God has fixed a day when he will judge the world with justice. He will do it through his Son, our LORD Jesus Christ. He has made this clear to all people by raising him from the dead (Acts 17: 31). All humanity will stand before the judgment seat of our LORD Jesus Christ. He will reward people for what they have done during their lifetime (2 Cor. 5: 10).
" ... For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. …" (1 Cor. 3:11).
Everything that we think, say or do is known by GOD. Our lives will be evaluated by him (Heb. 4: 13).
On the day of judgment, when Jesus comes in blazing fire with his angels, he will punish unbelievers who "do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (v. 8). Their punishment will be everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1: 7 - 9).
When our Lord Jesus Christ comes with his angels, he will sit on his throne with great power and glory. All people, from the creation of the world to the day of his coming, will stand before him. He will put the righteous on his right and the unrighteous on his left (Matt. 25: 31 - 33).
"Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (v. 34).
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (v. 41) ....
The unrighteous will go away to eternal punishment, and the righteous to eternal life (v. 46).
GOD'S CALL
If God commands you to do something, I would like to encourage you to do it. God will always enable you to accomplish whatever He has called you to do. I am speaking from the experiences of others and my own experience.
What God commands you to do may seem to be extremely difficult or impossible. But do not be fearful. When God commanded Noah to build the ark there were no shipbuilding schools. Noah believed that God would bring a flood and destroy all life. The ark was massive. It was four hundred and fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide and forty-five feet high. The ark had three decks (Gen. 6: 13 - 17). The ark was built and it survived the flood. When the floodwaters receded to the tops of the mountains, the ark rested on Mt. Ararat (Gen. 8: 4).
God speaks to us in different ways. You will know when He calls you. Please remember that serving God is a great honor.
NOTE - (italic - mine) scriptural quotation, scriptural paraphrase, scriptural quotation (emphasis)
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
WHAT IS A COVENANT? STUDY # 4
A covenant is a solemn agreement between God and man. God initiates the covenant.
THE FIRST COVENANT
God made the first covenant with the Israelites. Under this covenant, they were God's chosen people. The covenant utilized laws, regulations, feasts, holy days, a Sabbath day observance, animal sacrifices, a human high priest and a tabernacle for worship. Tabernacle worship was replaced with temple worship when the Israelites entered the promise land. God gave the Israelites the Sabbath as a sign between them and himself (Ezek. 20: 10 - 20). God found fault with the people because of their unfaithfulness and he promised to make a new covenant with them, both to Israel and Judah (Jer. 31: 31 - 34; Heb. 8: 8). Although the new covenant was promised to Israel and Judah, Scripture asserts that the new covenant is for the world.
God loved the world so much that he sent his only Son to die on the cross for its sins. Any one who believes in him will receive eternal life and will not go to hell (John 3: 16).
THE NEW COVENANT
When our Lord Jesus Christ breathed his last "the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom" exposing the Holy of Holies. No longer was there a need for a human high priest and animal sacrifices. Our Lord's death was the final sacrifice. The new covenant was then in effect thus making the first covenant and all the practices that were associated with it obsolete, including Judaism. Under the new covenant, anyone, Jew or Gentile who receives Jesus Christ as Savior/Messiah becomes a child of God.
All who received Jesus, all who believed in his name, he enabled them to become children of God (John 1: 12).
The apostle Peter wrote to Christians who were scattered throughout the Roman world.
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Pet. 2: 9).
The apostle Paul informed the Galatians:
You have become sons of God because of your faith in Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no distinction because of your background or gender, you are one in Jesus. If you have received Jesus as your Savior then you are Abraham's descendants and heirs in keeping with the promise (Gal. 3: 26 - 29).
As children of God we are indwelt by God's Holy Spirit.
The apostle Paul writing to Corinthian believers stated:
I wish to remind you that you are God's temple and that His spirit lives in you (1 Cor. 3: 16).
Since believers are sealed with God's Holy Spirit (Eph. 1: 13 - 14); we can live lives that are pleasing to God by manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in our daily walk.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law associated with the fruit (Gal. 5: 22 - 23).
We can also live lives that are displeasing to God and in so doing grieve the Holy Spirit.
Born again believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. They are exhorted not to grieve Him (Eph. 4: 30).
A WARNING TO BELIEVERS
The apostle wrote to the Galatians:
If anyone observes a law and does not continue to observe everything written in the Book of the Law, he/she is under a curse (Gal. 3: 10).
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you become children of God, for those who were baptized into Christ have been clothed in Christ.
Under the new covenant there is no ethnic, status or gender distinction because believers are all one in Christ. Anyone who belongs to Christ is a seed of Abraham and therefore heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3: 26 - 29).
The Colossians had strict counsel from the apostle Paul:
Do not allow anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or regarding a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These were only a shadow. The reality is found in Chris (Col. 2: 16 - 17).
The new covenant is based on faith and faith alone.
Christ became a curse for us and therefore redeemed us from the curse of the law. He did this that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Him, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3: 13, 14).
As children of God, how should we live?
1) proclaim the death of our LORD by engaging in Holy Communion (1 Cor. 11: 26)
2) do the good works which God has prepared in advance for us to do (Eph. 2: 10)
3) live holy lives (Heb. 12: 14)
Make an effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12: 14).
NOTE - (italic - mine) scriptural quotation scriptural paraphrase
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
THE RAPTURE STUDY # 5
What is the rapture? The rapture is:
1) The gathering of people before Jesus (Matt. 25: 32).
