A fairly typical response to my assertions on Matthew 24:24. Who is the elect, and can they be deceived?

 Within a couple of hours of posting on Matthew 24:24, Who is the elect, and can they be deceived?  I received a comment. I am showing you this because this is a fairly typical response. At least this one is readable.

She said, “All very interesting. Note that Matthew 24:22 (KJV) and Matthew 24:24 (KJV) speak of 2 different groups, ‘the elect’ and ‘the very elect’. It is not possible for ‘the very elect’ to be deceived. I believe that ‘the elect’ of 24:22 refers to the Jews, while ‘the very elect’ could very well be a mixed group of Jew and Gentile believers who will miss the tribulation period.”

Sometimes I feel like I am stuck in a bad joke and they are just trying to make me look. I took her comment as a challenge, and I looked.

Since I sent the same message to you, then you effectively understand what I was saying, and why.

Together, we considered the context, the culture, their understanding of the scriptures – the Old Testament, and who Jesus had been talking to. We also compared Matthew 24:24 with Mark's version (Mark 13:6,) which told us, that many would be deceived; this information is in sharp contrast to NO ONE can be deceived.

It was clear, in my mind, who the elect was that Jesus pointed to, and never once did Jesus say, there are various levels of the elect. Most of us know that in any religious organization there are varying levels of authority, although, even the lowest on the totem pole think that they are in charge and will aggressively try to push you around. 

The disciples, whom the elect believed to be uneducated and common, understood what Jesus was telling them – how that the decision-makers, capable of influencing the attendees of the synagogues, should wholeheartedly follow this new way of looking at things (deception). 

But what if it looks like Islam?

I may not be an educated man, but I lived in the days of the hippies, and I refuse to accept everything that comes my way, just because “the man” says so.

With all that, let me show you, once again, Matthew 24:24 and then Matthew 24:22, and let's see if verse twenty-two, is pointing to a group of untouchable super elites if you will. 

We will also ask the question, who are they, and will they miss the tribulation period?

For there will appear false Messiahs and false prophets performing great miracles—amazing things!—so as to fool even the chosen, if possible.
(Matthew 24:24 CJB)

I used this translation because it uses the word Messiahs. This word conveys an effort to represent themselves as someone sent from God when clearly, they are not.

Now on to Matthew 24:22, but before I insert the passage, I need to ask you a question that only has validity if you read my previous post.

Did the context change?

The answer is NO, and therefore the same understanding that we applied to Matthew 24:24, applies to Matthew 24:22.

"Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.
(Matthew 24:22 NASB)

The first thing that catches my eye is the fact that Jesus pointed out how a merciful God shortened the effects of a deadly period of time, which is not defined within the verse (we have an idea of who and what that something is because we were wise and read the previous verses.) This deadly onslaught is directly associated with the Abomination of Desolations, spoken of through Daniel the prophet.

Alright then, let's look at Daniel and see what it says.

“And he (the antichrist) shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.”
(Daniel 9:27 AMP)

• “And he”

  This is understood to be the antichrist.

• “shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for seven years.”

  Most understand this “many” to be ten world leaders. It is becoming easier, by the day, to guess who these ten might be. There is a good chance this covenant/treaty takes place right after the rapture and Israel will be the target of a massive and possible nuclear attack. This is what Ezekiel 38 speaks of, where God steps in and fights for Israel by sending firebombs from the heavens.

• “And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]”

  The antichrist will break his own covenant, and stop all sacrifices and offerings in the temple.

• “... Then the "Horrible Thing" that causes destruction will be put there. And it will stay there until the time God has decided to destroy this one who destroys.” (CEV)

  At this point, there is a hand-off to the false prophet - the one that Jesus spoke of who will portray himself as a messiah and will perform signs and wonders, just as Moses did.

  This false prophet will ally himself with the god of the antichrist, and Islamic prophecies call him the enforcer of Sharia law. I used the CEV because it conveys, better than most, the idea that this man is a destroyer. Here is where we need to jump back to Matthew 24, once again. 

  “Someday you will see that "Horrible Thing" in the holy place, just as the prophet Daniel said. Everyone who reads this must try to understand! If you are living in Judea at that time, run to the mountains. If you are on the roof of your house, don't go inside to get anything. If you are out in the field, don't go back for your coat. It will be a terrible time for women who are expecting babies or nursing young children. And pray that you won't have to escape in winter or on a Sabbath. This will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again.” 
  (Matthew 24:15-21 CEV)

And this is the lead-in to Matthew 24:22.

If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.
(Matthew 24:22 CEV)

Yes, I used a different translation, because the NASB uses the term elect, while the CEV employs the word chosen.

Since we started by addressing how Jesus had been referring to the “elect” as the ones who would be deceived, is He still concerned with the chief priests, scribes, and rabbis here?

Not so much, as He now includes commoners and women among those who should run for their lives.

“then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. "Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. "Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.” "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath.”
(Matthew 24:16-20 NASB)

Here, the emphasis is on God's chosen people, the Jews, and NOT just the chief priests and elders; the focus on them comes two verses later in Matthew 24:24.

So, once again, here is the quote I started with.

“All very interesting. Note that Matthew 24:22 (KJV) and Matthew 24:24 (KJV) speak of 2 different groups, ‘the elect’ and ‘the very elect’. It is not possible for ‘the very elect’ to be deceived. I believe that ‘the elect’ of 24:22 refers to the Jews, while ‘the very elect’ could very well be a mixed group of Jew and Gentile believers who will miss the tribulation period.”

If I wanted to stretch my thinking, then I suppose I can see two groups of “elect.” The problem is, there is nothing I see that gives them these titles, they did that too and for themselves. I can see them as dumb and dumber, for following the priests who ignored the Tenach and rejected scriptures that speak of the Messiah Yeshua; and then, there are the followers who merely accepted the teachings of the Jewish leadership without question.

For this lady to advocate that “It is not possible for the very elect to be deceived,” demonstrates how little she knows, and, how easy it is to be deceived. 

If God was merely toying with us, using a cultist, class game, then He would be a liar against His own Word, and subject to death; and we would be slaves to Satan's deceptions as they manipulated our attempts to improve our social status and class. In God's eyes, all of this feeds into the struggle for the things of this world. (See James 4:4)

When the disciples ask Jesus about the destruction of the temple, (which was not speaking directly to 70AD, but even further down the timeline,) the sign of His coming – (back as the Messiah, for they had no concept of the church or the snatching away of said church,) and, the end of the age, they expected a Jewish response.

