jesus is the One that heals purely
on the basis of His grace. There is NO healing that we can claim on the basis of
Christ’s death and resurrection. Healing comes on the basis of Christ, fulfilling His
purpose in establishing His kingdom. This is how Mathew put in quoting Isaiah as
Jesus was healing the sick before He was crucified:

Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid,
and sick of a fever.
Mat 8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and
ministered unto them.
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that
were sick:
Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (KJV)

It is also the reason why healing is part of the spiritual gifts and the Spirit wills, and
not as we claim as part of the atonement.

1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of
knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the
same Spirit;
1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation
of tongues:
1Co 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every
man severally as he will. (KJV)

In conclusions let me just address some who claims that they will not serve a God
that would place sickness on some people as a form of disciple. The fact is that they
most probably correct that they don’t serve this God of the Bible. They have actually
created a “god” according to their own imagination. The Bible calls this idolatry. The
question is, how can we experience God’s love in this chastisement? I would say it
depends where our eyes are on. If our eyes are on eternity, then these little
corrections on our flesh are of no consequence if it helps us to be with our Father for
eternity. However, if our eyes are on this world for the here and now, then we
cannot get our minds around the fact that God would allow sickness on us.

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1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will
of God abideth for ever. (KJV)

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5. From the Feasts to the Cross
5.1: Slaves in Egypt

Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
Exo 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are
more and mightier than we:
Exo 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to
pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight
against us, and so get them up out of the land.
Exo 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their
burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Exo 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And
they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
Exo 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in
brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made
them serve, was with rigour.
Exo 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of
the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
Exo 1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and
see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter,
then she shall live.
Exo 1:17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded
them, but saved the men children alive.
Exo 1:18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why
have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
Exo 1:19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not
as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come
in unto them.
Exo 1:20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and
waxed very mighty.
Exo 1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them
houses.
Exo 1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall
cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. (KJV)

The Egyptian civilisation of that time was structured around the influences that the
elements of nature had on the lives of the people of the Nile River. The elements,
such as the seasons, the sun and the Nile River, were so closely linked to their whole
cultural and economic system that all of natural forces were deified as gods. The
annual seasons, agriculture, the Nile River, the sun and the moon all became part of

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the ancient Egyptian religion. The ancient Egyptians also believed that they had as
much influence on the gods as the gods had on them. They believed they had to
maintain the gods as the gods maintained them. One almost gets the idea that they
had to look after their gods so that the gods could look after them.

The way they did this was through religious ceremonies in dedicated temples. These
temples were, in a sense, to make sure their gods were present with them as they
performed their ceremonies. Nevertheless, there was only one person who could
interact with the gods to ensure the stability and well-being of their society. That was
the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh was apparently the son of Ra, their sun god, which made
him the supreme ruler over the people of Egypt. Huge amounts of state resources
were dedicated to the Pharaoh for him to make sure that the gods were pleased, so
that the seasons would follow their natural path, thus ensuring a prosperous harvest
each year. The Pharaoh would bring this about through different types of religious
ceremonies. Even though the Pharaoh was the only one who could ensure the favour
of the gods; he could, through a magical impartation of his “divine” powers, appoint
priests in all the temples to assist him in these tasks. 1. This deification of nature was
prevalent in most cultures and nations, as Paul explains in:

Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their
own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (KJV)

Israel had been in bondage to the Egyptians and thus subjected to the elements of
the world as though they were gods. God delivered the Israelites using ten plagues
against that, which Egypt called gods, as we read in:

Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt
I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. (KJV)

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What have these plagues to do with the gods of Egypt that kept Israel in slavery? The
first plague, that of water turned to blood, was sent against the god Hapi, which was
the Egyptian god of the Nile. The plague of frogs from the Nile River was brought
against the Egyptian goddess of fertility, water and renewal, named Heket. The
plague of lice from the dust of the earth was executed against the Egyptian god of
the earth, named Geb. The plague of swarms of flies was sent against Khepri, the fly-
headed Egyptian god of creation, the movement of the sun, and rebirth. The plague
of the death of cattle and livestock struck at the Egyptian goddess of love and
protection, named Hathor, who was sometimes portrayed with a head of a cow. The
plague of ashes that brought forth boils and sores targeted the Egyptian goddess of
medicine and peace, named Isis. The plague of the hail that rained down in the form
of fire was sent against the Egyptian goddess of the sky, named Nut. The plague of
locusts sent from the sky judged the Egyptian god of storms and disorder named
Seth. The judgment of the three days of complete darkness was executed against Ra,
the sun god. 2.

Finally, the tenth plague of the death of the first-born was a judgment against the
Pharaoh himself, as the son of the gods; the ultimate power of Egypt. In this act, God
cut down the Pharaoh’s first-born, who was considered being the future divine ruler
of Egypt, and who would continue Israel’s slavery. The God of Israel was thus shown
to be more powerful than all the gods of Egypt that supposedly influenced the
elements of nature. 2.

Besides the plagues, God gave Israel the Law to deliver their minds from the
elements of the world as well. What is interesting is that ten of the written
commandments of the law were written on stone. What makes this significant? In
ancient Egypt, the writing system of hieroglyphics was used to inscribe records and
other texts on stones and walls. These writings on the walls were perceived as some
kind of magic by the peasants, since only a selected few people understood the art of
writing. The Egyptians even called the hieroglyphs “the words of the gods.” 3.

Not all the inscriptions were made on stones or walls by the Egyptians. There were
also religious books, including one called “The Book of the Dead”. The Book of the
Dead, which contained magical spells and protective charms, was buried with a
corpse or painted on a coffin to act as a sort of instruction manual for the afterlife.
The Egyptians believed that upon their death they would come before forty-two
judges to answer forty-two questions about the life that they had lived before death.
They believed that the reason older people had a heavier heart (the actual organ)
had to do with their conscience. They believed that one’s heart had to be lighter than
a feather if one was to escape the god of the underworld. 4.

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The way the dead person answered those forty-two questions would determine how
they would spend their existence in the realm of the dead. Some of those forty-two
questions had to do with whether they had defrauded or stolen from another,
deceived or lied to someone, taken their fellow man’s spouse for themselves, desired
their fellow man’s goods, or taken their fellow man’s life unjustly. They were also
required to know the names of the forty-two gods and to not revile the god of the
dead. 4.

Some liberal theologians take this as proof that Israel received their moral compass,
as found in the Law of Moses, from the Egyptians. Yet Scripture clearly teaches us
that the moral compass of God’s law was actually placed in the hearts of all the
nations by God Himself, as we can read in:

Rom 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things
contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing
one another;)
Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ
according to my gospel. (KJV)

God wanted Israel to understand that righteousness goes much further than giving
the right answers in the afterlife. God was not to be worshipped through images
made by hands, nor does He share deity or worship with any other gods. Yahweh was
the One who had delivered them from the slavery of the Egyptians and the Egyptian
gods and only He deserves all praise and worship. God is the one who keeps the
forces of nature in order, as He is the Creator of all of creation.

The Egyptian year was divided into three seasons: akhet which was the time of the
flooding of the river banks and fertilization of the grounds, peret which was the
growth period that led into the wintertime and then shemu which was the summer
and harvest time. The ancient Egyptian calendar had a year that consisted of three
hundred and sixty days and was divided into twelve months of thirty days each, plus
five extra days at the end of the year. The months were divided into three weeks of
ten days each. The Egyptians believed that every star represented a god and the star
that rose at the beginning of a particular ten-day week was considered being the god
or ruler of that ten-day week. That meant that Egypt had thirty-six solar gods. The
additional five days at the end of the year were dedicated to the gods: Osiris, Isis,
Horus, Seth and Nephthys. 5.

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Israel dwelled among the Egyptians for approximately 215 years. They were for a little
more than 80 (about 120) of those 215 years in slavery to a system which forced
them to work every single day of a ten-day week dedicated to thirty-six solar “gods”.
6.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob delivered Israel from Pharaoh and the gods
of Egypt and brought them out of slavery of those elements. So, to deliver Israel’s
minds from the slavery they were under in Egypt, God gave them the Feasts and the
Sabbath. It must be noted that the moral law, such as don’t be deceitful, don’t steal,
don’t take another’s wife, etc. were laws already practiced by Egypt and many other
nations, as we already saw in Romans 2. However, it was these Feasts and the
Sabbaths that were particularly added, to deliver Israel’s hearts and minds from the
slavery from the Egyptian gods. For instance, God says this concerning the Sabbath:

Deu 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the
LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out
arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. (KJV)

With this as the background, let us see how these feasts and Sabbath were intended
to deliver Israel’s minds and hearts from the Egyptian Idols. More importantly, we will
also look at how these feasts, the Sabbath, and regulations were actually a
foreshadow of how Christ would come to deliver all of mankind from the slavery of
sin illustrated by Egypt.

Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (KJV)

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_religion. 29 June 2021

2. http://www.stat.rice.edu/~dobelman/Dinotech/10_Eqyptian_gods_10_Plagues.pdf. 29 June 2021
3. https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Hieroglyphs/ 29 June 2021
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_Dead 29 June 2021
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_calendar 29 June 2021
6. https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/how-long-were-the-israelites-in-egypt/ 14 Oct 2021

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5.2: Times

Lev 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts
of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my
feasts. (KJV)

In Leviticus 23, we read about eight feasts that were given to Israel that they had to
participate in according to their designated times. In fact, the word “feasts” in
Hebrew is “Mo’ed” actually means “appointed times”. 1. I am convinced that these
feasts are not only referring to Jewish appointed times to be practiced these feasts,
but are also prophetic pictures that point to predetermined times to be fulfilled.
These feasts were given to Israel to deliver their minds from the slavery of Egypt and
remind them that it was Yahweh that deliver them and provided for them. In the next
following chapters, we will explore how these feasts or appointed times were not
only given to Israel to deliver their minds from slavery but also to teach us how God
would deliver us from the sin and judgment through Christ at the appointed times.

Before we get into the study on the feasts, it might be prudent of me to first explain
the concept of days and times from a Jewish perspective. From a biblical perspective,
the Hebrews uses a solar-lunar calendar, where most of the west uses only the solar
calendar. What is the difference? Well, approximately six hours. Let me explain.

A solar calendar looks at how many days it takes the earth to rotate around the sun
(a little over 365 days) and a lunar calendar looks at how many days it takes for the
moon to rotate around the earth (a little over 29 days). A solar calendar we have
today is also called the Gregorian calendar, which was adapted from the Julian
calendar in around 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Julius Caesar created the solar
calendar where a day started at midnight at around 46 BC. 2. The solar calendar has
just a little over 365 days in a year (rectified by a leap year every four years). 3. An
important point regarding the difference between the solar and lunar calendar is
where the solar calendar’s day starts after midnight; whereas the day from a lunar’s
perspective either started on sunset or on sunrise depending on the civilization from
those times.

The lunar calendar is approximately 354 days in a year, where each lunar month is
approximately 29 and a half day. As you can gather, this is about 11 to 12 days short
of how long it takes for the earth to rotate around the sun. 3. This requires that those
who follow a purely lunar calendar would take roughly 33 years to sync their
seasons. This is why the Hebrews and many other civilizations used a lunar calendar
to work out their days and months, but uses a solar calendar to work out their years.

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We call this a solar-lunar calendar. A solar-lunar calendar would add leap years to
compensate for the 11 to 12 days they are short each year.

The Solar-Lunar month that we read about in the Bible may consist of either 29 or 30
days, and a year may consist of either 12 or 13 months, depending whether it is a
leap year or not. Like in our Gregorian calendar where we add an extra day in
February every four years, the Jews add an extra month in their leap years. The
Jewish leap year gets a little complicated. They have leap years every 3, 6, 8, 11, 14,
17 and 19 years, within a 19-year cycle. 4.

In understanding the Jewish feasts, it is important to understand how the Jewish

days and months worked. I will start with the Jewish days, as it is actually more
challenging than one would expect. The Julian / Gregorian calendar is what we all are
used to, where a day starts after 12 midnight. During the time of Pharaoh, the
Egyptians started their day at sunrise. Today, a traditionally Jewish day in contrasts
starts at sundown. That would mean the day starts when the sun is not seen any
more on the horizon and there is the first glimpse of a star. Most Jews and even most
Christians believe that this view of a day is taken from the creation account in
Genesis:

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the
darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the
evening and the morning were the first day. (KJV)

Yet can we really say a day starts from sunset to sunset from this passage? Under
careful reading, we see a glaring problem with this traditional view. How can
“evening and the morning” be the first day if God created light on the first day? Does
it mean that when God created the light (verse 4) was it not the first day? Did the
first day only start in verse 5? We see this glaring problem in each of the days up to
the end of the chapter where we read in verse 27 when God made man but only in
verse 31 we read: “the evening and morning the sixth day”. That just does not make
sense.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them.
Gen 1:28 Then God blessed them, and God says to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill

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the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Gen 1:29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on
the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for
food.
Gen 1:30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything
that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for
food”; and it was so.
Gen 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.
So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (KJV)

If we are to follow the traditional interpretation then day six would only start after
God made man and not on day six. Furthermore, how can the evening and the
morning be counted as day, when that is referring to the time when it is dark?

We read that God called the light Day (which is “yome” in Hebrew) 5. and the
darkness Night (which is “lah’-yil, lale, or lah’-yel-aw” in Hebrew). 6. The Hebrew word
for “evening” in the text is “eh’-re”, which according the Strong’s dictionary refers to
dusk, meaning as the sun has disappeared beneath the horizon. 7. The Hebrew word
for “morning in this text is “bo’-ker”, which according to the Strong’s dictionary is the
break of dawn, meaning the skimmer of light before the sun appears on the horizon.
8.
The word “were” in the text is: haw-yaw’, which according to the Strong’s
dictionary can mean either “to exit, or to become, or come to past”. 9. So the context
would need to tell us which word it would be. So, what is the context? If the text
meant to say that a day is from sundown to sundown, why is the second day of the
creation already starting when we read: “...An the evening and the morning were the
first day...”? Should the second day not have started at sundown? It is therefore a
more logical conclusion to say that the night time, which is between dusk and the
break of dawn, is the exit time for the first day and the entrance time for the second
day?

J. Amanda McGuire and Berrien Springs argue the Hebrew text points to a sunrise to
sundown time frame as a “Day”. 10. Scholars, like professor Humphreys, have claimed
that Israel was influenced by the Babylonian civilization while in exile to have a lunar
calendar of sunset to sunset around the sixth century before Christ. 11. It apparently
only became official Jewish practice by the Scribe decrease after the 70AD temple
destruction as a reaction or perhaps even a compromise with the Roman Julian Solar
day system.

There are however, overwhelming Scriptural evidence that a day is supposed to only
be from sunrise to sunset. The night was seen as the space between the one day and

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the following day. The evening that followed the day was considered as the evening
of that day, and not the start of a new day as believed by Jews today. These passages
of Scripture will be explored in the following chapters. Before I do, let me just give a
little more explanation. As you would know in biblical time’s people did not have
watches, so they used sun-dials to determine 12 hours of the day. Depending on the
shadow of the dials, it would determine the hour of a day.

Joh 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in
the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
Joh 11:10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in
him. (KJV)

Even though twelve hours in a day was determined by a sundial, it did not consist of
precisely 60 minutes like today. An hour’s duration changed according to the season.
Remember, all the Old Testament feasts and times are but shadows, of which Christ
is the reality. He is the Light of the World that shines in the darkness and everything
else, such as the feasts and the laws, only indicates the shadows when looking at the
things of the world. However, when we look up, we see the brightness of His glory.

The day is followed by the night. The night did not follow hours but was divided into
four parts or four “Watches”; namely: “The Evening watch, The Midnight watch, The
Cock crowing watch, and finally the Morning watch”. The Evening watch was from
dusk till the stars were revealed in the east and reached the first quarter of the night.
The Midnight Watch is measured from the ruling constellation from the first quarter
of the night to the middle of the night. Cock Crowing Watch, which is where the
ruling constellation moves from the middle of the night, from east to west, and ends
in the third quarter of the night sky. The name Cock Crowing is because it is the time
when the rooster generally would crow. Morning Watch is the fourth watch of the
night, which commences when the first light becomes visible in the eastern sky. It
then ends when the sun becomes visible. 14.

As said before, I will demonstrate the crucial passages in Scripture that clearly teach
that a day is from sunrise to sunset instead of sunset to sunset in the following
chapters. For now, let us consider Paul writing:

2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship
hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? (KJV)

Let us for now look at the Biblical “week”. As stated in the previous chapter that
Egyptian week consisted of ten days. Israel had to serve the idols of Egypt by working

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under a heavy load on each of those days. However, we read in:

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he
rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he
had rested from all his work which God created and made. (KJV)

God created the world in six days, and He got Israel to remember this fact by
commanding them to rest of their works as God did from His on the seventh. This
was so that their minds would be delivered from the idols of Egypt to the true God
and Creator of all.

Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the
sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Exo 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days
the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed. (KJV)

The Old Testament Hebrews did not have names of the days in the week like we do.
For instance, where we would say, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc, in
Hebrew language and in Greek language of the Bible, Scripture only speaks of, “the
first day of the Sabbath, the second day of the Sabbath, the third day of the Sabbath,
right up to the seventh day, which is merely called: the Sabbath. In fact, the word
Sabbath can also mean a week within Scriptures. In Greek, the word: “Sabbaton” or
“Sabbata”, is from the Hebrew: “shaw-bath” which literary means to “cease”; “shab-
bawth” meaning “an intermission” and “shab-baw-thone”, meaning “a rest”. 15. Even
though the word Sabbath refers to the creation of the world, it also points to the
fulfilment of time in and through Christ. We will get into this in more detail in a later
chapter.

The last thing I would like to describe in this chapter is the months in a Jewish
calendar. As stated before, Jews use a lunar calendar to determine the months and a
solar calendar to determine the years. The lunar calendar looks at the phase of the
moon, such as New Moon, First Quarter, Dark Moon, and Last Quarter.

Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going
down. (KJV)

There is a debate whether the New Moon should be seen as a full moon instead of
the first line or crescent of the moon. Based on the following text:

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Psa 81:3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast-day.
Psa 81:4 For it is a statute for Israel, An ordinance of the God of Jacob. (KJV)

For some, verse three indicates clearly that the new moon is the full moon when the
feast of the trumpet starts. In contrast those who hold to the traditional view that the
new moon is the first crescent moon argues that this passage’s context, requires
having the word “and” in between “new moon” and “full moon”, even though the
word “and” is not found in the Hebrew text. Another argument is to claim that the
Hebrew word for “full” here is “keseh” which sounds like the Hebrew word “kiseh”
which means “concealed”, referring to the hidden moon. However, going on the what
words sounds like for interpretation is a stretch. 16.

For the goal of this study, I don’t find it important enough to investigate the debate
here. For the Torah observers, (both Jews and Christians), this is a point of
contentions as that would cause them to observe the feasts 15 days earlier than
prescribed by the Torah.

The cycle from one new moon to the next new moon is 29 days, 12 hours, 44
minutes, 3 and a 1⁄3 seconds. 11. The Hebrew word for month is “kho-desh” which
literarily means new moon (whether it be a full moon or first crescent). 17.

Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib [or Aviv], and keep the passover unto the LORD
thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt
by night. (KJV)

The word Abib refers to the green ears of the corn (barley / grain). 18. In other words,
the start of spring in those parts of the lands. God ordained this month, the start of
Spring, to indicate the start of the new year for the Jews, because this was the start
of their new lives free from the slavery they endured by the Egyptians.

Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first
month of the year to you. (KJV)

The second month was called Zif in the King James Version in:

1Ki 6:1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children
of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign
over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the
house of the LORD. (KJV)

The seventh month, which also contains the last three important feasts, is called

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Ethanim in:

1Ki 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the
feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. (KJV)

The eighth month is called “Bul” in:

1Ki 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was
the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion
of it. So was he seven years in building it. (KJV)

Besides these months, I could not find any names for the other months in the Torah.
Often, the month would only be indicated the same way the week would have been
indicated. For instance, the second new moon after Abib, the third new moon after
Abib, etc. However, when Israel was under the Babylonian rule, they incorporated
the Babylonian names of the months:

1. Nisan (Abib): It contains 30 days and occurs around March-April.

2. Iyar (Zif): Takes places in April-May and has 29 days.
3. Sivan: This 30-day month is the Gregorian around May-June.
4. Tammuz: A 29-day month around June-July.
5. Av: Occurs July-August and has 30 days.
6. Elul: Contains 29 days and is the around August-September.
7. Tishri (Ethanim): A 30-day month during September-October.
8. Kheshvan or Cheshvan (Bul): Either 29 or 30 days in October-November.
9. Kislev: Another 29 or 30-day month around November-December.
10. Tevet: This month has 29-days around December-January.
11. Shevat: Features 30 days during January-February.
12. Adar: around February-March and has 29-days. In a leap year 30-days.
13. Adar II: The second month of Adar is - added during leap years - 29-days. 3.

Various scholars agree that these names originated from the Babylonian Idols. 19. This
new naming convention is used in Scripture by Esther and Mordecai, even when
Israel was under the Media and Persia rule, who by then conquered Babylon. (Esther
3:7, 3; 8:9, 7; 9:1-32). It was also here where a new feast, Purim, was introduced by
Esther and Mordecai due to God’s deliverance from their enemies.

Est 9:20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that
were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
Est 9:21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of
the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

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Est 9:22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month
which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day:
that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one
to another, and gifts to the poor. (KJV)

This does speak volumes against those who are so against using the naming
conventions of the weeks Sunday to Saturday introduced by Constantine, because the
names were also pointing to solar idols. With this as background, let us get back to
God’s instructions regarding the festivals and then see how it pointed to Christs and
the fulfilment of time.

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “feast” – H 4150, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar , 10 Oct. 2021
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar, 5 Oct. 2021
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_calendar#:~:text=A%20lunar%20calendar%20is%20a,directly%20on%20the%20solar%
20year. 5 Oct. 2021
5. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “Day” – H 3117, e-Sword 13.0.0.
6. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “Night” – H 3915, e-Sword 13.0.0.
7. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “evening” – H 6153, e-Sword 13.0.0.
8. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “morning” – H 1242, e-Sword 13.0.0.
9. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “were” – H 1961, e-Sword 13.0.0.
10. https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/resources-ideas/cj/classics/11-29-11-calendar/counting-
day-night.pdf, 10 Oct. 2021
11. Andrews University Seminary Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2, 201-214. Copyright © 2008 Andrews University Press. EVENING OR
MORNING: WHEN DOES THE BIBLICAL DAY BEGIN? J. Amanda McGuire & Berrien Springs, Michigan
12. https://www.calendar.com/blog/introduction-to-the-hebrew-calendar-12-facts-you-should-know/, 5 Oct. 2021,
13. https://www.jewfaq.org/calendr2.htm, 5 Oct. 2021
14. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/the-penultimate-supper, 9 Oct. 2021
15. Strong’s “Sabbath” H4763, H4766, H4767, e-sword, 13.0.0, Vines’ Greek NT, e-sword, 13.0.0,
16. https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2015/12/26/psalm-81/, 15 Oct. 2022
17. Strong’s, “month” – H2320, e-sword, 13.0.0,
18. Strong’s, “Abeb” – H24, e-sword, 13.0.0,
19. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/987524/jewish/Why-Babylonian-Names-for-Jewish-Months.htm, 14 Oct.
2021

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5.3: The Spring Feasts

The Spring feasts started with Passover (Pecha), which was instituted by God, to
demonstrate that He purchase Israel from the slavery under the Egyptian gods. God
did this through the death of the firstborn in Egypt, while saving the firstborn among
the Jews by the substitute of a lamb. Then God gave Israel this instruction regarding
the Passover meal:

Exo 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first
month of the year to you.
Exo 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this
month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their
fathers, a lamb for an house:
Exo 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour
next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according
to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Exo 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it
out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Exo 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and
the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on
the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
Exo 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened
bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Exo 12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head
with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
Exo 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which
remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Exo 12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet,
and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of
Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
Exo 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are:
and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to
destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Exo 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast
to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for
ever.
Exo 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put

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away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first
day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Exo 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh
day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in
them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. (KJV)

We read in Exodus 12:6 that the Passover lamb would be killed at dusk on the 14th of
Abib and eaten that evening. We read further that the feast of unleavened bread was
from the 15th to the 21st of the month. The Passover lamb needed to be burned up by
fire before the dawn of the 15th of Abib.

Deu 16:4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven
days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day
at even, remain all night until the morning.
Deu 16:5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the
LORD thy God giveth thee:
Deu 16:6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in,
there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the
season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened
bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile
work therein.
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the
seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (KJV)

Again, we read in Leviticus 23:5 that the night of the 14th is not spoken of as a new
day called the 15th, but rather as the Passover. The second part of the Passover
Feast, which is seen as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, starts in the morning and is
therefore counted from the 15th day up to the 21st day, which lasted for seven days.

Jewish tradition added many rituals to the meals, which partly came from the time
when many of them were exiled to Babylon and the temple been destroyed by King
Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.

An interesting practice regarding the unleavened bread that was added was that they
would poke holes and pull stripes in the unleavened dough before baking the bread
(called Matzah or Matzo). 1. This was done so that the yeast that might contaminate
the dough would be able to be released when it is baked. This gave the unleavened

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bread the striped, pierced and bruised appearance. Some Christians claim that
perhaps some Jewish Christians introduced this into the Jewish community as a
reference to Christ’s death, quoting the following prophecy:

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed. (KJV)

Another practice that likely started during the Babylonian exile is that of the Seder
meal. The word Seder means “order”. The Seder meal introduced some elements to
the Passover meal not found in Scripture. The order of Seder starts with the first cup
of wine shared by everyone on the table called Kiddush, which means
“sanctification”. It is a drink to sanctify the rest of the proceedings of the evening.

After Kiddush, it is followed by Karpas, which are the leafy greens found on the Seder
plate that are dipped in salty water and eaten, which represents the tears of life that
Israel suffered. After Karpas, it is immediately followed by Maror, which are the
bitter herbs in which a piece of unleavened bread was dipped and eaten.

After the Maror, it is followed by unleavened bread being dipped in by Gharoset and
eaten. This dip was a mixture of minced apple, nuts, and honey. The dip represented
the mortar that was made by the Jews while they were in bondage by the Egyptians.
After the Gharoset, it is followed by Chagigah, which is a hard-boiled egg. For some
Jews, this means a new beginning. For other Jews, this is a kind of temporary
replacement of the sacrifice lamb. This egg is peeled, cut and dipped in the salt water
and eaten.

The last item is the Z’roah, which is shank bone that is partially burned. This
represents the lamb they cannot sacrifice anymore because they do not have a
temple to sacrifice the lamb anymore. 3. 4.

I have to add something here at this point. When Hezekiah became king of Judea, he
reformed Judea to cause them to return to God from a backsliding state. We read in
2 Chronicles 29 how he opened the doors and restored the temple of God. With that
we read in chapter 30, that in the second month of the year, he reinstated the
Passover. However, due to the fact that most of Israel was not clean Hezekiah gave
the that task to slaughter the Passover lamp on behalf of the household of Israel to
the Levites.

2Ch 30:17 For there were many in the congregation that had not sanctified
themselves: therefore the Levites had the charge of killing the passovers for every

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one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
2Ch 30:18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim and Manasseh,
Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover
otherwise than it is written. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, The good
LORD pardon every one (KJV)

We see something like that happen again in 2 Chronical 35. From there on it seemed
that the practice gotten a life of itself that the slaughter of the Passover Lamb was
being done by the Levites instead of how God commanded Israel; that each
household were to slaughter their own designated Passover lamb. This tradition that
the Levites slaughter the Passover lamb instead of the households, was the cause
why the slaughter of the Passover lams completely stopped in 70AD when the
temple was destroyed. This is noteworthy for the Torah observers who claim we
needed to keep the Passover feast, but then like the Jews don’t keep the Passover
lams according to the Torah, but instead follow Jewish traditions instead.

Let us continue. This Seder order is followed by the second cup on the table, called
the cup of plagues. They would not drink from this cup, but rather dipped their
fingers ten times and sprinkled each time on their plates, as a sign of sorrow,
representing the ten plagues that were poured on the Egyptians by God. After this
sprinkling of wine, a piece of cloth with three compartments called a Matzoh Tosh
(meaning unleavened bread cloth) is taken. In each of these three pockets, a piece of
unleavened bread is stored. Even though Jewish Rabbis speculate varies things what
these three pieces of unleavened bread could mean, they really don’t know. That is
why many Christians speculate that this could be an imagery for the unity of the
three persons in God; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

What is fascinating about this is that the unleavened bread in the middle pocket
(called the bread of affliction) is taken and broken in half. Then this half piece is
wrapped in a napkin and hid for the children to find later on in the evening. This
broken piece is called by a German word “Afikomen” which is likely from the Greek
word “epikomion” which means: “that which comes after”. 2. After they had the main
meal, the children would then look for this hidden piece wrapped in a napkin. This
piece is then broken and shared with each person at the table. This is likely the piece
that Jesus used when He says to His disciples, “take eat, this is my body broken for
you...” at the last supper. This practice does have a very close symbolism to Jesus’s
body being wrapped, hidden in the tomb and then later resurrected. After eating this
piece of unleavened bread, it is followed by the third cup called “The cup of blessing
and redemption”. This is likely the cup that Jesus used when He says, “... this is the
cup of the new covenant of my blood...” After this, there would be a time of singing
praise, which also ends with the fourth and final cup of wine, called the cup of praise.

