The longing of my heart and prayer to God. Chapter two. Romans 10:14-21.

Paul throws out another of his questions.

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 

How will they believe in Him, whom they have not heard? 

And how will they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14 NASB)

We have nothing beyond the conversation from the thief on the cross near Jesus, to explain anything this man believed, but he obviously did believe. Paul, in Romans 10:14, seems to imply that the respectful thief must have heard; this strikes me odd when the only one doing any preaching is Jesus. The aforementioned thief and Saul, the pharisee, both heard and saw Jesus in action. Because our decisions have consequences, the thief paid quickly for his actions, and yet received the gift of life with the Father. Saul, on the other hand, had followers of Christ jailed and killed, and still, God significantly used him to spread the gospel. Did Saul/Paul pay for his sins here on earth? It would seem he did.

Paul again asks.

How will they preach unless they are sent? 

Just as it is written, 

"HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"  

(Romans 10:15 NASB)

Who and what did Paul have on his mind when he asked this question?

J Vernon McGee says this:
“Paul shows that there must be messengers of the gospel who have credentials from God. Paul, you recall, began this epistle with the claim that he was a called apostle of Jesus Christ (see Rom_1:1). There follows a logical sequence. Preachers must be sent in order for people to hear that they might believe, for they would not know how to call upon God. Paul pinpoints all on believing; this, therefore, necessitated his ministry.”

I am not sure I agree with what we deem qualifications. I, for example, have learned simply by engaging my head in the Word of God and asking questions about virtually everything I read, in contrast to someone from theology school. Assuming that I am qualified to preach the gospel, the opportunities have not arisen as I thought they might; this leads me to occasionally think I have not been sent. Personally, I think that we are all evangelists to some degree.

That being said, does everybody receive what we are saying?
NO, and Paul had the same problem.

However, they did not all heed the good news; 

for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" 

(Romans 10:16 NASB)

Once again, I turn to J Vernon McGee.
“The Jews, his own people, hated the apostle Paul even though they applauded Saul, the Pharisee. He is revealing the logic of his position. They rejected his claim, or the right of any of the apostles, to proclaim a gospel that omitted the Mosaic system which had degenerated into Pharisaism.”

Recently, a brother in Christ threw out a challenge/question at me. He asked, why do preachers preach from the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) when Paul received new teaching, which is referred to as a mystery?
 Having learned not to answer such things so quickly, I hesitated, and in a matter of seconds, this guy began answering his own question. Such events are typically a good sign that the person asking the question wasn't interested in obtaining an answer, but was bent on spewing his opinion. This man is typically boisterous, and unwilling to conform to what the Word of God says. Several minutes passed, and other conversations arose; however, I resurrected the subject of the gospels. I pointed out that all scripture is useful and, therefore, fair game to teach or preach from.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 MKJV)

He retorted with, but the gospels were concerned with the law, and Paul preached that we are free from the law.” Don't you wish that were true, but it is not for Jesus said, I have come to fulfill the law.

Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17 MKJV)

Look at these verses.

For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when the nations, who do not have the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law unto themselves; who show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or even excusing one another, 

(Romans 2:13-15 MKJV)

Having demonstrated that the law is written upon the heart, allow me to show you one more verse that might convince you that WE cannot set aside the law.

There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith, do we truly fulfill the law. 

(Romans 3:30-31 NLT)

A question, how did Paul open this letter to the church in Rome?

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God, to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 

(Romans 1:1 NLT)

Writing with emphasis to a Jewish community, Paul uses a term that should be offensive to anyone, slave; for slaves, whether by force or by choice, have submitted their entire lives to the disposal of someone else. I will tell you something deadly serious to me; I have come to understand that I can't do this on my own, and desperately need a savior, even to the point of considering myself enslaved to him.

Why say all this? Because Paul makes it very clear that “they,” the Jews, “did not all heed the good news.” Paul referenced a passage from Isaiah to indicate his awareness that barely any of the Jewish community are accepting the message of freedom and grace.

"Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 

(Isaiah 53:1 ISV)

There is a reason for this conversation. The point is this, Before you trust, you have to listen.

But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.

(Romans 10:17 MSG)

So, the logical assumption is that Israel has had plenty of voices speaking to them about faith and grace.

"But, I say, isn't it rather that they didn't hear? No, they did hear— Their voice has gone out throughout the whole world and their words to the ends of the earth." 

(Romans 10:18 CJB)

Paul still queries,

So the big question is,
Why didn't Israel understand that she had no corner on this message? Moses had it right when he predicted, When you see God reach out to those you consider your inferiors—outsiders!— you'll become insanely jealous. 