The word they used for the end meant the completion of this Godly plan, and when they said age, they spoke the word aiōn, which is the Greek version of the Hebrew word eon, meaning an age, - in either case, these words are only defined by the words used in conjunction with it; for the Jews asking the questions, it meant the Messianic age. They might as well have asked, when are you going to come back as the warring Messiah?

Since we know that their questions were centered on the Jews and Israel, then we can also know that their concern had nothing to do with Gentiles believers; and strangely, God never mixes the two into one conversation, as He describes the events of the Revelation. It is because of this, that we don't indiscriminately bring them into the mix.

On the idea of judgment. 1Corinthians 6:2,3.

The conversation was wrapped around a challenge from the local university students who asked my friend what he thought of the idea that angels are superior to humans, God's creation. I suppose this challenge emanated from some liberal professor who suggested the idea. While my friend offered a reasonable response to the students, who asked, it opened the door to more questions in my friend's mind. That led him to open the mornings Bible study with the following verse, an aspect of his response to the students.

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 ISV  You know that the saints will rule the world, don't you? And if the world is going to be ruled by you, can't you handle insignificant cases?  (3)  You know that we will rule angels, not to mention things in this life, don't you?

The premise is that “we,” those of us who are in Christ, from the millennial reign forward, will rule angels. The KJV has a much harsher tone.

1 Corinthians 6:3 KJV  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?

If I had nothing else to work with, I suppose I could make an argument against the idea that we, those who are in Christ, not just humankind, are the people who are engrafted into the vine shall judge the angels (A huge but legitimate assumption here is that these are the fallen angels. I am not sure what role we might play in that decision-making process seeing as they have already been judged.) I do not think that a general population should or would be able to judge angels. I certainly don't remember a moment in time when I felt like I was capable of judging any angelic being. If I thought I could apply this to Satan, there is this verse that puts me in my place.

Jude 1:9 NLT  But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.)

What this tells me is that my words, without the power of the Holy Spirit and the name of Jesus, are pointless and ineffectual against an angel created by God – regardless of whether the angel is fallen or not. Ah, but we who are in Christ are not impotent against Satan and the uncountable number of fallen angels/demons who fell with him; however, the name of Jesus is the only effective weapon we have. Since Satan has proven that he too knows the Words of God, then you should know that he will challenge everything you do and say – it is his nature.

In a sense, I suppose that I have judged Satan merely by speaking against his actions in Jesus name, but not really. Satan has already been judged, although his final fate is yet to come in its entirety.
What I am doing when I stand against him in Jesus name, is little more than taking advantage of a right given to me as a Son and an heir.

By the way: in Hebrews 1:7 the writer is talking about angels and the context is adequately laid out when he refers to angels as ministering spirits. Now moving forward to a few verses in Hebrews 1:14 we see that these same angels are working and on behalf of those who are heirs of salvation. We, who are followers of Christ are those heirs.

Having covered the topic of judging an angelic being let's move on to the context of Paul's thoughts – the judgment of a person within the church body/community of believers.

1 Corinthians 5:1 CJB  It is actually being reported that there is sexual sin among you, and it is sexual sin of a kind that is condemned even by pagans—a man is living with his stepmother!

Having spent some time around “pagans” I find they are fairly accepting of most anything that can be deemed fun, that is until it comes to someone messing with their woman or wife.

Ask yourself this question. How would anybody have known this kind of nonsense was going on unless the man was telling far too many people about his actions?

• The offender is taking pictures of his lewd acts with this participating woman and sharing them with people. Actions like this are nothing less than bragging about what he has done. And, you must assume that he has shared this information at church. I know many of you think I am preposterous thinking that this would never happen, but I am telling you this because I worked with such a man; a man who claimed to be a Christian just because he was a Catholic, who during his working hours on the customer service floor would share pictures of partially clothed women with his fellow employees. These were pictures of women with whom he claimed he had committed adultery.
• What kind of father would not have a clue about this activity?

For the most part, I have no idea what kind of massive failures you are involved in unless you share that information with the wrong people or you speak too freely.

Watch Paul's response.
“And you stay proud? Shouldn't you rather have felt some sadness that would have led you to remove from your company the man who has done this thing?” 1 Corinthians 5:2 CJB

Think about this for a moment; under ideal circumstances, which rarely happens in church communities, we are supposed to be able to share or confess, if you will, our shortcomings and struggles. Assuming we feel safe enough to share the worst of it, and the group reacts poorly to what you say, and removes you from the entire church community, where else do you go? If you were serious about wanting some change in your life, what then becomes of you if they excommunicate you? It all seems a bit short-sighted, unless, your sin (missing the mark – or moral standard set up by the community,) is something intentional, blatant, forward, and little more than bragging.

Another example that may help us all understand.
Many years ago, there was a television pastor by the name of Dr. Gene Scott. He was an intense man, who had done his homework and taught with a passion I rarely see. But, Dr. Scott also understood this grace that Paul preached, to the point of taking it much too far. He seemed to ignore Paul's words, which tell us that we are not to offend our weaker brothers. Dr. Scott's attitude was more of buckle up, shut up, and hang on. I stopped watching him when he began to sip scotch and smoke cigars while he taught.

Perhaps this brother in Christ we see in 1 Cor 5:1 had a much broader vision of grace than I have. I find myself struggling with the grace some people live in; not because they are “sinning” but because my childhood training and early church indoctrination pushed me toward a life of restrictions, and therefore I struggle with the personal freedoms of others when I want to have a little freedom myself.

Paul's solution to a horrendous sin problem within the church.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5 CJB  For I myself, even though I am absent physically, am with you spiritually; and I have already judged the man who has done this as if I were present.  (4)  In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us,  (5)  hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.

This scenario wasn't just about the man sleeping with his father's wife; the whole church, by their lack of action, seems to have played some sick role in this.

1 Corinthians 5:6 NLT  Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

Who is Paul talking to when he says, “your boasting about this is terrible.”? He is talking about the congregation.
We have such a twisted idea of manhood if we feel that we have to smile, laugh, and condone garbage like this. I see this type of activity as high school jock mentality, and sadly it emanates from broken father-son relationships.

1 Corinthians 5:9-11 NLT  When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.  (10)  But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.  (11)  I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

The idea of sexual sin seems so disgusting, especially when you think about how you might come to know this information. If it is shared in small groups, it is supposed to stay private within the group, unless it is harmful or illegal; even then, let management handle it. But what of this terminology which we find so much easier to accept, like people who are: greedy, abusive, or one who cheats people. These individuals are people within the church body, and apparently, they are bragging about what they do.