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3. 4.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers
of that one bread. (KJV)

Scripturally, there are four important aspects of the meal, which carry significant
pictures to explain Christ’s work for us on Calvary. The most important part was the
lamb that was killed whose blood was shed and smeared on the doorposts of the
doors, to deliver them from the destroyer, which was sent to deliver them from the
oppression of slavery under the Egypt gods. Scripture teaches that the sacrificial
Lamb is a prophetic symbol about Jesus that would purchase mankind from the
slavery of sin. Christ has delivered us from the world of sin, which Christ has
purchased with His blood.

Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (KJV)

1Co 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That
the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my
body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (KJV)

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers;
1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot: (KJV)

The second is the unleavened bread. They had to eat unleavened bread for an
additional seven days. Seven days resembles a work until it is completed as it was
with the creation. Yeast represents the sin of idol worship and deception that Israel
was under while in Egypt. The idol worship in Egypt contaminated all areas of their
lives. During the feast, they had to make sure that NO yeast was to be among them.
The eating of unleavened bread had to continue for seven days with the daily burn
offerings. Yeast represents the pagan nations, deception of religious knowledge,
idolatry and sin. We need to purge this out of our lives.

Mat 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning
bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

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Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of
bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. (KJV)

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven
of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1Co 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: (KJV)

Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Gal 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Bitter herbs were to remind Israel of the harsh reality they were under when they
were in slavery. This was so that if they ever longed for the pleasures, they might
have had while in Egypt, this would remind them that it was under severe cost of
being under a cruel master, who was set to abuse them, and then to kill them.

Exo 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick,
and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them
serve, was with rigour.

The bitter herbs were to remind Israel of the bitterness of being under bondage of
Egypt, and so they would not long for the worship of idols. Paul writes this:

Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which
are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. (KJV)

Part of the seven-day feast of unleavened bread was the daily offerings. Paul writes:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. (KJV)

The final aspect of the feast was the rest days in those feasts, which spoke against

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the labour they were constantly under as slaves. This constant labour also pointed to
the curse of work itself that fell upon mankind from when Adam sinned.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy
wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not
eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of
thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the
herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou
return. (KJV)

Jesus said the following:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. (KJV)

The third feast in Spring, which coincides with the Passover feast, is the feast of First
Fruits (Yom HaBikkurim). As stated before, God killed the firstborn of all in the land
of Egypt that did not have the blood of the lamb over the doorposts. Therefore, God
required that the first-born male of human, animal, and plants of all of Israel belongs
to Him.

Exo 13:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Exo 13:2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among
the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. (KJV)

God then required that Israel my purchase their firstborn son back, but also that God
would substitute the firstborn sons in all of Israel with the tribe of Levi as:

Num 3:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Num 3:12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel
instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel:
therefore the Levites shall be mine;
Num 3:13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man
and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD. (KJV)

Not only was the firstborn of all of man and animal, consecrated to God, but also the
fruits of the first harvest of trees and plants. This first fruit offering was required to

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be brought in on the first day after the Sabbath, during the feast of unleavened
bread:

Lev 23:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come
into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall
bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on
the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without
blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. (KJV)

These instructions regarding the feast of first fruit were to foreshadow of Christ:

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

Jesus is the first to have resurrected from the dead in a glorified body. Christ is
therefore our hope that we also will be resurrected from the grave, on an appointed
day, in glorified bodied such as His. With this knowledge as a basis, let us now
investigate what Scripture teaches us regarding the days and times of when Christ
was crucified and raised.

1. https://campbellstreet.org/blog/2020/04/08/passover-blog, 17 Oct 2021

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afikoman, 17 Oct 2021
3. https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/the-passover-symbols-and-their-messianic-significance/, 17 Oct 2021
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjTsf8FEm5U&list=RDLVTjTsf8FEm5U&index=2, 27 July 2022

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5.4: Christ the Passover Lamb

It is often claimed by some bible teachers who are part of what is called Hebrew’s
Root that Jesus would have entered Jerusalem on the tenth of the first month of
Abib, known as the month Nisan today. It is then taught that Christ would have been
crucified on the fourteenth, which was when the Passover lamb was killed. Finally, it
is claimed that Christ would have been raised at the end of the Sabbath day, which
would apparently mean that Jesus was 72 hours or precisely three days and three
nights in the grave. It is interpreted this way, to correlate with the picture of Jonas in
the belly of the great fish. However, is this verified in Scripture?

As we saw, the Passover lamb was killed at the end of the 14th of Abib and then
eaten that night.

Deu 16:6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in,
there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the
season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. (KJV)

As pointed out in the previous section, the Passover and the feast of unleavened
bread were seen as the same feast, but with two parts. This is also indicated in the
Gospels:

Luk 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the
Passover.

Most Bible teachers claim that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th of Abib, to
symbolise the lamb that would have been set apart for the Passover sacrifice. We
read in:

Joh 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus
was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. (KJV)

Joh 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they
heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Joh 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried,
Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Joh 12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
Joh 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s
colt. (KJV)

According to John 12, “the next day” (verse 12), after the “sixth day” (verse 1) before

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Passover would make it five days before the Passover that Jesus travelled to
Jerusalem. Five days before the Passover is therefore the 10th of Abib / Nissan, if we
are to reckon that the second part of the Passover or the feast of unleavened bread
is referred to on the 15th of Abib.

If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and that Wednesday was the fourteenth of
Nisan, it would have meant that He could not have eaten the Passover meal with His
disciples that Wednesday evening. According to the Hebrew Roots teachers, Jesus
did not actually eat the Passover meal with His disciples, but rather an ordinary
supper, on the Tuesday evening. Their understanding is based on how they interpret
the gospel of John and dismissing what is written in the other three gospels with
creative Scriptural gymnastics. Let us therefore study the Scripture to see whether
their claims are true. The three gospels write the following:

Mat 26:17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to
Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the
passover? (KJV)

Mar 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his
disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat
the passover? (KJV)

Luk 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be
killed.
Luk 22:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that
we may eat. (KJV)

Matthew, Mark and Luke agree that Jesus ate the last supper with His disciples on
the Feast of Passover (14th of Abib) when the Passover Lamb was killed. Admittedly,
Matthew does not use the word “day” or the word “feast” in the original text, but it
is implied if we are to believe that Matthew was speaking of the same day to that of
Mark and Luke were writing about. We read further, in Luke:

Luk 22:14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with
him.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover
with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the
kingdom of God.
Luk 22:17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it
among yourselves:

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Luk 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom
of God shall come.
Luk 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them,
saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luk 22:20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in
my blood, which is shed for you.
Luk 22:21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the
table. (KJV)

The view that some ate some kind of pre-Passover meal the day before the actual
Passover lamb was killed is more based on conjecture and a deliberate bypassing of
clear Scripture as indicated above in the three gospels. So if Jesus ate the Passover
meal in the evening with His disciples, according to Mathew, Mark and Luke, then He
could not have been crucified on the day when the Passover Lamb was killed the 14 th
of Abib. Jesus had to have been killed on the following day, the 15th of Abib, when
the burned offerings were made. However, the gospel of John, which the Hebrew
Roots bible teachers base their view on, does present some issues. The first such
passage is:

Joh 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was
come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own
which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
Joh 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas
Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him; (KJV)

If we take this passage at face value, it seems that verse one indicates that the sup-
per, which is mentioned in verse two, is before the Passover feast. It is therefore sup-
posed that the supper spoken of in verse two was not the Passover supper. Yet a care-
ful reading shows that verse one only indicates that Jesus already knew before the
Passover supper that His time to be crucified was near. In other words, as Jesus saw
the Passover lambs being killed of the 14th of Abib, before the actual feast that even-
ing, He knew His hour was coming. In fact that Greek text, in verse one does NOT say
“... when Jesus knew that his hour was come” but rather “... Jesus having known that
his hour was come...” 1. Then verse two explains that after the Passover supper that
evening, the devil already put it in Judas’ heart to betray Christ. This therefore proves
there is no contradiction between the gospel of John with the gospels of Matthew,
Mark and Luke’s account of when Jesus ate the Passover.

However, the next two passages do create a challenge to harmonise with the other
three gospels. Let us look at the next two controversial passages which are found in:

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Joh 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was
early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be
defiled; but that they might eat the passover. (KJV)

Joh 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and
he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
Joh 19:15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith
unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but
Caesar. (KJV)

These passages clearly speak of the morning after Jesus ate the last supper with His
disciple the night before. This is the morning when the Jewish leaders handed over
Jesus to Pilate for prosecution. In chapter eighteen, we read that the Jewish leaders
are still planning to eat the Passover and in chapter nineteen the day is called “the
Preparation of the Passover”. These two passages do seem to indicate that it is still
the fourteenth of Abib when the Passover lamb would have been slaughtered. Thus,
it seems that John’s gospel, written about forty years after the synoptic gospels,
actually contradicts Mathew, Mark, and Luke! We therefore have two options to
consider. Either the synoptic gospels sit with errors or we are misunderstanding the
gospel of John. I believe it is the latter.

We first need to give some context to the gospel of John. The Hebrew Roots teachers
often claim that the apostle’s writings were all written for a Hebrew mind-set and
culture, and therefore people from a Western (Greek/Roman) mind-set often
misunderstand the texts. It is clear that a big portion of the New Testament has to be
read from the Old Testament Hebrew context; however, this does not mean that the
apostles were not influenced by the Roman/Greek culture as well. As we already saw
in the previous section, the Jews were very much influenced by the Babylonian
kingdom while they were under their captivity. Why would they not have been
influenced by the Roman and Greek cultures when they were under the Roman rule?

The gospel of John is a good example of this. We can also see in John’s narrative
regarding Jesus’ crucifixion that he was influenced by the Roman culture. The very
discrepancy between John’s timeline and the gospel of Mark, regarding what time
Jesus was crucified, clearly shows that John was written from a Roman Julian solar
time frame. Let me explain. As we see above in John 19:14, Jesus was being
prosecuted by Pilate about the sixth hour. However, in contrast, we read the
following two instances in the gospel of Mark:

Mar 15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. (KJV)

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Mar 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole
land until the ninth hour. (KJV)

How is it possible that in John’s gospel, Jesus was still being prosecuted in the sixth
hour, whereas in Mark’s gospel, Jesus was already being crucified in the third hour?
On the sixth to the ninth hour while Jesus was on the cross, darkness fell according to
Mark’s gospel? Matthew and Luke agree with Mark’s time frame, which seems to
have a six-hour difference to John’s account. The answer is rather insightful. There
are various views when the four gospels were written. However, the majority of
scholars have placed a possible date for Matthew, Mark and Luke around 45-65 AD,
depending on the sources. In contrast, it seems that many scholars estimate John
wrote his account around 90-100 AD. Even though there is no proof when John was
actually written, I am of the view that it was written after John wrote the book of
Revelation. My view is based on the fact that John was introduced to the concept of
the Son of God as the “Word of God” when he was given his revelation in writing the
book of Revelation.

Should we take that these dates are plausible when the gospels were written, it is
interesting to note that the synoptic gospels held time according to the Jewish lunar
days, where the first hour refers to the hour when the sun has risen, and when the
day started. 2. What is noticeable is that after the destruction of the temple in AD 70,
a greater push of the Julian calendar was made on the Jewish civilizations. 2. This fact
may give us a clue why there is a six-hour discrepancy between John’s gospel, which
is written after 70 AD and that of the three synoptic gospels that were written before
then. So, when John wrote “the sixth hour”, he literally meant 6 am, which coincides
with the synoptic gospels as the first hour of the day. Therefore, the “third hour” that
Mark uses to indicate when Jesus was crucified would be around 9am. The utter
darkness that Mark, Matthew and Luke wrote about, around the sixth to the ninth
hour, refers to about 12 noon to 3pm, after which Jesus surrendered His life for us.

So, with this understanding we can see that when John writes in chapter eighteen
and chapter nineteen about “... eating the Passover...” and about “... preparing for
the Passover...” John is likely writing to people who are not so familiar with the two
parts of the Passover. Those, not Jews, saw the feast of Unleavened Bread also as the
Passover. As seen before, Luke, who wrote to a non-Jew, said the same thing:

Luk 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the
Passover. (KJV)

We should also take the following into consideration that the preparation of the
Passover did not only refer to the killing of the Passover lamb on the 14th of Abib; but

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the Passover feast also included the preparation of the burnt offerings each day and
the cleansing of the homes from leaven from the 15th to the 21st of Abib/ Nissan:

Num 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
Num 28:17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall
unleavened bread be eaten.
Num 28:18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of
servile work therein:
Num 28:19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the
LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall
be unto you without blemish: (KJV)

Num 28:23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for
a continual burnt offering.
Num 28:24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the
meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be
offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. (KJV)

So, it is reasonable to interpret the passage found in John 18 and 19 to refer to the
burned offerings that were to be ministered by the priests and the eating of unleav-
ened bread each day from the 15th to the 21st of Abib, instead of the 14th of Abib
when the Lamb was sacrificed.

The 15th of Abib was a Friday, which was called the preparation of a high Sabbath, as
that Saturday would have been a high Sabbath. A high Sabbath is the first Sabbath
during the Passover feast week that preceded the First fruit Sunday. Many would
claim that the convocation days during the Passover feast were a high Sabbath, which
I will explain in the next section why that view is not possible.

1. Word Study Greek-English New Testament, McReynolds, 386, 1998.

2. https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/resources-ideas/cj/classics/11-29-11-calendar/counting-
day-night.pdf, 10 Oct. 2021
3. https://www.compellingtruth.org/when-gospels-written.html, 14 Oct. 2021
4. Strong’s, “Convocation” – H4747, e-sword, 13.0.0,

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5.5: Christ the First Fruit.

Let us continue our investigation of how Jesus fulfilled the picture of the first fruit
during the Passover feast. In the previous sections, I argued that Jesus could not have
been crucified on the Wednesday, if it were the 14th of Abib, because He ate the
Passover meal with His disciples that very evening. In this part of the chapter, I am
going to argue that the 14th of Abib was not on a Wednesday, but rather on a
Thursday and that Jesus was actually crucified in the traditional view of Friday, the
15th of Abib. We read the following in:

Luk 23:52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
Luk 23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that
was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
Luk 23:54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.
Luk 23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after,
and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
Luk 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the
sabbath day according to the commandment.
Luk 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came
unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others
with them.
Luk 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
Luk 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. (KJV)

Mar 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that
is, the day before the sabbath,
Mar 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for
the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of
Jesus.
Mar 15:44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the
centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
Mar 15:45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
Mar 15:46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the
linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone
unto the door of the sepulchre.
Mar 15:47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was
laid.
Mar 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother
of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint
him.
Mar 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto

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the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Mar 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from
the door of the sepulchre?
Mar 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was
very great. (KJV)

Luke writes that Jesus was buried on the preparation day before the Sabbath. Mark
writes that when the event was come, it was still considered the preparation day be-
fore the Sabbath, which proofs the point that Friday evening is not the start of the
Sabbath as many like to claim. In fact, the actual Greek text, the word “day” does not
appear in this way: “... the day before...” In other words the wording should read “...
And when the evening had come, and since it was the Preparation, which is fore-
Sabbath...” 1. As stated before, the evening is not considered as part of the day, but
rather the time space between the days. What is clear from both the passages in
Mark and Luke is that Jesus died on Friday, and was buried on Friday or the evening
of that Friday. The woman rested the Saturday Sabbath, and then came early the
Sunday morning (the first day of the week) to anoint Jesus, to find the tombstone
rolled away and Jesus risen.

With this understanding, let us deal with the words of John referring to the Sabbath
as a high day.

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

The phrase “that Sabbath was a high day” is often taught that it speaks of the Feasts’
days. However, I am not so convinced by this argument. The way the phrase is
written does not identify a Feast Day. It speaks of the Sabbath day that was also
considered a high day. Let me explain my issue with the argument that all the feast
holidays are supposed to be seen as some kind of high Sabbaths, with the following
passage:

Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile
work therein.
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the
seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (KJV)

Leviticus 23:7 we read about a “holy convocation”, where no work would have been
done on that day. The Hebrew text here for convocation is NOT “sabbawth” but:

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“mik-raw” which means: a public call to a holy meeting, where no work is to be done
besides the meetings and required priestly ministry. 2. Remember, we already saw
that the Passover required burned offering by the priests on each of the seven days
of the feasts. Also, the Passover meeting is one of three feasts that were required
that all the males attend the sacred meetings.

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

Something to note is that even though the Jews went to a synagogue on a Sabbath,
these meetings were not required, as it was the case with the mik-raw days by God.
It was in this special meeting on the 15th of Abib/ Nissan that Jesus was handed over
to the Roman authority to be executed.

There are, however, three feasts where the rest days are specifically called
“Sabbaths”. All three of them are in the autumn feasts, on the seventh month:

Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first
day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an
holy convocation. (KJV)

Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the
ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your
sabbath. (KJV)

Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in
the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day
shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

These special Sabbath rests indicated in the seventh month have specific relevance
to the prophetic meaning of Jesus’ millennial reign. More on that in chapter seven.
As the Passover, which was in the spring month, does not contain a Sabbath rest;
only a call to do no work, one cannot jump to the conclusion that the 15th of Abib/

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Nissan was some kind of high Sabbath. The gospel of John was referring to the actual
Sabbath day, and it was called a high day, because it was a Sabbath that was in the
middle of the Passover. This specific Sabbath was also the reference point of the First
Fruit feast, as it always needed to be the first day after the Sabbath, during the
Passover feast. That is why this specific Sabbath was called a high day.

That Friday evening after sundown is not the start of the Sabbath as many claims, but
rather the time of darkness between the sixth day and the seventh day of the week.
This does lead to the next point of the debate, which is whether the three days and
three nights that Jesus referred to His death and resurrection were an actual
seventy-two-hours? Jesus said the following in:

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall
the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (KJV)

As said before, some Christians claim that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, the
14th of Abib, and was raised on the Saturday at sunset, thus totalling a full three days
and three nights–a complete seventy-two hours. The problem with this is that it
would mean that Jesus was raised at the start of the fourth day, not so? As you
recall, these same bible teachers claim that Saturday sunset is the start of the next
day, which would be the start of the first day of the week. Jesus, however,
repeatedly said that He would be raised on the third day; not the fourth day, as seen
in the following passages:

Mat 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man
shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Mat 17:23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And
they were exceeding sorry. (KJV)

Mar 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered
into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise
the third day. (KJV)

Luk 24:6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee,

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Luk 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and
be crucified, and the third day rise again. (KJV)

The most important evidence is when Jesus met two disciples on the road on the first
day of the week. They did not recognize Him, so they tried to explain to Jesus, whom
they thought was a stranger, about all that had happened to the Christ. Look at what
the two disciples said concerning the day on which they met the Lord:

Luk 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and
beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Luk 24:22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which
were early at the sepulchre;
Luk 24:23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also
seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. (KJV)

So, if the Saturday sunset is already the start of Sunday according to them, then
these passages should all have said “it is the fourth day”, not so?

However, at the other spectrum of the debate, one is not able to insert three days
and three nights between Friday and Sunday. So how does the sign of Jonas fit
between Friday and Sunday?

Let me first start with an obvious point, which I already stated in chapter 5.2, and
that is that the biblical Lunar calendar does not have 24-hour days, but 12-hour days,
and four watches at night. Furthermore, each hour in the day did not consist of 60
minutes, as that would have been determined by various influences, mainly by the
position of the sun, which often is influenced by the season. I also showed from
Genesis 1:5 that God called the light: Day and God called the darkness: Night. How is
this relevant? We’ll let us now read a prophecy found in the Old Testament:

Amo 8:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause
the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: (KJV)

This seemed to have come true while Christ hang on the cross:

Mar 15:33 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole
land until the ninth hour. (KJV)

The sixth hour from the lunar time frame is noon. Amos writes that the sun would go
down at noon, and the earth would be darkened. So, is it not possible that Jesus
reckoned this short day and night as part of the three days and three nights?

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There is another complexity to the problem in that Jesus spoke of being in the heart
of the earth during that time. Yet, there is an explanation for this as well. One
normally would assume that the heart of the earth means Jesus being in the tomb or
at least that Jesus was dead; whereas Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus only gave
up His life after the ninth hour (3pm).

Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me?
Mar 15:35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he
calleth Elias.
Mar 15:36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and
gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him
down.
Mar 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Mar 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom. (KJV)

The question is, does the “heart of the earth” speak of Jesus’ death? There is no
Scripture passage that explains what those words actually mean. Unfortunately, we
have to speculate what Jesus was trying to convey in these words. Perhaps the
answer lies in the very picture of Jonah in the belly of the fish. Some argue that Jonah
died and was brought back to life, just before the fish spewed him out on dry land.
However, one has to read this into Scripture, as there is no reference to this in
Scripture. What is an alternate interpretation to the “the heart of the earth”? What if
the heart of the earth symbolises the depth of darkness separated from the Father?
3.

To summarise, Jesus came into Jerusalem on Sunday, the 10th of Abib. Jesus was
taken into captivity the early morning of the 15th of Abib and was handed over to be
judged 6am and crucified 9am Friday morning. Jesus was placed in the tomb that
Friday Evening, before the Sabbath would have started. Jesus was raised the Sunday
morning, which was the first day after the Sabbath during Passover, which was the
feast of the First-fruit. We read in:

Num 33:3 And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day
of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out
with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Num 33:4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten
among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. (KJV)

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Jesus demonstrated through His death that He brought freedom for all of us from the
elements of the world called the spiritual Egypt. The point of symbolism or typology
in Scripture is never to honour the types themselves, in the case of specific days and
seasons, but to honour the One to whom those days and seasons were pointing to -
Jesus Christ. Jesus did not come to glorify those days, or to bring us back to those
days; but to be glorified by those days.

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

1. McReynolds, Tyndale, Word study Greek-English New Testament, p193, 1998.

2. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “convecation”–H4744”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. http://www.talkgenesis.org/heart-of-the-earth/

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6. The New Covenant
6.1: Pentecost - The Law of the Spirit

Seven weeks after the First Fruit feast follows the Feasts of weeks, which is the
Harvest of wheat that was brought in, which we know as Pentecost. Pentecost means
fifty; which refers to the seven weeks after the day of first fruit (7x7 = 49 days + 1
day).

Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the
day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be
complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty
days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals:
they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto
the LORD.
Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first
year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the
LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by
fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two
lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave
offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the
priest.
Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy
convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for
ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. (KJV)

Fifty days after, the first fruits would be the 6th of the month of Sivan, which is
somewhere between the mid of May and June depending on the Lunar calendar. It is
traditionally believed that it is at this harvest feast called Pentecost that the Law was
given to Moses on Mount Sinai according to how the following passage is
interpreted:

Exo19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the
land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. (KJV)

However, one can also argue that the passage refers to the third month after the
departure of Egypt and not necessarily the first of the third month of the year. 1.
As the Jews fled Egypt in the middle of the first month (Passover), it would be more

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reasonable to believe that Israel would have arrived in the Sinai wilderness in the
middle of the third month. Moses would not have immediately gone up the mountain
to receive the Law of God when they arrived. It is likely that only after a couple of
days that God would have called him up. He only returned forty days later and broke
the tablets when he saw for himself how Israel made a calf idol out of gold. Then
after a couple of days later, Moses went up again and spent another forty days on the
mountain where God gave him the commandment on the tablets again. This would
mean that the Law was finally received by Israel at the end of the sixth month or as
the seventh month started. It is therefore likely that the law was received at the day
of trumpets or perhaps even the Day of Atonement. This could be true as we read
about the noise of the trumpet in:

Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise
of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they
removed, and stood afar off.

Later on, we see the practice of reaffirming the Law in Israel was done on the first day
of the seventh month, which is the day of the feast of trumpets.

Neh 8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street
that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the
book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.
Neh 8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men
and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the
seventh month.

We also see that a command was given that the Law was to be read to all of Israel
every seven years on the feasts of the tabernacle on the 15th day of the seventh
month:

Deu 31:10 And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in
the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles,
Deu 31:11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place
which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
Deu 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy
stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and
fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law:
Deu 31:13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and
learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over
Jordan to possess it. (KJV)

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We will get back to the feast of trumpets and tabernacle in chapter seven. Let us first
look at the significance of how Jesus fulfilled the feast of Pentecost. We read that the
feast of weeks (Pentecost) the Holy Spirit was poured on Christ’s disciples.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one
accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation
under heaven.
Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. (KJV)

From this day onward, the harvest of souls was brought into God’s house.

Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them,
because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the
labourers are few;
Mat 9:38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers
into his harvest. (KJV)

What is important to take note is that the harvest feast (feast of weeks) is a feast of
leaven bread, which is contrasted with the feast of unleavened bread, seven weeks
prior. As is with the speaking of tongues, the leaven bread indicated that God is now
not limiting His salvation to only the Jews, but now to all the nations of other
tongues. The leaven bread symbolizes the lost nations of leaven bread outside of
Israel. We call this the dispensation of the Gentiles.

The first three feasts, which were all in the first month of the Jewish calendar, which
is the beginning of spring, were all fulfilled by Christ’s death and resurrection. The
fourth feast, which was on the third month of Spring, is busy being fulfilled in the
dispensation of the Gentiles, those who are to be saved. The next three feasts that
were in the seventh month–in autumn, according to the Jewish calendar - still need
to be fulfilled when the dispensation of the Gentiles is completed. As stated, before
these autumn feasts, we will address in chapter seven.

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Even though the Spirit of God has been poured on us, indicating that the gospel was
for all the tongue and nations, Peter and the rest of the apostles were still blind that
the gospel was meant to go out to the Gentiles as well. So, the Spirit had to reveal
this again to Peter, through a dream:

Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is
common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath
cleansed, that call not thou common.
Act 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Act 10:17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen
should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for
Simon’s house, and stood before the gate, (KJV)

The unction of the Spirit to eat unclean animals was to get Peter to understand that
the gospel was also for the unclean, leavened, Gentiles of all tongues. We see that
the reference of clean and unclean food is pointing to when God set apart Israel from
all the gentile nations in:

Lev 20:25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and
between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by
beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which
I have separated from you as unclean.
Lev 20:26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed
you from other people, that ye should be mine. (KJV)

Even in the land of Israel, the foreigners are often required to follow the Moral Laws
of Moses, however if they were to partake of the Passover; they first needed to enter
into a covenant with God through circumcision. In Contrast, when it came to unclean
food, God instructs Israel to give that to the foreigners:

Deu 14:21 Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the
stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien:
for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his
mother’s milk. (KJV)

Yet now in the New Covenant, the Gentiles are made clean, demonstrated by the gift
of the Holy Spirit:

Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which

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heard the word.
Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as
came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the
Holy Ghost.
Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered
Peter,
Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have
received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then
prayed they him to tarry certain days. (KJV)

However, since the time the gospel reached the Gentiles, there is a spirit of
deception that has infiltrated the church, trying to bring people back to the outward
carnal appearances of righteousness. For instance, Peter, who was the first one who
preached about justification through faith, said the following.

Later, the council in Jerusalem determined to relieve their Gentile brethren of the
burden of keeping the ritualistic laws.

Act 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders
and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch
and Syria and Cilicia:
Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have
troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and
keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: (KJV)

Those who practice Torah’sm (Hebrew Roots) would argue that they agree that one
can only be justified by faith in Christ. However, they would argue that once a person
has become justified by faith in Christ; they would follow Christ in obeying the Law of
Moses. They would, for instance, argue this point by the fact that besides the
introduction of four instructions that are based on the Law Moses, James confirmed
that the Torah was read in every city:

Act 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among
the Gentiles are turned to God:
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols,

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and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read
in the synagogues every sabbath day. (KJV)

The Gentile Torah observers argue that this proves that James are saying that the
apostles must start off by teaching these introductions of the Law to the Gentiles and
as the Gentiles attend the Synagogues every Sabbath, they would then learn the rest
of the Law of Moses which they will learn to obey. However, is this what James really
had in mind when he spoke of the Torah being read in the synagogues in every city?
For instance, after some time has passed since the Jerusalem council, James had the
following conversation with Paul:

Act 21:20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou
seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all
zealous of the law:
Act 21:21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are
among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise
their children, neither to walk after the customs.
Act 21:22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will
hear that thou art come.
Act 21:23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow
on them;
Act 21:24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that
they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were
informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly,
and keepest the law. (KJV)

The problem that those who were with James had concerning Paul was not that Paul
taught the Gentiles to forsake the law, but rather what Paul taught the Jews who
were living among the Gentiles to forsake the law. James felt compelled to squash the
rumours concerning this. However, James positively affirmed that the Laws given to
Moses were not for the Gentiles, as was already decided a while back in the
Jerusalem council:

Act 21:25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded
that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things
offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. (KJV)

So is it not more plausible that James wanted to make sure that the Gentiles, who
come to the Lord, would not offend their Jewish brethren in the faith, because the
Law is read in all the synagogues in every city where there were Jews communities

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scattered among the nations? The reason why, is that many Jews believed that even
though the Gentiles did not receive the Law of Moses, they still could obtain God’s
favour by observing the laws that God gave to Noah. For instance, in the late 12th
century a rabbi named Maimonides wrote in the “halkhic legal code” that Gentiles
are required to follow seven laws to obtain righteousness. Today a version of this is
called the Noahide Laws. 2.