When you see God reach out to people you think are religiously stupid, you'll throw temper tantrums. (Romans 10:19 MSG)

Paul then tells us, He was found by a people who were not looking for Him.

Then Isaiah was bold enough to say: "I have been found by a people who were not searching for me; I have made known myself to people who were not asking to know me." 

(Romans 10:20 Williams)

Cold shoulders and icy stares.

Then he capped it with a damning indictment: Day after day after day, I beckoned Israel with open arms And got nothing for my trouble but cold shoulders and icy stares.

(Romans 10:21 MSG)

If this says anything to you, it should say rejoice, because we are seeing the birth pangs the Holy Spirit told us about in Matthew 24:8.

The longing of my heart and prayer to God. Chapter one. Romans 10:1-13.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved.

I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal.

They don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself.

Refusing to accept God’s way,

they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law;

for Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.

As a result, all who believe in him (Christ) are made right with God.

(Romans 10:1-4 NLT)

What is the foundation of Paul's statement?

Paul tells us that the law that Moses wrote about (the Torah) and said that whoever can perform the law will live by it. At first glance, that does not seem like such a bad thing, as there were only ten ordinances to follow; and, the law/Torah brings about a momentary righteousness.

(As I try to put flesh and blood on this act of sacrifice that brings righteousness, I picture a man leaving the temple with a satisfied look on his face because he knows that he has just covered his sins for the year. Only moments later, some camel jockey cuts him off on the way home and he retaliates with some curse and a few hand gestures. At that moment, he realizes that he just threw a year's worth of righteousness out the window; and, he must wait until next year. What if something happens and he dies of a heart attack the next day? Can you see the problem in that system? The sacrificial system did not change the person.)

Perhaps, a corresponding verse from Deuteronomy might give us an angle that sheds some light.

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." (Deuteronomy 6:25 TNIV)

So then, the Torah would be their/our righteousness, but what does that do with God, since God, knowing that we cannot maintain a righteous condition, and therefore He has to be our righteousness?

Paul has an answer to that question as well. (You may have noticed that Paul's style of writing is one in which he asks questions. In asking questions, he is trying to get you to think. It does not demand an answer, as Paul does not ask questions for which he does not have an answer.)

But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." (Romans 10:6-11 TNIV)

It isn't about one's ability to follow the rules; it is faith in the fact that God raised Him from the dead so that you too could have life. Did you pay attention to the line that says, for Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given? So Christ, as the final sacrifice, paid the price necessary for our righteousness; all that is left is to accept and believe this is so.

Earlier in Paul's letter to the Romans, he pointed out that God leveled the playing. In other words, NO ONE people group has an advantage merely because they are Jewish.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:22-24 TNIV)

(Side note: Romans 3:23, a passage that we religious folk use to point out that everyone is a SINNER isn't trying to make that point at all, it is pointing out that WE ALL have a massive problem and NEED a savior. Since the playing field is leveled, then NO ONE has an advantage, and all must come to Him. God is not withholding His love and grace from anyone.)

Notice how Romans 10:11, in the TNIV, says, “anyone who believes in him.” There are a few translations of this, and this is what they say, Everyone, Whoever, or Whosoever. What does that mean? It means that anyone is welcome into God's family.

Since the concept of belief has multiple possibilities, then perhaps God has the grace to accept faith in a variety of forms. Let me be first to respond negatively to this statement.

There is only one way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ.

But what does that look like?

When we look at Matthew 25, the story of the sheep and the goats, and understand that these people being brought before the great white throne (I know it does not specifically say that, but the component pieces are there if you are willing to look,) are those from among the nations that have died. (I can guarantee that at this point you are not comprehending the immensity of this statement.) The nations, to a Jew, has always meant someone outside of God's grace. For the believer, it was us, but now means those whom we perceive as not accepting Christ's love. How would I know any of that? Think in terms of chronology. Since we, the church, are not subject to the wrath that God will bring upon this earth, then we are going to be caught up to meet Him/Jesus, in the air, and forever be with Him. These, from among the nations, did not get caught up. Standard religious thought arbitrarily assigns these to hell. Obviously our thinking is wrong on this, as SOME are given access, And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' (Matthew 25:35-36 MSG)

Some might see this as works, and if we have learned anything, it is that works don't cut it, faith does. There is something far deeper about God's love than we could have imagined.

For the thief on the cross, his faith was beyond simplistic.

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

(Luke 23:39-43 NASB)

Allow me to break this passage from Luke's gospel down for you.

