BIBLICAL THEOLOGY: SCRIPTURE INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE

In Eternity After the Beginning During the Creation of Earth

3/18/2025

Article #3 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

God’s second act of creation was in the making of Earth as a planet according to Genesis 1:1. Remember, the creation of Heaven and Earth transpired before time began on Day #1 in Genesis 1:3-5. Now, having understood the creation of Heaven, and the events that preceded the creation of the World, it is abundantly clear why the angels were sitting in the galleries of Earth’s sky shouting for joy during the exploits of creation.

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” - Job 38:4-7 (Neh. 9:6)

God didn’t create mankind for the Earth. Mankind wasn’t an afterthought in the heart of God. Election motivated creation! God created the Earth for mankind. In Genesis, this can be observed in how the LORD subjected the Earth to mankind. Repeated statements of this nature were made in the Adamic Covenant (Gen. 1:26-31). God wanted Adam to “subdue it” and exercise “dominion” over it (Gen. 1:28). Therefore, it was “given” to Adam (Gen. 1:29, 30). Speaking of this, David said, “the Earth hath He given to the children of men” (Ps. 115:16). David also quoted Genesis 1:26-31 in Psalm 8.

“Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” - Psalm 8:6-8

The divine wisdom employed in creation is unimaginable. The height, length, depth, and breadth of this undertaking is breathtaking and overwhelming! Coming to realize that God was doing it all for mankind is a humbling revelation. Literally, God wanted to be with mankind in the paradise of creation. Omnibenevolence motivated God to create a dreamlike situation of heaven on earth. In the beginning, there we see the LORD walking and talking with Adam in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden! Can you imagine it? Reflecting upon this glorious beginning of God and Man, David wrote Psalm 8:3-6.

“When I consider Thy Heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:” - Psalm 8:3-6

Literally, God was motivated to create the Heavens and the Earth for mankind, while thinking about mankind as the primary object of His delight and the apple of His eye. It sounds unbelievable! “What is Man, that Thou art mindful of him?” Interpreters should allow the personification of Wisdom to speak on this matter. This brings us to Proverbs 8:27-31.

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind During Creation

Divine genius was employed to create “the Earth” – appointing its “foundations” (Prov. 8:29), the fountains in the “depths”, and the “mountains” in the heights (Prov. 8:22-26). Infinite wisdom was used in the creation of “the Heavens” – in setting a “compass” upon the face of the depth and establishing the height of “the clouds” (Prov. 8:27-28). Meanwhile, the creation of these things was a thoroughly emotional experience, not for any special feeling of love that God had for these inanimate things of nature. Rather, divine Wisdom rejoiced to create these things while rejoicing to build a habitation for mankind. This is definitively stated in Proverbs 8:30-31 as the climactic conclusion of Proverbs 8:27-31.

“Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.” – Prov. 8:30-31

With the infinite clarity of divine foresight, God acted to create the Earth while rejoicing in the habitable parts of the world because He was delighting in the sons of men. However, it should be noted that the exploits of divine Wisdom had already become famous, even before the creation of the world. This is stated in Proverbs 8:22-23.

“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.” – Prov. 8:22-23

Apparently, works were accomplished “from the beginning” and before “ever the Earth was” in a timeless place called Heaven – a place being referred to here as, “from everlasting” (Prov. 8:22-23). Sound familiar? We have already explored what happened in eternity, after the beginning, at the creation of Heaven, and before the creation of the Earth. As a result of these works the Angels of Heaven came to understand the glory of divine Wisdom. This brings us back to Job 38:4-7. Illustriously, the LORD “possessed” Wisdom! It was “set up” and put on display! It was publicly known in the creation of Heaven, and in the monumental events that took place in eternity.

A divine preoccupation with mankind in eternity must lead into a divine preoccupation with mankind during creation. This is loudly being communicated in the singing and shouting of Angels as they watched God create the world and everything in it (Job 38:4-7)! They had such uncontainable joy because the Angels were celebrating the “rejoicing” and “delight” of God during Creation (Prov. 8:22-23), and this is the same thing being called “pleasure” in Revelation 4:9-11.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” – Rev. 4:11

Wretched and unworthy sinners will object, by saying, “What is Man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Ps. 8:4), but this doesn’t change reality (Lk. 5:8). The unmerited favor originates from the free will of God. Bitter and angry fallen angels, who have been turned into devils, agree with this objection in a slanderous way. You can hear it in their own words when a fallen angel visited Eliphaz to harden him against Job.