So, if we deal with problems aren't we then judging? Again, watch what Paul says,

1 Corinthians 5:12-13 NLT  It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.  (13)  God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

• It is NOT my responsibility to judge outsiders, Why not? Because Jesus took all wrath and judgment upon himself on the cross. The only thing left to be judged would be, what did you do with Jesus?
• “but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.” Paul already spelled out what that looks like, and it doesn't have to be a colossal waste of words, although I can almost guarantee you that the offender will believe they deserve punishment.

“In the name of the Lord Yeshua, when you are assembled, with me present spiritually and the power of our Lord Yeshua among us, hand over such a person to the Adversary for his old nature to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord.”

So, it is not merely sending the person to hell, as many seem to desire, but the eventual preservation of the soul in the Day of the Lord.

How can that be? Because Jesus NEVER lost one that was His. Imagine what this does to Judas?

• “ God will judge those on the outside.”

In Deuteronomy 17 God lays out the details for dealing with anything God finds detestable. Here is the Complete Jewish Bible version on this.

"If there is found among you, within any of your gates [in any city] that Adonai your God gives you, a man or woman who does what Adonai your God sees as wicked, transgressing his covenant by going and serving other gods and worshiping them, the sun, the moon, or anything in the sky—something I have forbidden— and it is told to you, or you hear about it; then you are to investigate the matter diligently. If it is true; if it is confirmed that such detestable things are being done in Israel; then you are to bring the man or woman who has done this wicked thing to your city gates, and stone that man or woman to death. The death sentence is to be carried out only if there was testimony from two or three witnesses; he may not be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness. The witnesses are to be the first to stone him to death; afterward, all the people are to stone him. Thus you will put an end to this wickedness among you. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7 CJB)

All of this leads to 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 and the question that was presented to me, as the result of this challenge by the university students, when they asked if angels were superior to humans?
Since my friend typically barrages me with several random questions each evening, this was no different. In this case, he gave them a reasonable answer and was looking to validate his response to them.

1 Corinthians 6:1-3 CJB  How dare one of you with a complaint against another go to court before pagan judges and not before God's people?  (2)  Don't you know that God's people are going to judge the universe? If you are going to judge the universe, are you incompetent to judge these minor matters?  (3)  Don't you know that we will judge angels, not to mention affairs of everyday life?

From the information we obtain in verse three, one might reasonably assume that we are superior to the angels. Since we know that Satan and his band of fallen angels have already been judged, then why should God need us to do any further judging? It is preposterous to think that we should judge Michael or Gabriel for not moving quick enough, when they are typically busy, on our behalf, fighting what seems like a life or death struggle with demons bent on our destruction. So the obvious conclusion is that there is something here that goes beyond merely judging, the answer to which might require us to look at the original words that constitute the sentence.

To judge is the Greek word kékrika, and it means to separate, distinguish, discriminate between good and evil, select, choose out the good. In the NT, it means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a case. Word Study Dictionary

If we are to separate, then I can easily associate this Jesus separating the wheat from the tares. You do realize that wheat and tares (weeds such as foxtails,) have similar properties. For some, telling them apart could be difficult. Perhaps what we should be concerned with is the idea that the angels are not so dissimilar. But angels are not the only thing we will judge.

We will judge the universe, but what does that look like?

The universe or the world is the Greek word kosmos and means the orderly arrangement, that is, decoration; by implication the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants.) Strong's concordance

Since Isaiah 45:18 tells us that the earth was made to be lived in, then we can only assume that the “orderly arrangement,” was right or perfect. Genesis 1:2 speaks in opposition to this orderly arrangement. The obvious point here is that something horrendous happened. We know that God made a garden called Eden and put it in the center, but that doesn't speak to the extremities, and this may play a role in this restoration of orderly arrangement.


 Again, how or why would we do that? We wouldn't unless we are in Christ (integrated) as we are, and because of this integrated relationship however Christ judges we judge, and His judgments are true and right. While angels are created beings, we are created in God's image, and because we are in Christ, then we are also God's sons and will one day rule over the angels.

An annoying level of religious legalism

08/17/2018

These are a few of the websites that my grammar checker assumes I plagiarized. All of the examples have to do with my scripture quotes, as they are quoting large passages as well. Considering the common usage of scripture and how that I, with few exceptions, have noted the source, I would not remotely think this is plagiarism.
I did take a minute to look at a couple of these sites and I will direct some comments to those as I progress. 
The first one that came to my attention was arewelivinginthelastdays.com.
At some point, if we are all going to write about end times prophecy, we are going to use comparable biblical terminology, such as we do when we reference a scripture passage that covers the subject. Having never seen this website prior to this, I can tell you now that I do not agree with the assertions and analysis; besides all that, it is an overwhelming amount of information. 
Gog Magog: The key event that sets the stage for Tribulation. http://www.arewelivinginthelastdays.com/article/gogmagog/gogmagog.htm
In Touch is another website I have not visited prior to today. The article is entitled Exposing False Teachers - In Touch Ministries.https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/exposing-false-teachers
Centering on several paragraphs I noticed in Charles Stanley's “In Touch” website. I found they that have a disturbing level of religious legalism that I feel must be addressed. I did not notice who the author was, but merely assumed that it was the work of Dr. Charles Stanley, as I have heard him on the radio, and this sounds like something he has said in the past.

“False teachers’ lives and messages are self-indulgent. Their enticing ideas appeal to their listeners’ fleshly nature. In fact, false teachers will often permit activities prohibited in Scripture. Some deceivers describe God’s grace as a license to live without restraint (Jude 1:4). Paul clearly denounces this lie, teaching that believers have died to sin and shouldn’t live in it (Rom. 6:1-2).”

• " False teachers’ lives and messages are self-indulgent.” 

I have a friend who reminds me constantly that certain faith teachers are false teachers (these, for the most part, have become successful to the point of having their own television programs.) I am not arguing with my friends' assertions, as there are many others who say the same thing; I just don't care to hear it continually. I, however, am not their judge, God is, and He will deal with them. Besides that, I separated myself from that group years ago. And though I agree that faith is essential to our communication with God, I do not believe that God is the least bit interested in the amount of stuff you have, nor it's value. In general, people with money, even if you came about it by begging it off of little old ladies, tends to make you self-indulgent.

An irritating aspect of this assertion that the false teachers' life and the message are self-indulgent, is that a similar declaration was used on me by my pastor (thankfully, he is stepping aside and a new guy is coming on as pastor.) Having someone actually say that you are, in a form, self-indulgent, especially when you anything but that and have struggled with self-esteem issues due to abuses as a child, is really quite annoying.

• "false teachers will often permit activities prohibited in Scripture." 

Statements such as this make me want to scream, for if you think about it, isn't that the pastors perceived job - making sure we, as a flock, are perpetually steered away from anything that looks like sin? An acquaintance of mine believes that Star Wars and Jurassic Park movies can and will lead you to the devil. That is the most asinine of thinking.