1. One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, saying,
   “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Luke 23:39 NLT)
   Well, He is the King of the Jews – both then and now, and Jesus did not defend Himself, He did not need to. Neither of the thieves knew what Jesus was about to do, and the resulting salvation that would come to, NOT only Jesus but billions of followers.
2. The other thief, rebuking the first, answered,
   “Do you not even fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41 NLT)
   Where and how did this thief come to the understanding that there was a God to fear?  Since I assert that belief is not so tightly defined, then how do we explain what this man has said?
   Despite what he may have heard about Jesus, he believed.
3. What happened next? The thief, having acknowledged that Jesus had done nothing wrong, said to Jesus,
   “Yeshua, remember me when you come as King.” (Luke 23:42 CJB)
   Most of the time, because we Gentile believers struggle with Jewish understanding, and therefore ignore it, read this as, when you come into your kingdom. This concept of a kingdom, for many, throws this scene beyond the thousand-year reign of Christ over the earth. Jesus' response to the thief proves that concept to be wrong. My question to you then is, when will Jesus return to earth as the King? What the Jews longed for then, and expect now, is for Yahshua to come as the warring, conquering Messiah. This triumphant arrival is what we see in Revelation 19:11 when Jesus comes back to earth as the Messiah riding a white horse. (If you hold to the idea that this Bible we read is a Jewish book, then information, such as we see in Revelation 19, will begin to make sense to you.)
   Merely being a Jew does not exclude you from breaking laws, and this man surely broke enough to get himself hung. Although, considering the Roman propensity for hanging people to make a statement, I am not surprised he is there next to Jesus.
4. Jesus response to the man who is demonstrating a form of belief,
   “What I'm about to tell you is true. Today you will be with me in paradise.”
   (Luke 23:43 NIrV)
   There was an emphasis on Jesus' words to the man. Now whether Jesus said, “what I am about to tell you is true,” is debatable, but the effect emerges from the scripture, and virtually every translation proves this out. Jesus was telling the man, beyond all doubt, that TODAY the man would be with Him in paradise.
   “Paradise is a Persian word and was used for an enclosed park or pleasure ground. The word occurs in two other passages in the N.T. (2Co_12:4; Rev_2:7), in both of which the reference is plainly to heaven” (Robertson, Word Pictures, vol. 2, p. 287).

So let's get back to Romans 10:11 for a moment. Look at this verse in the New International Readers Version.

“But I will bless any man who trusts in me. I will show my favor to the one who depends on me.” (Jeremiah 17:7 NirV)

The Word Study Dictionary says this about the Hebrew word for trust.

bāṭaḥ: “A verb indicating to trust, to be confident. It expresses the feeling of safety and security that is felt when one can rely on someone or something else. It is used to show trust in God. …, and people.”

The Strong's concordance tells us this about the word trust.

To hide for refuge (but not so precipitately as H2620); figuratively to trust, be confident or sure. H2620 is the Hebrew word khaw-saw' and means to flee for protection.

Strong's shows us a word I was not familiar with, precipitately. The word means hastily, with rash haste, without due caution.

It seems that the only time we run without due caution is when we are in imminent danger. God, on the other hand, desires that we run to Him regularly, not because we are weak and out of control, but because He is love and longs to show us that love. To prove my point, you will be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to give their life to save you. Oh sure, there is always that one person that makes the news, but they aren't your friend. God, on the other hand, put Himself on that cross, for you, when you hated Him or were so distanced from Him that you did not want Him to see your face.

Answer me this is that something that we do, flee to God for protection? Israel fled to God, but only when things got completely out of control. I have done that myself, and things were indeed out of control. So for us, this concept seems to be a standard, but is it God's?

Did the thief on the cross, that gained acceptance into paradise, put his trust in God?
Obviously, he did, for Jesus himself said, “what I am telling you is true, this day you will be with me in paradise.”

Did the thief who gained the assured acceptance into paradise, go through all the standard religious practices? There is no practical way he could have done that. I believe it is safe to assume that this man was a Jew as well, and would have known what the law required for repentance, and how that blood, spilled in sacrifice was the decreed way to gain righteousness at this time. Sadly, the man was in no position to do any of that.

Another piece of evidence, on behalf of the thief, was that he could recognize that Jesus had done no wrong. How would he have known that and by what standard could he have made that kind of assessment? (We assume that the thief was not a Jew. It would appear that our assumption is wrong, once again.)

In studying the early chapters of Romans, I commented on how Paul spoke of God leveling the playing field. Well, here it is again.