According to the Jewish Talmudic, the Noahide laws are a combination of six laws
received by Adam and one additional law that was given to Noah after the flood.
These were: not to worship idols, not to curse God, to establish courts of justice, not
to commit murder, not to commit sexual immorality, not to steal, and not to eat flesh
from torn animals – having their blood with it. 2. It is fascinating how these seven laws
look very similar to the instructions given to the Gentile churches in Acts 10. Keep in
mind that Noah was allowed to eat all flesh accept that which has the blood still in it:

Gen 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the
earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon
all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green
herb have I given you all things.
Gen 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not
eat. (KJV)

This is why the early apostles placed importance on the Gentile Christians not to eat
blood so as to stay in harmony with their Jewish brethren. These instructions were
not to intend to bring the Gentile Christians under the laws of Moses regarding clean
and unclean food. That is why we read Mark interpreting Jesus’ words as follow:

Mar 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not
perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile
him;
Mar 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into
the draught, purging all meats? [other translations rendered it “...declaring all foods
clean”]

1. https://talmidimyeshua.org/lawgiven.htm (20 April 2021)

2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Noahide-Laws, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noahidism, 2 August 2021

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6.2: Negating the New Covenant

The Hebrew Roots’ teachings have various ways of explaining away Paul’s teachings
in the New Testament, especially what he wrote to the Galatian church. Some would
even encourage people to cease reading Paul’s letters all together. Others would
insist that when Paul wrote to the Galatian church, he was not referring to the Law of
Moses, but to the Talmud (traditions). Then there are others who would try to
convince us that Paul’s teaching was speaking against those who try to obtain
salvation through the Law of Moses and not what happens after one has believed in
Christ. In other words, they believe that once people are justified through their faith
in Christ, they should continue their faith by following Christ in obeying the Law of
Moses. They would argue that the even though the Law of Moses is not to obtain
salvation, it is however required to maintain salvation.

I am not going to waste my time with the argument that we should ignore Paul’s
teaching as I already dealt on the subject of what is to be considered inspired
Scriptures in my previous book “Church at Home”. So let me rather first deal with the
argument that Paul was talking about the Jewish traditions and not about the Law of
Moses. The Talmud, or Traditions, is a collection of the scholarly discussions and
explanations of the Mosaic Law, and was regarded by many of the Pharisees as equal
in status to God’s law itself. 1. However, the Talmud was never called the law, but it
was called: “traditions” in Scripture. The Jews call the complete Old Testament the
Tanakh. The Tanakh is an abbreviation of the three parts of the Jewish bible, namely
the Torah (the instructions of the law the first five books of the bile), the Nevi’im (the
prophets), and the Ketubim (the writings, such as the psalms, proverbs, etc) 2. +3.

Exo 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be
there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I
have written; that thou mayest teach them. (KJV)

Before we continue, it might be a good idea to first differentiate between the law and
the commandments of God. As stated before, the Hebrew word for law is: torah. 4.
The Hebrew word for commandments is mitzvot. 5. In a general sense, one can
conceive the law given to Moses as the same as the laws of a country or kingdom
which have been codified to govern that country, kingdom, or empire as a
constitution would today. The law was hardly ever changed by the king or ruler
except when new laws were added to the existing laws, or when there was a change
of kingdom or government.

In contrast, commandments are not necessarily directed towards the whole country
or kingdom. Commandments are usually directed to a specific group of people to

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accomplish a specific task, and for a specific time period. For instance, a king might
order his army to attack the enemy on their border. However, that commandment
may change as the king sees fit. So the law is something permanent which only
changes when there is a change in the kingdom, whereas commandments are dy-
namic and are given as the need arises. The commandments can, however, be written
into the law, if required by the king. It is therefore important to understand that when
the word commandments are used in Scripture; it does not necessarily mean the
same thing as the law.

So did Paul speak of Jewish traditions or Moses’ Law when he wrote to the Galatian
church that they are not to be under the Law? The following explanation makes it
blatantly clear which one:

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is
written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law to do them.
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for,
The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (KJV)

It is interesting to note that Paul does not only say that those who did not follow the
Law to the letter would be cursed, but Paul actually states in verse thirteen that
Christ came to redeem us from the curse of the Law. Paul was quoting from the
Torah and not the Talmud when he spoke to the Galatian church, as we can see in:

Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any
wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be
not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. (KJV)

Deu 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.
And all the people shall say, Amen. (KJV)

Paul continues in:

Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in
Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that
it should make the promise of none effect.

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Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave
it to Abraham by promise. (KJV)

Again, the law that Paul is talking of is the Law that was received by Moses four
hundred and thirty years after Abraham. There were no Jewish traditions or Talmud
as yet because Moses had only just received the Torah. So this argument that Paul
was writing about traditions instead of the actual Law of Moses is debunked.

The next part of the debate is whether the Law of Moses would maintain our
salvation after we obtain salvation by faith. It is claimed that once a person has put
their trust in Christ, and is learning to follow Christ, they would follow Christ in
observing the Law of Moses. This argument is a very deceptive slight of hands tactic.
Any honest reading from Galatians makes it clear that Paul was not talking to
Galatians, who still need to come to salivation, as the church of Galatian were already
converts to Christ, but Paul was addressing converts who were being fooled by some
Jews who call themselves teachers, to now also add circumcision and the observance
of the Torah to their faith.

Gal 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the
grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ. (KJV)

Hebrews’ Root teachers would argue their teaching with the following text:

1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law. (KJV)

They interpret this statement in John’s letter as saying that sin is not observing the
Law of Moses, because, according to them, almost every time the word law is used in
the New Testament, it only refers to the Law of Moses. Then, as we read further in
the first letter of John, we see what they really want to say:

1Jn 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no
sin.
1Jn 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him, neither known him.
1Jn 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is
righteous, even as he is righteous.
1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the

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works of the devil.
1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (KJV)

So, in a roundabout way, they are saying that only the Torah observers are the true
followers of Christ and know Christ. They would also then refer to:

1Jn 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and
the truth is not in him.
1Jn 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby
know we that we are in him.
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he
walked. (KJV)

Thus, these Torah adherents teach that John is speaking here of Jesus following the
Law of Moses. Their point is that if we are to follow Jesus and walk as He walked,
then we, too, would observe the Law of Moses. According to their reasoning,
anyone, therefore, who does not follow Christ regarding the observance of the
Mosaic Law, does not abide in Christ and, therefore, has not known Him. This means,
of course, that such a person is in danger of not being saved.

Now the Hebrew Roots teachers may try to convince you that they are not saying that
one needs to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses to be saved, but then at
the same time they will say, that to be saved you are to follow in Christ’s
righteousness by following the Law of Moses. By this circular reasoning, they
circumvent what the apostles taught. There are individual Torah observers who see
the problem with this circular reasoning and therefore sit on the fens, not really able
to respond to either side of the argument regarding this issue.

So, how are we to understand John’s writings that state that whoever commits sin,
commits lawlessness? Simply put, we need to ask whether John means specifically
the Law of Moses when he speaks of lawlessness. For instance, we don’t read in the
Torah that we should believe in the name of God’s Son, and yet this is one of the
commandments that we read about in the same letter of John:

1Jn 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1Jn 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And
hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (KJV)

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In the previous section, we saw this same rationale taken by the Hebrew’s Root
teachers regarding the Jerusalem council found it Acts 15. Hebrew Roots teachers
would continue their argument regarding the Jerusalem council by stating that if the
Gentiles were not required to follow the Law of Moses, why then did Paul often
practice the Law of Moses as seen in the next chapter in Acts?

Act 16:1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there,
named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed;
but his father was a Greek:
Act 16:2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and
Iconium.
Act 16:3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him
because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father
was a Greek. (KJV)

Take note that the passage does not say that Paul circumcised Timothy in order to
follow Christ, but he did it because of the Jews. Once again, when we read one verse
further, that as they ministered to the other cities; they informed them only of those
four decrees that had been made by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem:

Act 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to
keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. (KJV)

In contrast, we read that Paul did not do the same for his under companion Titus:

Gal 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and
took Titus with me also.
Gal 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which
I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by
any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Gal 2:3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be
circumcised:
Gal 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily
to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into
bondage:
Gal 2:5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of
the gospel might continue with you. (KJV)

Why does Paul seem to be so inconsistent with his belief and his practices in
observing the Torah? It makes sense if you understand Paul’s motives:

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1Co 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.
1Co 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them
that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the
law;
1Co 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to
God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all
things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co 9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with
you. (KJV)

Paul is willing to sacrifice his liberty in Christ, in order to win people to the gospel.
This is the Law of Christ, to love each other more than we love our liberties. This is
why Paul would give the following instructions to the Roman church that consisted of
both Gentile and Jewish believers.

Rom 14:1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Rom 14:2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth
herbs.
Rom 14:3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which
eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Rom 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he
standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Rom 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every
day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that
regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the
Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and
giveth God thanks. (KJV)

1. Cyclopedia of Biblical, “Talmud – in the times of the Old Testament” Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, THE REV JOHN
MCCLINTOCK, D.D., JAMES STRONG, S.T.D., 1895, e-Sword 13.0.0; Vine’s OLD Testament: “tradition”, e-Sword 13.0.0
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tanakh, 2 August 2021
3. Vine’s OLD Testament: “Law”, e-Sword 13.0.0
4. Vine’s OLD Testament: “Commandments”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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6.3: New or Renewed

In my e- study book called “Church at Home”, we saw how the early Christians cele-
brated the breaking of bread; also called the Lord’s Table. I believe it is important at
this point to clarify the difference between the breaking of bread and the Passover,
and why, I believe, Christians are NOT required to practice the Passover feast. The
obvious reason is that one cannot truly practise the Passover feast, such as the
slaughter of a lamb consecrated by each household on the 10th of Abib. Besides that,
Passover also required daily sacrifices for the duration of the feast that lasts seven
more days, as instructed by the Law of Moses (see the previous chapter). This is not
possible, but there is another reason as well.

Jesus established the practice of the breaking of bread in the evening when He ate
the Passover meal with his disciples (the end of the day of the fourteenth of Abib).
However, it was only the bread and the wine that was used to depict the New Cove-
nant, not the bitter herbs, nor the Passover lamb. Why is that? First of all, the Passo-
ver meal reminded Israel of how God had delivered them from the slavery they were
under while in Egypt. As said before, the Passover was also a shadow of Jesus, who
fulfilled it when He was crucified to save us from the slavery of sin. By contrast, the
breaking of bread speaks of His new creation in the body of Christ, while the cup
speaks of His sacrificial blood that was shed to bring us into the New Covenant with
God.

Some Torah observers argue that what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 10 and chapter 11
regarding the Lord’s supper refers to an actual yearly Passover that the Corinthian
church practice. From the context, we see it was a much more frequent meal and was
practiced at Corinth, which debunks that theory. Firstly, as the temple was not de-
stroyed yet, the Corinthian church would have to travel to Jerusalem to practice the

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Passover, as was the customs then. It is clear from Paul’s instructions that the Lord’s
supper dealt with in 1 Corinthians chapters 10 and 11 was not the Passover meal.

The aspect of the covenant of promise which is linked to the breaking of bread has its
actual origins hundreds of years prior to the giving of the Law of Moses. This was
when Melchizedek met Abraham as he returned from the victorious battle against
Chedorlaomer to free his nephew, Lot.

Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he
was the priest of the most high God.
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God,
possessor of heaven and earth:
Gen 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies
into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (KJV)

This link is made clear when the author of Hebrews teaches Jesus to be a Priest ac-
cording to the order of Melchizedek. It is important to realise that Jesus’ priesthood
in this new covenant is not according to the order of the priesthood of Aaron, but
according to Melchizedek. This in itself demonstrates that Jesus did not bring us back
to the order of the Old Covenant with Moses’ Law, but a Covenant that was promised
to Abraham.

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey him;
Heb 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (KJV)

I think it would be good to focus on the debate whether this New Covenant is only a
renewed covenant, as claimed by most Torah observers, or an actual total new
covenant. We read in:

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 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been
sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of
Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when
I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those

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days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their
hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (KJV)

We read further in:

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. (KJV)

It is interesting to note that in chapters eight and twelve, the author of Hebrews uses
two different Greek words for new. In chapter twelve, he uses the Greek word
“neos”, which depicts something recent; 1. whereas in chapter eight he uses the
Greek word “kainos” which refers to something fresh. 1. The difference in the use of
these words is nicely illustrated in the gospel of Mark, when Jesus spoke of the new
wine in new wineskins:

Mar 2:22 And no one puts new [neos – recent] wine into old wineskins; or else the
new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But
new wine must be put into new [kainos – fresh] wineskins.” 2.

The Greek words, neos and kainos, cannot be interpreted as a renewed. In this
saying, Jesus also reinforces that one is not able to put a new covenant within the
container of the old covenant. If the author wanted to portray “renewed” they would
have used the Greek word: ananeoo or anakainoo. As examples, we read in:

Eph 4:23 And be renewed [ananeoo] in the spirit of your mind;

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new [kainos] man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness. (KJV)

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed [anakainoo] day by day. (KJV)

So where does the idea of a “renewed” covenant come from? Well, Hebrews 8
includes a quotation from the following passage in the Old Testament:

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant

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with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my
covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (KJV)

The Hebrew word used here for new in “new covenant” is: “chadash”. The word
chadash on some rare occasion can be translated as renewed, but is mostly
translated as new. The Hebrews root teachers have chosen to ignore the Greek words
used in the letter of Hebrews and used the rarely used possible alternative in Hebrew
text found in Jeremiah, as it would suit their ideology. This interpretation, however,
ignores the fact that the word chadash is most often translated recent or new even
within the Old Testament text. 3. Some good examples of this are found in:

Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty
days; and ye shall offer a new [chadash] meat offering unto the LORD. (KJV)

Exo 1:8 Now there arose up a new [chadash] king over Egypt, which knew not
Joseph. (KJV)

In both cases, it is impossible to interpret chadash to mean renewed grain, or a

renewed king, as this would be illogical. The Hebrew’s Root teachers would insist that
the hearers of Jeremiah would have understood that the Laws that Jeremiah was
talking about would have been the Laws given by Moses. This is a strange conclusion
to make as we read in Jeremiah 31:32 that this covenant will NOT be according to the
covenant made with them through Moses. So, it is very clear that this covenant is not
a renewed one but a totally new covenant, which is NOT the same as the old
covenant. This is in reference to just before would give the ten commandments in:

Deu 5:2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
Deu 5:3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us,
who are all of us here alive this day. (KJV)

The Hebrew Roots teachers, however, bypass all of these truths by claiming that the
Gentiles, who enters into this new covenant with God through the blood of Jesus,
would need to be subjected to the covenant of Moses, by quoting the following:

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive
tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness

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of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the
root, but the root thee. (KJV)

Again, this is a stretch, as Paul was not likening the root of the olive tree to the Law of
Moses. Everyone reading the passage can clearly see the root has to do with the
promise made to the descendants of Abraham, who is the father of many nations.
The covenant that God made with Abraham’s descendants according to the flesh is
not the same covenant of promise through the faith that God made with Abraham.
Take the point that some nations were prohibited from having any part of God’s
presence within the Old covenant:

Neh 13:1 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people;
and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not
come into the congregation of God for ever;
Neh 13:2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but
hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the
curse into a blessing. (KJV)

However, as we know in the New covenant God makes with Israel, everyone from all
other nations may also have access to this new covenant. We will explore this new
covenant further in more detail in the next section.

Another problem with the claim that this New Covenant is only a renewed covenant
is that it would cause the relationship between Jesus and our Father to resemble that
of Babylonian and Egyptian idol worship. Let me explain, using the myths of Osiris,
Nimrod and Tammuz who married their own mothers. The names of these idols differ
according to different languages and cultures, but the myths probably have the same
origin. When God made a covenant with Israel on mount Sinai, where God gave them
the Torah, Scripture teaches us that this was a covenant of marriage that God made
with Israel. God was a husband for Israel.

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant
they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: (KJV)

Now let’s look at the relationship Paul described between Christ and the church in:

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined

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unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (KJV)

The church cannot be the same as the physical Israel, when we consider this:

Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered. (KJV)

Rev 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (KJV)

It is clear from John’s revelation that Israel is depicted as the mother of Jesus. If this
covenant was only a renewed covenant, then it would mean that the church is Israel
as well, which would mean that Christ will marry his mother, the wife of his Father.
Jesus would not marry the wife of His Father, as that is against God’s law and would
resemble Egyptian and Babylonian worship. Jesus is going to get married to a spiritual
entity called the church. On this basis, we break the bread and drink of the cup, till
that day when we do so with the Groom of the church:

Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a
marriage for his son, (KJV)

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,
and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink
ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins.
Mat 26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until
that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom. (KJV)

1. Vine’s New Testament: “fulfil”, e-Sword 13.0.0

2. Insertion taken from Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. Vine’s OLD Testament: “fulfil”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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6.4: The Covenant of Circumcision

The word Covenant just means: agreement or contract. Through the bible we see
God making agreements with chosen people throughout the Bible. For instance, God
promised Noah that He would not destroy the world again with water by a symbol of
a rainbow in the sky. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many
nations. God made a covenant with Abraham bound by circumcision. Jesus explained
the following:

Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why
go ye about to kill me?
Joh 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill
thee?
Joh 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all
marvel.
Joh 7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but
of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. (KJV)

In this text, Jesus begins by commenting on the fact that none of the Jews were
actually keeping the Law of Moses. Then Jesus remarks on the fact that Moses gave
them circumcision, but in the same sentence He corrects that notion, observing that
circumcision is actually from the fathers. The term fathers, refers to the patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whom God first required to be circumcised. What was the
purpose of circumcision? To answer, let’s consider this account in Genesis:

Gen 17:9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou,
and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy
seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
Gen 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of
the covenant betwixt me and you.
Gen 17:12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man
child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any
stranger, which is not of thy seed.
Gen 17:13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must
needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant.
Gen 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not
circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my
covenant. (KJV)

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Circumcision is the seal of the covenant God made with their father, Abraham, and
his descendants. Everyone whom Moses led out of Egypt that wanted to be part of
the covenant God made with Abraham’s descendants had to be confirmed through
circumcised:

Lev 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 12:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed,
and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of
the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.
Lev 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (KJV)

Stephen the evangelist confirmed that the circumcision was a sign of that covenant:

Act 7:8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac,
and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the
twelve patriarchs. (KJV)

We must understand that it was impossible to share in the old covenant of Israel
without being circumcised. Hebrews Root often teaches that circumcision was just
one of the activities that needed to be done under the Law of Moses. However,
Scripture clearly teaches that circumcision was not merely one of the Laws that
needed to be obeyed, but in fact the first step to enter into the covenant that God
made with Israel. If one desired to become an Israelite and observe the Law of
Moses, the first step was to be circumcised. Even strangers who wished to observe
the Passover feast as prescribed by the Law had to be first circumcised; because it
was only those who were under the covenant made with Israel through circumcision
who may partake of the Passover:

Exo 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to
the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it;
and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat
thereof. (KJV)

So what is the controversy then? Well, Paul puts it like this:

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Gal 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you
nothing.
Gal 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do
the whole law.

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Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by
the law; ye are fallen from grace. (KJV)

I repeat; the way to enter the covenant that God made with Israel was through the
circumcision of the flesh. Yet Paul says if you do enter that covenant through the
circumcision of the flesh, Christ will profit you nothing. This very point proves that
the Old covenant made with Israel is different from the New Covenant promised to
Israel. There are two covenants, and one enters them differently.

Gal 4:21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the
other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the
freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from
the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which
now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry,
thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which
hath an husband.
Gal 4:28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
Gal 4:29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born
after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Gal 4:30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her
son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Gal 4:31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the
free. (KJV)

The Old Covenant is entered through the circumcision of the flesh. The New
Covenant is entered through the circumcision of the heart by faith. Both of these
covenants were promised to Abraham.

Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the
faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them
that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed
unto them also:
Rom 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision

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only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he
had being yet uncircumcised. (KJV)

Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the
faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God. (KJV)

Has the apostles ever required Christians to be circumcised in the flesh after
conversion? Paul writes in:

Php 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision [mutilation
of the flesh].
Php 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Php 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an
Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is
in the law, blameless.
Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the
law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by faith: (KJV)

1Co 7:17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every
one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
1Co 7:18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is
any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
1Co 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of

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the commandments of God.
1Co 7:20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. (KJV)

It is clear in his letter to the Corinthian church that Paul was not addressing salvation,
as the context here has to do with marriage. So, if the context is about marriage and
not about salvation, why would Paul still write that those who are not circumcised
should not seek to be circumcised, but rather seek to keep God’s commandments?
This would mean that God’s commandments do not include being circumcised in the
flesh. If the commandments of God that Paul was talking about do not include
circumcision of the flesh, then the commandments of God that Paul was talking
about are not the same as the Law of Moses which requires circumcision of the flesh
in order to be part of the old covenant.

Those who desire to follow God’s Law as given to Moses had to be circumcised in the
flesh and live by the letter of that Law. Those who are circumcised in the heart
through faith in Jesus Christ live in submission to the Law of the Spirit.

Heb 7:15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec
there ariseth another priest,
Heb 7:16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the
power of an endless life.

The goal of the Law is to point God’s people towards righteousness. Righteousness
can only be found in Christ, which God’s Laws pointed towards. We understand that
Israel came into a covenant with God at Mount Sinai, where they received the Law of
Moses; however, through the prophets, God spoke of this New Covenant. This New
Covenant is not about laws and regulations that were written on tablets given to
Moses. This New Covenant is about God’s laws and regulations, which are written in
the hearts of God’s people through His Spirit. Remember that Jesus came to deal with
our hearts not to merely to modify our behaviour:

2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but
our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2Co 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was
glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses
for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
2Co 3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2Co 3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the
ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

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2Co 3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by
reason of the glory that excelleth.
2Co 3:11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which
remaineth is glorious. (KJV)

The covenant of a circumcised heart brings us under the law of the Spirit. Israel, ac-
cording to the flesh, is a covenant through the circumcision of the flesh, which brings
people under the law of the letter.

The Hebrews Root would argue that God would not change His eternal Laws in the
New Covenant. Let us explore this claim. For instance, God designed that Adam and
Eves’ sons and daughters would have had incest relations in order to have children.
Later on, we read Abraham married his half-sister as they had the same father. In
both cases, this is incest and was an abomination against God’s Law given to Moses.
God, however, in both cases blessed Adam and Abraham to be fruitful, and it was by
Abraham’s wife who was his half-sister that God bless their descendants.

Kent Hovind explains that Adam and Eve’s DNA would have had enough information
that would not have created any corruption in their offspring within incest relation-
ships. However, at the appointed time, God commanded Moses that such practices
are to discontinue because, as Kent Hovind explains, there would not be enough in-
formation in their DNA from that generation on to prevent corruption in their off-
spring with incest relationship. 1.

This proves the Law’s adapted according to what is needed to steer God’s people to-
wards righteousness. We need to understand what is the purpose of the Law and
under what covenant it was given under. There is, therefore, no such thing that Mo-
ses’ Laws are eternal Laws for all people for all time. It is rather God has His eternal
righteousness, which the Mosaic Law pointing towards.

The circumcision of flesh, made in the body of sin, has been transferred to the life of
the Spirit through the circumcision of the heart. Returning to any of these outward
appearances of feasts, days and dietary foods, misses the fact that they all pointed to
Christ and not the other way around.

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Col 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and
worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly
puffed up by his fleshly mind,

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Col 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands
having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of
God.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why,
as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and
doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility,
and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (KJV)

Gal 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by
nature are no gods.
Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how
turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be
in bondage?
Gal 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
Gal 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (KJV)

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that
believeth. (KJV)

Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while
I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of
Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures, (KJV)

1.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iTD4TozXb, 2022/06/25

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6.5: The Law of the Spirit

The covenant that God made with Israel consists of promises and cursing that revolve
around the Laws that God gave Israel through Moses. These laws consisted of two
parts. The first are the moral laws, which are for pointing God’s people towards
righteousness. The second part of the law is ceremonial laws which were designed to
deliver Israel’s minds and hearts from the slavery of the Egyptian gods (the elements
of the world). Hebrew Roots teachers would argue that these distinctions are not
made in the Old Testament. This is a misnomer; just because something has not been
given a name does not mean it does not exist. Even from the Old Testament, we see
God make a difference, because God hated when the Israelites followed the ritualistic
part of the Law, if they have not first followed the moral laws:

Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new
moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity,
even the solemn meeting.
Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a
trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. (KJV)

Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn
assemblies. (KJV)

Hos 2:11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and
her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. (KJV)

Both parts of the Law had an even more important purpose, which was to prepare
their minds for the Messiah. The moral laws were given to show mankind our sinful
condition, so we would seek a Saviour. The ceremonial laws were given as a set of
prophetic symbols to point to Christ as the Saviour and to the establishment of His
Righteousness at the fulfilment of time.

So, both the Law of Moses and the prophets spoke of a time when the Messiah
would fulfil the purpose of the Law. What does “fulfil” mean? In answering this, let us
first look at a key passage of Scripture that the Torah observers base their theology
on:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not
come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and

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shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of
heaven. (KJV)

Hebrew Roots teachers would say that fulfilled just means something like reinforced
or established. The Greek word for fulfil is pleroo and according to the Vines
dictionary it means to complete, or made done.1. For instance, we read how pleroo is
used in Acts where it is translated as “fulfilled or past”:

Act 9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled [pleroo], the Jews took counsel to
kill him: (KJV)

Again, we see Mark quoting Jesus’ words using the word pleroo to mean: “come to
completion” in:

Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching
the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled [pleroo], and the kingdom of God is at
hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (KJV)

The word pleroo was never used in the Bible to mean reinforced or established; but,
in fact, in all cases, the meaning is restricted to the following: to accomplish, satisfy,
achieve, to complete, made done or fulfil. It is very clear that Jesus did not come to
destroy the Law or the prophets but to fulfil it. So, the question is whether the Law
has been fulfilled?

It might be good to mention that there is another group that is sometimes called the
Sabbatarians. It is a group that claims that Christians are only required to follow the
ten commandments and not the rest of the Torah. They stated that it was only the
tablets with the ten commandments that were in the Ark of the Covenant and that
the other laws were added after Moses broke the first set of tablets when he saw the
Israelites worshiping the golden calf. The Sabbatarians therefore conclude that Jesus
is referring to the ten commandments and not the rest of the Torah that are to be
kept. According to them, Christians are required to keep the Sabbath, but not the
other feasts and dietary requirements. Like the Hebrews Root they claim to meet on
a Sunday is in fact worshiping a sun-god. This separation of the ten commandments
from the rest of the Torah is just conjectures as the rest of the Torah is instructions on
how to practice the ten commandments and not a separate set of commands.

Jesus continues His teaching on this point by saying further:

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Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the
righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom
of heaven.
Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell fire. (KJV)

Jesus explains that God’s righteousness goes much higher than outward appearances
or behaviour modification. Christ did not come to demonstrate to us a better way to
keep the Law of Moses. The law was there to prepare us for God’s righteousness,
which is found in Christ.

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we
might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the
promise. (KJV)

Paul’s explanation in Galatians makes a distinction between a servant and a son, and
again between a child and a son who has come of age. In each illustration, he tries to
explain what place the Law of Moses had in a Jew’s life. Paul was trying to get the
Galatians to understand that while a person is a child, his obligation to the father’s
laws does not look so different from that of a servant; however, that changes when
the child becomes of age when the time is fulfilled. Any parent will tell you that the
rules they impose on their little children drastically change when their children come
of age, even though the goal of righteousness is the same. Children obey the rules
because they have little understanding regarding righteousness. When they come of
age, they are trained in righteousness without having to follow regulated rules. The
New Covenant that has been sealed in Christ has moved us from the realm of a
fleshly understanding of righteousness to the realm of the spiritual fulfilment of
righteousness.

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the
truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among

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you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by
the flesh? (KJV)

It is amazing how cognitive dissidents are so prevalent under the Gentile - Torah, ob-
servant regarding life in the Spirit. They would say that Jesus is a Priest in the Spirit to
minister in the heavenly realm and therefore does not need to be under the de-
scendants of Aaron. According to them, Christians can be royal priests and living
stones of God’s temple in the Spirit, however, we still need to follow Moses’ Law ac-
cording to the flesh. They are therefore not consistent in interpreting whether this
New Covenant is a life in the Spirit or a covenant according to the flesh.

1Ti 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a
good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
1Ti 1:6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
1Ti 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor
whereof they affirm.
1Ti 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the
lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for
murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (KJV)

So, the Law is NOT made for a righteous person. However, all Jews, in fact all of
humanity, are unrighteous. So how do we obtain righteousness? As stated before,
righteousness is not about the modification of external behaviour by observing the
law of the letter, but addresses the very heart of sin. Jesus came to fulfil the Law of
Moses by accomplishing the righteous requirements of the law, which the Law of
Moses could not obtain because of our carnal nature.