2) The gathering of people to Jesus (2 Thess. 2: 1).
3) The catching up of people in the clouds to meet Jesus (1 Thess. 4: 17).
4) Appearing with Christ in glory (Col. 3: 4).
5) The gathering of our Lord's elect (Matt. 24: 29 - 31).
The word rapture is not found in the Scriptures. It is derived from the Latin verb "rapio" which is used in the Latin Bible. It means seize, snatch or catch up. Many books have been written about the rapture. Theories abound.
They are:
1) The pretribulation
2) The midtribulation
3) The prewrath
4) The posttribulation (The last day, the end of the age)
Of all the rapture theories, the pretribulation is the most popular. A number of Bible Colleges teach the theory and many ministries preach it. But, is it scriptural? Satan did not stop with Adam and Eve. Lies! lies! lies! The pretribulation, midtribulation and prewrath rapture theories are BIG LIES. The pretribulation theory had its origin in 1830. A woman, Margaret Mc Donald, in a church in Scotland pastored by Edward Irving, in an utterance claimed that there will be a "secret rapture of the church before the Great Tribulation." The concept was spread by John Darby, a pastor and author, and it was kept alive by the Scofield Reference Bible.
Today, all over the globe, pastors, authors and Bible teachers feed believers with the BIG LIE of a pretribulation rapture by falsely referencing 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 - 17. These verses describe future activities but they do not state when they will occur. The apostle Peter informs us that there will be one future coming of our LORD and it will take place on the day of judgment (THE DAY OF THE LORD - THE DAY OF GOD), thus proving that the second coming and the coming down from heaven for the rapture are the same event (Matt. 25: 31 - 46; 1 Thess. 4: 16 - 17; 2 Pet. 3: 3 - 13).
The apostle's teaching proves unequivocally that the pretribulation, midtribulation and the prewrath rapture theories are false. The pretribulation, midtribulation and prewrath rapture theories are Satanic. They reject the teaching of our LORD and his apostles and that of Dr. Luke.
Those who preach, teach or believe in a pretribulation, midtribulation or prewrath rapture, all state that the righteous will go into eternity before the unrighteous. But the one whose voice will cause the dead to rise and whose command will make the rapture happen, taught that all people will go into eternity at the same time.
When our Lord Jesus Christ comes with his angels, he will sit gloriously on his throne (Matt. 25: 31). ... He will put the righteous on his right and the unrighteous on his left.
He will say to the righteous: 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world" (Matt. 25: 34).
And to the unrighteous he will say: 'Depart from me, you who are cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels' " (Matt. 25: 41).
Our LORD taught that the resurrection will take place at the last day, thus making the last day the time of the rapture.
"And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day" (John 6: 39).
The apostle Paul informed the Thessalonians that the rapture will occur on the day of the Lord after "the man of lawlessness" (the Antichrist) is revealed (NIV).
Regarding the coming of our Lord and our gathering to him, do not be deceived by a prophecy, report or letter as coming from us advising that the day of the Lord has already come. Do not allow anyone to trick you by any means. Two things must happen before that day arrives. There will be a rebellion and the Antichrist will be revealed (2 Thess. 2: 1 - 3).
The apostle Paul shared a mystery with the Corinthian believers. The resurrection, the transformation and the rapture will happen after the last trumpet is sounded.
Pay attention, I share a mystery with you. We will not all die, but we will be changed in a moment when the last trumpet is sounded. When the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised never to die again and the living will be transformed (1 Corinthians 15: 51 - 52).
The apostle John stated that the time for judging the dead will be after the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Since there will be one resurrection of all the dead (John 5: 28 - 29), therefore, the rapture will take place after the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
"The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great - and for destroying those who destroy the earth" (Rev. 11: 18).
Dr. Luke informs us that our LORD must remain in heaven until the time when God will restore everything.
"He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets" (Acts 3: 21).
Since God will restore everything on the day of judgment by creating a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3: 13), therefore, our LORD will remain in heaven until the day of judgment. Thus making the second coming and the coming down from heaven for the rapture a single event (Matt. 25: 31, 1 Thess 4: 16 - 17).
The rapture will take place when our LORD sends out his angels to gather his elect immediately after the tribulation (Matt. 24: 29 - 31).
The rapture will take place when our LORD comes in his glory (Matt. 25: 31 - 32).
The rapture will take place when our LORD is revealed from heaven in blazing fire (2 Thess. 1: 7).
On the authority of the word of God, we conclude that the rapture will take place:
1) At the last day (John 6: 39).
2) On the day of the Lord (2 Thess. 1 - 2; 2 Pet. 3: 10).
3) After the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15: 51 - 52).
4) After the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11: 18).
5) On the day of judgment (2 Pet. 3: 7).
6) Immediately after the tribulation (Matt. 24: 29 - 31).
7) When the Son of Man comes in his glory (Matt. 25: 31 - 32).
8) When our Lord is revealed from heaven in blazing fire (2 Thess. 1: 7).
" ... Come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22: 20).
NOTE - (italic - mine) scriptural quotation scriptural paraphrase
"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright c 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."
CopyrightⒸ 2022 by Joseph E. Mahabir (B.A Hons. Psy. (York University, Tor.), M.Ed. Educ. Admin. (University of Toronto), M.A Biblical Studies, MAGNA CUM LAUDE, (Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA, USA).