“Behold, He put no trust in His servants; and His angels He charged with folly: How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth? They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it. Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.” - Job 4:18-21 (1 Jn. 4:1)

A sovereign God providentially making plans in eternity to forgive sinners before they were even created is a marvelous testimony of grace. Having heard about this in Heaven, we can understand how this likely influenced the great Cherub, Lucifer, and hundreds of millions of Angels in train, when they presumed upon this grace for themselves on the day that they rebelled against God (Ezek. 28:14-15; Rev. 12:3-4; Rev. 9:16). Satan is still bitter about it.

It would be best to stick with God’s opinion on these high and holy matters. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20)! Let all mortal flesh keep silent. We should allow God to speak for Himself about why He created the world. This is done with eloquence and precision in the Book of Isaiah. Divine reasoning presents to readers strong arguments that are capable of converting the worst of sinners.

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” – Isa. 1:18

The reasoning and argumentation only intensify in chapters forty through sixty-six. The sheer number of times that God speaks of the creation of the world and everything in it deserves our attention. Let’s try to follow the argument from beginning to end.

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” – Isa. 40:12

“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:” – Isa. 40:22

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.” – Isa. 40:26

“Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.” – Isa. 48:13

Who else but the Creator can command universal faith, subjection, and obedience? The LORD is contending for the faith of the people, that they would believe that there is nothing too hard for God (Jer. 32:17)! This is relevant for the Jews. They find themselves in impossible circumstances. More specifically, in context, the LORD is contending for their faith in the power of God to perform the Gospel (Isa. 40:9, 12), in executing judgment upon Babylon’s world (Isa. 40:22-24, 48:13-14), and for the liberation, regathering, and restoration of the Jewish people (Isa. 40:26-31). Evidently, the creation of all the inanimate things of nature wasn’t for divine entertainment. These things were created for mankind! So the LORD proceeded to make the same divine statements with this implication.

“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:” – Isa. 42:5

“I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.” – Isa. 45:12

“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.” – Zech. 12:1

Implicitly, God is saying that He created the inanimate things of nature for mankind. Curiously, as a restoration prophet, Zechariah was compelled to say the same thing. The 70-year Babylonian Captivity had been a long and hard chastisement for the Jewish people. Therefore, in making these divine statements (Isa. 42:5, 45:12), once again, the LORD was in the process of promising their liberation, regathering, and restoration from Babylon through Cyrus, and where these prophecies don’t apply to history they will work to perform the liberation, regathering, and restoration of the Jewish people in the 2nd Advent of Christ.

A Divine Preoccupation with the Elect During Creation

Admittedly, the LORD was bringing the captivity to an end because if He continued to chastise the Jews, God said, “the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made” (Isa. 57:15-16). This helps us understand the heart of God in the creation of the spirits and souls of mankind (Isa. 42:5, 45:12, Zech. 12:1). Seeing that election motivated creation, theoretically, if all the elect were to perish, and the Jews were to be eradicated from the Earth, the original divine reason for creating everything in the physical universe would have come to nothing. Of course, God will not allow this to happen! Isaiah then proceeded to wax explicit and emphatic while making the exact same divine statements.

“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” – Isa. 45:18 (Prov. 8:30-31)

Clearly, God doesn’t want sinners to inhabit the earth (Gen. 6:5-7). It is now becoming clearer to readers that the Creator is speaking directly to the elect. The language of election pervades these chapters because God wants the elect to inhabit the earth! Election and creation are interrelated divine powers that are repeatedly presented together by divine reasoning. The timeless place of eternity, as the origin of divine sovereignty, is referred to by the words, “from the beginning”, “from the foundations of the earth”, and “before the day” (Isa. 40:21-23, 41:4-5, 26-27, 43:13). Demonstrating the power of election is how the LORD made a name for Himself as “the First and the Last” (Isa. 41:4, 26-27, 44:6, 48:12, Rev. 1:11, 17, 2:8, 22:13). Literally, God did this by “calling the generations from the beginning” (Isa. 41:4-5), and by calling the elect out of every generation first, before the LORD even created the Earth (Isa. 41:26-27).

“Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. The First shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem One that bringeth good tidings.” – Isa. 41:26-27

In a powerful demonstration of election, the LORD spoke about what was done “from the beginning” in eternity, when “the First” called and elected believers by predestinating them to be spiritually born in Zion, speaking of heavenly Jerusalem. This makes perfect sense in the light of Holy Scripture (Matt. 25:34, Heb. 12:22-24, Lk. 10:20, Ps. 87:1-7, Gal. 4:26, Jn. 18:36, Heb. 11:16, 13:14). The vacant mansions in the Kingdom of Heaven need inhabitants! Hence, when the Redeemer created these people, it was done with an overwhelming sense of love and affection. Literally, the Potter of Eternity lovingly and affectionately “formed [them] from the womb” to fulfill a specific purpose of divine sovereignty (Isa. 44:24).

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

“And forgettest the LORD thy Maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?” – Isa. 51:13

“And I have put My words in Thy mouth, and I have covered Thee in the shadow of Mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art My people.” – Isa. 51:16 (see Isa. 41:26-27; Col. 1:15-22)

God didn’t plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the earth so sinners could take over the world (Ps. 104:35). No! It was all created so that Jesus Christ could say to Zion, “Thou art My people” (Isa. 51:16). This is the “One” who was foretold to bring “good tidings” (Isa. 41:27). Evidently, this is God’s “pleasure” in creating all these things (Rev. 4:9-11). The Angels, as witnesses of divine sovereignty in election, knew all about the “pleasure” of God in creating the Earth and everything in it (Rev. 4:9-11, Job 38:4-7). Without exaggeration, God created Heaven and Earth so that He might glorify Christ in the salvation of the elect, which means that He was doing it all for the elect Jews (Isa. 51:16; Eph. 1:10-11, Col. 1:15-20).

“For Jacob My servants sake, and Isarel mine elect…” – Isa. 45:4

“…and Mine elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there.” – Isa. 65:9

“…and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” – Isa. 65:22

Election motivated the creation of the world! Yes. And Election also motivated the creation of specific people in the womb. Can you hear this coming through in the Book of Isaiah? For instance, when the LORD was speaking to the Jews, it was written, “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb…” (Isa. 44:24). This is the language of election. This is a language of paternal love. This is especially true for the “elect” Messiah of the Jews, as can be seen in Isaiah 42:1-7.

“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” – Isa. 42:1

“Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a Covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” – Isa. 42:5-7

The Messiah was foretold to be the root of Jesse, the son of David, and the only begotten Son of God, who alone was born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14, 9:6-7, 11:1, 10; Jn. 3:16). His birthday was the one and only immaculate conception the world has ever seen (Ps. 22:9-10)! Understandably, God the Father was personally involved in the conception, formation, and birth of this holy child (Lk. 1:35). Speaking of this, the Son of God made the following personal statements.

“Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called Me from the womb; from the bowels of My mother hath He made mention of My name.” – Isa. 49:1

“And now, saith the LORD that formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength.” – Isa. 49:5

Connect the dots. In the language of election, the everlasting arms of the Potter are at work in creation. As a genuine human being, the Name of Jesus Christ was called by God and written in the Book of Life (Ezek. 13:9, Ex. 32:32-33, Ps. 69:28, 87:6, Isa. 4:3, Dan. 12:1, Hos. 9:3). Similarly, the Name of Jesus Christ was reckoned up in the genealogies (Matt. 1:1-17, Lk. 3:23-38).

The Book of Life motivates God to create life on earth. Specifically, and individually, this proves to be true with the Messiah, and with all the elect of every generation. And without the election of Jesus Christ, there would be no election of anyone else (2 Cor. 1:20, Eph. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:2-10). Christ is the Fountainhead. Downstream, the elect things spoken to the Jews also apply to all the elect of every generation (Isa. 44:5, 55:3-5, 56:3-8, 65:1-2, 15-16). elect Gentiles even become spiritual Jews at salvation (Rom. 2:25-29, 11:16-17, Eph. 2:18-19, Gal. 3:26-29)! Hence, the language of election waxes stronger and stronger as God is reasoning with the Jews in the Book of Isaiah.