As I was hacking my way through this idea of me permitting sin simply because I have found the mercy and grace that is in Christ, I talked with my wife and said, I can take this a couple of ways:

1. 1. Because I lean heavily upon grace and mercy, I do not find it necessary to judge and beat people up verbally about their sins; I let the word of God take care of that. So, the implication is, that by displaying mercy I am condoning their sin. Wow, that opens a can of worms, because the presumption is, that I, by showing you mercy - the kind of mercy that draws many to Jesus, is “permitting” your sin. [Sin, by the way, is simply an old English term, for missing the bullseye on a target. If that target is a long distance away, and now looks like a black dot about the size of your thumbnail, what are the probabilities that you are going to hit that bullseye? Now, add a few of life's distractions and the fool of a friend that is willing to tickle your ear with a feather just about the time you are ready to shoot]. The mere fact that you hit the target from such a great distance is monumental, but at least you tried. Then there are those who shoot themselves in the foot, and a few that never even come close to hitting the target (whatever that target may look like.) You might think, they don't even try; and, you could be right. But mercy, so often, demands that I show them, love. Having spent some time in recovery, I saw this process happen many times as people repeatedly "fell off the wagon."
   2. An alternate interpretation would be that I, because of the mercy that Paul preached, advocate the freedom to indulge in sin. As the author puts it, “activities prohibited in scripture.” Again, this opens an ugly can of worms. Allow me to give you an example: Moses comes off Mt Sinai after forty days and nights with the ten commandments. Since one has ever survived that long without food and water, he is presumed dead by the reluctant masses Moses has rescued from Pharaoh's grip. As a side note: God's chosen people had effectively been Egyptians for four hundred years. Even after seeing the signs God performed in Egypt, and then, watching Pharaoh and his armies become consumed by the Red Sea, they still clung to the gods they brought out of Egypt. Stephen, in Acts chapter 7, gives a history lesson to the Jewish council that was about to kill him, on how that these people brought the temple of Moloch and the star, the symbol of Rempham out of Egypt with them. Acts 7:42-43 LITV “... O house of Israel? And you took up the tent of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the figures which you made in order to worship them. ...” Commentaries tell us that what Israel did with Moloch and Remphan were so detestable, that they would not speak of the acts committed there. Some might argue that these chosen people, at that time, had no law, but I disagree, and we can take this argument all the way back to Cain where God says to him -
      
      Genesis 4:3-7 NASB So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering, but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7) CJB If you are doing what is good, shouldn't you hold your head high? And if you don't do what is good, sin is crouching at the door—it wants you, but you can rule over it."
      How inappropriate it would be to make such a statement unless God had first, in some way, conveyed what was right and good. Most will not see it as they read the garden account, but the answer is there and we find some of the clues in Genesis 3:21 where it says, “ The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” NASB  God, in the process of making them clothes, had initiated the pattern of sacrifice for sin; this is the same pattern that He showed Abram the dream. In this dream, God laid out the covenant of blessing and cursings. I understand many of you will doubt this, but does God ever change? The answer is NO, and so we see a consistent pattern in His nature and character.
      In God's interactions with man, what did you see? You see God say, “as for me.” Are there repercussions for not sticking with the rules? Certainly, and I think I heard Dr. Billye Brim convey it well when she said, “Adam handed the trust deed for this earth over to Satan.” Because of that act, and without the authority of the name of Jesus, we can and will be dragged through the mire which is the only thing this earth has to offer. The damage from Adam's act is simply something that is there, and the worst of it comes when someone chooses against turning their life to Jesus Christ. Even as I write this I am aware of those that say, there is a sense that God does not care. And perhaps that is the point, for He is certainly not throwing around violent condemnations, as he tries to get you to stop sinning. The choice is ours; on one side is life, while on the other is death and quite possibly an eternal separation from the God.

As I try to think through this morass, I find myself asking, what directive did Jesus give us? To go and preach the gospel, the good news.

Mark 16:15-16 NASB And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16) "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved, but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Were we given a directive to condemn and prohibit the activities of people? No.
I am also aware that Jesus words were directed to Jewish disciples, and it was more than just the twelve. However, as recorded in the book of Acts, most took the message to the Jewish community. The Jewish community deemed the nations - the Gentiles as the pagans. Surely, the Jews were not a crowd that needed condemnation. It is always those people who are different; well that, and the fact Jewish disciples were not eager to set a foot in the homes of Gentiles. It took a bizarre dream by God to get Peter to go to the Centurian Cornelius' home.
When I think about the Jewish woman that was brought before Jesus, in a public environment, for the express purpose of humiliating and condemning her (To what degree they wanted her to be condemned I am not sure, although stoning was a prescribed method, for both the man and the woman.) What was Jesus response to the woman after her accusers had left? Neither do I condemn you, now go and sin no more. Short of an internal change, that admonition was pointless as we have no strength on our own to stop this brokenness inside called sin. Since Jesus, as many would suggest, did nothing more than counsel her to not sin, did he then give her permission to sin? No, the laws against sin were fixed by the law of Moses. Under grace, we want to believe we are free to ignore such admonitions, but we are not. An example of this comes when a police officer orders you to comply. Under current standards, if the officer feels that you are threatening his life, then you will be shot. Is God to blame for you being shot? Hardly, for there is little defense for you to not grasp the law, especially if the officer I spoke of is screaming commands at you. Simple logic tells us that ignoring caution signs, simply because you think you know better, should put all responsibility for the hazard that is about to befall you, is entirely on you.
Dr. Stanley's post ended the segment with this -

"The body of Christ is expected to use Scripture as the standard against which to measure our leaders’ lifestyle and words. When we seek divine truth, we are given the discernment to differentiate between a holy message and a misleading one."

I understand that the motivation behind this entire diatribe has everything to do with false or corruptive teachers. Unfortunately, misleading teachers can be difficult to spot at times; and flashy suits and bright smiles will draw many into the web of deception.
Having attended a men's Bible study for several years at an Assembly of God church, you might think I would have received much truth there, when in fact it was just the opposite, as the leader taught from skewed tradition and opinion. If you hold tradition and opinion up against the Word of God, they will typically fail, and that is exactly why I left. Confronted by the Word of God that particular false teacher would not submit to the authority of the Word. That means he held his opinion and church traditions, no matter how incorrect, higher.
I will add, that Jesus told the disciples, and therefore us, that when he goes he would send the comforter. Well, He did just that. The comforter, he said, would lead you and guide you into all truth. Trust him and allow that to happen. If you think you are struggling to hear God's voice; that voice that will lead you, it sounds very much like the Son's, and we have those words in this book we call the Bible.