We see this clearly with the fact that all through the Old Testament call the Jewish
nation as the son of God, the New Testament indicates that Jesus has replaced Israel
as the Son of God. Let us look at a couple of examples of this:

Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (KJV)
[NT]

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

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

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (KJV)

Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son,
even my firstborn:
Exo 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse
to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. (KJV) [OT]

This is however also prophesied in the Old Testament:

Psa 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my
salvation.
Psa 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psa 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand
fast with him. (KJV)

We see that as Israel was tempted in the wilderness for 40 years after they were
baptized going through the red sea. However, each of the temptation they failed, for
instance in Exodos 16:3 – tempted with hunger; Exodus 17:7 – tempted the Lord
whether He is truly among them; Exodus 32:1 – worship other gods. The true Son of
God Jesus overcame all the temptation Israel did not overcome, after Jesus was
baptized in went into the wilderness and was tempted for 40 days yet overcame each
temptation that satan through at Him (Mathew 4:4-10).

It is not only Mathew that claims that Jesus replaced Israel, but Paul taught the same
thing. We read in:

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to
seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in
Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it
should make the promise of none effect. (KJV)

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Us being in Christ Jesus, therefore, has become part of that inheritance in Christ
Jesus:

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the
promise. (KJV)

This is an important point that Paul is making as he is referencing to:

Deu 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these

commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. (KJV)

So, regarding Jesus’ words, found in Mathew 5:17, how does Jesus fulfil the Law? A
Jew is required to follow the Law of Moses until they have died. Unless a Jew dies, he
is obligated to follow the Law of Moses. Only by death is a Jew free from the Old
Covenant and may enter the New Covenant. In fact, all people who want to enter
into the New Covenant can only enter through Christ’s death. We all need to be
baptized into Christ’s death and recon ourselves dead to our old lives in order to
enter that new covenant.

Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that
the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? (KJV)

Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of
Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead,

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that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law,
did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were
held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
(KJV)

Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain. (KJV)

Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why,
as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and
doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility,
and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (KJV)

Heb 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means
of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first
testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the
testator.
Heb 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no
strength at all while the testator liveth.
Heb 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Heb 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to
the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and
hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Heb 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto
you.
Heb 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels
of the ministry.
Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should

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be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are
the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us:
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into
the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

Christ did not come to bring Gentiles into the Law of Moses, but to bring about the
true righteousness in those who put their faith in Him. So yes, in Matthew 5, Jesus
did not come to abolish the contract that God made with Israel. That contract stands
until heaven and earth pass away. However, anyone who, through faith, is baptized
into Christ’s death is dead to this world and has therefore entered into the New
Contract. Even in the Torah, we read that when a servant is bound by a ring in the
earlobe, that servant is bound forever. Yet logic dictates that this so called “forever”
only holds true, while the servant is alive. This bond ends with death:

Exo 21:5 But if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my
children; I will not go out free:
Exo 21:6 then his master shall bring him unto God, and shall bring him to the door, or
unto the door-post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl; and he
shall serve him for ever. (KJV)

1. Vine’s New Testament: “fulfil”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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7. In His Rest
7.1. The Sabbath (Shabat) Millennial

As stated in the previous chapter, the Law of Moses consists of two parts. The first
are the moral laws, which are for the purpose of pointing God’s people to
righteousness, and the second part of the law is the ceremonial laws which were
designed to deliver Israel’s minds from idols (the elements of the world). Both of
these parts of the Law had an even more important purpose, which was to prepare
their minds for the Messiah. The moral laws were given to show mankind their sinful
condition so they would seek a Saviour. The ceremonial laws were given as a set of
prophetic symbols to point to Christ as the Saviour.

Leviticus 23 we read of seven feasts and the Sabbath that were given to Israel that
they had to participating according to their designated times. I already stated in
chapter five that the word “feasts” in Hebrew is “Mo’ed” actually means “appointed
times”. 1. We saw in chapter five how Christ has already fulfilled the spring feasts of
Passover, Unleavened bread, First fruit and Pentecost. In this chapter, we will look at
the autumn feast of Trumpets, Atonement; and Tabernacles. In the following two
sections, we will investigate how the Sabbath wraps up these prophecies. The
Sabbath gives a time frame context to the future prophetic meaning of the autumn
feasts, which I will try to explain in the following two sections. We read in:

Lev 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts
of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my
feasts.
Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an
holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your
dwellings. (KJV)

There is a time that is coming, where Jesus is going to rule the world and, therefore,
give the real Sabbath rest to the whole world. As you may recall, Jesus did not come
to destroy the Law, but to fulfil the Law. We saw in the previous chapter that the very
word “fulfilled” (Greek–pleroo) indicates the prophetic application of God’s Law and
prophetic writings. 2. It is often claimed that no one knows when that time will be
when all will be fulfilled because of Jesus’ words in:

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only. (KJV)

Yet just because we don’t know the day or the hour, does that mean we can’t figure

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out the season or the year, or at least the generation? Peter writes something inter-
esting in:

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking
after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell
asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens
were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in
store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons
ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (KJV)

Those who know me well enough will know that I am a real sceptic when people try
to predict when the Lord’s return is. I often ridicule claims by people who believe
they have received some kind or revelation from Scripture or from a vision about
when the Lord’s return is. But what if one of those predictions is actually true? What
if it is possible that we could see the season or the year when Jesus would return?
Would you bear with me to entertain a prediction, because I believe it will stir us to
action into one important instruction of Scripture that most Christians neglect?

Say we take this passage in Peter at face value concerning the last days, that for God,
a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. Then let us take a
literal approach to Revelation that Jesus will rule the Earth with peace for a thousand
years, before it will all be destroyed by fire to make way for a new heaven and new
earth.

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Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the
second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

Now let us assume that the scholars are correct in that if we should take a literal
approach to the Old Testament genealogy from Adam’s creation to Jesus’ birth, it
counts to four thousand years. We read in Genesis chapter one that even though
light was created on the first day, the sun, moon and stars were only created on the
fourth day. In other words, the energy from the gases that created light on the first
day was compressed together to form the sun and stars on the fourth day. Could this
be a picture of Jesus being the light of the world who became flesh four thousand
years later?

Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide
the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and
years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon
the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the
lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the
earth,
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the
darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (KJV)

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Many (not all) Scholars believe that Jesus was born and became flesh between 4 BC
and 1 AD. That would mean that thirty-three and a half years later, Jesus would have
died and resurrect sometime between 29AD and 34 AD. There are some scholars
speculating that the reason that Jesus lived 33 and a half years without sin and then
died for our sins, was because it’s possible that the first Adam lived 33 and a half
years without sin and then sinned and brought all mankind under sin and was cast
out of God’s presence. There is no Biblical passage for this speculation, but it does
not mean that this is not possible. 3.

If this is true, it would mean that from the day Adam sinned, counted four thousand
years to Jesus’ being crucified for mankind’s sin. So man’s curse to work to survive
would now be going on for almost six thousand years, which will be followed by the
Sabbath millennial when Christ returns to rule for a thousand years. 4.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (KJV)

So, if these calculations are correct, it would mean that Jesus would return
somewhere between the years of 2029 and 2033. However, if you are like me, you
would ask what do we do with the words of Jesus that no one knows the day or the
hour? Well, in the time of Jesus’s words, men did not know the day or the hour when

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the feasts of trumpets would be sounded, due to the fact that the Israel followed the
lunar calendar, awaiting the sign of the new moon. This is an actual picture of the
feast to trumpet to indicate Jesus’ return (more on that later). We might not know
the day or the hour when Jesus would return to bring peace on earth, but we may
know the season or the year as was understood during the time of Jesus’ words.

Furthermore, for argument’s sake, let us take a literal interpretation that the anti-
Christ and the false prophet will deceive and rule the earth for between three and a
half to seven years before Jesus comes in 2029 to 2033 (more on that later). If this is
the case, it would mean that the anti-Christ and his false prophet will start
controlling the world on the backstage anywhere between 2022 and 2025 and then
reveal himself three and a half years later (between 2027 and 2030) to present
himself as a god in the temple of God (again more on that later on).

Could this be true? Well, possibly, by looking at the Covid pandemic, the economic
chaos in the world, the plausibility of some of the vaccine conspiracies, governmental
over reach, the social engineering of sexual norms, police states taking over the
whole of the West; and the food crises being orchestrated by the government and
global elitists under the policies of expropriation and social justice or for the so-called
conservation of the environment. The Socialists/Communist and Islamic countries are
intensifying their efforts to persecute Christians. Dictatorial countries are threatening
the neighbouring countries with wars, and roomers of wars are escalating. Judeo-
Christian values are spoken of as evil and evil is spoken of as good.

People’s hearts are failing them because of fear. Christians are falling for all kinds of
deception; people love pleasure more than they love God and the love among
Christians is running cold. So yes, I think it is possible for Jesus returning between
2029 and 2034. I would say the thing that convinces me is the fact that the United
Nations, the department of economic and social affairs, has an agenda to have a
world reset in 2030. 6. This will give the government unparalleled power of the
citizens on a global stage like never before. The image that will receive live spoken of
in Revelations 13:5, is much more plausible with the threat of artificial inelegance.

For me, this might be the time when the anti-Christ will reveal himself as the saviour
of the world. This would mean Jesus would return three and a half years later, which
is somewhere in the middle of 2033, perhaps during or end of the feast of Trumpets.
I will address this topic in more details in the upcoming chapters.

I have to add the fact that, according to Jewish philosopher Maimonides in the 12th-
century, claims that the biblical date of creation was approximately 3761 years ago,
which means we are only now in the year 5781. This would leave us with another 219

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years before Christ’s return. 5. However, this date has been debunked by some
theologians, as there are apparently a couple of calculation errors made by
Maimonides, especially from the time of the Babylonian exile and how the leap years
were incorporated. For those who are interested, I have left the reference resource
at the end of this section. 7.

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “feast” – H 4150, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. Vine’s New Testament: “fulfil”, e-Sword 13.0.0
3. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/when-was-jesus-born-bc-or-ad/
4. Genealogy from Adam to Jesus, compiled by AI Yelland, intenet resource: www.yelland.ca, 18 October 2020
5. https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/jewish-calendar.html, 6 August 2021
6.https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda, 23 September 2022
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_years_(Jewish_calendar), 6 August 2021

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7.2. In His Rest

Before I continue with the autumn feast and see how those are fulfilled in Christ, I
want to remind my readers or viewers that the public rest days during the Spring
feasts were called convocation days; whereas the rest days during the seventh
month–autumn feasts are called Sabbath rests. This demonstrates the prophetic
picture of the Sabbath days as pointing to the fulfilment of the autumn feasts. For
this reason, I deem it necessary to clear something up in this section regarding the
Sabbath rest before I get to the last three feasts, as described in Leviticus 23.

I am sure all Christians go through dry patches in their Christian walk. There are
various reasons for that which I will not go into now. What I would like to address,
what often happens when Christians do experience these dry patches. Christians
often seek remedies externally instead of internally to deal with these dry patches.
They would seek for solutions to this problem in a new church, often in a new
Christian fad, or doctrine. Then there is the fact that so many Christians have become
bored by the shallow motivational preaching of most churches and are seeking
something more substantial. It is also often why Christians so easily fall into the
Hebrew-roots and Sabbatarian deceptions. In fact, many of their converts are made
by Bible teachers exploiting this natural phenomenon in the Christian journey by
asking questions such as “Do you feel there is something lacking in your Christian
walk...?” This is a clever tactic to catch people, because, as with all such tactics,
people often get excited about new and profound teachings.

However, like all fads, the euphoria of something new, fades away; compelling
adherents to go into more and more extreme parts of the particular doctrine, like
druggies who try to find a stronger drug to experience the next high. Yet like all
knowledge, it fades. For you see, Christianity is not about knowledge, or emotional
experiences, or the next theological fad. Christianity is about a day-to-day
relationship with the Father through the person of Christ; and, as with all
relationships, one experiences highs and lows. Unfortunately, in the last days,
people’s love will grow cold, as many people become spiritually lazy and so unable to
grow deeply in their relationship with God. Instead of growing in their relationship
with the living God, they embrace the dead works of religious performance, puffed
up knowledge, and the outward appearances of obedience to God, while their heart
loses its first love. The only real solution is to come just as we are, vulnerable, naked
and flawed, to find our rest in Christ.

Isa 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new
moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity,
even the solemn meeting.

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Isa 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a
trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. (KJV)

Amo 5:21 I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn
assemblies. (KJV)

Hos 2:11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and
her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. (KJV)

I explained the importance of the Sabbath fulfilment of how Christ will bring peace,
righteousness, and justice in His millennial reign. In this section, I want to explore the
application of how we as Christians are to apply this Sabbath rest in our lives, here
and now. A passage often used to convince Christians that Gentiles ought to observe
the Sabbath is found in:

Act 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews
and the Greeks. (KJV)

The reason that Paul went to the synagogue on a Sabbath was to preach and teach
the gospel to those who had not yet heard or understood the gospel. There were
Greeks that went to the synagogues, as seen here in Acts 18. These Greeks were
either “God fearers” or “proselytes”. 1. God fearers were Greeks who believed in the
God of Israel, and attend the Synagogues through the influence of Hellenistic Jews.
Proselytes are God fearers who completely transitioned into Judaism by circumcision
and who participated in all Jewish customs. They were NOT Christians; not until Paul
convinced them of Christ. It was not uncommon for Paul to preach the gospel to both
Jews and Gentiles in synagogues. However, a synagogue meeting was not a Christian
ekklesia church gathering, nor was it a Jewish place of worship. Jewish worship
occurred not only on the Sabbath, but on other days as well. Also, the place of
worship was not at the synagogue but at the temple. Synagogues were more like a
Bible school, which was an ideal place to preach the gospel.

This, however, does raise the question whether Gentiles are to follow the Sabbath or
not? Some claim that the reason all should rest on the Sabbath is that God sanctified
the Sabbath long before Moses gave the commandment to keep the Sabbath:

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The fact that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day does not mean that He
commands all mankind from Adam to today to rest from all their work on that day.
God only commanded the Israelites who came into the covenant that was established
under Moses, that they should rest, because God had delivered them from Egypt.

We see from these texts in Deuteronomy and Exodus that the reason that God
commanded Israel to rest on the Sabbath was that He had delivered them from the
bondage they were under while in Egypt. God did not command them to keep the
Sabbath because He had made the world in six days. He commands them to keep the
Sabbath to remind them that it was He who created it all and who controls the
elements of the world and not the Egyptian solar “gods”. The reminder that they
must rest on the Sabbath was given to deliver the Hebrew minds, which were yoked
to the Egyptian idols that forced them to work every day. Israel might have rested on
the Sabbath, but was never able to enter into God’s rest.

Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the
foundation of the world.
Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did
rest the seventh day from all his works.
Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to
whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time;
as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken
of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own
works, as God did from his.

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

I have to point that there are some Reformed churches that take verse eight as a key
verse to proof that God changed the Sabbath rest from Saturday to Sunday. This is,
however, conjecture as this is not what the author of Hebrews is speaking about.
Jesus said:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. (KJV)

As said before, Christ did not come to point us to the shadows, which are two
dimensional, being flat on the ground. The shadows are there to point us to Christ,
who has many dimensions, standing with His feet on the two-dimensional shadows.
Christ is the source of rest whereto the Sabbath was pointing to. Paul writes in:

Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an
holyday [feast days], or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (KJV)

Some of the Torah observers claim that Paul, in Colossians 2, was saying that we
should not judge those who want to observe the feasts, the new moon and the
Sabbaths. Sabbatarians claims that Paul is referring to the Sabbaths of the feast days
and not the Sabbath of the seventh day. However, anyone who honestly reads the
whole chapter in Colossians will see that Paul speaks of holidays / Feasts days as
something separate to the New moon and Sabbath days.

In response to the Hebrew root teacher, we see that each new moon refers to the
start of a Hebrew month within a lunar calendar. Each new moon has to be marked
by sacrifices (which hardly any Torah teachers even follow).

Num 28:11 And in the beginnings of your months [ko-desh – new moon] ye shall
offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs
of the first year without spot; (KJV) 2.

But for those who insist that we ought to rest on the Sabbath; then we should do it
according to God’s commandments to Moses:

Exo 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an
holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put
to death.

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Exo 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath
day. (KJV)

Deu 5:14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not
do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as
thou. (KJV)

Neh 10:31 And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath
day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and
that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.

Should we claim that we need to keep the Sabbath, then, according to Moses’ Law,
we ought to abstain from cooking food and boiling water on the Sabbath. We should
not even watch TV, use our cell phones, computers or switch on the lights, as that
would cause the broadcasting and power companies to work for us on the Sabbath.
Scripture clearly prohibits servants from being made to work on the Sabbath. I know
that there are some that say that making a fire is not the same as using electricity.
However, this is just playing semantics to justify not obeying God’s clear instructions
for the keeping of the Sabbath in order to keep our comforts. What is the point of
observing the Law of Moses if we are just going to water, it down to suit our lifestyle?
Is this not merely a false righteousness of ticking outward appearance boxes, instead
dealing with what is truly in our hearts?

It is also clear from Scripture that the apostles not only preached the gospel in the
synagogue on the Sabbaths, but held their ekklesia gatherings on Sunday (the first
day of the week).

Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and
continued his speech until midnight. (KJV)

1Co 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the
churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as
God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. (KJV)

A final point; it is also claimed that to forsake the Sabbath for Sunday “worship”
came only during Constantine. This is also not true; as many early church fathers
argued for Sunday gatherings as appose to the Jewish Sabbath gatherings. We read,

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for instance, in the Letter of Barnabas (of Alexandria) who was a possible close
associate of the apostle Paul [AD 74] who wrote: “We keep the eighth day [the first
day of the week] with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the
dead.” 3.

Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Magnesians) who is known to be a student of the

apostle John [A.D. 110] wrote: “[T]hose who were brought up in the ancient order of
things [i.e. Jews] have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the
Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has
sprung up again by him and by his death...Let every friend of Christ keep the Lord’s
Day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the queen and chief of all the days of the
week.” 4.

Justin Martyr (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew: 18, 21 and First Apology 67. [A.D. 155]):
“[W]e too would observe the fleshly circumcision, and the Sabbaths, and in short all
the feasts, if we did not know for what reason they were enjoined [on] you—namely,
on account of your transgressions and the hardness of your heart. . . [H]ow is it,
Trypho, that we would not observe those rites which do not harm us—I speak of
fleshly circumcision and Sabbaths and feasts? . . . God enjoined you to keep the
Sabbath, and imposed on you other precepts for a sign, as I have already said, on
account of your unrighteousness and that of your fathers ... But this day (first day) is
the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on
which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world;
and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead.” 5. 6 .7.

Tertullian (An Answer to the Jews [A.D. 203]): “[L]et him who contends that the
Sabbath is still to be observed as a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth
day . . . teach us that, for the time past, righteous men kept the Sabbath or practiced
circumcision, and were thus rendered ‘friends of God.’ For if circumcision purges a
man, since God made Adam uncircumcised, why did he not circumcise him, even after
his sinning, if circumcision purges? . . . Therefore, since God originated Adam
uncircumcised and unobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel,
offering him sacrifices, uncircumcised and unobservant of the Sabbath, was by him
[God] commended [Gen. 4:1–7, Heb. 11:4]. . . . Noah also, uncircumcised—yes, and
unobservant of the Sabbath—God freed from the deluge. For Enoch too, most
righteous man, uncircumcised and unobservant of the Sabbath, he translated from
this world, who did not first taste death in order that, being a candidate for eternal
life, he might show us that we also may, without the burden of the law of Moses,
please God.” 8.

Ancient Syriac Documents - Teaching of Apostles, around 225 A.D.: “The apostles

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further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading
of the holy scriptures, and the oblation, because on the first day of the week [i.e.,
Sunday] our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week he
arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week he ascended up to heaven, and
on the first day of the week he will appear at last with the angels of heaven.” 9.

From these church fathers’ writings, it is clear that the early Christians placed the
first day of the week above the Sabbath long before Constantine called the first day
of the week Sunday. The Christians held to the Jewish seven-day week, whereas the
Romans held to the Etruscan eight-day market week known as the Nundinal cycle. 10.
As I explained in chapter five that the ancient Egyptians, whose religion gave sun
worship a prominent place, held to a ten-day week.

Constantine changed the official Roman eight-day market week to the Jewish and
Christian seven-day week in 321 A.D. However, to create harmony in his kingdom, he
did not completely forsake the heathen religion and therefore adopted the naming
convention of the heptagram. The heptagram is a seven-pointed star symbol that
was used to name days of the week according to the positioning of the planets in the
solar system. So Sunday, named after the sun-god. Monday was named after the
moon. Tuesday was called the day of Mars; Wednesday was the day of Mercury;
Thursday, the day of Jupiter; Friday, the day of Venus and Saturday, the day of
Saturn. Naming the first day of the week, Sunday, was an attempt to reconcile the
sun-worshippers who worshipped the sun with the Christians who met on the first
day of the week.

Constantine instituted Sunday as the official so-called Sabbath for the Christians, in
contrast to the biblical Sabbath that was observed on a Saturday. 11. That is one of
the reasons why many reformed-churches today would still claim that Sunday is the
Christian Sabbath and why we should rest on Sunday.

It is clear that the gathering on the first day of the week was a practice by Christians,
right from the conception of the church as seen in Scripture and early church fathers’
writings. However, the apostles did not focus on worshiping on a specific day, as
worship was a daily lifestyle. Their breaking of bread meetings was held on a Sunday
to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection, but was not seen as a Sabbath replacement.
Christians who have entered into Christ have found their true rest in the Lord of the
Sabbath instead of a particular day.

Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for
the sabbath:
Mar 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (KJV)

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1. https://www.bibleversestudy.com/acts/acts2-proselyte.htm, 3 August 2021.
2. Insertion taken from Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.

3. The Epistle of Barnabas. (Cont.), part 2, trans. not given, 15.2.0 (ANF 1:0) “The False and the True Sabbath”, e-Sword 13.0.0
4. The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians. trans. not given, 9.1.0 (ANF 1:0) “Let Us Live with Christ”, e-Sword 13.0.0
5. Justin Martyr - Dialoque with Trypho Ch 17-35. trans. Rev. M. Dods, M.A., Rev. G. Reith, M.A. 18.1.0 (ANF 1:0), ), “Christians
Would Observe the Law, if they did not know why it was instituted” e-Sword 13.0.0
6. Justin Martyr - Dialoque with Trypho Ch 17-35. trans. Rev. M. Dods, M.A., Rev. G. Reith, M.A. 21.1.0 (ANF 1:0), “Sabbaths
were instituted on Account of the people’s sins, and not for a work of righteousness” e-Sword 13.0.0
7. Justin Martyr – First Opology Ch 67. trans. Rev. M. Dods, M.A., Rev. G. Reith, M.A. 67.1.0 (ANF 1:0), “Weekly Worship of the
Christians” e-Sword 13.0.0
8. Tertullian - An Answer to Jews, Ch II. trans. Rev. S. Thelwall, 2.1.0 (ANF 3:0), “The Law Anterior to Moses”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
9. Ancient Syriac Documents - Teaching of Apostle, trans. Rev. S. D. F. Salmond, 1.8.0 (ANF 8:0),
.
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nundinae
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_days_of_the_week

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7.3. Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)

I already explained in chapter 6.1 that Scriptures seem to indicate that the Law was
received by Israel on the feast of trumpets, instead of the traditionally held
perspective during Pentecost. This giving of the Law on the seventh month flows
perfectly into the feast of atonement, which we will get to in the next section.

Let me start off by affirming that the three autumn feasts have not been completely
fulfilled by Christ yet. The feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah literally means the “day of
shouting or blasting”. 1. It was celebrated on the first day of the seventh month called
Ethanim (Tishri). This is the start of autumn (fall), which is when things get dark
prophetically for those who rejected Christ.

Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

It is interesting to note that secular Jews considered this month as the civil New Year
(Roshhashanah), instead of Abib as described in Leviticus. This was likely taken from
the Babylonians as the start of their new year. The month of Ethanim occurs
somewhere in September, depending on the lunar calendar.

So how does Christ fulfil this feast? An important aspect to point out is that the feast
of trumpets would start on the first day of the seventh month - the start of a new
moon. In those days, the watchers would have to stand and watch to see when the
new moon would appear, as they did not know the day or the hour. They could wait
for up to three days for the appearance of the new moon. We already pointed out
that Jesus said in Mathew 24:36 that no one knows the day or the hour when He
would return, but that when we see the signs, His return is at hand. Before those
words, Jesus spoke the following:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven,

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and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall
all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. (KJV)

In order to know when the day and the hour of the new-moon one needed to see the
new-moon, but Jesus says that at this time the moon shall not giver her light.
Perhaps it is why no one will know the day or the hour:

Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only. (KJV)

We see two noticeable points that Jesus is making. The first is that the rapture (...
gather together his elect ...) takes place after the tribulation and secondly the
rapture takes place at the last trumpet when Jesus returns. The fact that a great
multitude of Christians would go through the great tribulation is reinforced in the
book of Revelation:

Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of
all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and be-
fore the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Rev 7:10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Rev 7:11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and
the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 7:12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and hon-
our, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they
which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. (KJV)

Regarding the trumpet, Paul explains this in:

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changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality. (KJV)

Paul also confirms this in:

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise
first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (KJV)

So, Scriptures teaches that the blast of the angles on the trumpet would bring forth
the return of Christ, and the resurrection and rapture of the saints to meet Christ in
the clouds. This is when Christians would receive their resurrected bodies (more on
this in later chapters). Take note that when God commanded Israel to celebrate the
feast of trumpets, He did not explain what this feast was for. Varies theories came
along during the years and it even became a practice by the Jews to have a 100
trumpet blasts. I do, however, believe that God gave these instructions as a
preparation for Israel to enter into the promise land as spoke of in:

Jos 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns:
and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow
with the trumpets.
Jos 6:5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s
horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend
up every man straight before him.
Jos 6:6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the
ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before
the ark of the LORD.

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Jos 6:7 And he said unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that
is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD.
Jos 6:8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven
priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and
blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.
Jos 6:9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and
the rereward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the
trumpets. (KJV)

The seven trumpets that preceded the Ark of the Covenant, is a prelude to the
prophetic explanation of the feast of atonement and tabernacles, which I will get into
the section that follows. Furthermore, we also see seven trumpets used for seven
days before the entrance of the promise land. This is a prophetic picture of what is
explained in the book of Revelations:

Rev 8:6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to
sound. (KJV)

After this, the book of Revelations describes six trumpets of varies judgments that
God would execute on earth, right up to the seventh and last trumpet which would
usher in Christ’s return:

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

This last trumpet is like a coronation of the King:

Psa 47:2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.
Psa 47:3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

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Psa 47:4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he
loved. Selah.
Psa 47:5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
Psa 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
Psa 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
Psa 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his
holiness. (KJV)

This is also prophesied in:

Isa 27:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be
blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the
outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at
Jerusalem. (KJV)

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to
sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the
prophets. (KJV)

It is because of this scriptural evidence that I am prone to believe in the post-

tribulations view. As some may know, the tribulation period is what Pre-Millennials
believe is that time of trouble before Christ returns, due to the fact that the anti-
Christ would rule the earth during those three and half or seven years. It is also
during those seven years that God would deal with Israel. Pre-Tribulations believe
that God would rapture the church before the start of the tribulation period. Mid-
tribulations believe God would rapture the church somewhere just after the middle
(also called pre-wrath), and post-tribulations believe it will only happen as Christ
returns to take His throne on earth. From all of these views, the pre-tribulation is the
most popular; because of its emotional appeal. However, they often do amazing
Scriptural gymnastics to explain Scripture like these:

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by
word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he
is God.

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2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these
things? (KJV)

Paul is clear that Christians will not gather together with the Lord unless two
important things first take place. The first is the great falling away. The second is the
man of sin is revealed by him sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is
God. This will probably happen three and a half years into the tribulation. This very
passage therefore debunks pre-tribulation, because the rapture, as explained by
Paul, will only take place after the man of sin is revealed, which is after the middle
point of the tribulation period. It is argued that the Greek word for “falling away” in
verse three: “apostasia” should be understood as rapture. There is not a Greek
dictionary that gives this explanation. The Vines dictionary states the following: “a
defection, revolt, apostasy,” is used in the NT of religious apostasy; in Act_21:21, it is
translated “to forsake,” lit., “thou teaches apostasy from Moses.” In 2Th_2:3 “the
falling away” signifies apostasy from the faith. In papyri documents, it is used
politically of rebels. 2.