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” – Isa. 43:1

“Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” – Isa. 43:7

“This people have I formed for Myself; they shall shew forth My praise.” – Isa. 43:21

“Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, My servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.” – Isa. 44:1-2

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the First, and I am the Last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.” – Isa. 44:6-7

The godliest people to ever walk the face of the earth have the most astounding assurance of their own election. This was true of Jeremiah the Prophet. He felt “formed” by God in “the womb” of his mother for a very specific purpose in the earth (Jer. 1:5). This was true of the apostle Paul. He too felt that God “separated [him] from [his] mother’s womb” (Gal. 1:15, Rom. 1:1). Harmoniously, Paul was “called”, “elected”, and “chosen” by the LORD in the New Testament (1 Cor. 1:1, 2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Col. 1:1, 1 Tim. 1:1, 2 Tim. 1:1, 9-11, Acts 9:15, 22:14-15). Ah! But the same assurances would be granted to all believers if we could comprehend the language of election (1 Thess. 1:4). Meditatively, like King David, let us trace our election from now to infancy, and into eternity.

“For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.” – Ps. 71:5-6

David traces the presence of irresistible grace back to its origin. In “old age”, David looked back at a lifetime sovereign mercy (Ps. 71:9). He said, “Thou art my trust from my youth” (Ps. 71:5). David then looked back even further at his own birthday, and there he saw God as the Physician, Nurse, and Deliverer (Ps. 71:6). Ah! But the “searching” continues (1 Cor. 2:10-12). Inspiration carried David’s thoughts even further back in time. David looked back beyond his birthday and theatrically saw into the womb of his mother! He received a revelation of the love of God in the formation of his substance in the belly of his mother (Ps. 139:13-16). This is a staggering revelation! Can you imagine it? Finally, when it seems that David could proceed no further back in time, the man was somehow conducted into eternity. David looked into eternity and saw the divine thoughts of infinity (Ps. 139:17-18)! These are the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:1-3).

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” – Ps. 139:13-18

This should give all men some pause. This should give all the elect some prostration! David peered into the heart of God and saw an unquantifiable sum of divine thoughts about himself. These were precious thoughts. This motivated the Potter to joyfully take a lump of clay and then proceed to intimately mold and form the elect body and soul of David on the wheel of divine sovereignty. The same is true for all the recipients of “the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55:3).

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In Eternity After the Beginning at the Creation of Heaven

3/16/2025

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Article #2 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

“I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” – Rev. 21:6, 22:13

The perfections of the Trinity are limitless and endless. Out of the abundance of Their own goodness and love they created a beginning. According to Genesis 1:1, the LORD’s first act of creation was in the making of the third Heaven (Gen. 2:1; “the third Heaven” – 2 Cor. 12:2). We know this because God created the first and second Heavens on Day #2 and Day #4 according to Genesis 1:6-8 and Genesis 1:14-19. The creation of the third Heaven included everything and everyone in it. Therefore, this was a significant undertaking. We are talking about a “heavenly country” in eternity (Heb. 11:16)! An eternal place of unimaginable divine glory.

“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in Heaven, and thou upon Earth: therefore let thy words be few.” – Eccl. 5:2

Heaven is greater than Earth (Matt. 6:9, Ps. 115:3, Isa. 57:15). The invisible world of eternity is greater than the visible world of physical space and time (2 Cor. 4:18, Heb. 11:1). Spiritual things are greater than physical things. This was demonstrated in the spiritual power of God creating the physical universe (Gen. 1:1-2; Heb. 11:3)! “God is a Spirit” (Jn. 4:24). All the Angels of Heaven are “spirits” (Ps. 104:4). And Heaven’s population of angels is greater than Earth’s population of mankind (Ps. 8:5, Heb. 2:7, 9).

Heaven is immovable and indestructible, while Earth is shakable, corruptible, and slated for destruction (Heb. 12:27, 2 Pet. 3:10). The Prophetic Calendar speaks for itself. The “treasures” of Earth are corruptible, fading, fleeting, uncertain, and vulnerable (Matt. 6:20, 1 Tim. 6:17). Men should therefore turn their eyes upon the invisible things of eternity; as Peter said, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Earthlings have a lot to learn about this marvelous place of eternal glory, but not everyone will get to go there to see it for themselves.

The Throne, Temple, City, & Kingdom of Heaven

The Trinity created a seat of divine government there in the form of a glorious Throne (Jer. 17:12, Ps. 93:2, 103:19; Rev. 4:2-3). The Throne is situated in a heavenly Temple (Heb. 8:2, 9:11, 23; Rev. 7:15, 11:19, 14:15, 17, 15:5-6, 8, 16:1, 17). The Temple is located at the center of a heavenly City called Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26, Heb. 11:16, 12:22, 13:14; Rev. 3:12, 21:2, 10; Ps. 48:1-2). Innumerable “mansions” have been “prepared” for the people who would one day “inherit the Kingdom of God” and thus become the inhabitants of the heavenly City of Jerusalem (Matt. 25:34, 2 Pet. 1:11; Jn. 14:2; 1 Cor. 6:9-10, 15:50, Gal. 5:19-21). The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are all glorified together there in a display of majestic splendor that defies human imagination. The beautiful sight of it alone is a sufficient reward for the righteous in the unspeakable bliss of eternity (Jn. 17:5, 24; 1 Jn. 3:1-3; Ps. 27:4, 29:2, 90:17, 96:9; Isa. 33:17; Heb. 1:3, 13, 10:12, 12:2).