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

(Romans 10:12-13 NASB)

Can you not see that the thief on the cross, called upon the name of the Lord?

Next time we will pick up at Romans 10:14 and finish this out.

Is there injustice in God? Romans 9:15 - 27. Part two of two.

We previously looked at Romans 9:14 where Paul asked the question, is there injustice in God?
Paul answers his own question with, Of course not!; Paul continues with what we see in Romans 9:15-16.

Romans 9:15-16 NET. For he says to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (16) So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

Where does this showing of mercy come from?
Exodus 33:18-19 NET. And Moses said, "Show me your glory." (19) And the LORD said, "I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy."

Moses merely asked to see God's glory. That was an all-encompassing request, for, as we learned, His Glory shows up in everything. If God was going to be narrow-minded about whom He showed his grace and mercy, why start with Moses, for he murdered a man? Why show any of those things to any of us, as we are all embedded with this sin nature?

What is the one passage that gets read for most salvation pleas?

John 3:16 NASB "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

If John 3:16 shows us anything, it shows us a God that was willing to put Himself on that cross for a world that did not love Him.

Does that demonstrate a God who handpicks those He will show grace and mercy to, when, in fact, it is a demonstration of how He shows grace and mercy to all who will follow after Him?

To reiterate.
Romans 9:16 NASB So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

We cannot do this on our own, and it is God who demonstrates mercy. Now here comes the one verse that seems to slap us around more than any other. I will give you the MKJV first.

Romans 9:17 MKJV  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth."

What scripture?
And Jehovah said to Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, So says Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. For I am going to send at this time all My plagues upon your heart, and upon your servants, and upon your people, so that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For now, I will stretch out My hand, that I may strike you and your people with plagues, and you shall be cut off from the earth. And for this, I have made you stand, to make you see My power, to declare My name in all the land. Do you still exalt yourself against My people, that you will not let them go? (Exodus 9:13-17 MKJV)

There is a phrase here that I want to focus on for a moment, and I want to look at the NASB to do it.

"But, indeed, for this reason, I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. (Exodus 9:16 NASB)

The Hebrew word for reason is abur and also means on account of.

God was not punishing a human just because He felt a need to be vindictive; there were many reasons. When we look at the context, which I have given in Exodus 9:13-17, you can see several clues as to why God used Pharaoh in this manner.

1. Pharaoh, regardless of whether he respected the word of Moses or not, was under a mandate to release God's people; he chose to disregard that mandate.
2. We learn that Pharaoh was warned that plagues would come: upon his heart, the heart of his servants, and the heart of the Egyptians – your people. While the plagues go beyond annoying, they were meant to demonstrate that God is in control, NOT some Pharaoh. Let us make something understood, God's people did not belong to Pharaoh, but they had foolishly given their hearts to Egypt. Scripture proves this out, and we see it when Stephen addresses the Jewish council who intends to kill him. He provides the council with a history lesson, which none of them disputed, and Stephen added, “your people, brought the tent of Moloch and the star of Rephan out of Egypt with them. You can find this story in Acts chapter seven but look specifically at verses 39, where their hearts turned back to Egypt, and verse 43, which tells us that they brought the tabernacle of Moloch.

Romans 9:18 CJB  So then, he has mercy on whom he wants, and he hardens whom he wants.
Should this perceived attitude problem cause us problems? Why should it, aren't we currently living in God's enduring grace?

Keep something in mind. Joseph, under the control of a different Pharaoh, was raised to the second-highest position in the country. Nobody did anything in Egypt without Joseph knowing about it. Did that Pharaoh care? Not at all, in fact, Pharaoh relaxed knowing that a Godly man was in charge. But almost four hundred years have passed, Joseph has long since died, and Israel is still in Egypt and growing in numbers. This new Pharaoh, who knows nothing of Joseph, nor cares, is concerned about one thing, this vast number of people could turn against him, and therefore, must be quickly controlled and sedated.

Dr. J Vernon McGee tells us that, “God hardened Pharaoh's heart, it means that God forced Pharaoh to make the decision that was in his heart. God forced him to do the thing he wanted to do. There never will be a person in hell who did not choose to be there, my friend. You are the one who makes your own decision.”

So the assumption made by the foolish is that humanity has no choice, when, in fact, their course of action to reject God is their own making. God merely helps to get them there.

Romans 9:19 TLV  You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”

Assuming that we lack a choice, some will say, why then still find fault in people, for who can resist God's will? The Message translation gets right to the point in response to the question we see in verse 19.

Romans 9:20 MSG  Who in the world do you think you are to second-guess God? Do you, for one moment, suppose any of us knows enough to call God into question? Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, "Why did you shape me like this?"