This opening line is one that gives me grief. Galatians 3:1-3

In many of my posts I show you a bit of me; in other words, I make it personal, and then hopefully applicable. I am going to try to integrate myself into this one as well, but I am going to jump back into commentary mode with Galatians chapter 3.

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified."

This opening line is one that has caused me grief; not because I see myself as a foolish Galatian, but because of a local Calvary Chapel pastor, one who has a particular way of accentuating words, preached on this, and it seemed like these words, “You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you?”, were condemning all of us, and putting us under some form of bondage once again. Since radio programs are just sermons, chopped into overlapping pieces, so that they can make it last for an entire week; it continued for what seemed like weeks. So let's see what Paul was trying to say because I can assure you that Paul was not attempting to put people under bondage. We can do that quite well on our own.

If I reiterate the last three verses of Galatians 2, you can get a feel for the context, so let's start there.

Galatians 2:19-21 NET. For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside God's grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

In chapter one, Paul tells these Galatians that there is no other gospel; there are, however, those out there that wish to pervert the good news that Paul had preached. (Galatia is a reference to the Asia Minor region, we now call Turkey. Paul had made stops at a handful of cities, few of which are mentioned. This letter then was written from Rome around 68AD, almost 18 years after passing through the region.

As a believer, I can take this statement literally - Christ lives in me, and I now live in Him. And, this life I now live, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ the risen King, who gave Himself for me.

What then, had Paul preached?

That the followers of Christ were free from the bondage that comes with the Law found in the Torah; a law that had been so expanded upon by the Jews, that it was deemed, the law of the Jews.

The Law, in its original state, given by God, was effectively the law of the universe, and Adam, as a representative of God, broke that Law. The transgression of that universal law brought a demand for payment of that wrongdoing, to us all. So, Christ not only paid the debt on our behalf, but, by His grace and faithfulness, freed the Jews and us, from the bondage of the Law, and the expanded Jewish portion as well.

Now, wouldn't it be great if the effects of Adam's sin did not linger upon us daily? The freedom begins to kick in, as you remind yourself “that's not who I am.” Because, “Christ lives in me, and I now live in Him. And, this life I now live, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, Jesus Christ the risen King, who gave Himself for me.”

What is essential to our understanding of the phrase “free from the bondage of the law?”

That it meant nothing to a Gentile, and everything to a Jewish audience, which is whom Paul was preaching and writing to in the days before his captivity in Rome.

Let's start breaking chapter 3 down.

Galatians 3:1 NASB You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

Since we understand that there was no Church of Galatia as there was in Corinth or Ephesus, he is broadcasting this reprimand across an entire region. Are you serious? In relative quantity, after hearing about the grace and mercy found in Christ, and receiving that blessing, the converts in this region are submitting to the pressure of Jewish zealots and setting aside the grace of God. The implications are, they are setting aside their faith in Christ as the risen Messiah.

The words Paul uses are anything but politically correct; they are, however, quickly understood, to the point, and meant to get the readers attention.

Foolish – The Greek word anóētos means Lacking intelligence; one who does not govern his lusts; one without a mind, therefore lacking the organ by which divine things are comprehended and known or ignored. Word Study Dictionary. Other translations called them stupid and senseless Galatians.

Paul is asking them, WHO has done this too you? As though he, and they do not know. They know; it was the Jewish zealots from which these converts had emerged.

Here is something you should see and understand.
Paul never told them to stop being Jewish. To stop being Jewish would border on impossible; why? Because of heritage, birthright, and training. Paul of all people would have understood this. Accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah, was what the prophets of old called for and showed them through their words. Acceptance of Yeshua was the carrying out and completion of a lifelong dream every Jew has.

Passing on and invoking our prejudicial attitudes and ways is something we all do, some just not so intentionally; we do, however, display our prejudices rather openly when we feel threatened and wish to regain our support base. Here in America, we have a derogatory term, red neck. While it initially applied to farmers, and ranch hands, it came to imply a simple mind with an unyielding attitude; an attitude that does not work so well in the big city. Jews are not so different as they too take pride in their lifestyles and traditions.

That's great, but, as we have learned from Paul, Christs insertion into the universal picture, changed everything. By the intentional spilling of His blood and giving of His life, He reinserted grace and mercy into the world. The Law of the universe was set aside, and freedom is available to every man through the actions of Christ. Whether you accept it or not, sins were forgiven. This forgiveness has a massive impact on the final judgment, where you will spend eternity, and it is all about who you are choosing to serve. You should know that you will not be judged for anything other than what you did with Christ, this risen King; the one who will gather those who are in Christ, to Himself, so that they can live with Him in the peaceful kingdom, forever.

Bewitched? - Is the Greek word baskaino; to malign, that is, (by extension) to fascinate (by false representations): - bewitch.

Sometimes it helps me if I can see a definition of a word, such as malign. Malign - Having a very evil disposition towards others; harboring violent hatred or enmity; malicious; as malign spirits. Webster's Dictionary

Think this through for a moment. The Jews already had an evil disposition toward all Gentiles. The assumption, and probably a safe one, would be that the hard-liners or zealots had regained members of their congregations by provoking the violent hatred and maliciousness that, sadly, is an aspect of the brokenness we all carry due to Adam's transgression.

Note how Paul paints a word picture when he uses the phrase, “before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” If that seems a little challenging to wrap your mind around, then perhaps the Amplified version might be graspable.

Unto whom--right before your very eyes--Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified.

What if Christ crucified (the Messiah), is the primary thing that Paul preached to them? And, if not, why not? Deeply entrenched in laws and traditions, the Jews needed something that jolted them into believing the what the Word of God.

Whether we use the word publicly, which conveys an image of standing on a street corner talking loudly to car passengers as they go by, or openly, which speaks of a person talking unashamedly, it is still the same Greek word prographo and can mean either. The word prographo means to write previously; to announce, or to set forth. [Strong's Concordance]

Since we have nothing to tell us that Paul spoke to enough people directly to act as though he addressed all of Asia Minor in person, then we should assume that he wrote letters; letters, which were then transmitted through the mouths of other believers, Jewish converts. Since it was typical for Paul to acknowledge those with him and aligned with him, we should have expected the same in this letter. He would have used names that made a personal connection. So let's see what he tells us.

Galatians 1:1-2 NASB Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), 2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:

That's odd, for he merely calls them, “all the brethren who are with me.”
Why that could be anyone. However, we can have confidence that Luke the physician was there; there is the possibility that Silas is with Paul, and, we might expect to find Timothy.