“And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with Thine own Self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” – John 17:5

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” – John 17:24

“A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” – Jer. 17:12

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” - Micah 5:2

Amazingly, the Son of God was fully glorified in Heaven “before the world was” even created (Jn. 17:5). The position of the Son of God in Heaven, as the beloved of the Father, was gloriously manifest “before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24). This speaks volumes about the glory of Heaven predating the existence of the world! Long before redeemed mankind even knew about the Son of God, apparently, everyone in the high and holy place was beholden to His glory, and this means that the Son of God was an enthroned Ruler in eternity. Furthermore, one day, this “Ruler” was going to journey from eternity into time through the incarnation “to be Ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). This is the only Ruler whose reign predated his birth into this world (Jn. 3:13, 31-32, 6:33, 8:23). Speaking of this, Micah said, this is the only Ruler “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

“And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man which is in Heaven.” - John 3:13

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from Heaven is above all.” - John 3:31

“And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” - John 8:23

Comprehending the eternal glory of Jesus Christ is moral man’s wisdom in the sight of God (Prov. 30:2-4). Seeing that God created Heaven, with everything and everyone in it, before the creation of the Earth, we can understand how the Son of God was fully glorified in Heaven “before the world” was even created (Jn. 17:5). Ultimately, God’s will is going to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven (Matt. 6:10). The Kingdom will come! The preincarnate Son of God, who was enthroned in glory in eternity past (Jn. 17:5, Mic. 5:2), will be enthroned on Earth, even as the incarnated Son of God is enthroned in glory right now through the ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven (Hebrews 1:3, 13, 8:1-2, 10:12, 12:2; Acts 2:32-36).

The enthroned presence of God is the glory and beauty of the LORD on Earth and in Heaven (Ps. 27:4, 29:2, 90:17, 96:9; Isa. 33:17). The majestic splendor of the Son of God as a King seated on a Throne is the glorification that Jesus Christ was remembering in eternity past and expecting in eternity future, even as He prayed in the High Priestly Prayer of John 17.

“For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in Earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” – Col. 1:16-17

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” – Heb. 1:1-3

Evidently, this glory has been restored to Jesus Christ in eternity right now, and it will be the everlasting spectacle of the redeemed in glory, as they join the angels in worship before the Throne (Rev. 19:1-5). Before time, an innumerable company of angels worshipped the enthroned presence of the Son of God in a preincarnate form. At the end of time, an innumerable company of redeemed men and angels will worship the enthroned presence of Jesus Christ (Rev. 7:9-10, 19:1-6, Heb. 12:22-24).

The Alpha and Omega of eternity, before and after time, should be of great interest to believers. Those who have read about the divine powers of sovereignty, foreknowledge, and predestination will be especially interested (Eph. 1:5, 11, Rom. 8:29-30, 1 Pet. 1:2). Amazingly, there are many Scriptures that shed light on what happened in eternity before the creation of the world! Things were said and done that deserve our attention. Decrees, ordinances, appointments, counsels, covenants, and promises were divinely spoken by the voice of omnipotence, and this greatly excited the Angels of Heaven to behold the forthcoming events of creation. Let the testimony of Job 38:4-7 capture your admiration.

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the Morning Stars sang together, and all the Sons of God shouted for joy?” - Job 38:4-7

Literally, as God the Son acted to create the Earth, and the foundation of the world, myriads of holy Angels were present as witnesses of these divine exploits of creation, and throughout all the six days of creation, the stary host of Angels were singing and shouting for joy! Can you imagine it? Job 38:7 gives us a glimpse into the glory of the Son of God described by Jesus Christ in John 17:5. In eternity, after the beginning, at the creation of Heaven, and before the creation of the Earth, the glory of the preincarnate Son of God can be comprehended in the testimony of Genesis 1:1, John 17:5, & Job 38:4-7. Holy angels, shining like stars, sang heavenly songs of worship to God during creation. Their singing was mixed with loud shouts of joy as the angels were beholden to the miracles of creation in real time! A diamond studded sky at sunrise couldn’t compare to this awesome scene. However, such beauty and brightness is ordinary in Heaven.