I think the obvious answer NO ONE knows the heart of God, the way the Son did. One way for me to understand this is that our antenna is broken, and as James says, we look through the glass darkly. But also pay attention to this sentence: “Clay doesn't talk back to the fingers that mold it.” Now that should straighten the hairs on the back of your neck.

Romans 9:21 MSG  Isn't it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans?

Well, of course, He does, and I suspect He has the right to reconfigure us as it suits His needs, not ours.

Romans 9:23-24 MSG  and another style carefully crafted to show his glorious goodness, isn't that all right?  (24)  Either or both happens to Jews, but it also happens to the other people.

And we are the other people who were adopted into this relationship. Adopted but Sons none the less, and since we are sons, we are obedient.

Romans 9:25-26 MSG  Hosea put it well: I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved.  (26)  In the place where they yelled out, "You're nobody!" they're calling you "God's living children."

Romans 9:27 NLT  And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, “Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.

Concerning Israel, only a remnant will be saved. What does that mean?
Several things. The meanings can be wrapped up in an understanding that not all will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and it can also point to Israel's end-times destruction. I believe this is what is conveyed in Ezekiel 38, 39.

Romans 9:28 NLT  For the LORD will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.”

The notion of a sentence, as used here, has to do with judgment. When does God bring judgment?
Only when He has removed those who are to be excluded in that judgment, will He pour out His wrath upon the earth for seven years. We have two ways of considering this time frame, in contrast to what Romans 9:28 tells us.

1. Seven years is a drop in the bucket compared to the last two thousand or so years we have been waiting for Christ to return and catch the church away.
2. Since Paul uses the term finality, then we are thrust forward in time to the end of those seven years, to the time when Jesus will come riding back on the scene on a white horse. It is then that much of what we see as justice will be delivered. If you are familiar with this story in the Revelation, then you are aware of the speed with which it transpires.
3. For those that love to argue, there is one last judgment However, it is for slightly different reasons, and that is the great white throne judgment. This judgment comes after Christ, and a few others have been reigning over the earth for a thousand years. Satan gets released at this point and deceives the nations. Remember, the nations are those that are outside of a relationship with Christ, and there is surely the opportunity during the 1000 year reign.  Those nations, under the guidance of Satan, try to kill God; however, God consumes them all with fire, and they too are brought before the Great White Throne. This moment in time ends all judgments forever, and the rest of us all live happily ever after.

Romans 9:29 NLT  And Isaiah said the same thing in another place: “If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of our children, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.”

Paul got this from Isaiah 1:9 NLT
If the LORD of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.

But this has a familiar ring to it.
Isaiah 10:21-23 NASB A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. (22) For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. (23) For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

Romans 9:30-33 NASB What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; (31) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, (33) just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

• “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; (31) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law?”
• Why did Israel not arrive at that law?

HE WHO BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

I have had to rethink my position.

This is my commentary on an excerpt from Chris Perver’s post “The Rapture of the Church.

The post by Chris, in its entirety, can be found here.
http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/articles/13-prophecy/14-the-rapture-of-the-church

There was one section in particular that challenged a position I had been espousing for several years, about the one hundred and forty-four thousand Jewish men who are marked with a seal for protection, it seems, merely from God's wrath. To make a point, I presumptuously advanced the idea that at a minimum there would be 144.000 survivors that walk into the millennial reign. How perfect would that be, as they could immediately go into teaching mode during the 1000 years.

This position that I took was evoked by a “Christian teacher” who advocated that NO Jews enter into the millennial reign of Christ. I suppose that is just another way of telling a bunch of men that would come back at this "leader" with hostility, that he believes in replacement theology. Seeing as I can see that a relatively small number of Israelis leads to the idea of survivors. (At least 2/3's of Israel get killed in my bible. Assuming that these numbers are correct and there are eight million people in Israel today, that would leave about 2.7 million survivors.) That information, and the fact that Paul said heaven and Earth would have to pass away for that to happen, make God's elimination of His people an impossibility. I don't want to go into detail on that here, but I strongly suggest that you read your Bible, and stop buying into the fairy tales religion feeds us.

