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larris
Registered Member
Date Joined Mar 2004
Total Posts : 181
| Posted 6/15/2004 9:19 AM (GMT -6) |   | The Cornerstone of the Resurrection.
John 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: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
When Jesus states I AM something our ears should perk up, because it denotes a central part of what he taught the very essence of who he is.
Eph. 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Jesus is the resurrection, Jesus is the cornerstone. Jesus teaching of the resurrection IS a fundamental part of the cornerstone of the scriptures.
Luke 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
John 5:26 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 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.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, (when the hour of that resurrection comes.) yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth (is alive at the hour when that resurrection comes.) and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
This is also exactly what the Apostle and disciples of the Lord then taught after his resurrection and was the cornerstone of all they taught.
First to the Jews.
Acts 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And also to the Gentiles.
Acts 17:Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
Now many of the Jews, (except that is for the Saducees) believed in a bodily resurrection of the just. But this was a whole NEW teaching to the Gentiles. It was not new to them that Christ himself could have been raised from the dead to ascend to heaven, that concept was in many cultures and religions. What was totally NEW to their hearing, was that someday ALL the dead would rise from their graves. This was TOTALLY NEW!
Acts 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said,
Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
BECASUE HE HAS APPOINTED A DAY, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Paul then preaches to the resurrection of all the dead, “plural”) And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead (plural), some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
This was exactly what Jesus taught and totally NEW, no religion had ever conceived or heard of such a thing before. They had heard of individuals being raised from the dead to immortality, such a belief was common, but NEVER that all men would at some point be raised from the dead some to everlasting life and some to everlasting shame and contempt. This was The Resurrection all the apostles preached.
Don’t you see how GREAT this is? So many critics and haters of Christianity have written books against the Lord and against Christian belief in him, along the lines of his own personal resurrection being NOTHING NEW. Stating as they do many times, that Christianity stole or adopted this belief from the pagan nations around them. And it can be proved that it was a very common belief that certain men were raised from the dead to godhood. They use this a proof to convince the unsuspecting that Jesus is nothing special.
So if and when you ever run into one of these types who spout this sort of thing, you don’t have to refute his facts, that the pagans also had those believed to have raised from the dead to immortality. You just present him with THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD “plural”, and say “Here find that”. For it is not just Jesus himself but also what Jesus taught concerning the resurrection, that is the CORNERSTONE of true Christianity.
Paul and all the other Apostles taught the Resurrection of the ALL the Dead, as the cornerstone the foundation of the true faith in Christ. In fact all of the truth of Jesus teachings comprise that cornerstone of truth. The Apostles being built upon that cornerstone, then expounded upon what Jesus previously taught.
Acts 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 in the prophets: 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. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.
Not only was the accurate teaching of the resurrection of the dead one of the firsts foundational aspects of their preaching of Christ. The teaching on the Resurrection of the dead was also one of the first doctrines that men began endeavoring to corrupt.
1 Cor. 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Here is a verse we should read in “context”.
2 Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
Our study and rightly dividing of God’s Word revolves around the foundational teaching of the resurrection. Any time someone comes up with some bright idea concerning the resurrection it is because they have studied the scriptures and misunderstood them. On the one had Paul had the some of the Corinthians saying there was no resurrection, on the other hand you had Hymenaeus and Philetus teaching the resurrection was PAST already.
The accurate teaching of the resurrection is not just the foundational teaching of the gospel, it’s corruption is also the foundational perversion of the gospel that would eventually permeate Christianity leading to full out apostasy before the Lord Jesus returned. On this teaching hangs every grain of wheat and every tare, because the holding on to the truth of what Paul taught concerning the resurrection determined one’s standing in that resurrection. Look here at the context of what Paul wrote above to the Corinthians, which we have already looked at.
1 Corinthians 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (12) Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Paul taught these Corinthian believers, who were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit,
what is a VERY highly debated subject amongst Christians today.
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, IF ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Paul directly tied salvation in with the accurate teaching he had given on The Resurrection of the dead. He told them they were saved IF they kept in mind what they had originally received from him. And then goes directly to just what they were NOT keeping in mind, the teaching on the resurrection of the dead, showing that the accurate teaching and understanding of the resurrection of the dead is the cornerstone of Christianity.