How would these men, make any more of an impact than Paul?

Excluding the effect of the Holy Spirit on men, I would say no way. Besides that, Paul is talking to Jews; Jews who are not the least bit interested, for the most part, in the Gentile Jesus.

Paul chastises the Galatians harshly, pointing out the message that he preached (Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, publicly portrayed as crucified.), and then asks them a question.

Galatians 3:2 NASB This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

This question is important to a Jew, and all of us as well? What is he asking them?

• Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law?
  Considering that the primary thing a Jew had to do to obtain righteousness, was to sacrifice a lamb or a dove, for example, the problem is that this sacrificial process is not a lasting one. If you, five minutes later, after leaving the synagogue, have a brutal road rage incident as someone cuts in front your camel on the way home, you have lost your righteousness. Here then is the evidence that the works of the Law did not bring about lasting righteousness.
• Or, by hearing with faith?
  Since Paul laid out what the Messiah, Jesus Christ, did for them, and how He, because of His faithfulness, secured our righteousness. Then the answer is, by hearing.

Galatians 3:3 NASB Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Paul, having asked his sarcasm-laced questions,  reiterates what we began with when we started chapter three.

• Are you so foolish?
  We ran into this already. It is the Greek word anóētos meaning without a mind; unable to comprehend; lacking intelligence, foolish.
• Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
  The apostle is here dealing with Jews primarily, who, having embraced Christ as the risen Messiah, and yet, continued to seek for justification by the works of the law. The pressure to return to the law has come from zealots within the synagogues.
  But put another spin on this scenario, and you can easily see this also pointed at Gentile believers as well. Having begun in the Spirit, where else would we find them indulging in something that might perfect their flesh? The philosophies and idolatry of the world.
  There is no room for denial here, as Israel was pulled continuously into the idolatries of the world. This attraction to the gods of this world is one of the main reasons we have the story of the 'prophet' Balaam. [You find this story in Numbers 22. In essence, Balaam gave their weakness away to Balak, the Moab king, and Israel was destroyed from the inside out as they brought in women from the nations to be their wives and whatever else they were.]
• "Are you now being perfected by the flesh?
  Perfected is the Greek word epiteleo meaning to fulfill further (or completely), that is, execute; by implication to terminate, or undergo.
  Every Jew looked for fulfillment in the Messiah. Paul merely directed them to Him. So, the idea that they would have been completed would imply an integration, which is precisely what we do when accepting Jesus Christ; we become ONE with Him. At the point of conversion, we undergo an immediate change, one we rarely seem to be aware of from the outside. It is, however, a lasting and eternal change in God's eyes. But, because we struggle with our beliefs due to inadequate teaching in Church, the promise that we are changed must be rehearsed in the mind of Christ followers far too frequently, as we seem to forget who we are.

We will move on through Galatians 3 if the Lord is willing, but I want to say something here. The men I sit with on Monday, are a microcosm of the unsound teaching you get in Church. Don't get me wrong, God has given me a love for the guys, but I cannot stand the garbage that the leadership spews out of their mouths every week. The saddest part of this is that this false teaching has been going on for YEARS. The questions these elder gentlemen ask, and the twisted comments they make, prove my point, and, it demonstrates that they do not know the nature and character of this God we serve. A secondary point I want to make is the manipulative way we are evoked to win the lost constantly. Do you not realize that the lost sit beside you in Church; if what Jesus said when He spoke of the ten-virgins, is true (and it is,) then fifty percent are going to be left behind. Are these lost? According to the teachings, I hear on Mondays.

Look, I am not an evangelist, I am a teacher, and teaching is my gift. However, if you sat with me for coffee, you would get an earful of God's truth. Fortunately, so do the people around me. So, maybe I am also an evangelist and don't even know it.

A response to a comment, three years late.

I wrote this in response to a comment. I am including it for your benefit as misconceptions and false teachings run rampant. I rarely talk to anyone who has a firm grasp on what happens after the seven years of wrath. I hope you find this beneficial, and yes, it is long.

Well, here it is three years since you wrote your comment and I am finally responding to it. I wish I could tell you why but I cannot remember now. Perhaps I can chalk it up to not having enough time at that point, but as I had only recently been fired from my last job back then, you might think I had nothing but time. Perhaps I did not have a clear answer and needed to develop a concrete response; or, maybe I just forgot. Regardless, another comment, just a few days ago - three years later, has brought your comment to my attention once again.

Let me add, that in the process of learning how to deal with my thoughts on “paper” and then subject myself to potential criticism, was quite challenging. I can tell you that I did not handle criticism well back then; I am not sure I manage it well now, but I certainly deal with it differently now. Having read another bloggers advice I have responded, deleted and blocked several caustic and religious “Christians.” However, I did not do that with yours as you were not hostile. I also felt that people who are reading my blog needed to see what the other questions are.

Your question/and interpretative challenges you put forth are not new to my world. Recently, as I sat among the men in Monday mornings "Bible study" the leader, unprovoked by me, proffered this very assumption, and he did so as though it was doctrine. As I have done with you I challenged his premise from the Word of God; however, he disregarded it. Considering how we are to make the Word of God the final authority on questions and challenges, our morning teacher chose to ignore what the word of God had to say and added, then I am stating my opinion, and that is all that matters. While opinions can often be important and valid, they are not all that matters, especially when you are alone with that idea. Fortunately, all these interpretative challenges will become clear someday as they are tested with fire before the Bema seat of Christ.

For now, let me offer a response.

You said, “Are we not told in Revelation, that when Jesus returns and throws the anti-Christ and false prophet into the lake of fire that He kills “the rest” with the sword from His mouth?”

While you are correct, it does say that, but the hypothesis is misleading because you ignored the context, which we find in Revelation 19:19.

Allow me to explain.

Revelation 19:15-19 NASB 15) From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

What do we see here?

• Jesus, with a sword in his mouth.
  With that sword He will strike down the nations, AND, He will rule them with a rod of iron.
  Why would there be a need to rule them if it is only believers that go into the Millennial kingdom? Remember, we believers were changed in the twinkling of an eye.
  Yes, I noted your comment that apparently only believers enter the Millennial reign.
  I have covered this in more detail toward the end.
• An angel invites the birds to come and eat the flesh of kings, commanders, and so on, at the great supper of God.
• And finally verse 19, the most telling of all as it says, “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.”
  So, who is fighting against Jesus at this point in time?
  Is it all the nations, with all their citizenry? NO, it is the beast; the kings of the earth, and their armies. Why do I know this, because the context tells us precisely who is involved and therefore killed.

For the sake of context let's go ahead and use Revelation 19:20,21 as well.