Holy Angels by Rank & Position in the Worship of Heaven

Somewhere up on high, at the peak of the slopes of glory, as one is going up on the sides of the north, there sits a King who is exalted above the Stars of God (Isa. 14:13-14, Heb. 12:22). Innumerable Angels of every rank are continuously present around the Throne in a serious engagement of worship (Rev. 4:4-8, 5:11-12, 7:11-12). Above all, and first of all, the Angels were created to love God, and in loving God, these heavenly beings were fashioned to express their love by worshipping the LORD forever and ever.

“Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens, with all their Host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the Host of Heaven worshippeth thee.” – Neh. 9:6

The Angels are organized by rank in their position before the Throne (Mk. 10:40). The highest-ranking Angels, the Cherubim, are “in the midst of the Throne, and round about the Throne”, and they cry out continuously day and night, saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 4:6-8; Isa. 6:1-6). This specific location is the Holy of Holies of Heaven! The Cherubim were “anointed” for this holy station (Ezek. 28:14).

“The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the Cherubims; let the earth be moved.” – Ps. 99:1

The Cherubim are the loudest worshippers in the Host of Heaven. Their voices are the most powerful and commanding when it comes to proclamations, and their notes are the most captivating and beautiful when it comes to singing. Their abilities are unmatched in respect to all the musical instruments of Heaven! Speaking of this, God said of the Cherubim, “…the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created” (Ezek. 28:13). The Cherubim were created to be worship leaders in the stary host of Heaven’s choir.

“And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty Elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the Throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” – Rev. 4:4-5

The second rank of holy Angels is made up of 24 heavenly beings who look like aged men in their countenance (Rev. 4:4-5; compare with Rev. 1:14). Angels have been frequently called or mistaken to be men throughout history (Gen. 18:1-2, 32:24, Dan. 10:5, Judges 13:6, Lk. 24:4, Heb. 13:2). These angels are specifically called, “Elders” (Rev. 4:4, 10, 5:5-6, 8, 11, 14, 7:11, 13, 11:16, 14:3, 19:4), and this name is given to them as a royal title of rulership in Heaven. Elders were the rulers of Israel in the Old Testament (Ex. 3:16, 24:1, Num. 1:4-16, Josh. 22:14, Acts 4:8). Elders are also the rulers of the Church in the New Testament (1 Tim. 5:17, Tit. 1:5, Heb. 11:2, 13:7, 17, 24, James 5:14, 1 Pet. 5:1). It comes as no surprise that the same title is used among angels in Heaven.

The twenty-four Elders are not positioned in the midst of the Throne of God like the Cherubim. Reflecting their rank, they are positioned further away from the Throne. On special occasions, when all the Sons of God are summoned to come and present themselves before the LORD (Job 1:6, 2:1), the Elders can be seen sitting on twenty-four thrones that are located “round about” the Throne of God (Rev. 4:4-5). They wear “crowns of gold” on their heads as a representation of their authority over angels and men as “the Chief Princes” (Rev. 4:4; Dan. 10:13, 21; Note: even the principalities of hell wear crowns as a representation of their dark rulership according to Rev. 9:7 & Eph. 6:12).

“Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the Heavens: praise Him in the Heights. Praise ye Him, all his Angels: praise ye Him, all His Hosts.” - Psalm 148:1-2

Each occasion before the Throne of God is mixed with various forms of praise and worship. Sometimes, throughout the procession of heavenly events, all twenty-eight of these high-ranking angels fall prostrate before the Throne of God as they make unanimous declarations of worship in perfect harmony (Rev. 4:9-11). Meanwhile, the angelic Princes can be seen casting their crowns before the Throne in a shocking display of subjection and humility! Sometimes, as the occasion requires, all these angels suddenly break-out in the singing of “a new song” before the Throne of God (Rev. 5:9).

Amazingly, these spontaneous songs of worship ring out symphonically in the presence of musical instruments. Every one of these angels are equipped with “harps” and “golden vials” for such occasions (Rev. 5:8)! Literally, while they are all singing, the melodious sounds of heavenly harps join the loud chorus of angelic voices. Consequentially, worship fills the air of Heaven as an inescapable fragrance, even as the golden streets of eternity are continually resounding with the excellent sounds of holy adoration.