There are those who would then try to state that the verb form “aphistemi”, not only
refers to a “departure” from the faith, but can also mean a departure from a
location. It is true that the verb form merely means departure, but this is a weak
argument to use, as the noun stresses what type of departure it is referring to. In
Scripture, there is no example where the noun was ever used as merely a departure
from a location, but always a departure from the faith. This leads to the next debate
surrounding the following verses:

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way. (KJV)

It is claimed that it is the Holy Spirit who prevents the lawless one from being
revealed and only when the church is raptured by the power of the Holy Spirit then
the man of lawlessness will be revealed. However, it is noteworthy to highlight the
fact that all through Scripture this is the only time that the Greek word “ginomai” has
ever been translated as: “be taken”, as it has been written here in verse seven. Both
the Vines dictionary and the Strong’s dictionary do not indicate any other example of
this. In fact, the Greek word “ginomai” has in all other usages in Scripture been
translated as: “to become, to come to be, or cause to be” instead of “be taken”. 3.
The literal translation does not give any indication that the passage points to a
rapture or that the Holy Spirit are taken away during the tribulation period:

2Th 2:6 And now you know the thing holding back, for him to be revealed in his time.

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2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness already is working, only he is holding back
now, until it comes out of the midst. (LITV)

Let us look further into how the feast of trumpets will be fulfilled at the end of times.
We read in Leviticus 25 of an extension of the feast of trumpets that merges with the
feast of atonement that we will get into in the next session. God commanded Israel
that every seven years they need to rest the land as a Sabbath year.

Lev 25:3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy
vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
Lev 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath
for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (KJV)

Furthermore, God commanded Israel a special Sabbath year, called the year of
Jubilee, which happens at the end of the seven times seven years, or the end of the
forty-ninth year. The end of the forty-ninth year is the start of the 50th year. In this
year, every slave from their own countrymen has to be set free, and every debt has to
be forgiven.

Lev 25:8 And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times
seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and
nine years.
Lev 25:9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day
of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound
throughout all your land.
Lev 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all
the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall
return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Lev 25:11 A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap
that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.
Lev 25:12 For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase
thereof out of the field.
Lev 25:13 In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his
possession. (KJV)

The Jews have not celebrated the Jubilee years since the destruction of the temple in
70AD. What is remarkable to note is that if we are to take that the last Jubilee that
was celebrated was when Jesus was crucified, then we would have 40 Jubilees to
make up 2000 years before Christ would return (40x50 years). Forty years is the time
Israel spent in the wilderness before they came into their promised land and
conquered Jericho through the blast of the seven trumpets. The Jubilee years were

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specifically celebrated on the Day of Atonement, which we will look at next.

1. https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/AboutIsrael/Spotlight/Pages/Jewish%20Festivals%20in%20Israel.aspx, 6 Augustus 2021;

2. Vines Greek Dictionaries, “falling away”–G 646, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar; 6 Augustus 2021
4. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “cause to be”–G 1096, e-Sword 13.0.0.; Vine’s New Testament: “fulfil”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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7.4. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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

The 10th day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement (somewhere in
September to the beginning of October). It is a time where Israel had to afflict their
souls for their sins they have committed and make burned offerings for those sins. It
is noteworthy that this is the first occurrence that the Sabbath rest started the night
before and ended at the night of the 10th of the seventh month. But keep in mind the
night before is not reckoned as the 10th, but still as the night of the 9th of that month.
It is the only passage that Jews and Torah observers use as proof text that a day
starts the night before. However this passage does not state that a day starts the
night before nor can this one passage cancel all the other passages that clearly
teaches that a day starts when the sun rises.

As a day of humility and repentance towards God, it was a time for the Jews to get
their hearts, consciences and lives right before Him. 1. It is seen as a way to postpone
God’s judgement for the next year. The observance involved the sacrifices of animals
and the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood on the Mercy
seat for himself and for the nation. Hiding in plain sight was the promise of the One
who would atone for their sins with His blood.

In Chapter two, I dealt with the topic of salvation by explaining the contrasting views
between Christos Victor, and Penal Substitution. I believe that both views have
elements of truth, but their final conclusions are in error, which is clearly seen just by
studying these feasts. Where the Passover feast was a sacrificial offering of
purchasing us from the slavery of sin (Christos Victor); the Atonement sacrifices are

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for the forgiveness of our sin (Penal Substitution). The feast of Attornment follows
the feast of Trumpets, which represents Christ’s return. The order is seen in the
picture of when Israel was conquering Jericho. The arc of the covenant followed the
seven priests with the seven trumpets. The prophetic timing of the feast of
Atonement also reinforces the idea that only those who endure to the end when
Christ returns will be saved from the judgment of sin. Keep in mind that the feast of
Atonement is a postponement judgment until its concluded when Jesus returns.

The sacrificial offering for sin was an opportunity for Israel to restore their
relationship with God where it got damaged by them breaking God’s Laws. The
blood, fat, kidneys and the meat were divided, and each was used differently in the
sacrificial rituals, according to the instructions given to Moses, as described in the
book of Leviticus. It made Israel realise how damaging it was to break God’s law, as
every sin had to be dealt with through death and the shedding of blood, followed by
the purged of fire. Israel had daily offering, weekly (Sabbaths) offering and monthly
(New-moon) offerings, and of course, the yearly Atonement offering. All of these
continues offerings made them very conscience of the sins they have committed
before the Lord. 1.

We cannot imagine the amount of death and shedding of blood it took in the Old
Testament to cover for sin. Yet all of this was a shadow of what Christ’s sacrifice for
the sins of the world means. Before I get into how Christ fulfilled the atonement
sacrifices prophetically, it might be a good idea to first see how each part of the
tabernacle design given to Moses by God. The temple of Solomon was fashioned
from the tabernacle, but scaled up in size and sacred items.

The details of the tabernacle can be read from Exodus 26 to 29. I am not going to
quote all the chapters here, but will rather just highlight some interesting
descriptions of the tabernacle and how it relates to Christ in the Atonement. I also
have to add that this is only going to be a very breath look at the main typologies of
the tabernacle. In fact, one is able to write a whole book just on all the symbolism
when one goes into the details, which is not my actual goal with this study.

The Tabernacle was a portable religious symbolic dwelling of God for the Israelites. It
was set up in the middle of the Israelite camp. It consisted of three parts, namely: the
outer court and the inner court, with the inner court subdivide into a holy place and
a holy of holy place. The outer-court was fenced off with curtains hanged on by 80
pillars that created a rectangle wall all around. As the priest enters through the gate
of the outer wall which is positioned on the east side, he would first pass the brazen
altar where the offerings were burned; and then he would pass the bronze basin or
laver, where the priest would do their ritualistic cleansing of their hands and feet

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before they enter the actual tabernacle. After the sin offerings such as the young bull
for the priests and the goat offering for the nation, a ram offering was used as a
burned offering. The sin offering represents Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, but the
burn offering symbolizes our part in God’s salvation plan, which is described by Paul
in:

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

As stated when the priest pass the brazen altar, he would pass the bronze laver
before he entered the tabernacle (which is also from the East). The water was for
cleaning hands and feet of the priests who ministered in the tabernacle. We must
allow Christ to wash us with His word so we can minister as priests to the world:

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (KJV)

Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If
I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and
my head.
Joh 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet,
but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. (KJV)

This progression from the East is likely a typology when Adam and Eve who lost their
place in God’s presence in the Garden of Eden where they were exiled from the east
entrance. The imagery of the cherubim angels on the curtain entrances, especially
entering Holy of Holiest, speaks of the cherubim angles God placed to guard the en-
trance on the East of the Garden of Eden.

Gen 3:22 Then the LORD God says, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to
know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life,
and eat, and live forever”—

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Gen 3:23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the
ground from which he was taken.
Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden
of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of
life. (KJV)

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest had to be dressed in their priestly white
garments that represented purity and the blue over garment, which represents him
as being appointed from heaven. There were twelve different precious stones
mounted on the gold plate on his chest representing the twelve tribes he is interced-
ing for. There are many other details, which I would love to go into, however space
does not permit me now.

Besides having to sacrifice a young bull for his own sin, followed by him sprinkling the
blood on the mercy seat, he would do the same with a goat for the sins of Israel. 2.
Regarding the sin offering for the nation the priest would first draw lots between two
goats where the one goat would be offered for the sins of the nation and the other
goad was marked by a red string on its horn called the Scapegoat. After the sin offer-
ing, the priest would lay his hand of the scapegoat and confess the sins of the nation,
and then it would be led and set free in the desert, representing the sin been cast
away from them. The goat had to be taken as far from them to the east as possible.

Psa 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our
transgressions from us. (KJV)

Before the high Priest killed the young bull and goat offerings; he would present the
coal from the fire as fragrance in the holy of holiest. This would be followed by the
sprinkling of the blood of the young bull, followed by the blood of the goat on the
mercy seat. The high priest would have had to go through the holy place before he
entered the holy of the holiest.

The holy place contained three important pieces of furniture. On the right or north of
the entrance was the table of showbread. There were twelve unleavened loaves of
bread, representing the twelve tribes. The priest had to eat them in the presence of
the Lord on the Sabbath, and then they were replaced with twelve new loaves. 5.

Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall
never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (KJV)

On the South side, across the table of showbread, was the golden lampstand or the
Manorah. It was fashioned into seven branches with almond blossoms. It had a cen-

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tre branch and then three branches on each side of the centre branch. The lamps on
the end would face to the front to give the light towards the centre of the tabernac-
le. The priests were required to make sure there was always oil in these lamp-stands,
so that it would always show the light in the tent. 6.

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he
that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (KJV)

Those who are in Christ are also shining Christ’s light on the word:

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the
seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and
the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches. (KJV)

As the priest would move further west towards through the east entrance of the ho-
liest of holiest which faces the Alter of Incense. The ingredients for the incense were
only allowed to be used for God and not allowed to be used for any other purposes,
as it was Holy to the Lord. This symbolises the prayers of the saints, which are only
allowed to be directed to Lord and no other person. The Priests were also required to
bring incense to the Lord every morning and every time they would serve in the Holy
Place or the Holy of Holy place.

Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and
there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints,
ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. (KJV)

There was a curtain or better yet: a veil, that divided the holy place from the holy of
holiest, which the High Priest only entered from the east side ones a year, the year of
Atonement. Even when the temple was built by King Solomon approximately 450
years later, there was still this veil that separated the holy place from the holy of ho-
lies. By the death of Jesus, this veil was torn in half, from top to bottom, symbolising
our access to the presence of God.

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jesus,

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Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh; (KJV)

In the Holy of Holiest was The Ark of the Covenant, which was a box made of acacia
wood overlaid with gold. The lid of the box is called the Mercy Seat, which was made
out of pure gold. And it had two angle figures moulded on the lid called cherubims
that stood on either side facing each other with their wings touching each other. The
way they stood was almost as though they stood guard over the content of the Ark.
Inside the ark were the two tablets which were written the Ten Commandments.

Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace; (KJV)

Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the
Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (KJV)

Some of the mana was placed in a golden vast and kept inside the Ark of the
Covenant. 3.

Joh 6:48 I am that bread of life.

Joh 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give
for the life of the world. (KJV)

The rod of Aron, which sprouts Almond fruit and buds from the dead wood, was also
in the Ark. The dead wood of Aron’s rod, that received life and fruit demonstrated to
all of Israel who God chose to be the high priest. 4. Christ, who was dead but has been
raised from the dead, demonstrates to us that He is God’s choice as High Priest
forever.

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Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore,
Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. (KJV)

So we see that Jesus is the fulfilment of the feast and the tabernacle.

Heb 9:7 But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
Heb 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet
made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Heb 9:9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both
gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining
to the conscience;
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal
ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this
building;
Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God?

The tragedy is that most people, especially Jews, have not come to recognise this of
their sins. They have not realised what it took for Christ to die and shed His blood for
the sins of the world. So this feast atonement not only points to what Christ did for
the world but also to what will happen when Christ returns. It is for this reason that
the feast of Atonement is on the seventh month, after the feast of trumpets. When
Christ returns, the Jews will have their souls afflicted for rejecting such a precious
gift, and so grant mercy to be restored to God through the very Messiah whom they
rejected:

Zec 12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that
is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as
God, as the angel of the LORD before them.
Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the
nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me

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whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn.
Zec 12:11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning
of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. (KJV)

Joh 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they
pierced. (KJV)

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so,
Amen. (KJV)

1. Numbers 28:1-11
3. Leviticus 16:1-34
4. Numbers 17: 5-8
5. Exodus 25:10-22
6. Exodus 25:23-30
7. Exodus 25:31-40
8. https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/AboutIsrael/Spotlight/Pages/Jewish%20Festivals%20in%20Israel.aspx, 6 Augustus
2021; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar; 6 Augustus 2021

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7.5: Feast of Tabernacle (Sukkot)

The feast of tabernacles (feast of booths) was celebrated on the 15th day of the
seventh month (Near the end of September to the beginning of October). The
celebration would last for seven days, where burn offerings would be made on each
of those days. The first and the eighth day would be treated as Sabbath days. During
these seven days’ celebration, the Jews had to stay in makeshift tents, as described
in:

Lev 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh
month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work
therein.
Lev 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the
eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made
by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work
therein.
Lev 23:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a
meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
Lev 23:38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your
vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in
the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day
shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches
of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall
rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
Lev 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall
be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell
in booths:
Lev 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell
in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 23:44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the
LORD. (KJV)

The seven-day duration of the feast is also a type demonstrating this will not be
fulfilled in one day, but rather that it will start when Christ dwells and reigns on
Earth, but will then come to a full completeness when God the Father Himself will

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make His permanent abode among us.

This feast was to remind the Israelites that while they wondered in the desert and
wilderness for forty years, God provided them with everything they needed and
protected them against all their enemies and made them a great nation. The
tabernacle was a temporary structured to show that God was with them wherever
He led them. The feast was to celebrate the fact that the temporary would be
replaced by the permanent when they entered the promise land. This is a
foreshadow for when this temporary world and heavens will be replaced with a new
permanent heaven and earth. The Bible teaches this will only happen after the
thousand-year reign of Christ has been completed. After that, the earth will be
destroyed and a new heaven and a new earth will be created for God’s tabernacle to
be with us for all eternity.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first
earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away. (KJV)

It is noteworthy to see that even when Israel came into their promise land; they had
to wait until King Solomon finally replaced the temporary tabernacle with a more
permanent, glorious temple structure. It is interesting to note that this is the only
feast that won’t be completely fulfilled during the millennial reign of Christ. Yes,
Christ will rule on earth and those of us who have received the seal of the Holy Spirit
have been reconciled to God; however, God the Father will not have His permanent
abode with man as yet. This is indicated by the fact that His tabernacle will not be
with us as yet until the thousand years of Christ’s rule have passed. So God’s Word,
His Son, will be among men for a thousand years, but the Father Himself will only be
among man, in the new heaven and new earth.

If this is the case, what will happen with the feast of tabernacle during the thousand-
year reign of Christ? Well, Scripture teaches us that all the nations will be required to
participate in the feast of tabernacles as seen in:

Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which

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came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the
LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no
rain.
Zec 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain;
there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not
up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations
that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. (KJV)

Why would this be? I believe that this would be the only feast that would still need to
be fulfilled, as a reminder to the nations that this world is temporary and that there
comes a time that God will destroy all of this, to make way for the permanent.

The feast of tabernacles is also the feast of the final harvest. The last of the harvest
autumn feast is therefore a typology of the last people who have not had an
opportunity to decide whether they will be subjected to Christ’s rule, but are now
getting the opportunity during the last thousand years. Only after this time will the
permanent replace the temporarily and God the Father will make His permanent
home with mankind in a permanent new heaven and new earth.

On a different topic; this text in Zechariah fourteen is often used as a proof text that
all the feasts will return during the millennial reign of Christ. Ezekiel chapter 40 to
chapter 47 are the main chapters used to teach that not only all the feasts but also
the animal sacrifices will return. One problem dispensationalism has, who holds to a
literal reign of Christ for a thousand years, is how to interpret Ezekiel 40-48. We read
in these chapters that when the new temple is built, animal sacrifices will be
reinstated. However, this does oppose everything we read in Hebrews 7 to 9, as we
already looked at in the previous sections.

This does bring us on the topic of how to interpret the millennial reign of Christ. We
will look at the different ways the millennial reign of Christ is interpreted by the Post-
Millennial, A-Millennial, and the Pre-Millennial in a later chapter. However, for now,
let me just briefly state that the A-millennial, and Post-millennial, interpret these
passages in Ezekiel chapters as figuratively or spiritually, whereas the Pre-millennial
take these passages in Ezekiel more literally. Going from the viewpoint of a pre-
millennial (not to be confused with pre-tribulation as seen in the previous section) I
will approach this text as literal. However, this does cause a conflict, with:

Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are

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the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us:
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into
the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

So if Christ’s second appearance is for salvation, because sin has been dealt with,
why would the animal sacrifice be brought back when Christ comes to rule for a
thousand years? Some dispensational state, it would be a kind of memorial, picture
of Christ’s work on Calvary, so that those who have not believed may comprehend
what Christ has done for us two thousand years earlier. Yet this does not make sense
as the memorial picture is done by the Lord’s Table, through the ages; why then
revert back to the killing of animals? Some would even go so far as to say that these
sacrifices are an actual purging of sin, till people do submit to Christ. This, however,
does not make sense either as the blood of animals is only a shadow, of which Christ
is the reality, so why would people need the shadow when people will see the Lamb
of God ruling them in the first place?

I would like to present an alternative view; and that is that the third temple will be
built before Christ’s millennial rule on Earth. This would mean that the reinstated
animal sacrifices would be before Christ’s millennial rule on Earth. There are two
reasons why I propose that the temple would be built during or before the seven-
year time of tribulations. Firstly, for the obvious reason, in that it harmonizes the
best with what is taught in Hebrews 9. Before Christ returns to rule on earth, the
Jews would still await their Messiah and therefore would still require having the
temple be rebuilt and have the atonement sacrifices re-initiated. There is also a need
to have a temple for the Lawless man of sin to sit in, to present himself as god.

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

The reason why many bible-teachers assumes that Ezekiel 40-48 refers to Christ’s

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millennial reign instead of the tribulation period is that they assumed that the
“prince” spoken of in those chapters refers to Christ. This is an illogical conclusion
because we see that even the prince will make offerings in.

Eze 46:4 And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the
sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish.
Eze 46:5 And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering
for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. (KJV)

The word “prince” in Ezekiel is the Hebrew word “naw-see”, which just means “an
exalted one, or a king or a sheik, a captain, a chief, a deputy, a cloud, a governor, a
ruler, a vapour, or a prince”. 1. So there is no reason that this prince refers to Christ.
So I propose that the temple as well as the sacrifices spoke of in Ezekiel 40-48 will be
reinstated just before or during the time of the seven years reign of the anti-Christ.
These sacrifices will continue until the anti-Christ sits in the temple and proclaims he
is god, and therefore prohibits the continuation of sacrifices. Three and a half years
after that, Jesus the Messiah will come in the clouds with the elected saints in their
glorified bodies, and deliver Israel. Jesus will then take His throne on earth and the
need for animal sacrifices will finally seize in the minds and hearts of the Jewish
nation. We will continue this topic in the next chapter.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake
the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will
fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
Hag 2:9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the
LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts. (KJV)

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “prince” – H 5735, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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8. Judgment to Come
8.1. From Tribulation to Millennial

It might be fitting now to address the debate scholars have regarding how to
interpret the millennial reign of Christ, to understand how the last days will play out.
As stated in the previous chapter, there are generally three views on how to
interpret the passage found in Revelations 20, namely: the Pre-millennial view, A-
millennial view and the Post-millennial view. We read in:

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and
for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the
second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

As you may have gathered, I take the Pre-millennial view, which has a much more
literal interpretation of the above text. Pre-millennial holds that after six thousand
years of man’s history, Christ would come and destroy all kingdoms and establish His
kingdom as a type of Sabbath for one thousand years of rest and justice on earth.
After these thousand years of Christ’s Sabbath millennial reign, God will finally judge
all of mankind. This view believes that from Adam’s sin to Christ’s death is about four
thousand years. We are now on the doorsteps of the end of six thousand years of
mankind’s history, which will usher in Christ’s return to reign over the world. The
early church fathers who apparently held to the Pre-millennial views were Justin
Martyr, Irenaeus, Pseudo-Barnabas, Papias, Methodius, Lactantius, Commodianus,
Theophilus, Melito, Tertullian, Hippolytus of Rome and Victorinus of Pettau. 1.

The A-millennial view has a much more figurative interpretation of the passage
found in Revelations twenty. They don’t see this millennial time as a literal thousand

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years to come, but rather that Jesus is presently ruling from heaven in a symbolic
millennial time. For them, Satan is not physically chained to the pit, but more sym-
bolically chained in that he is not able to prevent the gospel from being preached all
over the world. 2.

The earliest church fathers I could find that held to this view were Marcion, Origen,
and Augustine. Marcion did not believe in a future bodily resurrection, but a resur-
rection of the souls only. Then again he also rejected the God of the Old Testament
because he could not accept that God would be full of wrath as indicated in the Old
Testament. Origen believed that the saints who died are now all ruling from heaven.
The main person of influence regarding the A-millennial view was Augustine. Augus-
tine held this view as a reaction towards Donatist excessiveness in their religious
feastings. Augustine, in reacting to Donatist excess, therefore interpreted Scriptures
more symbolically or allegorically, especially the book of Revelation. In some cases,
the Bible does spiritualize some concepts, such as we are living stones of God’s
house, but Augustine took it to a whole new level. For instance, with the Lord’s Sup-
per, he emphasized the symbolic food over the physical food and, of course, he in-
terpreted the millennial rule of Christ as a spiritual rule from heaven instead of a
physical rule on earth. Augustine’s influence at the time caused the A-millennial the-
ory to become the main theological thought among the Catholic Church at the time.
This was the case right up to the time of the Anabaptist reforms, who brought pre-
millennial thought back to mainstream thinking. The A-millennial view agrees with
the Premillennial that there will eventually be a final judgment for all. 2.

The Post-millennial theory tries to superimpose the book of Revelation into the his-
torical account of the first century Christian church. They would, for instance, claim
that Nero, the emperor of Rome, was the fulfilment of the picture of the Beast spo-
ken of in Revelation, due to his extreme persecution of Christians. Furthermore, they
interpret that most of the prophecies in Revelations were fulfilled by the destruction
of the temple in around 70AD. Postmillennial therefore interprets the millennial rule
of Christ also as symbolic. In contrast to the previous two views, they believe that as
time progress, Christianity will slowly but surely restore peace and justice to the en-
tire world. In other words, Christianity would establish Christ’s kingdom on the whole
earth to welcome Christ’s physical return. What is peculiar is that I could not find any
sources from church fathers that hold to a postmillennial view, which is ironic, as
they would have been closer to the events of the destruction of the temple. It seems
that postmillennial theology only came to the foreground by the Congregational
church in the 17th century. 3.

To me, the A-millennial view took too much of a poetic license in spiritualizing Scrip-
tures, with no way to anchor on anything of substance. The Postmillennial view not

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only spiritualizing text, they also make some key historical errors in trying to super-
impose the book of Revelation on the first century events. One example of these
historical errors is where they claim that Nero was the sixth emperor, and his name
calculated to the mark of the beast: 666. Yet any historian will tell you that Nero was
only the fifth emperor of Rome. Julius Caesar was a Roman general and a politician,
but not an emperor. However, he did become a dictator for one year, when he fa-
mously got assassinated. 4. However, even if you should add Julius Caesar as a ruler
of Rome, it still does not coincide with the book of Revelation, which describes the
antichrist as the eighth ruler instead of a sixth ruler, as was the case with Nero. Fur-
thermore, the temple was not destroyed by Nero but by Titus Flavius Vespasianus,
which was four emperors after Nero.5. This would make Titus Flavius, the ninth em-
peror, or if one wants to add Julius Caesar, he would have been the tenth ruler, in-
stead of the eight ruler as explained in the book of Revelation. Furthermore, the
postmillennial can’t give a consistent answer about who would be the false prophet
that helped Nero with signs and wonders to become the ruler of the known world, as
described in the book of Revelation.

I believe that the Premillennial view has a much easier task in harmonizing the
prophetic meaning of the feasts as spoken of in chapter seven. Premillennial view
emphasizes a Tribulation period before Christ would return to rule for a thousand
years. As with the millennial reign of Christ, there are also three different
interpretations of how the tribulation period will play out. As we briefly looked at in
chapter seven, the three views are called pre-tribulation; mid-tribulation and post-
tribulation. As stated before, I believe that post-tribulation has an easier way of
harmonizing Scripture than the more popular pre-tribulation view, especially in the
context of interpreting the three prophetic meanings of the three Jewish autumn
feasts. This does not mean that the post-tribulation view is without any challenging
scriptures. I am only saying that it has a stronger case than the other two views.

I acknowledge that I might have overlooked or missed something in the debate,

which is why I would not use what I have written here as the ultimate truth or
revelation of what will happen in the last days. My views should never be used to
divide the church, as I could be so wrong in this. This study should only be used as a
way to prepare our minds and hearts for what is possibly awaiting us.

For clarification and to recap: Post-tribulation means that Christians will be raptured
near the end of the tribulation period as Christ returns to take His throne on earth.
Tribulation refers to the difficulty that is to come during the time which Pre-
millennials define as the last days. Most people who believe in a literal tribulations
period believes it would be for seven years when the anti-Christ will come and rule
the world for seven years before Jesus’ return to subdue all kingdoms to God’s king-

225
dom. The seven-year period is taken from:

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be
seven weeks, and threescore and two [62] weeks: the street shall be built again, and
the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)

As stated before, the word “prince” refers to any type of ruler in the Hebrew
language and not necessarily the son of a king, as we understand today. In Daniel
9:24, there are a couple of things that various theologians and Bible teachers have
highlighted in this text, namely:

1. Seventy weeks are determined for the Jewish people and the holy city
2. To finish the transgression
3. To make an end of sins
4. To make reconciliation for iniquity
5. To bring in everlasting righteousness
6. To seal up vision and prophecy
7. And to anoint the Most Holy.

The rest of the verses hang on how verse twenty-four is going to be played out.
Gabriel, the messenger or angel of God, is saying to Daniel that at the end of the
seventy weeks, the six points listed above will come to pass within the seventy weeks
that are determined for the Jewish people and the holy city. It is important to note
that in Hebrew, the text does not actually say “week”, but rather “seven”. So the text
actually says that seventy sevens are determined for the Jewish people. The angel
Gabriel was therefore answering Daniel regarding the seventy years he prayed about.

Dan 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes,

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which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;
Dan 9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the
years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would
accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
Dan 9:3 And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications,
with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: (KJV)

As Daniel was meditating on the prophet Jeremiah, he realised that God’s promises
for Jerusalem to be restored in seventy years is near to be fulfilled (Jeremiah 25:11-
12; 29:10-14). So Daniel was praying about how this is going to play out, but also he
realised that the reason Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in the first place
was because of Israel’s sin and rebellion. Therefore, Daniel interceded for Israel to
ask for forgiveness on behalf of the nation. During that prayer, Gabriel, the
messenger of God, came with some answers surrounding the seventy-year period. As
we saw in chapter seven, the feast where often calculated in sevens, such as seven
days, or seven years and even seven times seven years called jubilee years.

With this understanding, let us break these seven times seventy years down as
described by Gabriel. According to Gabriel, we read in Daniel 9:25 that after seven
times seven years and then sixty-two times seven years, Jerusalem would be rebuilt
right up to the time when the Messiah would come. Various scholars who take a
more literal approach believe there are four possible explanations to when the
reparation of Jerusalem would have occurred. There are a couple of scholars that
have made a much better explanation of these four possible explanations, so I don’t
see the need to discuss them all here. I rather just explain the one I believe is the
most plausible out of the four.

I agree with John F. Walvoord, 6. that the most plausible would be Artaxerxes’
decree, which gave Nehemiah permission for safe passage and supplies to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the walls in around 445 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8). This
can easily be argued as seven times seven years spoken of by Daniel 9:25. What
makes it even more plausible is that if we are to take Jewish years of that time, which
consists of only 360 days a year (instead of our modern 365 days in a year). An extra
month would be inserted every three years or so, to make up for the missing days
(which we already discussed in chapter five). When Jesus entered into Jerusalem on
a donkey would have been sixty-nine times seven years (Jewish years), which would
have been somewhere in the vicinity of 32AD in our Julian or Gregorian year.

It is at this point where those who take a more literal approach face a serious
dilemma in the literal interpretation of Daniel nine:

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Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined. (KJV)

The problem is that the city and the sanctuary were only destroyed more than thirty
years after the Messiah was cut off. This is the case whether it is from a Julian or
Jewish calendar. We will investigate this in more details in the following section.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premillennialism, 11 Aug 2021.

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amillennialis, 11 Aug 2021.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmillennialism, 11 Aug 2021.
4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Julius-Caesar-Roman-ruler, 11 Aug 2021.
5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-Roman-emperors-2043294, 11 Aug 2021.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(70_CE), 11 Aug 2021.
6. https://walvoord.com/article/250; https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/daniel-9/, 7 Jan 2021.

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8.2. The Seven Years Tribulation.

I ended the previous section with the glaring problem we face with Daniel 9
concerning the last seven years.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two [62] weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not
for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war
desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)

The problem lies with the fact that Jesus was crucified sometime between 29AD and
34AD. However, the last seven years that needs to be fulfilled was not fulfilled after
Christ’s death and resurrection. The only thing of significance happened in 70AD,
when the temple was destroyed approximately forty years later. The Post-Millennial
view therefore has taken a dispensation gap period for the Gentiles from the start of
Pentecost, to explain what could have happened to that last seven years. A big
portion, but not all, of the Post-Millennial and A-Millennial teachers would explain
that everything spoken of Daniel 9 is to be taken literal but because of this
discrepancy, the last seven years should be taken figuratively. This view, I find
problematic.