My comments are in Times New Roman, the excerpts from Chris's work are in quotes.
144,000 Jews

“Throughout John's description of events on Earth during the Tribulation period, the Church is never mentioned. But Israel is frequently mentioned. In chapter 7, we read how God commands the angels to not hurt the Earth until He has sealed 144,000 Jews with His Holy Spirit. These 144,000 witnesses, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel, will go throughout the world in the last days and preach the gospel of the kingdom. If the Church remains on Earth during the Tribulation, then why is the Lord recruiting Jewish believers to do the work He commanded the Church to do in Mark 16:15? The Rapture must have occurred before the start of the Tribulation period for this reason. After the Rapture, the Church will no longer be able to witness for Christ on Earth. God can't be without a witness to men, and we know that there will be an untold multitude saved during the Tribulation period (Revelation 7:9). So a remnant of the House of Israel is sealed with the Holy Spirit to be a witness to the world of impending judgment and the need to turn to God for salvation.”

144,000 killed during the tribulation period?
“Some say that the 144,000 Jews are the remnant of Israel that will survive the tribulation and that the Church at this time will still be witnessing on Earth. This following information is something I just noticed recently in discussion with a good friend of mine, so correct me if I'm wrong. I believe that Israel, as a nation, will not be saved until they recognize their Messiah at the end of the tribulation period (Zechariah 12:10) when Christ comes. The 144,000 Jews are saved at the start of the tribulation period and are killed for their witness by the Antichrist (Revelation 13:7). In Revelation 14, the 144,000 are in heaven, which implies that they were all killed for their witness.”

Revelation 14:1-3 NET. Then I looked, and here was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (2) I also heard a sound coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, (3) and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

“The fact that these 144,000 are in heaven before Christ's Second Coming, and the resurrection of Old Testament Saints, which happens after the tribulation period, is explained in verse four. The 144,000 Jews are called the “firstfruits unto God.” The Feast of firstfruits was when the Israelites offered the food they gathered at the beginning of the harvest for a thank-offering to God. Firstfruits also speaks of resurrection, and Jesus is described as being the “Firstfruits from among the dead,” or the first Man to be resurrected in a new body, never to die again. So the 144,000 are the Firstfruits of the salvation of Israel, and of the resurrection of Old Testament Saints.”

Revelation 14:4 NASB These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

1 Corinthians 15:20 NASB (20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

“After the 144,000 are slain, God is still not left without a witness. In the following verses, several angels take up where the 144,000 left off and preach the gospel to the whole world.”

---

Here is where things took a turn for me, as I had been telling people, especially those that espouse that no Jews enter into the millennial kingdom, that the 144,000, at minimum, would enter the millennial reign.

This statement, “after the 144,000 are slain,” prompted me to look intently, once again, at the scriptures surrounding our introduction to these young men, and what appears to be their demise. We are introduced to the 144,000 in Revelation 7, where we are told what tribes they come from, and that they are sealed. This sealing, which we see in Revelation 7:3, tells us that they are sealed to protect them from the “hurt,” which is about to come upon the earth. This hurt is directed at the earth, the sea, and the trees. The problem is that we assume that this grants them immunity from harm and death throughout the time of wrath; as we will see, it does not.

I have a question, how does God create such havoc that He destroys the earth, sea, and trees, and not impact humanity, which is living here? The answer is, it does affect people. Just look at these two passages from Revelation 8.

Revelation 8:6-7 NASB And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. (7) The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The first thing we see is hail and fire mixed with blood coming from the skies; because of this, a third of the trees are burned up along with ALL the green grass. Whatever this event looks like, it is nothing we have ever seen before; and you can't have an event of this magnitude without people dying, and yet, at this point, the 144,000 are protected. WHY? Because this is specifically a part of God's wrath and it would seem that these men are protected from God's wrath. Now we have another problem to deal with and that is that God also uses people to bring about His wrath. It is difficult to NOT see the false prophet as a tool that uses to punish Israel, but there is always the possibility that this person is entirely committed to Satan's team. I realize that is not an answer, but I cannot recall seeing a good explanation for these guys being killed by the false prophet. If it makes you feel any better, the two witnesses sent from are, after 42 months, allowed to be killed.

In Revelation 14, we see the 144,000 and their validation as virgins, but, as you read the entirety of Revelation 14:4, you can see that it is merely a description of these young men.

Revelation 14:4 NASB These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

Since there is very little in scripture that is not validated by some other passage, typically in the OT, I was curious to see if there was a correlation. Perhaps Revelation 3:4 is it.

Revelation 3:4 NASB 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:4 suddenly takes on a potentially new meaning, as it talks about “a few” who have not soiled their garments, and how they will walk with me because they are worthy.

Something noteworthy. We, to the demise of comprehension, assume that some passages, like what we see in Revelation 3:4, speaks to the exclusion of Jews; it does not. Those of you who have been with me for a time, have already endured my commentary on the fact that this Bible we claim to study, is a Jewish book, and that every question should be addressed initially from that point of view.