The accurate teaching on the Resurrection of the Dead is inseperably linked to the return and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. In perverting and changing it’s teaching in any way, also led to the corruption of teaching regarding the return of the Lord.
1 Thes. 4: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:
Perverting and changing the teaching in any way, also led to the corruption of teaching regarding the return of the Lord. The corrupted teaching regarding the resurrection and the return of the Lord was something continue to develop on up to the actual time of the Lords return. At which time the teaching would be a complete antithesis and opposite teaching from what was originally given to the Apostles by Jesus Christ himself. This perverted understanding of the scriptures would eventually lead to Another Gospel, Another Spirit and Another Jesus. Hence a counterfeit in the place of the original which is what the word “anti” meaning “IN PLACE OF” means.
Another gospel, another spirit, another Jesus, hence another Christ in place of Christ, hence an “ANTI-Christ”, an “IN THE PLACE OF CHRIST”. When John wrote of the “antichrist” being in the world even at his time, he was referring to the beginning of the corruption of the original understanding of the scriptures and what the Apostles taught.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
All that it takes to deny that Jesus is the Christ, is to deny what Jesus originally taught. John told these first century believers that had already been taught the original gospel, “If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.” ” This is the same thing Paul told the Corinthians when he said: “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. And it is the same thing Jesus taught in Matt 24, when he said, “Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many.” MANY today come and say that Jesus is the Christ, and yet they teach things totally contrary to what he taught regarding his return and the day of the Lord. They have taken Paul’s letter and twisted them by their teachings into seeming to say things they do not say.
Both John and Paul wrote to believers who had previously been established in the truth, but who were either seducing others away from that truth or being seduced by others away from the truth. They were being turned away from the true faith, by the perversion of the understanding of that faith. To be turned away from what Jesus originally delivered to his Apostles was to be turned away from Jesus himself. Therefore any divergence from the understanding of the original teaching took one out of Christ. For to be IN Christ was not just to have believed on him and his resurrection, but to believe all he taught as the Apostles taught it.
The epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and that of John to the Christians he wrote to show two different yet inseperably linked doctrines that were in the process of first being perverted. With the Corinthians it was the teaching on the Resurrection. With those John wrote to it was the teaching on repentance of Sin. These two doctrines were inseperably linked in that repentance of sin was preached for the obtaining of the Resurrection.
John said he wrote to his people because of those who were endeavoring to seduce them away from the truth. His three epistles are full of admonishment stating that to be in Christ, one had to walk in the light as he was in the light. The teaching he was combating was that you could still be in Christ, and walk in darkness. In other words saved no matter what kind of life style you continued to lead AFTER you came to Christ initially, or in today’s vernacular “once saved always saved”. And again in other words, you could partake of all God’s blessing regardless of your behaviour because of GRACE. In essence teaching exactly what Paul said we should not do, which was to continue in sin that GRACE would abound. And what Jude called “turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness.
These two teachings, the perversion of the Return of the Lord and the resurrection of the dead, along with the perversion of the grace of God leading people to think that they could still walk in darkness and be saved, would mark the final great falling away, called the Apostasy, which would take place among the children of God immediately preceding the Lords return. As the Jews so corrupted the understanding of the Scriptures that they did not recognize Christ when he came to them the first time, So ALSO would the Gentile Church so corrupt the teachings of Jesus Christ that they would for the most part not recognize the true teaching regarding his second coming.
The reason that they would not recognize his second coming is because they would have a complete and total opposite teaching of his second coming, his return than what He originally delivered to his Apostles and they in turn taught to those in the first century. Not only the teaching of his return would be totally reversed, but every other major doctrine he taught would be so corrupted as to make it into the EXACT OPPOSITE of what was originally delivered to the saints of the first century by the Apostles. This would be done primarily through study and interpretation, hence the wrong dividing of God’s word, just as it started with Hymeneaus and Phyletus.
The question one has to ask themselves today almost 2000 years later is, “Is what I believe about Christ what was originally delivered to the apostles or have I somehow been tainted with a perverted interpretaton of that Gospel?”