I need to bring something to light when it comes to understanding prophetic

Scripture. There are often gaps in a time between when one part of a prophecy is
fulfilled to the next part of a prophecy. In fact, the central point of Christ as the
Messiah is based on this understanding. For instance, the Messiah’s firstly came to
die for the sins of the World, and His second coming will be to rule the world. One
would not immediately see this gap of time when one reads the prophecy in the Old
Testament. This is one of the objections that most Jews have against Jesus being the
Messiah, because of this gap in time. However, the Jews don’t know how to reconcile
the Messiah, being both the suffering Servant and the anointed King at the same
time either.

This time gap that I have been discussing is between Christ’s death, the destruction
of the temple, and what is destined to be fulfilled in Daniel 9:27. So who is this “he”
that shall confirm a covenant with many for a week (seven years) spoken of in verse
27? Is this “he” the Roman Emperor Nero or Titus Vespasian who destroyed
Jerusalem and the temple? The answer is no, because the ruler still needs to come to

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make this seven years “covenant with many”. It is therefore assumed that a leader
from the Roman Empire would be this person who would make this covenant. We
read that halfway through this covenant, he will break the covenant and prohibit the
sacrifices and offerings. At the end of the book of Daniel, more details are given:

Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till
the time of the end.
Dan 12:10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do
wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
Dan 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the
abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred
and ninety days.
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred
and five and thirty days.
Dan 12:13 But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot
at the end of the days. (KJV)

Jesus speaks of this in:

Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall
be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall
hate one another.
Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of
his house:
Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day:
Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

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Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not.
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect.
Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before. (KJV)

So we see that there will be a ruler coming that will make an agreement with many.
However, he will break that agreement and then will enforce that all sacrifices be
halted in Israel. Furthermore, he will place the image of the beast to be worshiped
and so disgrace the temple of God. This is where the persecutions of the saints as
well as the Jews will go into full swing. This will probably unfold three and half years
in the tribulation period:

Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared
of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore
days. (KJV)

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,
having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his
heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the
feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his
power, and his seat, and great authority.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and
they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make
war with him?
Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his
name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome
them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (KJV)

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the

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bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,
whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven
mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Rev 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the
beast.
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and
chosen, and faithful.
Rev 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore
sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate
the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn
her with fire.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give
their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth. (KJV)

Numerous Bible teachers speculate who the beast could be referring to, which
nations the ten rulers are pointing to, which city or religion the women represents
and what will destroy it. Some speculate that it to be one of the Arab countries,
some that it will be from the old Roman Empire. Others insist it is Russia. Time will
tell soon enough. So what about the dragon that gave power to this beast?

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him. (KJV)

There is another beast spoken of in Revelation 13 that seems to indicate a false

prophet that would display signs and wonders to deceive the people and require
people to have the mark of the beast during the last three and half years (or perhaps
earlier on). We will look at this further in the next section.

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Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two
horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth
the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed.
Rev 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
Rev 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell
on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a
sword, and did live.
Rev 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image
of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the
image of the beast should be killed.
Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and
six. [666] (KJV)

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8.3. The Mark and Armageddon.

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to
receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name
of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and
six. [666] (KJV)

As mentioned in previous sections, there are those who adhere to the post-millennial
view, who try to attribute Emperor Nero’s name to the number 666. Some
theologians would argue and say that the number should not be 666 but rather 616.
The post-millennial, with some creative maths, are able to read Nero’s name into
both the number 666 and 616. Some theologians would argue that it is not really a
number of one person or world leader called the anti-Christ, but rather a worldwide
system that people adhere to.

As you may have noticed, I have a more literal approach to this text. I am convinced
that soon people will not be able to buy, sell, or earn money without the mark on
their hand or forehead. I don’t know what this mark would look like, but Microsoft
already has the technology called smart digital tattoos, that works something like a
QR code, just more advanced. Many in Europe already have a microchip that is
implanted in their hand in order to do all their buying and selling. Due to the Covid
pandemic, the whole world regimes have gotten people so be fearful that most will
accept the mark under the cloak of social safety. 1. 2.

To summarise, the world will spiral out of control and social unrest will continually
escalating in an alarming rate. Natural disasters will increase and people’s hearts will
fail them because of fear. People will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God
and the love for each other will run cold. Evil will be spoken of as good and that
which is good is spoken of as evil. These are all symptoms of today’s day and age. It is
in this environment that the false Christ will come to the foreground as a type of
saviour to the world.

This false-Christ will bring a false sense of peace to the world, with his charms and
charisma, and intellect in addressing the problems of the world. Most people would
have become so desperate that they would receive such a person with open arms.
This man of sin would be inclusive and not condemn any person’s sins. In fact, he
would condemn anyone that speaks ill of people’s sins. This false-Christ could also be
the one who would allow the construction of the Jewish temple. As stated, I believe

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this is the temple spoken of in Ezekiel, chapters 44-48.

This false peace will last for about three and a half years. At the end of the three and
half years, a false prophet will come in the foreground. This false prophet will
convince the world not to only reinforce the false-Christ as ruler but also persuade
people to worship him. In fact, everyone would be forced to take this mark as a sign
that they back the social well-being that the false-Christ is establishing. It is also at
this time that the animal sacrifices and offerings will be halted and great persecution
will take place against those who do not subject themselves to this false-Christ. The
temple will also be disgraced by having this false-Christ image placed in it, which
would bring the religious orthodox Jews in an uproar.

During this last part of the three and half years, God will send two of His own
prophets that will speak against the false prophet and the false Christ. They would
also speak against the wickedness, sin, and evil of the world. By their hands, God will
bring all kinds of plaques; and would cause many secular Jews as well as orthodox
Jews to realise that the Messiah whom they rejected all these years was the actual
Messiah they were waiting for. Near the end of the seven-year tribulation, will come
to its climax what the Bible calls Armageddon.

Rev 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying,
Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship
therein.
Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for
it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and
two months.
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore[1260] days , clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the
God of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and
devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be
killed.
Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their
prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth
with all plagues, as often as they will.
Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth
out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and
kill them.
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

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Rev 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their
dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in
graves.
Rev 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make
merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented
them that dwelt on the earth.
Rev 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into
them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up
hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of
the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the
remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his
Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell
upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast,
and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the
dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and
great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his
temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and
thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. (KJV)

Later on in Revelations, we read the following:

Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and
the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the
kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great
day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his

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garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.
Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a
great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a
great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the
nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her
the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the
weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for
the plague thereof was exceeding great. (KJV)

Again, three chapters further in the book of Revelations, we read:

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon
him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of
the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the

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beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh. (KJV)

We also have this confirmed in the Old Testament prophecy:

Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the
midst of thee.
Zec 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be
taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go
forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he
fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is
before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley;
and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the
south.
Zec 14:5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the
mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the
earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come,
and all the saints with thee.
Zec 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor
dark:
Zec 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night:
but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem;
half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in
summer and in winter shall it be. (KJV)

1. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/smart-tattoos/, 11 Aug. 2021;

2. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730, 1 Aug. 2022;
3. https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/web-apps/bizagiltd1588016439160.coronapass?tab=overview, 11 Aug.
2021

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8.4. Millennial Worship.

We read further in the book of Zechariah:

Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one
LORD, and his name one.
Zec 14:10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of
Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate
unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel
unto the king’s winepresses.
Zec 14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but
Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.
Zec 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand
upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue
shall consume away in their mouth.
Zec 14:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD
shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour,
and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
Zec 14:14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen
round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great
abundance.
Zec 14:15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of
the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.
Zec 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which
came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the
LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no
rain.
Zec 14:18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain;
there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not
up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations
that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Zec 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE
LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
Zec 14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD
of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein:
and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of
hosts. (KJV)

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There is something that I need to address with the writings in Zechariah 14:21
concerning the sacrifices. But before I do, let me give a time spectrum, when this will
take place. We read in:

The Old Testament speaks further about this millennial reign of Christ as follows:

Isa 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above
the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
Isa 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the
LORD from Jerusalem.
Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Isa 2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. (KJV)

Mic 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of
the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted
above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
Mic 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the
word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off;

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and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more.
Mic 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none
shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Mic 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in
the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. (KJV)

There are some misconceptions about how the millennial (a thousand years) reign of
Christ would play out. Many assume that all the people in the world will recognise
that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of the word when He arrives. There is actual-
ly no scriptural proof for this. We only see that the Jews are the ones who recognise
Jesus as the Messiah, but we have no idea whether the rest of the world will see Je-
sus as the Christ. We know most of the world would hate Jesus when He descends
from the cloud and He will reign with a rod of iron.

Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the
weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for
the plague thereof was exceeding great. (KJV)

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God.
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of
the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.

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Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh. (KJV)

All we know, Jesus could be seen as some kind of alien invader that comes from the
clouds at this time. The prophecies in Isaiah and Micha as quoted above states that
Jesus would rule the world from Jerusalem and that there would be many coming
from the entire world to learn from this King of kings, who will end wars, and un-
righteousness in the world, with strict rules of justice.

Christ will have His throne in the Temple that was built during the seven-year period,
as I described earlier in this chapter. You may recall from the book Daniel that this
temple was defiled by the Lawless one. Yet Christ would have sanctified the temple
with His presence.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the
overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (KJV)

So, during this time, will there still be animal sacrifices after it was abolished during
the time of the anti-Christ? Let me get back to the text find Zechariah and Jeremiah:

Zec 14:21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD
of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein:
and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of
hosts. (KJV)

Jer 33:14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing
which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.
Jer 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to
grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
Jer 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and
this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.
Jer 33:17 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the
throne of the house of Israel;
Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt
offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. (KJV)

When studying Leviticus 2 and 3, one sees that burnt offerings, grain offerings, and
sacrifices were never done for sin, but done as an act of worship. Sin offering is not

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necessary because Jesus’ sacrifice was all that is needed to deal with sin.

Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are
the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us:
Heb 9:25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into
the holy place every year with blood of others;
Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself.
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (KJV)

However, sacrifice is still a principle of worship in the New Testament. In the Millen-
nial reign, it seems that there will be priests who would receive the sacrifices as wor-
ship to God.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. (KJV)

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8.5. Gog and Magog

As stated in previous sections, Christ will rule the world for a thousand years, which
will be a strict rule of justice, righteousness, and peace. Who would be these people
that Christ would rule over and who would rule with Christ? Finally, what happens
after this millennial reign of Christ? We read in:

We read in Revelation 20:6 that those who receive the first resurrection shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him for a thousand years. Yet, we
read in Jeremiah 33:18 that the Levites would be the priests.

Jer 33:17 For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the
throne of the house of Israel;
Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt
offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. (KJV)

In understanding this, we need to look at what God promised the whole nation of
Israel in:

Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then
ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These
are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (KJV)

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Isa 61:6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the
Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye
boast yourselves. (KJV)

The Spirit of God revealed to John that this promise has been extended to those who
have received the Spirit of Christ.

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace,
from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits
which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)

Peter agrees as well in:

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a
peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out
of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (KJV)

The worship that will be brought to Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Christ is
explained like this:

Isa 66:19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them
unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to
the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they
shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
Isa 66:20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out
of all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon
swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel
bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.
Isa 66:21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain
before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from
one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

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Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have
transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (KJV)

We will look at more details about the explanation of Isaiah 66:24 regarding “their
worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched”, in the following two chap-
ters. Regarding the rule of Christ, Scripture teaches it will be a rule of genuine peace
and righteousness. We also see that others besides the descendants of Levite and
Aaron will also function as Priests. Furthermore, offerings of worship by the nations
seem to include the restoration of the Jewish people to their land in Israel. There are
various details about the millennial reign of Christ that Scripture has not revealed to
us, which means that a lot of things that people say regarding this time are merely
speculations. The Bible, however, does have something to say about what happens
after the millennial reign of Christ.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as
the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven,
and devoured them. (KJV)

In reference to Gog and Magog, many bible teachers interpret references specifically
in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 as something that will happen before Christ’s return.

Eze 38:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince
of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the
chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Eze 38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee
forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of
armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling
swords: (KJV)

This passage is interpreted by most dispensationalism’s’ as a different event to that

spoken of in Revelations 20. Many also assume that the passage written here in Eze-
kiel 38 is likely referring to Russia. 1. The reason for these assumptions is based on
two facts. The first being that the first time we read about Magog is in reference to

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Noah’s grandson.

Gen 10:1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and
Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal,
and Meshech, and Tiras. (KJV)

It is claimed that where Magog went to reside was called Magog, which is North of
Israel. It is assumed it is Russia, due to the fact that Russia is the only country at pre-
sent that is powerful enough and hostile enough to fit this picture spoken of in Ezeki-
el today.

Eze 38:14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord
GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and
many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a
mighty army:
Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the
land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the
heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their
eyes. (KJV)

However, these are only assumptions. In contrast, for instance, we read that Gog is
actually a decedent of the prophet Joel, which is the decedent of one of the Northern
tribes of Israel:

1Ch 5:2 For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but
the birthright was Joseph’s:)
1Ch 5:3 The sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were, Hanoch, and Pallu,
Hezron, and Carmi.
1Ch 5:4 The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, (KJV)

There is no indication in the book of Revelation 20 that it is a separate event from

that which is described in Ezekiel 36. The only reason why some interpret them as
separate events is because they see that the description of Ezekiel 40 regarding the
New Temple has to follow the prophecy described in chapters 38 and 39. However it
is a wrong assumption to assume that the prophecy is in the chronological order and
sequence of those three chapters. Nothing in those prophecies indicates that chapter
38 and 39 preludes to what will happen in chapter 40. We often see all throughout
Scripture that we are to look at the context of the prophetic time line, and not neces-

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sarily in the order of when those prophecies were received by the prophets. This is
definitely the case with Ezekiel 40:1, where we see some time has passed when the
angel of the Lord visited Ezekiel. Furthermore, the vision he received in chapter 40
seems to be significantly different from the vision he received in the previous two
chapters and therefore should not be assumed as a chronological order to those
chapters.

Eze 40:1 In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year,
in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten,
in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.
Eze 40:2 In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon
a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. (KJV)

In contrast, we see in Ezekiel chapter thirty-seven mentioning Jesus’ millennial rule

before the description of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38.

Eze 37:21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the
children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather
them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
Eze 37:22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel;
and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations,
neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Eze 37:23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with
their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out
of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall
they be my people, and I will be their God.
Eze 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have
one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do
them.
Eze 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant,
wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their
children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their
prince for ever.
Eze 37:26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an
everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set
my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.
Eze 37:27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they
shall be my people.
Eze 37:28 And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my
sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (KJV)

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It is therefore reasonable to believe that what God revealed to Ezekiel in chapters 38
and 39 is to be understood as something which would happen after Ezekiel 40 and
therefore can be harmonized with what is spoken of in Revelations 20. In other
words, both passages in Ezekiel and Revelations speak of the same occurrence; which
speaks of the final rebellion of the devil where he would deceive a big portion of the
nations that Christ ruled over.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire. (KJV)

My focus with this brief look at the last days was not to give you a detailed overview
of how the last days will play out. In fact, the details are not as important to me as
the more important ideas concerning what we actually preach when we preach the
gospel. God has determined a day in which He will judge the world, and those who
did not have faith in Christ will not be saved from judgment. So, for me, the im-
portant issues are what that faith looks like that we should have in Christ, and what
that final judgment and eternal life will entail.

1. https://www.compellingtruth.org/Gog-Magog.html, 08/06/21, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gog, 08/06/21

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9: The Afterlife
9.1. Hades

As we looked at the final judgment, we are faced with the unavoidable question
about what happens to us when we die. The Bible speaks clearly there will be
resurrection when all would be judged (more on this in chapter ten). We are faced
with two main issues in this regard. The first is, what happens to people now when
they die before judgment day, and then what happens to people after the final
judgment? As a disclaimer, I just want to state that the topics I am addressing in
chapters nine and ten, I am writing with the lease amount of convictions than any of
my previous topics. The reason why is that I still have many unanswered questions
on these topics and the answers that many scholars have given me on all sides of the
debate still leaves me unsatisfied.

So ones again I want to repeat, there is no obligation from your side to have the
same view or have to come to the same conclusions as me on these topics, in order
for us to fellowship together through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What I have
written here is merely a starting point to start your own journey on these topics. It is
the Spirit of God in our union with Christ that bonds us, and not that we should
believe everything the same.

I think it important to look at the topic and the various concepts of “hell” when
addressing future judgment and condemnation; as I think it is important when
preaching the gospel. Let me just launch off by stating that the traditional concept of
“hell”, are often different to what the Bible teaches on it. For instance, one of the
words that is often understood as hell is the word “Hades”. As you might know, the
translators are inconsistent in their word choice for hell, perhaps due to translators’
own biases on the subject. This causes confusion when studying the subject.

As I mentioned, the word Hades is at times translated as “hell”, but it is also

translated at times as “the underworld” and in some places even as “grave”. Hell, in
contrast, is sometimes described as “Gehenna” (which we will look at in more detail
later on) and at other times “the Abyss” (another word for hades). Finally, various
people interpret “the Lake of Fire” as explained at the end of the book of Revelation
as also to mean hell. Yet, in reality, each one of these descriptions of hell actually
means something totally different from the other. For instance, look at this example
in:

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [hades]
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.

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Rev 20:14 And death and hell [hades] 2. were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. (KJV)

Hades (translated as hell in the KJV) is seen to be thrown with death in the lake of
fire, which in itself proofs hades can’t be the lake of fire. In this chapter I will explore
whether Hades is an actual place for lost souls or merely another word for grave as
some bible teachers claim. So where does the concept of hades as a place, such as
the under-world, come from?

Greek mythology described Hades as the god of the underworld. According to

mythology, Hades was the brother of Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia.
These mythological gods overthrew their father Titan Cronos and divided his
kingdom. Hades became the ruler of the underworld, which included infernal
powers. This underworld was also called the “house of Hades”, which was shortened
to just Hades, which was the place where the souls of the dead would go to be
judged and the wicked to be punished. Hades, as one of the gods, would supervise
the judgment, but was not necessarily the one who would execute the punishment.
The execution of the punishment in the underworld was apparently left to Furies the
servant of Hades. 1.

So the question then is, why would the word Hades be used by the apostles to mean
grave in their writings, when this word was never understood by the Greeks or
Romans civilisations to mean grave, but rather as the “Underworld”? Is it possible
that Jesus and the apostles deliberately wanted to use this mythology in Greek of an
underworld instead of a grave to explain what happens after a person dies? Well, we
read Jesus’ use of the word hades as follows:

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell [hades] 2. shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (KJV)

Jesus does indicate that hell or Hades has gates, which is typical of a fortress or jail
and not that of a grave. Some questions whether that means the church can preach
the gospels to the underworld? No, it does not. In the same way, the church cannot
reach the people in the graves, or prevent people from dying. It only indicates that
the church can prevent people from ending up there; but also to stand against what
can be released from within Hades. I will look into the pit of Hades in the last section

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of this chapter. Continuing, let us investigate the story Jesus tells in:

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels
into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell [hades] 2. he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.
Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art
tormented.
Luk 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that
they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that
would come from thence.
Luk 16:27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father’s house:
Luk 16:28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them.
Luk 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (KJV)

It is argued that this is merely a parable and through it; Jesus was illustrating the
injustice of the rich man, who was not even named. In other words, it is argued that
Jesus, through this “parable” was indicating that people have the Scriptures to learn
about righteousness and don’t require having a place of torment to perform
righteousness.

Even if this was the object lesson of the parable, there are a couple of problems with
concluding that this parable does not describe an actual place. For instance, in every
parable that Jesus spoke of, He would use what is commonly known by the people to
teach the unknown to them. Different from the symbols and signs that we see in the
book of Revelation, parables use actual real places to illustrate a spiritual truth. For
instance, in the parable where Jesus spoke of the compassion, the Samaritan man,
demonstrated towards the person who was robbed on the road, Jesus spoke of
actual places such as Jericho and Jerusalem. There is, therefore, no reason that Jesus
would have made an exception the way He told parables, as people would confuse

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the hearers who lived in a Roman society where Greeks and Romans believed in
Hades as a real place.

Another problem with the argument that Jesus only used a mythical place to
describe a spiritual truth is the question: why would Jesus use heathen mythology
and even create a warped concept of what the Greeks understood of the
underworld? For example, Jesus describing Abraham’s bosom, to try giving an object
lesson of God’s law and prophets by it, if it does not refer to an actual place that
exists? I mean, the hearers would have understood that the Law and the prophets
are there for the sake of righteousness, so what has that got to do with Greek
mythology? How is anything in this story have any bearing on anything, as something
symbolic ... unless hades is not just a grave, but an actual place that exists?

It is even harder to reconcile the idea that hades is just another word for “grave”
when in fact the Greeks used the Greek word “mnema” or “mnemeion” for grave 3.
and hades to mean a mythological god, or the underworld. Here are two examples of
the Greek words for grave used in Scriptures.

Mat 27:52 And the graves [mnemeion] were opened; and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves [mnemeion] after his resurrection, and went
into the holy city, and appeared unto many. (KJV)

The Greek word “mnema” is translated in King James as “sepulchre” (in other words:
tomb), for instance, in the case of where Jesus was buried:

Mar 15:46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the
linen, and laid him in a sepulchre [tomb - mnema] which was hewn out of a rock, and
rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre [tomb - mnema].
Mar 15:47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was
laid. (KJV)

Mar 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the
sepulchre [tomb - mnema] at the rising of the sun.
Mar 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from
the door of the sepulchre [tomb - mnema]?
Mar 16:4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was
very great.
Mar 16:5 And entering into the sepulchre [tomb - mnema], they saw a young man
sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
Mar 16:6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which

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was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. (KJV)

The reason why I use Jesus’ grave or tomb–“mnema” as an example has to do with
this word of prophecy concerning Jesus and Hades found in:

Act 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Act 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my
flesh shall rest in hope:
Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [hades], neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
Act 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy
with thy countenance.
Act 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that
he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre [tomb - mnema] is with us unto this
day.
Act 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath
to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to
sit on his throne;
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was
not left in hell [hades], neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. (KJV)

In this passage of prophecy, we see a concrete distinction being made between the
body and the soul. If the body was in the tomb or grave, where was the soul? One is
left to answer: “in Hades”. This distinction clearly indicates the soul and body are not
the same thing and they are not in the same place when a person has died.

One could argue, that tomb (mnema) is a particular type of grave (a burial in a rock
instead of in the ground), and does not mean a grave in general. This, however, does
not change the fact that Hades is not used by the Greeks or Romans to mean grave,
but only to mean the underworld. For that reason, would it not have been better for
Luke to have used the words: “mnema” or “mnomeion” to describe the grave instead
of the word Hades, to avoid unnecessary confusion to the readers?

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hades-Greek-mythology, 23 March 2019

2. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “hell” – G 86, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. Vine’s New Testament: “grave”, e-Sword 13.0.0

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9.2. Sheol

In this chapter, we will look at the Hebrew’s equivalent to Hades. Let us start off by
looking at the passage Peter was quoting in Acts.

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [hades], neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)

This passage in Acts was quoted from the Old Testament in:

Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [Sheol]; neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV) 1.

The Hebrew word for Hades used here is Sheol. When sheol in Psalms was translated
into Greek by the Jewish Scribes in what is known as the Septuagint, they used the
Greek word hades. Again, why did the Scribes choose hades and not mnema if they
merely understood Sheol to mean grave, knowing that in Greek hades meant the
underworld?

So one can ask whether there were actual Jewish Scribes that believed in an
underworld at that time? It is known that while the Jews were under the dominion of
Babylon, they would have certainly been influenced by the Babylonian worldview of
an afterlife. The Babylonian afterlife was called “Aralu” or “Ganzer”, depending on
which version one takes, as there was no concrete uniform version of the afterlife in
ancient Mesopotamia. 2.

It is, however, speculated that Jesus’ story of Lazarus and the rich man was inspired
by Jewish folklore that has been derived from a Babylonian mythological afterlife.
However, the Babylonian afterlife was not seen as a torment, or a blissful place, but
rather a dull, dusty place or city that was ruled by a queen-goddess called Ereshkigal.
She was later replaced by the male warrior god Nergal. In order to resolve this
conflicting mythology, they adapted the tradition by stating the Ereshkigal was the
spouse of Nergal. Mesoptomia afterlife mythology has no version or comparison to
that of the Greek Hades or Jesus’ version of a divided area, where a place of rest was
provided for the righteous, a place of torment for the unrighteous. In fact, there is
evidence that for the Mesoptomia the afterlife reflected a spiritual state similar to
that of their time on the earth. 2. This is therefore unlikely that Jesus’ version of the
afterlife was based on the Babylonian version. Jesus’ version of the afterlife is closer
linked to the Greek mythology of Hades.

It is further argued that the word sheol should always be rendered as grave, instead

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of the afterlife. I admit that translators were not always consequent in how they
translated many of these words into English. For instance, where sheol is translated
as hell when it should have just been translated as underworld in:

Psa 9:16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is
snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
Psa 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell [sheol], 1. and all the nations that forget
God. (KJV)

Psa 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell [sheol] 1.:
for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. (KJV)

Psa 139:8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell [sheol],
1.
behold, thou art there. (KJV)

Psa 18:4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made
me afraid.
Psa 18:5 The sorrows of hell [sheol], 1.compassed me about: the snares of death
prevented me. (KJV)

Psa 86:13 For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from
the lowest hell [sheol]. 1.

Isa 5:14 Therefore hell [sheol] 1. hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth
without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that
rejoiceth, shall descend into it. (KJV)

Eze 31:15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when he went down to the grave
[sheol], 1. I caused a mourning: I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods
thereof, and the great waters were stayed: and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him,
and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
Eze 31:16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down
to hell [sheol], 1. with them that descend into the pit: and all the trees of Eden, the
choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether
parts of the earth. (KJV)

It is interesting to note that the translators of the King James Version translated the
word sheol as “grave” in verse 15, but “hell” in verse 16. This inconstancy from
translators is even seen within the same passage as seen below:

Isa 14:9 Hell [sheol], 1. from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it

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stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up
from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
Isa 14:10 All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we?
art thou become like unto us?
Isa 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, [sheol] 1. and the noise of thy
viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art
thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in
the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, [sheol] 1. to the sides of the
pit. (KJV)

The Hebrew word here for pit is “bore”. It is used most of the time to mean a cistern,
a dungeon, or a prison. We will investigate the “pit” in the fifth section of this
chapter. With these and many other examples in the Old Testament which indicate
sheol as an underworld, what do we do with some instance when sheol is translated
as grave as seen above? Well, I believe one can write those translations down as
inconsistent biases. Furthermore, there are other words in Hebrew that have a
clearer understanding of an actual grave in the literal sense with the Hebrew words
qeber qibrah 3. such as the case in the following passage.

Gen 50:5 My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave [qeber qibrah] 3.
which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now
therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. (KJV)

This concept of an underworld, where the souls of men were held captive, was held
by most of the known world at the time. There were obviously the Sadducees who
did not believe in spirits or the resurrection of the dead. However, the Pharisees who
believed in not only the Torah but also in the prophets and the rest of the writings
believed in spirits and the resurrection (Acts 23:8). The questions is, is there proof of
some Pharisees who also believed in the underworld where the souls of dead people
would go? The first king of Israel, King Saul, believed that Samuel’s soul was separate
from the body, which we can read about in:

1Sa 28:3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in
Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land. (KJV)

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1Sa 28:11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring
me up Samuel.
1Sa 28:12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the
woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
1Sa 28:13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the
woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
1Sa 28:14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man
cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel,
and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
1Sa 28:15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?
And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and
God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by
dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I
shall do.
1Sa 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is
departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
1Sa 28:17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath
rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
1Sa 28:18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce
wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
1Sa 28:19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the
Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall
deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
1Sa 28:20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid,
because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten
no bread all the day, nor all the night. (KJV)

It is been argued that in this instance it was not Samuel, but a demon that took the
form of Samuel. The argument is based on the fact that God prohibited the calling up
the dead, or having mediums in the land (Leviticus 19:31). Prohibiting people from
calling up the dead does not prove that the souls of the dead are not conscious.
Furthermore, even though the view of demons posing themselves as the souls of
dead people to deceive the living is a popular view among Christians, Scripture does
not state this. I don’t deny that this is a possibility; merely that it is not based on
Scripture. Furthermore, Scripture clearly states that it was Samuel who spoke to Saul
from the dead and not some demon.

What then do we do about those individual passages of Scriptures that clearly say
that the dead have no consciousness in the Old Testament? Well, if you go back and
read each one of those passages, you will notice something interesting. Every one of
those passages we read about is merely people questioning or stating their thoughts.

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Not one of those instances has God confirmed or denied whether those people’s
thoughts were true or false. For the sake of not to become long winded, I will look at
three of the most popular passages as an example to illustrate what I mean. The
reader or listener is encouraged to read every other instance in the Bible to see if this
holds true in every case or not.