John, in writing the Revelation does something peculiar when he says, to what we assume is a crowd of Gentiles, you are of the Synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 both use the terminology the synagogue of Satan. Just about everyone assumes a little of something about Satan, but I can just about guarantee that NOT everyone knows what a synagogue is unless they are Jewish.

Now we talked about who these young men were, but we bypassed the distinct, ominous event that happens between Revelation 14:1-4.

Revelation 14:1-3 NASB Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him, one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. (2) And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. (3) And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.

In trying to grasp where the Lamb is standing, I did a little cross-referencing, which led me to Hebrews 12:22.
It says “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels” (NASB)

When did we come to Mount Zion? When we became followers of Christ Jesus. I know, it doesn't seem like you did, but your adoption, in God's eyes, was complete, and WE are not excluded from anything – even if we don't see it yet.

So, is it possible that the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion, is in this instance, in heaven?

The answer is yes, but why? The answer to that question is in the book of Hebrews, where the writer talks about earthly priests who are serving a copy and shadow of the things in heaven.

Hebrews 8:3-5 NASB For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer. (4) Now if He was on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; (5) who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, "SEE," He says, "THAT YOU MAKE all things ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN WHICH WAS SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."

In my pursuit to understand what was happening here, I, too, made the assertion, the Zion event happens when Jesus comes back to earth and physically touches down. However, to make that scenario work, I have to have the 144,000, in unison, meeting Jesus there on the physical mount, and that only happens, in my narrative, at the end of the seven-years of wrath. This train of thought would make them survivors, and send them into the thousand years we call the millennial reign. Since I now get the picture that Zion originates in the heavenlies, then it is easy to perceive Christ in the heavenlies with these young Jewish men. (Why is this statement I just made important, because we, in Christiandom, loosely refer to Jesus coming back when we speak of the catching away of the Church - which is the rapture, and use the same terminology when we refer to when Jesus physically comes back to earth. In the process of catching the church away, we rise to meet Him in the air. At this point, He does not "touch down," and there is a dramatic difference.)

The next thing that threw me for a loop was Revelation 14:2.

Revelation 14:2 NASB And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

We have nothing that associates the 144,000 with harps aside from this scripture. Remember, words carry weight, and just the association with harpists created imagery of people playing harps, and that is not the case. The NASB's usage of the word “voice” also inadvertently misdirects. A version such as the Complete Jewish Bible does a better job of translating.

Revelation 14:2 CJB  I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing waters and like the sound of pealing thunder; the sound I heard was also like that of harpists playing on their harps.

John tells us he heard a sound like:

• rushing waters;
• pealing thunder,
• and like that of harpists playing.

Having done some camping when I was younger, I found the sound of rushing water to be, at times, loud, but and relaxing; I suppose you could equate it to white noise, which drowns out all other sounds. Pealing thunder, depending upon how close you are to it, can be relaxing as well; however, up close, with the associated lightning strikes, it represents danger. Harpists, on the other hand, can fill your very being with emotion and beauty; and, Revelation 1:15 describes God's voice as being like the roar of many waters. If I were to make an assumption as to what this magnificent noise was, I would say it was God's voice.

Note that a portion of the next verse says.
Revelation 14:3a. NASB And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders;
Almost as if a magician had misdirected us, one would assume the subject of the word “they” is the harpists; it is NOT, and we figured out why.
Now pay attention to the song that is being sung, and that brings us to the second half of Revelation 14:3.

Revelation 14:3b. NASB and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.

This is NOT harpists singing; it is the one hundred and forty-four thousand witnesses.

Now, if the witnesses are in heaven, how did they get here? For the answer to that, we have to go back to Revelation 13:4-7.
(4) they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?" NASB

Who is the dragon? That one is easy, it's Satan, but you want substance.

Revelation 20:1-2 NASB Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Although unrelated to the dragon, in the Book of Ezekiel, we find God, referring back in time, to Pharaoh, and calling him that great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers.

Ezekiel 29:3 NASB "Speak and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers, That has said, 'My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.'

Therefore references such as the dragon and the great monster are analogous symbols.

Who is being referred to when it says “they” here?
The assumption is that it is the global population of Gentiles, and that may be true. Still, since we know that the beast is primarily a middle East phenomenon and that he calls for peace, then we can logically assume that he is an influential Islamic leader, capable of pulling the Islamic world together for some form of order, for 42 months.

(5) There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.