The word “anti” dose not just mean “against” but literally means “IN THE PLACE OF”. It only comes to mean ‘against’ in that it has taken the place of the original. Once those of the first century left that original teaching accepting in it’s place the perverted interpretation of the scriptures, they became “anti-Christ”, by putting a counterfeit in the place of the original. A counterfeit twenty dollar bill is designed to look as closely as possible to the original. A counterfeit gospel would also be designed to look as close as possible to the original. Chances are that you or I having presented before us two twenty dollar bills, one genuine and one counterfeit would not be able to tell the difference between them. However an expert is trained to recognize the counterfeit twenty dollar bill, from the genuine in that he knows every detail and aspect of the genuine, so as to be able to recognize the counterfeit.
The Apostles knew every detail and aspect of the gospel that Jesus delivered unto them. Therefore they recognized any counterfeit interpretations coming into the Church. Those they taught were supposed to recognize and reject any divergence from what they were originally taught by the apostles. Yet because some did not adhere to this, they not only left the original teachings, they convinced others to follow them. So the question becomes for us in this day and time, since we were never taught the original gospel by the Apostles in person, were we presented with a counterfeit that was simply a continuation of the perversions the first century believers eventually accepted.
Paul had to write to the Thessalonians due to the perversions of teaching regarding the resurrection and the return or “parousia” appearing of the Lord, that “some” were endeavoring to teach them. In his letter he not only admonishes them not to be afraid or shook up as that the day of Christ is at hand, meaning in this case presently upon them. But he also reveals that eventually there will be a complete and false teaching of the appearing and revelation of Christ, which must come first before Christ himself literally comes.
2 Thessalonians 2
1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 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.
Let no man deceive you by any means:
Paul is simply stating the very same thing that Christ taught the other Apostles first and then taught Paul regarding his return.
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [the] Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Then Paul goes into detail on what Jesus taught here as recorded in Matthew 24, regarding the MANY THAT WOULD COME IN HIS NAME, and deceive MANY. Remember how we discussed previously how changing the meaning of the original teaching of Christ produced ANOTHER GOSPEL. This is not another entirely new gospel, in that the writings themselves are corrupt, as it is the interpretation of those writings. The production of another gospel by changing the meaning then produces the following.
2 Cor. 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Now it there REALLY “ANOTHER JESUS”? No there is only one Jesus Christ. But when the understanding of what he originally taught is corrupted in the mind of a man, it produces an IMAGE in place of the real Jesus in that man’s mind. It’s a mirror image and not the real Jesus. When you look at your self in the mirror every aspect of who and what you really are become exactly the opposite to the original. Your left hand becomes your right hand, and you right your left. Your left eye, and ear becomes you right eye and ear and your right your left.
Paul is speaking to the Thessalonians about this IMAGE, which is ANOTHER JESUS, a counterfeit in that it is a “mirror” image in which everything is reversed concerning what Jesus taught, that MANY believers will hold in their minds at his return.
for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasy) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
What is the temple of God?
Eph. 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
The temple of God is composed of all the believers in Christ fitly framed together, who collectively grow as time goes by into the holy temple of the Lord. Beginning with Jesus Christ as the chief corner stone and proceeding with the apostles who taught after him, and the prophets who taught concerning him and then as each individual accepts and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ they are added to that building.
Paul states that something will come into that building to present it’s self as GOD to us, while at the same time actually opposing and exalting itself above everything that is called God or worshipped.
for that day (the day of Christ, beginning with his return) shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasy) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 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. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
What is it that will sit in the temple of God? ANOTHER JESUS, a mirror image produced by the complete and total corruption and understanding of what the REAL JESUS taught. This “image” will be in the minds of many Christians before the return of the Lord. At the time the Lord returns there will be an IMAGE of him, in the minds of Chirsianity collectivly that is not true to who and what he really is and what he really taught. This was called the “mystery of iniquity”, and is based on diabolical methods of studying God’s word, to produce false impressions of what it is really saying.
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Who let’s this deception go on? Who is the head of all principality and power? No one can be deceived unless Jesus allows it. He dose not produce it, not does he make it happen, he just ALLOWS it to continue on up to the time of his return. The question is WHY would he do such a thing?