Ecc 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing,
neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (KJV)

Salomon, a person endowed by God with wisdom, yet at times, was taken by his
numerous wives in idolatry, was writing down his thoughts and his personal
experiences to his son. Even though there are many wise sayings in Salomon’s
writings, he did not know everything that is to know. This means he wrote down
what he knew, but his view was neither confirmed nor denied by the Holy Spirit. In
fact, we know now from the New Testament that each person will be resurrected,
and they will receive their reward good or bad on Judgment day.

Psa 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into si-
lence. (KJV)

In this instance, David does not even say there is no underworld, but merely that the
dead do not praise God. As he was just writing his thoughts, we don’t really know
how much the Holy Spirit actually revealed to David regarding what follows the point
of death.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall
not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. (KJV)

All Christians agree that there comes a resurrection of the dead, whether they
believe in a conscious or unconscious soul after death. However, Job said that there
is no resurrection at all, even when the heavens are no more. The Sadducees only
believed in the Torah and not in the rest of the Old Testament; however, they could
have based their views on what Job said here. We already saw that Jesus debunked
this view in the New Testament. Even though the Holy Spirit moved the words of Job
to be recorded, the Holy Spirit did not give those words for Job to say. In fact, there
are many instanced where the Holy Spirit moved people to record what is said and
done, but that does not mean that those actions or sayings are inspired by God.

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “hell” – H7585, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. https://www.ancient.eu/article/701/ancient-mesopotamian-beliefs-in-the-afterlife/, 6 April 2019.
3. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “grave” – H6913, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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9.3. Defining Death

Is death an unconscious or a conscious rest? Death is often described by the Bible as

something both spiritual as well as physical. Spiritual death in Scripture indicates
being dead or separated towards God. For instance, in the analogy of the prodigal
son in:

Luk 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on
him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
Luk 15:23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
Luk 15:24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.
And they began to be merry. (KJV)

Paul writes it like this:

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath
he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (KJV)

John writes about hating your brother, illustrating those who abide in death:

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. (KJV)

John records the following words of Jesus through the Holy Spirit to the church in
Sardis:

Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that
hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a
name that thou livest, and art dead.
Rev 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:
for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (KJV)

Jesus makes this even clearer by saying the following:

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life.
Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (KJV)

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If the Bible explains spiritual death as people being separated from God, then one
can make a legitimate argument that physical death also has to do with us being
separated from the physical realm. The question is, what does that separation from
the physical realm mean? Are we still conscious when we are separated from the
physical realm? The question of whether the soul can exist interdependently from
the body does seem to be affirmed by Jesus’ own words in:

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (KJV)

There is much to say in this verse, but I will get to that in chapter ten. For now, I just
want to highlight the fact that Jesus distinguishes the soul and the body as though
they are a separate essence of a person. It is interesting to note that the Bible, both
the Old and New Testament speaks of death as one who sleeps. The picture of using
sleep as a picture of one who has died brings forward the idea of someone who can
be awakened. In other words, it is not a final stage.

Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Joh 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Joh 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of
taking of rest in sleep.
Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. (KJV)

Joh 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother
had not died.
Joh 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give
it thee.
Joh 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Joh 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection
at the last day.
Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou
this? (KJV)

There is a lot to be unpacked here as well, but this would slow me down to get to the
actual point I want to make. Furthermore, this passage neither proves nor disproves
an unconscious or a conscious sleep, but one can make a legitimate argument that
Jesus is affirming that whoever lives in Christ never dies. So let us go to those
passages that make a much stronger case. Paul writes the following:

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2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we
would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
2Co 5:5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
2Co 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in
the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and
to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted
of him.
2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one
may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad. (KJV)

It is argued that Paul does not tell us when mortality will be swallowed up by life, and
therefore, one can conclude that Paul is speaking of the future event when the
resurrection would occur. This may be true, but this however does not explain what
Paul means by the phrase “absent from the body”. It is clear that it is not Paul’s
desire to physically die, but rather be resurrected with a glorified body. Then he also
speaks of being separated from the body to be present with the Lord. This clearly
talks of his soul being absent from the body, irrespective of the resurrection of the
body in the future. This language fits with Paul’s analogy in verse one and verse two
that speaks of the body as a vessel that the soul dwells in, or clothing with which the
soul is temporarily wearing. In other words, the body is something distinct from the
soul and can therefore be detached from the body. This view is even more strongly
stated by Paul when he writes in.

Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Php 1:22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose
I wot not.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with
Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. (KJV)

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It is hard to imagine Paul desiring to depart now, if he only is going to be with the
Lord in some distant future when the resurrection occurs. The way Paul formulates
his words in this letter is someone who desires to depart from his body immediately
so he can be with Christ instantly. Look carefully at how he did not say it is far better
to die now, so he can later obtain the resurrection. He is, in fact, saying it is far better
to depart now so he can be with Christ. It will be odd, if Paul has this desire, to
depart now, but will only be with Christ much later when the resurrection occurs.
How is Paul so confident about what is awaiting him when he is separated from the
body? It is likely to do with the vision Paul had, where he is not sure whether it
occurred while he was in our outside the body.

2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I
cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one
caught up to the third heaven.
2Co 12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;)
2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (KJV)

This same idea of being absent from the body to be present with the Lord is not only
described by Paul, but also by John’s vision in the book of Revelation.

Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of
them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto
them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (KJV)

The book of Revelation is often sidestepped, as something obscured which cannot be

taken literarily. Due to this view, the book of Revelation is often so spiritualized to
super imposed meanings on passages in order to justify doctrinal views. I admit there
is a lot of imagery in the book of Revelation that has spiritual equivalences, but each
one of those imageries is NOT meant to be determined by people’s own private
interpretations. Often the Holy Spirit also gave John the actual explanation of those
imageries later on in the book or in previous prophetic books.

In Revelation 6, John was explaining a sequence of times that needs to happen,

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illustrated by the seals that were broken. The fifth seal explains where the souls of
the saints who were killed for the gospel being in the presence of the Lord, resting
and awaiting the day of the judgment and the resurrection. It is clear that even
though these souls are resting; they are conscious, and the Lord is talking to them. It
is also clear that this is not yet the time of the resurrection, as they are told they
must still rest until the number of those who will be joining them is completed.

Even though the previous four seals in the chapter have imagery, it was explained
what those imageries meant. There is no hidden or symbolic explanation given for
the fifth seal and so we can take it at face value. In other words, these are actual
souls of those who died who are crying out to the Lord.

We can therefore conclude the concept of the soul being separated from the body is
a clear concept in Scriptures and that death just means the spirit as separated from
the body.

Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also. (KJV)

It is noteworthy to highlight how death is likening to a symbolic sleep in the Bible.

Even though the body of the person sleeping is not necessarily conscious of their
physical surroundings, their minds are not unconscious. The mind has switched off
from the physical realm, but still engages in a different reality of being. So I believe it
happens when a person has died. They stay in a different realm of reality, till the day
they are resurrected and their souls, is restored to a glorified body. The soul can
engage and experience spiritual reality such as torment, except it is bound by the
boundaries that God has placed upon it, such as Hades or the altar of God in heaven.

Believing in an unconscious or conscious soul after death, have no bearing on our

salvation. This means that whatever your view is regarding this topic, it should not
separate us from being one body in Christ. However, the reason why I am putting this
view out there is as a reaction to those who teach that to believe in a conscious soul
after death is a lie from Satan. This is disingenuous. For many Christians the
prospects of believing that they will be in the presence of the Lord, when they are at
the doorstep of death, is a joyous and comforting prospect, and I don’t see why this
should be labelled as demonic, when, as I have laid it out here, is not as clear cut as
some like to claim.

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9.4. Jesus in Hades

If it is true that the saints who died have their souls taken into the presence of the
Lord, how does this fit in to the realm of Hades? Here, I admit, I need to fill in the gap
with a theory that is not plainly taught in Scripture. It can only be implied when one
place all the passages together. The theory states that when Jesus died on the cross,
His Soul was NOT unconscious but conscious. In fact, it actually sounds ludicrous to
imagine that the One through whom and for whom all things were created were
unconscious for three days and then made conscious by His Father through the Holy
Spirit.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth,
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (KJV)

It is evident that Jesus was not with the Father during those three days in the grave
as well because, after His resurrection, Jesus said to Mary the following:

Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my
Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your
Father; and to my God, and your God. (KJV)

So what happened to Jesus’ soul?

Act 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell [hades], neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption. (KJV)

The early Christian Athanasian creed stated that Jesus went to Hades to free the
souls of all those who were bound there until Christ had paid for their release with
His blood. 1. As I said, the Scripture does not directly teach this, but I will quote the
passages that this theory is based on. The first passage this theory is based on is
found in:

Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall
the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (KJV)

As seen before, Jesus’ grave was a tomb and not a hole in the ground. It was merely a
hole dug out of rock on top of the ground. One cannot therefore liken the tomb as
the heart of the earth. This figurative speech “... in the heart of the earth...”, can

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mean either that Jesus is central to all the evil that is happening to Him, or that He is
found in the darkest place a person can be, or that He was in the underworld that is
methodological in the centre of the earth. Volcano eruption was understood as
bursting from the underworld or Hades in those days. Does this mean that hades is
truly in the heart of the earth? No–of course not, but the mythology serves as a
picture to give a form of the un-known. In either case, whatever the meaning of the
words “... in the heart of the earth...” there are other Scriptures that do seem to
indicate that Jesus was in Hades. For instance, we read the following:

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God
waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight
souls were saved by water. (KJV)

It is often stated that this passage does not speak of Jesus going to preach to the
dead in hades, but rather to angels, or that it refers to Christ’s Spirit preaching
through Noah before the flood. Even though both of these views, has a following, it
does not seem to fit in with what Peter was getting at. For instance, we read Peter
continues his teaching a little later on by writing:

1Pe 4:6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that
they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit. (KJV)

Jesus did not only go to preach to the spirits who were in prison because of their
disobedience. He also went to set free those who were awaiting the Messiah, such as
Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah and all the other men and women of God, and
the rest right up to John the Baptists.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive,
and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the
lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,
that he might fill all things.) (KJV)

Rom 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in
thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from
above:)

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Rom 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again
from the dead.) (KJV)

The theory is that when Christ shed His blood, His Soul went to the underworld–
Hades/Sheol, to set free all those who were awaiting their Saviour. Some of the
saints of old apparently bear witness that they have been set free as they were
raised from the dead after Christ’s death.

Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the
bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mat 27:52 And the graves [mnemeion] were opened; and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves [mnemeion] after his resurrection, and went
into the holy city, and appeared unto many. (KJV)

I need to interject something here. This is not the first time that people who have
died were seen during Jesus’ time on earth. We read, for instance, in:

Mar 9:2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and
leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured
before them.
Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on
earth can white them.
Mar 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking
with Jesus.
Mar 9:5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here:
and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for
Elias.
Mar 9:6 For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. (KJV)

The point that I am trying to make is that if there were no life after people died,
merely awaiting their resurrection it would mean that in both these cases above, God
would had to kill Elias and Moses, so they can be resurrected again in the last days.
This, however, contradicts Scripture that teaches that it is appointed for men to die
only once before the judgment.

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment: (KJV)

It is reasonable to conclude that all the ancient nations have become aware of a

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world where souls are kept, but their versions of it change from the time of Noah, as
their view of God gotten distorted to idol worship. Jesus, who knows all things,
brought the correct view of what comes after death, because He was soon to set the
souls free of those who were awaiting His salvation. Therefore, the authors of the
gospel chose the word hades, to demonstrate what Jesus meant: “the underworld”
for souls. This very word hades, cannot have meant grave, as some would claim, as I
already explained that the Greek words mnema or mnemeion, are the actual words
that were used for grave. From the time after the resurrection of Christ, all souls who
have their hope in Christ go directly in the presence of the Father–consciously resting
till the day of the resurrection.

There is an additional theory that was made popular by men like Calvin that states
that Jesus had to complete His suffering by being tormented in Hades for those three
days. There is, however, no such scriptural basis for that theory. In fact, that theory
actually contradicts clear biblical teaching that it is Jesus’ death on the cross and the
shedding of His blood in the flesh that dealt with sin and death.

Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering
thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: (KJV)

Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. (KJV)

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
(KJV)

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the
veil, that is to say, his flesh; (KJV)

Christ’s perfect offering was done in the flesh, as sin has its power in the flesh.

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Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (KJV)

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind,
and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (KJV)

Christ has dealt with sin in the flesh and not in the spirit.

Rom 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: (KJV)

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being
dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (KJV)

So Christ dealt with sin in the flesh, in the sacrifice of His own body. Christ did not
deal with sin in Hades, but rather went to Hades to set free those spirits waiting for
Him, because He paid the ultimate price on the cross.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrowing_of_Hell, 1 April 2020.

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9.5. Tartaroo

As stated in the beginning of this chapter, translators have translated varies Greek
words as hell, when it actually means different things, which can cause a lot of confu-
sion. Another example of this is, for instance, the Greek word “tartaroo”. What
makes the Greek word tartaroo so interesting is that it is only used ones in all of
Scripture, which is found in:

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [tar-
taroo], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 1.
(KJV)

Peter explains that tartaroo to be a prison for the fallen angels. Not much is ex-
plained in scripture of this spiritual place called tartaroo except what is spoken of by
Peter. One can, however, see a connection between tartaroo and what the Bible ex-
plains as the “abyss” or the “bottomless pit”. For instance, when Jesus cast out the
demons who possessed a man, the demons begged Jesus not to send them to the
abyss:

Luk 8:29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For
oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and
he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
Luk 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion:
because many devils were entered into him.
Luk 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into
the deep [abussos].
Luk 8:32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and
they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered
them.
Luk 8:33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the
herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked. 2. (KJV)

The words “the deep” here comes from the Greek word “abussos” which literally
means the deep. 2. The word abussos is also often translated as “bottomless pit” as
seen in:

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a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years
should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (KJV)

In the last days, it seems that many foul spirits would be released from this spiritual
prison called abussos as seen in the following passages:

Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth:
and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. [abussos] 2.
Rev 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; [abussos] 2.and there arose a smoke out
of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by
reason of the smoke of the pit. (KJV)

Rev 9:10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails:
and their power was to hurt men five months.
Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit,
[abussos] 2. whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue
hath his name Apollyon. (KJV)

Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit [abussos] 2.shall make war against them, and
shall overcome them, and kill them. (KJV)

Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, [abussos] 2. and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth
shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation
of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Peter’s use of the Greek word tartaroo to describe the bottomless pit might be from
Greek mythological influences. The reason I say this is that Greek mythology explains
that tartaroo as a prison for all the mythological deities called the Titans. One can
assume that Peter likened angels to that of the Greek view of their mythological ti-
tans who were imprisoned in Tartaroo.3.

Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the
great day. (KJV)

It seems that tartaroo or abussos is a deeper prison area of Hades. This seems to be
consistent with the Old Testament sheol in relation to its lowest depths of the pit.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art

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thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in
the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isa 14:15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell [sheol], 4. to the sides of the
pit. [bore] 5. (KJV)

This also seems to be the case with Christ when He died, as Paul explained in:

Rom 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in
thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from
above:)
Rom 10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep [abussos]? 2. (that is, to bring up
Christ again from the dead [nekros].) 6.

However, there is a debate over whether tartaroo or abussos are seen as a physical
place or a spiritual place or merely as a figurative illustration? As seen from the ac-
count with Jesus casting the demons as well as what Peter writes does seem to indi-
cate that this is NO figurative place, but an actual place where fallen angels are
bound. However, as angels are not hindered by the material world, one has to con-
clude that tartaroo or abussos is a spiritual realm or a deeper area within hades,
which is specifically designated for fallen angels.

The issue of debate is whether Paul, in Romans 10:7, is saying that the word abussos
is another expression of the dead using the Greek word “nekros”? That is a legitimate
question, but one can also argue the opposite to be true, in that “the dead” or nekros
is just what is called of those who’s spirits have left their bodies and are bound in
hades.

Mar 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of
Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Mar 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do
greatly err. (KJV)

For instance, we read twice in the book of Revelations that the “dead” and “hades”
are spoken of as if they were something different in:

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand
upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

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Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore,
Amen; and have the keys of hell [hades] 2. and of death [thanatos]. 7. (KJV)

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead [nekros] which were in it; and death [than-
atos] and hell [hades]delivered up the dead [nekros] which were in them: and they
were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death [thanatos] and hell [hades] were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death [thanatos].
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. (KJV)

The word dead–nekros refers to the collective form of those who are dead and the
word death–thanatos is the state of what the dead is in.6. & 7. It does seem that in the
book of Revelation gives some personal attribute to Hades and Death in both pas-
sages above. This personification of Death and Hades comes even more to fruition in
the following passage:

Rev 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was
Death [Thanatos], and Hell [Hades] followed with him. And power was given unto
them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with
death, and with the beasts of the earth. (KJV)

Looking at the previous three horsemen who came before the pale horseman, it can
be interpreted that these represented spirits that would bring about God’s judgment
on earth in the last days. However, one can also interpret that these horsemen were
actually pictures regarding God’s judgments that would come upon the earth. For
arguments’ sake, however, it does not really matter as both interpretations points to
God’s judgment that is to follow. Either way, the dead represents the souls of people
who have died and hades represents the place where their spirits are held awaiting
their judgment. So death and hades are always in relation to each other from the
beginning up to the end when both death and hades will come to an end. I will go
into more detail in this in chapter ten.

As stated before, many people are tempted to interpret everything in the book of
Revelation as figurative speech because a lot of figurative pictures are described in
the book. However, for me, this approach is bad exegesis (interpretation of scrip-
ture). The book of Revelation gives the meaning of its figurative pictures often a cou-
ple of chapters later. For instance, it would use phrase such as “... and this is the
meaning of...” or “... and these were like...”

The book of Revelation also used typologies. These are a mix of physical elements

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that represent much more than it is illustrated in a given situation. These could have
both an actual physical situation and a figurative situation incorporated. However,
these would often be recognized in the text itself. In either case, it would not be wise
to interpret the whole book as figurative just for the sake of convenience; as this
does not lead to any consistency in interpreting passages. So if there is no indication
in the text that one should interpret the passage figuratively, we should rather seek
the plainest meaning.

In conclusion in this topic, I would say that it seems that the pit, also called tartaroo
is a separate section of hades where many of the foul spirits or fallen angels are
bound. There comes a time that many more of these fallen angels will be released
from the pit to create havoc on earth, which forms part of God’s judgment on earth.
In the following chapter, we will explore what happens to us in the final judgments.

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “hell” – G5020, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “deep” – G12, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartarus
4. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “hell” – H7592, e-Sword 13.0.0.
5. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “pit” – H953, e-Sword 13.0.0.
6. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “dead” – G3498, e-Sword 13.0.0; Vine’s New Testament: “dead”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
7. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “death” – G2288, e-Sword 13.0.0; Vine’s New Testament: “death”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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10. Eternal Life
10.1. Gehenna

I want to repeat that there is no obligation that you, as the reader or listener, have to
share my views on this subject. There are too many things I don’t know to claim
some kind of authority on this subject. My attempt in this study is to bring awareness
of a view that has considered most spectrums of the debate. I came to a particular
conclusion which I feel reasonably comfortable to defend should I come in that situa-
tion. However, I would not make this a doctrine of contention that could cause ani-
mosity between my brothers and sisters in the Lord. There are good arguments on all
spectrum of the debate; it is just this one I have concluded is the best defendable.

The Greek word “gehenna” as seen with the words Hades and Tartaroo, is also often
translated as hell. So what is the difference? As stated, hades is a prison for the spir-
its of those souls who did not place their hope in God’s salvation plan and Tartaroo is
a deeper place in Hades where fallen angles are chained in a spiritual dimension.
Gehenna in contrasts is God’s judgment on the evil which is on earth in the last days.
Jesus says the following about gehanna:

Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and
whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a
cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in
danger of hell [gehenna] 1. fire. (KJV)

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her
hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole
body should be cast into hell [gehenna] 1.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is
profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole
body should be cast into hell [gehenna] 1. (KJV)

It is interesting that Jesus spoke here of the whole body to be cast into hell. It is
noteworthy to highlight that each time Jesus speaks of hell in the form of the Greek
word gehenna, Jesus speaks of people’s mortal bodies as opposed to their spirits.

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Mat 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them
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.
Mat 18:9 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 to be cast into
hell [gehenna] 1 fire. (KJV)

Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the
child of hell [gehenna] 1 than yourselves. (KJV)

Mar 9:43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life
maimed, than having two hands to go into hell [gehenna] 1, into the fire that never
shall be quenched:
Mar 9:44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into
life, than having two feet to be cast into hell [gehenna] 1, into the fire that never shall
be quenched:
Mar 9:46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
Mar 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into
the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell [gehen-
na] 1 fire:
Mar 9:48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (KJV)

In the gospel of Mark, gehenna is not only referring to an eternal fire but also where
“their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched”. This peculiar phraseology
come from the Old Testament Jesus was quoting, which was from the book Isaiah:

Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from
one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have
transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (KJV)

The context of Isaiah speaks of the last days of God’s judgment on earth. The picture
speaks here of corpses, as opposed to spirits, of those who transgressed against God.
Some theologians explain that gehenna was an actual place located on the southern
end of Jerusalem. This valley originally used to be a pagan child sacrifice and was in
Hebrew called “the valley the son of Hinnom”. As a short note, the valley of Hinnom
was south of Jerusalem, whereas the valley of Gihon was on West of Jerusalem and
the valley of Kidron was on its East. 2. Jeremiah spoke of the southern valley of

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Hinnom this way:

Jer 7:31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the
son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I
commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
Jer 7:32 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be
called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for
they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
Jer 7:33 And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven,
and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away. (KJV)

Jer 19:4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have
burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have
known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;
Jer 19:5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for
burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into
my mind:
Jer 19:6 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no
more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of
slaughter.
Jer 19:7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I
will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them
that seek their lives: and their carcases will I give to be meat for the fowls of the
heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. (KJV)

Jeremiah speaks of what God will do in the future, which gives us a better picture of
what gehenna will represent. This prophecy was made against the Israelites who
worshiped idols and who sacrificed their innocent children to them. God would repay
their guilt by slaughtering them in the same valley and even call it the valley of
slaughter. Some theologians claim that this valley became a dump site for all the rot-
ten animal carcases and other rot. The worse of criminals who were killed for their
crimes was also cast in this valley with all the carcase and rot to be burned up. 2. This
claim is, however, debated by others because no such archaeological finding has ever
been discovered in the area. The view states, however, that fire was constantly
fuelled to make sure all the rot would be burned up. On the outer rim and in be-
tween, where the fire did not reach, maggots would get to all the rot to decompose
off that was left over. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant. The point is that Jesus
quoted Isaiah 66 to describe the prophecy that still needs to be fulfilled by God’s
judgment.

This beckons whether gehenna is something eternal? The phrase “their worm does

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not die, and the fire is not quenched” needs a little more explanation to answer that
question. “Their worm” does not refer to worms that are immortal, but rather the
cycle of maggots that won’t die out till all the carcasses have been consumed. You
see, maggots are just flies in a larvae stage, and if they don’t die before they’re com-
pleted cycle, they would turn into flies and bear more maggots to continue eating on
the rot till all is gone. It is often found due to extreme freezing weather or when the
area is exposed to huge amount of salt that the cycle of maggots dies out. The same
is true with fire that can be quenched by rain. This left the corpses exposed in the
valley till someone comes and light up the fire and new flies come and lay their eggs
for a new batch of maggots.

The imagery that Jesus talks of explains that there will be no interruption of the cycle
of maggots and the fire will not be quenched till everything is consumed. So the word
pictures here has to do with the finality of God’s judgment without any chance of
escape, nor will the fire be quenched or the cycle of maggots terminate prematurely
until there is nothing left of the corpses. This is important to note, as all through the
New Testament where Jesus speaks of gehenna - hell, He refers to the mortal bodies
being thrown into gehenna and not their spirits or their spiritual bodies. In fact, ex-
cept for one occasion, there is no other instance where gehenna is spoken of outside
the realm of mortal bodies. The exception is found in:

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul 3. and body in hell [gehen-
na]. (KJV)

To understand what Jesus is saying here, it would be good to compare how Luke
quoted Jesus’ words in:

Luk 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and
after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath
killed hath power to cast into hell [gehenna]; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. (KJV)

Matthew writes that Jesus speaks of both soul and body being destroyed in hell. In
contrast, Luke writes of throwing a person into hell after killing the person. As stated
before, some theologians’ claim that criminals during the time of Jesus, after they
have been killed, were thrown into the valley of gehenna. In Greek, the word soul is:
“psushe” which means the “life” of the person.3. Matthew’s wording of “soul” in this
way can be used in this context as a metonymy. In other words, the life here refers to
what the persons is all about; his identity as a person. So, gehenna was seen as a

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place that not only destroys the person’s body, but destroys everything that the per-
son was all about, all of his works and deeds; his humanity and identity; his “soul”.

Some theologians claim that many of the criminals during the time of Jesus, who
were killed and due to the level of their crime, were cast into gehenna, which
demonstrated the highest contempt for their crime. Jesus is, therefore, explaining
that it is not just about being killed, but the judgment that is made about the person
who is being killed. God’s judgment, as depicted by Jeremiah 19 as quoted above,
does seem to indicate that after the great slaughter in the valley of Hinnon, all the
wicked who still remain will be cast in that valley and be burned alive. The flames will
not end nor the worms stop, till there is nothing left. This seems to be confirmed in
the book of Revelations as well, which we can read in:

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh. (KJV)

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “hell” – G1067, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_Hinnom_(Gehenna)
3. Vine’s New Testament: “soul”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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10.2. Two Judgments

In this section, I would like to introduce the concept of the Lake of Fire and compared
it to gehenna. The Lake of Fire is understood by many Bible teachers as the same as
gehenna because both speak of fire that has its purpose to judge the wicked. How-
ever, there are a couple of reasons why I don’t see them as the same thing or even
occurring at the same time, for that matter. First of all the picture of gehenna always
refers to God’s judgment of the mortal bodies of the wicked here on earth, as ex-
plained in the previous section. For instance, the description of worms or maggots
eating continuously without end, till all is consumed, is typically to do with corpses
and not spirits. This will happen at the beginning of Christ’s millennial reign as seen
in:

Isa 66:20 And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of
all nations upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon
swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the LORD, as the children of Israel
bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.
Isa 66:21 And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain
before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from
one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
Isa 66:24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have
transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh. (KJV)

I believe this first judgement is also spoken of in:

Rev 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that
great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication.
Rev 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they
have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name. (KJV)

It is often assumed that this passage above is speaking of the lake of fire, as it uses

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words such as “fire and brimstone”. However, this passage speaks of what happens
directly after God judges Babylon, the fallen great city. The great white throne judg-
ment is when all the people who rejected Christ would be cast into the lake of fire,
which will be after the thousand-year reign of Christ. In contrast, the destruction of
Babylon is before Christ’s rule on earth. Furthermore, this judgment spoken of in
Revelation 14 is in the presence of Christ and His holy angles, which are contrary to
the judgment of the lake of fire. The Lake of Fire is in outer darkness, not in the pres-
ence of Christ. Finally, we see that this judgment is described as outside the city,
which is a typical description of the judgment of gehenna, as described further in:

Rev 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of
the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Rev 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of
the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six
hundred furlongs.

As stated before, the valley of Hinnon is south of Jerusalem, just outside of the city.
Isaiah gives us a little more information on this. We read in:

Isa 34:2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all
their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the
slaughter.
Isa 34:3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their
carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
Isa 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled
together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the
vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.
Isa 34:5 For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon
Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. (KJV)

Isaiah then speaks further about God’s judgment in picture form that relates to God’s
requirement of sacrifices concerning the blood, the fat, and kidneys, as described in
the first couple of chapters in Leviticus. Isaiah then writes in:

Isa 34:6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and
with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD
hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.
Isa 34:7 And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the
bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fat-
ness. (KJV)

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It is through these burning sacrifices that we read about in Leviticus that shows us a
picture of the last days, when God would execute judgment on the people for their
rebellion. Isaiah writes further:

Isa 34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for
the controversy of Zion.
Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into
brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isa 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for
ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for
ever and ever. (KJV)

God’s judgement is in Edom, which is located south of the Dead Sea, and the corpses
would then be thrown in the valley of Hinnom (gehenna), southeast of Jerusalem.
This judgment is also prophesied in:

Psa 83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against
thy hidden ones.
Psa 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the
name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
Psa 83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate
against thee:
Psa 83:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the
Hagarenes;
Psa 83:7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of
Tyre;
Psa 83:8 Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Se-
lah. (KJV)

Gehenna is clearly not the same thing as the Lake of Fire. An important point to make
is that demons and Lucifer have spiritual bodies being fallen angels. Spiritual bodies
don’t get harmed by physical elements like a physical fire or worms in the judgment
of gehenna.