Revelation 19:20, 21 NASB And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Based on what we see in Revelation19:19, we know that there is a large army amassed against Jesus and the saints with Him. It is evident from Revelation 19:20 that only two persons are thrown into the lake of fire at this point; the beast (known to us as the Antichrist,) and the false prophet who deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. And, they are thrown alive into the lake. Therefore the remainder: kings; commanders, and the army are those that are killed; no one else.

Assuming that we could not perceive the context, could we then build an argument on logical thought and patterns?

When you look at Revelation 19:21 NASB, it unquestionably states that the rest were killed, and that sounds compelling doesn't it? And yet, the word rest/loipoi means remaining ones: - other, which remain, remnant, residue, rest.

The word rest, when we look at the Greek definition, is not so definitive because it allows for others remaining, which can easily include those from Israel if I don't follow the context. But there is a context, and it specifically points to those armies collected to fight against Jesus Christ.

Some of that "logical" evidence and pattern shows up in Zechariah's prophetic word, as God has gathered the nations against Jerusalem for punishment.

Zechariah tells us that at least one-third of Israel makes it through the onslaught. I, however, cannot comfortably say that these Jews are those that have gone into hiding, and the reason for that is verse nine as you can see by this statement, “I will bring the third through the fire, Refine them as silver.., and test them..” This refining is not an example, in my mind of people in hiding. Now if I compared the plight of these Jews with someone like Corie Ten Boom, a woman who helped many people avoid the wrath of the Nazis, many, not knowing the whole story, might think that she escaped and did not have to go through the “fire.” But, we are aware from her testimony that she was caught, tortured in the prison camp, and lost family members to the Nazis.

Zechariah 13:8-9 NASB "It will come about in all the land," Declares the LORD, "That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9) "And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

Isaiah 66 tells us of what appears to be the same scene, and yet, it is not all but many.

Isaiah 66:15-16 NASB For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16) For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many.

Still trying to define who “the rest” would be, there is this:

Zechariah 14:1-4 NASB Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. 2) For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3) Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4) In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Since we know that this is an important and defining battle will every person including women and children come and join in the fight?

The obvious answer is NO. We already see examples of this when we look at the Islamic world. Children are taught from the age of understanding, to hate and kill the Jew and anyone who is not a Muslim. The news used to show us young boys about age seven learning to shoot AK 47s', but it is not practical to place children on the front lines of battle. So, while there will be those with a violent hatred against anything that represents a god other than say, Allah; not all will come to battle and therefore not be included as a combatant, and not killed.

There is no struggle to understand this, and, I don't have to go looking for other scriptures to prove my point any further because I stayed true to the context.

Consider, if you haven't already, that death is separation from God, and is much more than the cessation of breathing, as the spirit ever lives on.

Before I move on to another aspect of your note to me I have to address this statement more fully,
You added a defining factor when you continued with: “That is, everyone who took the mark of the beast.”

You said this in conjunction with this statement: “Are we not told in Revelation, that when Jesus returns and throws the anti-Christ and false prophet into the lake of fire that He kills “the rest” with the sword from His mouth?“ This implies that only those with the mark are destined for separation from God, and it also implies that those receiving the mark desired to be in compliance with the beast, but that is not the case as most are merely trying to save a life, their own.

The passages from Revelation 19 that initiated this response, tell us in verse 20 that they were deceived. There is no reason to believe that the deceived are doing anything but weeping at the realization of their fate. You can see from the same verses you referenced that no one else is thrown into the lake of fire at this time, and, there is no denying that at some point those who received the mark and worshiped the image of the beast, are judged, but that is not done here in Revelation 19:21.

What if this is not a government, like the USA, and most people in America assume, that is imposing this mark upon people?

(By the way, taking the mark does not condemn you to hell's flames; it must include the worshiping of the beast and the image of the beast.)

Islam does a modified version of this marking already, as they victimize conquered peoples.

They call it a Jizya tax, and you are made to wear an identifying band around your arm or head. Without paying this tax you cannot buy or sell under their regime, and it is intentionally made impossible. Allegedly, there is a way around this tax, and that is to convert to Islam. To do so, you must deny Christ, His deity, and proclaim that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammad is his messenger. Often they, at this point, treat you as an unworthy coward and kill you anyway.

So, let me ask you a question.

Do Muslims have to take this mark? In most cases, as with women, they are mandated to wear a burka out of compliance, but all of us can see that this is not standardized.

Therefore, I can safely assume that it is only those outside of Islam that must comply like this.

Perhaps I am being far too presumptuous in attributing this designation to Islam, but what other groups, outside of governments, have the capability and desire to globally mark a specific group of people?

I offer you the passage that shows that this taking the mark we speak of is a three-part equation.

Revelation 14:9-11 NASB 9) Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10) he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11) "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

Even as I read Revelation 14:9-11 I can see that there is a point at which those who “ worship the beast and his image and receive a mark on his forehead or on his hand,” will drink the wine of God's wrath, and they will be tormented with fire. I think it is safe to presume that this is the lake of fire seeing as it matches the description we have of the lake of fire and its purpose.

You added,

“It would thus seem that the 1000 years is began with only believers.”

Since I already know that many Jews survive the wrath of God, can I also assume that they too are believers?

There several problems with the idea that the thousand years is begun with only believers and that Jews would be deemed Christians as they enter.

1. 1. I have to assume from the statement that the Jews are included as believers/Christians.
      However, we are never told that there are Christians, living among the nations, that go into eternity.
      What we do understand is that there are those who warm seats in church buildings that will not go up when Jesus comes for His church. Since John saw the beheaded around the throne in heaven twice, we understand from what he related that their number was uncountable. These people are given the title of saint. The saints only get that title as they are martyred for their testimony, but their numbers are not included among those going into the Millennial reign.
      A defining statement about the saints is made in Revelation 20:4,5, where the martyred saints are brought back to life; this is labeled the first resurrection.
      The Jews, on the other hand, will not accept the title of Christian as that is a Gentile creation. What they do accept is Yeshua as the Messiah and they would never, with a free choice, agree to be called a Christian. Should they choose not to receive Yeshua then I suppose they would be intermingled with the nations. However, since God lifts the veil from their eyes and all peoples, we can safely assume that most remaining Jews would come to accept the true Messiah.
   2. Another problem arises as you have these “believers” going into the Millennium and then living the despicable lives we see in Revelation 22:15.
      How is that possible that God would allow these fractured believers into the city where no despicable person can enter; only to later go out and do what Satan did - use his free will and choice to act in opposition to God? The logic doesn't work unless it is the nations going into the Millennial reign along with their vile hatred for God, then Revelation 22:15 makes sense.
   3. The other problem, and it is common in the Western/Gentile church. We ignore or do not realize that there are only three people groups, at any given time, in the world. They are The Jews; the nations, and, the Church.
      Yes, some Jews can be considered among the Church, and time will prove that out, as they too will be caught up with the Church when Jesus comes in the clouds. Sadly, the Jews, right now, lean more toward the side of the nations as they too will be the targets for God's wrath alongside the nations.
      The nations and the Gentiles are effectively the same things in God's eyes. In the Western, “civilized” church, we see ourselves as set apart. However, the only thing that sets us apart is our acceptance of this adoption status we have been given. Simply because the “world” does not accept this adoption status, we presume that forgiveness does not and cannot cover their sins as well, but that is not true. The only thing anyone will be judged for is, what that person did with Jesus. That's all.
      At some point, multitudes of these people (the nations) will come into relationship with God. This is all laid out in scriptures by prophets, like Ezekiel. The key here then is the leaves of the trees of life, for the healing of the nations. Healing is the Greek word therapeía; attendance (specifically medical, that is, cure); figuratively and collectively domestics: - healing,