This is the false prophet that scripture speaks of, and he becomes the mouthpiece of the Antichrist. Anyone discerning wants to know who this guy is, and so did Daniel the prophet.

Daniel 7:24-25 NASB 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. (25) 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

In Daniel 7:23, we see “a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.” (NASB)

So this character arises out of the fourth kingdom. Traditional religious teaching tries to attribute the fourth kingdom to the Roman Empire, but that doesn't work. If you have done a fair amount of studying Daniel's writing, then you know that the first three kingdoms are clearly spelled out, with the first being the Babylonian empire. An interesting aspect of the Babylonian empire is that almost all of the northern kingdoms, such as the Persian empire are a part of the Babylonian empire. The fourth kingdom takes some discerning but is pieced out for us in Daniel. Consider the Grecian empire as they played a role in this through Alexander, but it isn't simply Alexander, it is those who gained control after him. Now we are looking at the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires - offshoots of the Alexandrian empire. These last two had all the intrigue of a soap opera on the television, as there was intermarrying for power, and every descendant of Noah represented. These two empires are the basis of who the world is dealing with today; and, in a sense, has never ceased to exist since. It seems most struggle to comprehend what is going on in Daniel 11, but in a nutshell, that is the story I have just told you. In brief, this is the beginning of the Persian empire, as well as the European royalty, and a few others.
Assuming, because of what I just told you about the Persian empire, that the fourth kingdom is Islamic in nature and ideology, then you might expect that this mouthpiece will also be Islamic, but Islamic prophecies indicate that the man is a Jew, of the lineage of Aaron, and therefore, by heritage, capable of operating as the high priest in the new temple. Such a man has already been appointed as the high priest for the new temple when it gets built, his name in Rabbi Baruch Kahane.

(6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

But I thought you said he was the high priest in the NEW temple that will be built. It doesn't make sense that he would suddenly blaspheme against God?

No, it sure wouldn't, unless Islam got to him and changed his heart toward God.
But wait a minute, wasn't this the problem with Israel from the day they walked out of Egypt?

Stephen, in the book of Acts chapter seven, tells us that, when Moses did not return from the mountain, that they convinced Aaron to make them the god of their choice; in doing so, they turned their hearts back to Egypt.

Acts 7:39 NET. Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts,


The point of this is, Egypt had to be there, embedded in their hearts already for them to return to it.

And finally Revelation 13:7
(7) It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation were given to him.

In verse 5 of Revelation 13, we saw that the Antichrist was given a spokesperson. That spokesperson, according to Islamic prophecies, becomes the enforcer of Sharia law on a global scale.

Jesus, in Matthew 24, said this.

Matthew 24:15-22 NET. "So when you see the abomination of desolation -- spoken about by Daniel the prophet -- standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (16) then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. (17) The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house, (18) and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. (19) Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! (20) Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. (21) For then, there will be great suffering, unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. (22) And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

The false prophet is given the power(?) to:

• Make war with the saints.
• To overcome them.
• And, he is given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

Again, what is the point?

If I take Matthew 24:22 literally and assume that the world is dealing with Sharia law when this happens, then it is easy to imagine that these 144,000 Jewish young men will be killed for their testimony of Jesus, just as so many others will be.

Revelation 13:15 is apparent when it says

The second beast was empowered to give life to the image of the first beast so that it could speak, and could cause all those who did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (NET)


Because we see them, the 144,000, in heaven, on Mount Zion with Jesus, we know that they did not bow their knee to anyone but the Father.

Why I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church

I found this article on the internet entitled “The rapture of the Church.” It was written by Chris Perver in June of 2007 and posted to his website (http://www.prophecynews.co.uk/articles/13-prophecy/14-the-rapture-of-the-church). To be honest, I was at first hesitant, but I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to pursue what this young man was saying. I found it speaking clearly and distinctly to my heart. Why is any of this important? Because I had a pastor, unprovoked by me, accost me and tell me that I was not to study or share anything about end times events for five years. I get that I am supposed to give honor to my pastor, but NOT when he is advocating that I abandon what I have learned from God's Word; abandon what the Holy Spirit has been teaching me; and, abandon what the Apostle Paul has taught me. The Apostle Paul told Timothy ...

1 Timothy 6:3-5 NASB If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, (4) he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, (5) and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 ASV Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto you guard through the Holy Spirit which dwells in us.

The words I found here are almost word for word discussions I have had with God about this very subject. In other words, what I came to understand about the rapture of the church, and what this young man understands is remarkably similar.

If you want to understand the pre-tribulation rapture, then check out the link below.

Source: The rapture of the Church