Saying this, I have to make mention that there are some bible teachers who claim
that the Dead Sea, located south of Jerusalem, will become a physical lake of fire, in
which God will cast the wicket. These bible-teachers have some interesting thoughts,
due to some natural phenomenon in that area in Israel, but lacks consistency in their
interpretation, especially with their concept of fallen angels and Satan. They tend to
explain Satan and the spiritual beings as something metaphorical. I found this as an
extreme liberal interpretation, which I cannot consistently reconcile with Scripture.

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As stated, it seems from Scripture that gehennah will take place on earth as Christ
come to destroy all the evil on earth during His millennial rule, whereas the lake of
fire is for Satan and the demons that came to deceive the people and will be the final
judgment after Christ’s millennial rule on all those who rejected Christ as King and
Saviour. However, there is an exception made for the anti-Christ and the false
prophet which we read about in:

Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh. (KJV)

Before the start of the millennial, Christ comes back to earth and cast the beast and
the false prophet in the lake of fire. Many people are killed by the judgment de-
scribed in Isaiah 66 and Jeremiah 7, and their bodies are thrown into gehennah. Sa-
tan, in contrast, will be locked up in the abyss (bottomless pit/ Tartaroo) for the
thousand years while Christ ruled on earth for the thousand years with justice and
righteousness.

Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (KJV)

After the thousand years reign of Christ, Satan will be released from the abyss to de-
ceive those nations over which Christ ruled. Then Satan’s fate will be with the beast
and the false prophet in the Lake of Fire.

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the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven,
and devoured them.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever. (KJV)

Following this will be the great white throne of judgment. The dead who were not
found in the Book of Life were also cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face
the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second
death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire. (KJV)

Isa 24:18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall
fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the
snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do
shake.
Isa 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is
moved exceedingly.
Isa 24:20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a
cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not
rise again.
Isa 24:21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of
the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
Isa 24:22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit,
and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
Isa 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD
of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients
gloriously. (KJV)

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10.3. The Resurrection

Dan 7:18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the
kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. (KJV)

We saw in the previous section that the final judgment will be after Christ’s millenni-
al rule on earth. However, this final judgment brings up a very confusing topic, in that
the final judgment requires all the souls to be resurrected. The Bible teaches that
there will be two resurrections that would take place. The first one will occur when
Christ returns for the thousand years, and the second one will take place after the
thousand years. Let me start with the following passage:

The wording in Revelations 11 is a bit confusing here. We immediately assume that

this judgement refers to who is going to hell and who will receive their reward. How-
ever, this judgment is about who would be found worthy to receive the crown of life
and who would be cast in the valley of gehennah as explained in the previous sec-
tion. Concerning those who will receive the crown of life, we already saw this is when
Christ return in the clouds at the last trumpet, as described in the following passages:

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them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (KJV)

2Th 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them
that trouble you;
2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all
them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (KJV)
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Mat 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall
all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the
clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other. (KJV)

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of
the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be
glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so,
Amen. (KJV)

Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on
the earth. (KJV)

It is during this time when Christ return to rule the earth that the marriage supper

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will take place.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the
Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
God. (KJV)

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of
the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the
beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of
fire burning with brimstone.
Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh. (KJV)

These passages also verifies why the post-tribulation view seems to be the most
plausible view.

There are Scriptures that does seem to indicate that not all Christians will be resur-
rected at the last trumped. For instance, we read the following in:

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto
them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and

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for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived
and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the
second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. (KJV)

Revelations 20:4-6 seems to teach that it would be the martyrs who would be resur-
rected and reign with Christ and that the rest would only be resurrected after the
thousand years. This seems to contradict the previous Scriptures that teach that all
the saints would meet the Lord in the air and come down to rule with Christ as kings
and priests. Furthermore, the book of Revelations also seems to teach that the rest
of those who have died will only be resurrected after Christ’s thousand year rule.
What complicates the matter is there are other passages that also seem to teach that
the righteous and unrighteous will be resurrected in the end, meaning after Christ’s
rule, as described by the following text:

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and
they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. (KJV)

Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the
Son of man.
Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the
graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (KJV)

Act 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so
worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and

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in the prophets:
Act 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there
shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. (KJV)

Many Bible teachers who follows the Pre-Millennial view tries to harmonise these
passages by suggesting that these passages only teaches that both the righteous and
the unrighteous would be resurrected but that the passages does not necessarily
indicate in what order it would happen nor that it would happen at the same time. In
other words, they say one can interpret these passages by saying that the righteous
would be resurrected as Christ returns and the unrighteous would be resurrected
after Christ’s thousand year rule. Furthermore, they teach that Revelations 20:4
speaks of people already sitting on the thrones, but the martyrs are given even a
higher level in reigning with Christ. Those sitting on the thrones are the other right-
eous that have been resurrected and raptured in the clouds.

Even though this could be a viable explanation, I am personally not satisfied with
these explanations. I am considering the fact that it will only be the martyrs for Christ
that will rule with Christ during the millennial and the rest of the saints will only re-
ceive their glorified bodies for the final judgement to inherit the new heaven and
new earth. The unrighteous will also be resurrected at that time to be cast in the lake
of fire. However, my research has not come up with a better explanation to harmo-
nise these Scriptures. So, for now, you are left to make up your own mind in this re-
gard without the input of my view regarding this topic.

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10.4: The Second Death

Isa 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the
earth shall cast out the dead. (KJV)

Whenever that day would be, there comes a time when every person will have their
bodies raised to face God’s judgment. The resurrection of the bodies is a strange
concept, if we are to believe that people’s spirits are either in the presence of God or
kept in Hades. I mean, why is it necessary to have a resurrection of the body to re-
ceive a judgment when people’s souls are already judged by where they find them-
selves? It is because of this very question why there are many Christians who doubt
in the concept of a conscious soul sitting in Hades or in the presence of God, waiting
to be resurrected again to receive their final judgment. To them, the concept of
hades is merely metaphorical, and Paul’s words that to be absent of the body is to be
present with the Lord (as discussed in chapter nine) are to be understood figurative-
ly. To them, Paul speaks in a dimension that is outside of chronological time.

However, just because God does things in a way that does not always make sense for
us is not a good enough reason to try and paint those concepts over with symbol-
isms. There is enough scriptural evidence as I laid out in chapters nine that teaches
that when people die, their spirits go to Hades or they will be found in the presence
of God in a state of rest. In answering why they will be raised up in their bodies, it
would be good to explore the subject of what type of body they will be raised up in:

1Co 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body
do they come? (KJV)

1Co 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised
in incorruption:
1Co 15:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is
raised in power:
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural
body, and there is a spiritual body. (KJV)

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself. (KJV)

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Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power of God.
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but
are as the angels of God in heaven. (KJV)

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

Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body. (KJV)

The Greek word for resurrected is: anastasis, which means to “raise up”, or more
literarily “to stand up”. 1. This is in direct reference to the actual body of the person.
Paul, however, teaches that this body, even if it turned into dust, will be raised up
and changed in glory to obtain the substance of something spiritual. Some clarifica-
tion is needed here. Often, a spirit is depicted as a being without a body, like a ghost
of sorts, because of James 2:26 states that the body without a spirit is dead. Howev-
er, the Greek word “spirit” here pneumatitkos which refers to anything that is not
confounded by the laws of the material world. 2. So the bible does not only speak of a
spirit within a body but also a spiritual body that will host the soul of a person after
the resurrection. As with angels, those who are resurrected will have actual bodies,
not of flesh and blood, but still a body of similar substance to that of angels. Paul
explains it this way:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
1Co 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
1Co 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (KJV)

Paul writes that with these glorified bodies, we won’t die. However, if this is the case,
why does the book of Revelation speak of a second death?

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Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He
that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (KJV)

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (KJV)

We are getting near to the end of this book I titled: “Understanding what we
preach”. Would you believe I honestly struggle to formulate a conclusive doctrine on
this topic? For a long time, I have prayed that God would give me an answer to a
challenging question I had on this topic. I have spoken to numerous people, read
various articles on this, and yet I have not been able to find a satisfying answer to my
question. The question is: what happens to the people who are cast into the lake of
fire, which is called the second death? First of all the people who are resurrected to
be cast in the lake of fire, would not have received the same glorified bodies as those
who have died in Christ, or Paul’s words of “... O death, where is your sting?” cannot
be true, because the lake of fire is called “the second death”. This does beck the
question, what is the second death, and what has the lake of fire got to do with it?

The predominate view in the evangelical church is that the first death means a per-
son’s spirit separated from the body, and the second death would just mean a per-
son’s spirit separated from God. The technical problem with this view is that the Bi-
ble already explains that most people are spiritually dead towards God:

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (KJV)

Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by
grace ye are saved;) (KJV)

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath
he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (KJV)

Rev 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that
hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a

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name that thou livest, and art dead. (KJV)

There are many more passages, but I am sure this is making the point that people are
already spiritually dead. This means that the second death can’t mean spiritually
separated from God, as most people in the world are already spiritually separated
from God and who are awaiting the second death. If this “death” being the lake of
fire meant separation from God, the passage should have says something like “the
third death”, which it does not. Furthermore, the real problem is, if the souls of the
lost are already in Hades, why do they need to be resurrected in their bodies to be
cast in the lake of fire to continue their torment in a resurrected body? Now I did
state that just because something does not make sense, it should be no reason to
just paint the passage with metaphorical meaning.

I believe in a literal lake of fire that was created for Satan and his angels. Further-
more, I believe that people have a choice to follow Christ into eternal life, or to fol-
low Satan into the lake of fire. We are going to end up at the same destination as the
one we choose to follow. Those who follow pride and arrogance, who don’t follow
Christ’s humility of the cross, will follow Satan into hell. Christ, who is all powerful,
humbled Himself in the hands of sinners to die for them. Yet most people are to
pride to give their lives in the hands of the One who died for them. So they follow the
prideful snake or dragon to be destroyed in hell.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

On that thought; it is often quoted from Jeremiah 7:31 and 19:5 that the concept of a
fire torment never entered God’s mind. Yet is this what the passage is really saying?
The passage describes Israel’s wickedness in sacrificing their children in the fires of
the valley of the Son of Hinnom (Gehina). The argument is made that if that type of
thing has never entered God’s mind, why would God have created a lake of fire to
burn His children? There is enough evidence from Scripture that God has destroyed
people by fire and will cast people in fire and brimstone, so that type of judgement is
clearly in God’s mind. It is not the lake of fire that has not entered God’s mind, but
rather that Israel would sacrifice their innocent children to appease their god’s wrath
that God was referring to.

God never required people to sacrifice their innocent children with fire to apiece His
wrath. The only time God tested someone’s willingness to sacrifice his child was with
Abraham, but he prevented Abraham from doing any harm to his son, because it was
always God’s intent that Christ would sacrifice Himself willingly for the sins of the
world. God would never require us to sacrifice our own children for our sins. So God,

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destroying people in Gehina as well as casting them in the lake of fire for their own
sins, is clearly taught in Scripture.

Let us get back to the question, why would people be resurrected in a body, just to
be transferred from Hades to the lake for fire? I believe that the point of a body is so
that people will receive their judgment in the body, as sin has its power in the flesh.
Sin, therefore, is to be destroyed in the body by fire.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (KJV)

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

Rom 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: (KJV)

1Co 15:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from
heaven.
1Co 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the
heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. (KJV)

So the penalty of sin is death leading to the second death, and those who obey the
gospel will receive the gift of life leading to immortality.

1. Vine’s New Testament: “resurrected”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. Vine’s New Testament: “spirit”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

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10.5. Everlasting Life

Ecc 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world
in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the
beginning to the end. (KJV)

The central point of the gospel that we preach should be that we receive eternal life
because we have placed our lives in Christ’s hands by faith. However, unfortunately,
with this good news, there is also the topic of God’s judgment.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

A big point around the debate regarding the final judgment is the debate whether
those who will be cast into the lake of fire will perish or be tormented for eternity.
What is really important to realise is that both sides of the debate have to give
figurative meanings to the words that contradict their side of the debate. Let me
explain this by first looking at the argument of those who believe in eternal torment
and the words they have to give figurative meanings to harmonize Scripture.

The first example is the word “perish” in John 3:16. Those who hold to the traditional
view would interpret “perish” to mean as an everlasting, enduring state of torment
and that perishing just means a continue degrading of the soul. The Greek word for
perish is: “apollumi”. 1. In contrast to the traditional view, the basic understanding of
apollumi, literarily means something that is destroyed or lost. For instance we see
the same word used in:

Luk 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst
the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. [apollumi] KJV

The next word of contention is the word “destruction”. Paul writes in:

2Th 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
2Th 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction [olothreuo] 3. from the
presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
2Th 1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all
them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. (KJV)

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It is clear in this verse that God will punish those who do not know Him with an
everlasting destruction. The word destruction is from the Greek word: “olothreuo”
which also means: “slain” or literally “to destroy”. 3. Those who hold on to eternal
torment interpret the word: destroy here to be understood figuratively. The
figurative interpretation has to be read into the text, as this is not evident from the
plain reading of the text.

The next challenging concept, that those who hold to the traditional view of eternal
torment, is the concept of immortality and everlasting life. For instance, we read in:

Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour
and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey
unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew
first, and also of the Gentile; (KJV)

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began,
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the
gospel: (KJV)

1Co 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (KJV)

2Co 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house
which is from heaven:
2Co 5:3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.
2Co 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we
would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life. (KJV)

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The Greek word for immortality is “athanasia” which is a derivative from the Greek
word “thanatos”, meaning: “death”. So the Greek word “athanasia” just means
“deathlessness”.4. These passages clearly teach that immortality is given to those
who seek it in Christ, but those who are self-seeking will receive indignation, wrath,
tribulation, and anguish. So we faced with the question: how does the second death
of the lake of fire apply to those who have not received immorality - deathlessness?
If the gift of immortality is for those who receive the gift of life, how can we also
claim that immortality is also given to those who receive the second death? Mortality
is not inherent to the soul, as some claim, because Scripture teaches that only God
has immortality and gives this as a gift to those who seek life:

1Ti 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the
King of kings, and Lord of lords;
1Ti 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can
approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power
everlasting. Amen. (KJV)

Questions like these, makes one wonder what is the purpose of eternal torment in
the first place? What will it accomplish? Is it just God’s way to frighten people into
believing in Christ’s salvation? If not, why do we read in:

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (KJV)

Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous
into life eternal. (KJV)

Regarding everlasting contempt in Daniel 12, it literally means contempt and not
torment. For instance, even though Hitler has died almost seventy years ago, his
name still carries the utmost contempt. Matthew 25 is, however, not that simple.
Everlasting punishment, we immediately assume to mean everlasting torment. The
Greek word for punishment here is kolasis, which primarily denotes “to curtail, to
prune, or to dock”. 5. Both curtail, and prune bring the idea across to cut short or cut
off, or to reduce. The word dock brings forth the idea to cease, or anchor, to not go
anywhere. Jesus brings this idea also across in the parable:

Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree
which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (KJV)

Luk 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will

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gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire
unquenchable. (KJV)

Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and
men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (KJV)

The goal of fire is to permanently destroy all that is unclean. For instance, we read in
the Law of Moses in Leviticus 18 that when a plague contaminate all kinds of fabric,
wooden objects, tents or homes that it needed to be cleansed by water. However,
afterwards, when that plague comes back, that object needed to be destroyed by
fire. That can also be seen symbolically how God cleansed the world by water
through the flood and by it only save Noah and his family. The next judgment will be
the final judgment, where God will destroy the earth and the heavens by fire and
create a new heaven and a new earth.

This same symbolism can be seen of water baptism to cleanse the conscious, and fire
to destroy those who did not receive the cleansing of the water and the blood. Fire is
to destroy all things that are unclean, so that the uncleanness will be completely
done away with. How much more will the lake of eternal fire destroy all that is
unholy and unclean? The eternal punishment is therefore not an eternal torment,
but an eternal destruction.

However, teaching annulation one needs to interpret “eternal” figuratively. The

question, therefore, is whether the Scripture give any indication that one can
interpret eternal as something that would expire? Let us investigate an example
found in the book of Revelation:

Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great
whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood
of his servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and
ever. (KJV)

Revelation 19 speaks of a city whose smoke rose up for ever and ever. The Greek
word for “ever” is “aion”, which means “ages”. 6. The Young’s Literal translation ren-
ders verse three as follows:

Rev 19:3 and a second time they say, ‘Alleluia;’ and her smoke doth come up—to the
ages of the ages! (YLT)

It is telling that the King James bible renders “ages of the ages” as “ever and ever”.

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First of all the Greek does not use the word: “kai” – “and” but the Greek word “eis”
which the Young’s Literal translations renders correctly as “to the”. Furthermore it
uses the plural form of ages - “aionas” and “aionon”, which with consistency should
render it “forevers and forevers. Somehow the King James caused this ironies trans-
lation to become a tradition saying that makes an illogical saying: “forever and ever”,
to be an acceptable saying, which was foreign to the original Greek speakers. The
King James translation, with all the other translations that follow the King James’s
pattern is therefore an absurd translation just to keep to a man-made tradition. Let
me give some examples of the word “aion” that clearly does not mean eternity. In
the following examples, the King James translates “aion” as “world” instead of
“eternity” 7.

Luk 20:34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world [aion]
marry, and are given in marriage: (KJV)

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world [aion]: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God. (KJV)

Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was
kept secret since the world [aionios] began,
Rom 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting [aionios] God, made known to all
nations for the obedience of faith: (KJV)

Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world [aion], but also in that which is to
come: (KJV)

The Greek word “aion” or “aionios”, which means an: age, has to be understood the
fulfilment of time as appose to an unending time. Take the example found in:

Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation,
he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the
great day.
Jud 1:7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for
an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (KJV)

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It is often assumed that verse seven is saying that Sodom and Gomorrha with the
cities around them, is suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. However reading care-
fully we see that Jude is speaking of the fire that actually destroyed Sodom and Go-
morrah which Jude refers to as the “eternal fire” or the “aionios” fire. So the fire that
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, is also called “eternal fire”. One therefore have to
conclude that this “eternal fire” refers to the finality of God’s judgment on those cit-
ies and not a unending duration, because we see that Sodom and Gomorrah is de-
stroyed for thousands of year now.

God will replace everything with a new heaven and a new earth, which includes the
city which is referred as a harlot, as they are part of the old earth. The former ages
will be replaced with the all things new.

The smoke of the city could not be a literal “forever and ever”, as Revelation 21
explains that the earth and all of it will be destroyed to make way for a new heaven
and a new earth. So in the book of Revelation, we see that “forever and ever” is to be
understood as the finality of the judgment and not an infinity of time. We also see
this language used in the Old Testament.

Isa 34:8 For it is the day of the LORD’S vengeance, and the year of recompences for
the controversy of Zion.
Isa 34:9 And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof
into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Isa 34:10 It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for
ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for
ever and ever.
Isa 34:11 But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the
raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the

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stones of emptiness. (KJV)

Isaiah speaks of a judgment on earth, that is to be forever, yet animals shall possess
it. How is this possible? Again, this use of “forever” is spoken of refers to the
fulfilment of that time.

As stated the Greek word “aion” also refers to not only an age, but can also mean a
fulfilled time. In some instance it can mean a fulfilled life:

Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal
[aionios] life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal [aionios], that they might know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (KJV)

In looking at this in a rational way, we have to ask ourselves, how do we reconcile

Revelation 21:4, that there will be no more sorrow, nor crying, no more pain, for the
former things have passed away, with the fact that there will be millions of souls still
being tormented forever and forever?

To me, it looks like that each sinner will receive their punishment according to their
deeds and will be destroyed by a fire that will destroy all evil. Those of us who place
our hope in the Lord will receive fulfilment of life / immortality and will be with the
Lord for literarily forever.

Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself,
neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be
beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much
required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the
more. (KJV)

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand. (KJV)

1. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “perish” / “destroy” – G622, e-Sword 13.0.0.
2. Vine’s New Testament: “perish” / “destroy”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
3. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “destruction” – G3639, e-Sword 13.0.0.
4. Vine’s New Testament: “immortality”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
5. Vine’s New Testament: “punishment”, e-Sword 13.0.0.
6. Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, “ever” – G165, e-Sword 13.0.0.
7. https://abetterfuturenow.com/what-does-aionios-aion-eternal-mean/#meaning-aionios, 2023/01/21

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Questions and Answers

Any details I did not get to answer in this study, I try to address in this QnA section. If
I have not addressed the question that is on your mind, please email me, and I’ll try
to address them to the best of my understanding of Scripture. After our dialogue, I
will aim to insert them in my next update of this e-book.

1. You argue for post tribulation. What do you do with Scriptures that clearly
teach that God has not appointed Christians to wrath?

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ, (KJV)

The point that those who teach pre-tribulation makes with this verse is that God
would rapture Christians to save them from God’s wrath that would be poured on
earth, referring to the plagues as described in the book of Revelation. However, let
us read the whole passage to get an understanding of what Paul was writing about?

1Th 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto
you.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief
in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a
thief.
1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the
night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken
in the night.
1Th 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith
and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together
with him.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also
ye do. (KJV)

It is assumed that the wrath of God spoken of here is the plagues that God will re-

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lease on earth in the last days. However, above we see the context speaks of salva-
tion, through Jesus Christ, on judgment day, which is the same time when wrath is
executed. The judgment of God’s wrath is when Jesus comes and cast those who are
children of wrath in gehenna. Regarding the plaques on earth, that is: God’s bowls of
wrath, we can see how God preserved Israel while they were in the land of Egypt,
while at the same time pouring the ten plaques on Egypt. If God was able to protect
His children from plagues as He deems fit, why won’t He be able to protect His peo-
ple when He poured his wrath on earth again?

A second point, is that the warning and encouragement given by Paul to the Thessa-
lonian church in chapter five only makes sense if the church was going to go through
the tribulation period.

2. If you teach post-tribulation, when and where will the wedding feast take
place?

Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of
many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the
Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
God. (KJV)

It is often assumed that the marriage supper of the Lamb would occur in heaven, but
if we read further on from Revelation 19:10 onward that the marriage supper would
take place on earth:

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it
not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon
him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called
The Word of God.

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Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of
the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together unto the supper of the great God;
Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of
all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (KJV)

We saw from Jesus’ parables that there is a possibility of those who were not invited
to have access to the wedding feast. This should be an indication that the feast
would not be in heaven, but on earth. I mean, how could a person get into heaven
uninvited? This parable only makes sense if the marriage feast was on earth.

Mat 22:1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a
marriage for his son, (KJV)

Mat 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all
as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with
guests.
Mat 22:11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which
had not on a wedding garment:
Mat 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a
wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (KJV)

3. Don’t you think your teaching on annihilation instead of eternal torment will
cause people to be less fearful of God’s judgment to come, and might be Sa-
tan’s strategy to deceive people not to give their lives to God?

I have to admit that was my initial concerns. However, the opposite might be even

304
worse. I mean, say we preach eternal torment and we are wrong about it; we will be
creating a false image of a sadistic God. For instance, we preach a God of grace, mer-
cy and love, but who finds it necessary to torment souls for eternity to accomplish
justice. Even though the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, it is God’s goodness
and love that brings people to repentance. For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son that they should not PERISH, but have ETERNAL LIFE.

I believe the meaning of “Eternal” is the Greek word: aion meaning “ age” which is
rendered from: aionios which means “un-defined time period”. 1. In other words the
duration depends how long it takes to destroy evil. Immortality is given to those who
are saved, not those who are destined to perish.

4. You have not spoken much of what happens after the final judgment when
there is a new heaven and a new earth. What will that be like, and what will
paradise be like?

2Co 12:2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I
cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one
caught up to the third heaven.
2Co 12:3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot
tell: God knoweth;)
2Co 12:4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words,
which it is not lawful for a man to utter. (KJV)

Rev 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the
paradise of God. (KJV)

Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with
me in paradise. (KJV)

Scripture does seem to indicate that heaven is synonyms to paradise. Unfortunately,

besides this, I have not investigated this subject, to have formulated a better under-
standing of this topic. On the topic of a new heaven and a new earth, there is a de-
bate, whether the original text speaks of a renewed heaven and renewed earth or an
actual new heaven and new earth. I am prone to believe in a complete new heaven
and new earth, because I believe that is what the Greek word kainos, for new 2.
means. Furthermore, the context of what Peter explained also seems to bring that

305
idea across.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the
heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat?
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (KJV)

However, I do not think it really matters, as it actually comes down to the same
thing, and therefore, from my perspective it is irrelevant semantics.

As stated in the beginning, please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

You are blessed in Jesus the Christ.

1. Vine’s New Testament: “eternal”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

2. Vine’s New Testament: “new”, e-Sword 13.0.0.

306
3. Bibliography

A. Boshoff, Church at Home, Durban, South Afrika, Independent digital e-book, 2021

Andrews University Seminary Studies, Vol. 46, No. 2, 201-214. Copyright © 2008
Andrews University Press. EVENING OR MORNING: WHEN DOES THE BIBLICAL DAY
BEGIN? J. Amanda McGuire & Berrien Springs, Michigan

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, THE REV JOHN

MCCLINTOCK, D.D., JAMES STRONG, S.T.D., 1895, e-Sword 13.0.0

Genealogy from Adam to Jesus, compiled by AI Yelland, intenet resource:

www.yelland.ca, 18 October 2020
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/jewish-calendar.html, 6 August 2021

Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), The Septuagint (LXX), edited by Alfred Rahlf, Pub-
lished in 1935; public domain, e-Sword 13.0.0

Gustaf Aulèn, Christus Victor: An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea
of Atonement [1931], trans. A. G. Hebert (New York: Macmillan, 1969), Internet
source: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/christus-victor-
theory-of-the-atonement/#_edn1, 3 July 2021

https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/web-
apps/bizagiltd1588016439160.coronapass?tab=overview, 11 Aug. 2021

https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/how-long-were-the-israelites-in-egypt/
14 Oct 2021

https://campbellstreet.org/blog/2020/04/08/passover-blog, 17 Oct 2021

https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-news/reparative-power-relationships, July
2021

https://www.compellingtruth.org/Gog-Magog.html, 08/06/21,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, 2022/06/11

https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/the-passover-symbols-and-their-messianic-
significance/, 17 Oct 2021

307
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Ten-Plagues-For-Ten-Gods, 23 June 2021

https://talmidimyeshua.org/lawgiven.htm, 20 April 2021

https://walvoord.com/article/250; https://enduringword.com/bible-
commentary/daniel-9/, 7 Jan 2021.
https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/jewish-calendar.html, 6 August 2021

https://www.ancient.eu/article/701/ancient-mesopotamian-beliefs-in-the-afterlife/,
6 April 2019.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/, 23 March 2019

https://www.calendar.com/blog/introduction-to-the-hebrew-calendar-12-facts-you-
should-know/, 5 Oct. 2021,

https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/the-penultimate-supper, 9 Oct. 2021

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/987524/jewish/Why-Babylonian-
Names-for-Jewish-Months.htm, 14 Oct. 2021

https://www.compellingtruth.org/when-gospels-written.html, 14 Oct. 2021

https://www.jewfaq.org/calendr2.htm, 5 Oct. 2021

https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/sites/default/files/public/resources-
ideas/cj/classics/11-29-11-calendar/counting-day-night.pdf, 10 Oct. 2021

http://www.stat.rice.edu/~dobelman/Dinotech/10_Eqyptian_gods_10_Plagues.pdf,
29 June 2021

http://www.talkgenesis.org/heart-of-the-earth/

https://talmidimyeshua.org/lawgiven.htm (20 April 2021)

https://www.worldhistory.org/Egyptian_Hieroglyphs/, 29 June 2021

https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/AboutIsrael/Spotlight/Pages/Jewish%20Fes
tivals%20in%20Israel.aspx, 6 Augustus 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=, 27 July 2022

308
J. Gresham Machen, D.D., Litt.D. New Testament Greek for Beginners, Macmillan
Publishing Company, New York, 1951,

James Strong, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890, public do-
main, e-Sword 13.0.0.

Justin Martyr - Dialoque with Trypho Ch 17-35. & First Opology Ch 67, Translator.
Rev. M. Dods, M.A., Rev. G. Reith, M.A. 21.1.0 (ANF 1:0), e-Sword 13.0.0

King James Version of the Holy Bible (also known as the Authorized Version).
Published in 1769; public domain.

McReynolds, Word study Greek-English New Testament, Tyndale House Publishers,

Inc. Wheaton, Illinois, 1998

Paul R. McReynolds, Word Study Greek-English New Testament, Tyndale House Pub-
lishers, Inc, (Wheaton, Illinois 1990).

Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, e-Sword 13.0.0.;

Tertullian - An Answer to Jews - Ch II. Translator: Rev. S. Thelwall, 2.1.0 (ANF 3:0), e-
Sword 13.0.0.

The Epistle of Barnabas. (Cont.), part 2, The False and the True Sabbath. Translator
not given, 15.2.0 (ANF 1:0), e-Sword 13.0.0

The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians. Let us Live with Christ. Translator not giv-
en, 9.1.0 (ANF 1:0), e-Sword 13.0.0

W.E. Vine, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words,
W.E. Vine Copyright Ltd., Bath, England and Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN (Bath,
England & Nashwille, 1984, 1996.) “gospel” e-Sword 13.0.0

Word Study Greek-English New Testament, McReynolds, 386, 1998.

309
Contact:

Durban, South Africa:

Email: research@eduquip.com
Angelo: 082 7811 405

310

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