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
The real Christ allows this deception, this false teaching, this false portrayal of himself, and the production of his IMAGE to continue, in order to determine who truly loves him and who dose not. Remember Jesus said I am the way, THE TRUTH and the life. Therefore in not receiving a love of the TRUTH, people do not truly love Jesus. They love something they call Jesus, an false impression and image of him they carry in their minds, but they do not love he himself as he really is. Therefore they must corrupt the understanding of the Scriptures which declare him, and present to themselves an IMAGE of him that is something more to their liking.
11 ; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
It is an unrighteous thing to corrupt the words of the living God. A person can be righteous in every other area of life and yet if he believes a twisted understanding of the gospel, he is considered “unrighteous” by God. That is why the word also states that “Satan’s minister’s shall become minister’s of righteousness.” For they will teach a form of morality based on scripture and yet corrupt the understanding of everything else, especially his return and the resurrection of the dead.
This IMAGE, this wicked image that sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, this false mirror image of Jesus and all he taught will be destroyed when the Lord shows up in person. Where will it be destroyed? In the MINDS of men who claim to believe in and follow him. Once you have the REAL DEAL, the REAL JESUS, speaking the REAL WORD and staring you in the face, any false concept you had of him is blown to smithereens. At the time the Lord returns to raise the dead in Christ, and to gather together those living that are believing his accurate teaching, many will be believing a false doctrine of his return.
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he (this false image of Jesus that people have.) might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he Jesus who now letteth (this deception take place) will let (this deception take place), until he (this false image of himself) be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked (false image of Christ along with all the false teacings about him.) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
When the REAL JESUS shows up, any and all false concepts those who do not know the truth hold of him, he will demolished. Many will mourn what they have believed and repent while others will fall deeper and deeper into the deception of the false gospel they have been believing, and ultimately believe that the Lord himself is the anti-christ, while holding on to their false image of him.
Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with (AMIDST not “with”) ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Again Paul tells those in Thessalonia who he wrote to and had PREVIOUSLY taught all these things to, that like the Corinthians they must hold fast to what he and the other apostles originally taught.
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Obtaining to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, in our day, is finding the truth, and then believing and living according to that truth so as to OBTAIN to your part in the resurrection of the dead, the cornerstone of the teaching of the Gospel. Paul did not do what he did to obtain to a secret rapture. Paul did what he did to obtain to “the resurrection of the dead”.
Luke 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Philippians 3
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
One aspect of that very resurrection of the dead that Paul sought to obtain, was that WHEN that resurrection took place not every believer in Christ would be dead. Hence at the time of the resurrection those alive in Christ would be caught up and changed along with those who had died previously.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, (when the hour of that resurrection comes.) yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth (is alive at the hour when that resurrection comes.) and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 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.
Paul taught the EXACT SAME THING Jesus taught his other Apostles. To say that Paul taught something different, something secret and special to a secret and special Church is to produce an IMAGE of Jesus in the minds of believers that is not only not true, but a strong form of Idolatry. As I stated previously the both Jesus and the apostles foretold that the gospel would eventually be completely perverted into the exact opposite of what Jesus originally taught. Jesus taught that the resurrection and the gathering together of the living saints found faithful in the REAL HIM, would not take place until AFTER a certain time.
Matt. 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: 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. 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.
The NEW Gospel today teaches that the saints will be gathered together IMMEDIATELY BEFORE the tribulation. This is one among many false teachings that produces the EXACT OPPOSITE of what he originally taught. Why do the tribes of the earth mourn when they see him coming? Because they had a false image produced in their minds of who he really is by what others taught about him. This dose not just include Christians, but also all those over the entire earth who hold to one false image or the other of him.
However I believe that in the end of days immediately preceding his return that there will be a great unification among the religions of this world, in to a Christian type religion, in which those in charge of it, will have great powers of lying signs and wonders which when performed among the nations undergoing great tribulation, will cause them to believe in the false IMAGE of Jesus within his very own Holy Temple of believers alive at the time.