Since we, the church, with our brokenness; twisted ideas; legalism; and prejudices, are not allowed to bring this junk/sin into eternity with God, then, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and so will those who partake of the leaves that give eternal life.

Consider the process here. The nations, in general, do not have access to the trees of life as that would give them immortality without change. But the entire purpose here is to bring these people on the outside into relationship. However, God is not going to allow them to bring their garbage with them as they come into a relationship with Him during the Millennial reign.

There is coming a day when Jesus will return in the clouds to gather His bride back to himself. As you know we call that the rapture, therefore the “believers” should effectively be gone. You should also realize that not everyone that warms a pew will be caught up to be with the Lord. I know this because the Word tells us that he comes for those who are waiting for Him.

1. 4. I am assuming that you when you say believers are then referring to those who continue to come and accept Jesus as their hope and salvation during the time of wrath. Calling them believers might make sense but is inappropriate as Scripture never refers to them as believers; it does, however, call them saints.

This idea of saints can and does cause some confusion as it seems the church is also referred to as saints. However, the word is only used in the Revelation and is always used about those martyred for their testimony. After the rapture, grace is gone. What those who come to Jesus have to live with is something comparable to living under the law as Israel did in the wilderness.

Revelation 12:11 NASB "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

It seems like you asked many questions, however, as I looked at your note you have been making statements; statements that do not align with the Word of God, and I felt they needed to be addressed.

The final thing I want to address is what seems to be your question.

“I am curious as to where you get the idea that mere compliance, or not getting the mark, will be enough to enter into the 1000 year reign of Christ.”

In response to this question how about, we start with Matthew 25:31-46. This is effectively the same story as Revelation 20 where we see the Great White Throne. The players are all the same but they have different names. The Judge is the same but Matthew conveys him as a gentle shepherd in contrast with the angry God of Revelation. Matthew's gospel focuses on the outcome of the sheep, while Revelation 20 speaks to those not found in the books.

Matthew 25:31-46 NASB "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32) "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34) "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35) 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37) "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38) 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39) 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40) "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41) "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42) for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43) I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44) "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45) "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46) "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

In verse 34 he tells the crowd entitled the sheep "to come inherit the kingdom prepared for you." They obtain this mercy because they acted like the nature and character of Jesus/God. The judge, which is only Jesus, explains:

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

If you have read this, did you ever notice how shocked they were?

When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40) "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

If these had been deemed as such before the rapture, making them “believers', then why didn't they go up with the church?

Another thing that gives me the freedom to talk about non-compliance as an entrance into the kingdom is the process of martyrdom itself. What are the things that define them as God's possession?

Revelation 6:9 NASB When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

The mere fact that these are found underneath the altar is indicative of God claiming them as His own.

Revelation 12:11 NASB "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Twice now we have seen the term testimony, but what does mean and what does that look like under extreme pressure?

The word testimony is the Greek word marturía meaning to witness. A witness, certification (Joh_1:7), testimony (Mar_14:55-56, Mar_14:59; Luk_22:71), that which someone witnesses or states concerning a person or thing (Act_22:18; 1Ti_3:7; Tit_1:13).

Paul, while still known as Saul, is told by God to go to Damascus where a devout man, a Jew named Ananias, was sent to Saul. After Ananias prayed for Saul, he received his sight. Shortly after this Saul has a dream/vision. In that vision he is told:

Acts 22:18 NASB and I saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

What are the ramifications of this? Saul, in talking about the Messiah Jesus would be subject to death for several reasons: The Jew's had been taught to reject Yeshua. Some proof of this happened when Herod is told the Magi are coming. Their numbers were large enough to cause some alarm, and so he demands that the Jewish leadership tell him what is going on. They said that the scripture called for the king of the Jews to be born in Bethlehem. While this information got Herod's attention, the Jews made no effort at all to visit this king of Jews born in a manger. Herod, on the other hand, had all the boys in that region, two and below, killed.

Saul had other problems as well, as he had essentially been a hit man for the Jewish council. Now, this should not have scared the Jews who held to tradition, but converts could have to run for their lives. This Saul was now making converts himself, another reason to kill him.

So what does this idea of testimony look like, especially to a Coptic Christian living in the Middle East?

Let's assume you are a Christian living in the once quiet little Syrian town of Aleppo. Perhaps our first question is, what is it about these people that tell others they are “Christians”?

Imagine ISIS overruns your quiet little burgh, and you cannot escape. They take you captive, and, after having some fun with you by torturing and raping your wife and children and then dismembering them slowly, they demand that you convert and give allegiance to Allah. After a morning of such wasteful frivolities, they have had enough and needed to move on. A sword is placed to your neck with the command, comply – worship Allah or die. You reply with a simple no. Seconds later your bruised and battered head rolls away from your body.

What just happened?

Did you, by your non-compliance, affirm that there is a God greater than an invented name called Allah? Or, did you, by denying the one accept the other? Is it possible that God is not the least bit interested in our church-related methods of mandated compliance, and does not care if your name is on a list of those who publicly made motions of acceptance in some religious service?

I have an ex-son-in-law who did all that, and yet lives a life of lies and deceit. I am not his judge, and I do not know his heart, but I can tell you that when his fruit falls off the tree, it is already rotten and immediately begins to stink up the yard and the lives of those with which he interacts.

What this tells me, is that God is looking at the heart and the motives, and that, which only He sees, is what matters. I decided long ago, after spending a tortured lifetime in the organized church, that if I must err then let it be on the side of mercy. Funny how that works, for I hear Him constantly telling me, good job and well done because you acted just like I would have.