Just as Jesus performed many miracles himself while here on earth, the false Jesus composed in the minds of MANY believers will though ANOTHER SPIRIT distribute power among them to perform lying signs and wonders. During the Tribulation, there will be great sickness and famine. Just as Jesus healed the sick and fed the multitudes, so will some of these produce the same types of wonders. This will in turn lead many to convert and follow THAT WAY, and accept that false IMAGE of the REAL CHRIST. This IMAGE speaks in that it is a SPIRIT that speaks in the minds of those who receive this false gospel and gives them revelation and the power to produce lying signs and wonders.
Where as Jesus said he would return and establish his kingdom on earth, himself, in person, the false teaching of the Kingdom of God, will have man establishing something they call the kingdom of God WITHOUT THE KING. These individuals will eventually gain almost complete governmental control over the entire earth in the name of Christ. And though at first they will seem like the answer to the worlds prayers, eventually they will get tired of being patient with not only those people of the earth who do not want to follow them, but especially of those Christians who are preaching against them and speaking the truth. Christians will hate and despise and betray one another more than ever during this time.
Only an accurate understanding of the teachings of Jesus upon which the whole understanding of God’s word is unfolded, will save you from falling prey to the deceptions of the last days. Allowing you not only to escape all those things that shall come to pass, but if you are alive at the time of the Lords return to be caught up together with him, being saved and escaping the wrath of God that will then be poured out on those who perverted his teachings and set up a false IMAGE of him in the minds of the whole world.
Though the Pre-Trib Rapture doctrine is now a part of the false teaching leading to the complete apostasy and falling away of the Saints before the Lords return. It is not meant to last. It is there just to prime people to accept the final great lie.
Isa. 32:6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand. Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women (the term ‘women‘ represents the Churches): for the vintage shall fail, THE GATHERING SHALL NOT COME.
What the Churches call the “RAPTURE”, a word not used in the Bible, the Word of God calls the “GATHERING”. When the tribulation begins, it will start slow with wars and rumors of wars, just like has taken place ever since Jesus left. But as things progress over many days and years the Churches and those in them will become troubled, for the gathering shall not come. Consequently they will have to leave that false doctrine and in the midst of great turmoil seek for an answer, and in this time they will be more open to deception than ever before, ushering in the last final and great LIE, and bringing to complete fulfillment the MYSTERY OF INIQUITY.
I think it’s interesting that the translators of the NIV, who’s doctrinal background is STRONG in dispensationalism and pre-trib rapture belief, totally takes the word “gathering” out of it’s translation.
10 In little more than a year you who feel secure will tremble;
the grape harvest will fail, and the harvest of fruit will not come.(NIV)
Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women for the vintage shall fail, THE GATHERING SHALL NOT COME.(KJV)
Such translation are based on the false doctrine of the apostasy, who would endeavor to hide any scripture whatsoever that might seem to indicate that their IMAGE of Christ is not the REAL DEAL. And while I stated that the prodution of a false gospel is based mainly in the perverted interpretation of the actual words of Christ and the apostles, in the end they will also pervert the actual gospel by the production of such translations. This must be done to a greater and greater degree to the point where we have what are called bible translations, but which are really not mere translations at all, but INTERPRETATIONS published with the name “BIBLE” on the cover.
If the Lord Jesus Christ was and is the IMAGE of the invisible God, then any IMAGE we have of him in our minds, be in through interpretaton of the scriptures, or perversion in translation, produces a false IMAGE of God with in our minds. The more who hold to a false IMAGE of God, the more this false IMAGE is set up in the temple of God. In the end there will be MANY more who hold to a FALSE image of him than to his true image, and this will usher in the end of the age, and the return of the Lord, being as it is the apostasy, the falling away from the truth faith. And it is this IMAGE that the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming. However many will be so strongly deluded that their pride will not allow them to even believe him in person. Let us hope that we are not of that number, who will be so obstanate and hard hearted that even the Lord in person speaking the truth with the sword of the spirit and in the power of his father, will not convince and convict us of the truth.
Now that really would be a STRONG DELUSION wouldn't it!"
In Christ
larris
"If you continue (abide and live) in my word, then you shall be my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Jesus Christ. (John 8:31) | | Back to Top | | |
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Nessie
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Date Joined Jun 2003
Total Posts : 14
| Posted 6/23/2004 7:49 AM (GMT -6) | | | | |
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