The last and final rank of holy Angels is positioned outside the border of the twenty-four thrones in every direction. An innumerable company of heavenly beings gather there when all the Sons of God appear before the LORD (Job 1:6, 2:1). The crystalline sea of glass extends indefinitely providing sufficient space for the standing presence of hundreds of millions of Angels (Rev. 5:11). All the Angels of every rank and position are “round about the Throne” in a majestic scene of pure glory (Rev. 5:11-12)! And, as each occasion requires, this innumerable company of Angels joins in concert with the leading Angels of higher rank, whether it be in the sudden acts of intense prostration corresponding to various proclamations, or in worshipping the LORD through the ministry of song. This is a beautiful situation (Ps. 48:1-2)! However, all this is to say nothing about the dawning light of eternity that illuminates Heaven with divine brightness.

“…the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” – 1 Tim. 6:15-16

“…Thou that dwellest between the Cherubims, shine forth.” - Psalm 80:1

The heavenly situation of the Throne above is mirrored on earth through the symbolism of the Tabernacle and the Temple (Ex. 26:1, 36:8; Ex. 26:31-35, 36:35; 1 Kg. 6:29, 2 Chron. 3:7, Ezek. 41:25). Golden images of the Cherubim stood 17.5 ft high on either side of the Throne in the Holy of Holies (1 Kings 6:23, 26). The mighty statues of these Angels had a combined wingspan of 35 feet wall-to-all in the Throne Room of God (2 Chron. 3:11-13, 1 Kings 6:23-28). Their wings were outstretched to act as a “covering” to the Mercy Seat (Ex. 25:18-20, 37:7-9). Literally, they acted to overshadow and cover the Throne with their wings (2 Chron. 3:12-13, 5:7-8; Heb. 9:5; Ex. 25:18-20, 37:7-9), because the theater of typology is a miniature of the heavenly situation.

The Cherubim are much bigger in height and wingspan in reality. They have to be extremely large in order to act as a covering for the Great White Throne of Heaven (Rev. 20:11). Four Cherubim are positioned on each side of the Throne for an overshading in all directions (Rev. 4:6). Each Cherubim possesses six wings for the job (Rev. 4:8). The Daystar of eternity, exceeding the brightness of the sun, shines forth from behind the Cherubim in a dazzling display of glory (Acts 26:13, Ps. 80:1, Rev. 1:16, 2 Pet. 1:19). Somehow, through refraction, the whole spectrum of light can be seen as a glow of brightness around the Throne (Ezek. 1:26-28)! “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place.” (Ezek. 3:12).

Vacant Mansions in the Kingdom of Heaven

Take a long hard look at these heavenly scenes of glory! This is the final destination of all the redeemed. The Son of God came from eternity into time through the incarnation (Jn. 3:13, 31-32, 6:33, 8:23). The Man, Jesus Christ, then went away on a long journey via death to prepare a place for mankind in glory (Jn. 14:2-3). The only begotten Son died so that He might become the first to rise from the dead in a glorified human body (Acts 26:23, 1 Cor. 15:20; “the Firstborn from the Dead” – Col. 1:18, Rev. 1:5). The Lord then ascended to become the first to Man to enter the gates of Heaven in bodily presence (Jn. 3:13, Lk. 24:37-39, 1 Cor. 15:35-50).

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” – John 14:2-3

The sacred feet of Jesus Christ were the first human footsteps to walk the courts of the Temple of Heaven. As our heavenly High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek, the Lord went there to apply the blood for reconciliation and purification (Col. 1:20, Heb. 8:1-6, 9:8, 12, 23-24, 10:19-20). This is the preparation being spoken about in John 14:2-3. Jesus Christ is a forerunning trailblazer who made a “way into the holiest of all” (Heb. 6:19-20, 9:8)! Essentially, this opens the door for believers to follow the forerunner into Heaven (Heb. 6:19-20).

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” - Psalm 24:7-10 (Isa. 44:22-23)

As a warrior King who is mighty in battle, Jesus Christ conquered sin, death, and hell (Rev. 1:18, 1 Cor. 15:55-57). Victoriously, the Man lead captivity captive from the depths into the height of Heaven (Eph. 4:9-10, Ps. 24:7-10)! In an ultimate procession, the everlasting doors of heavenly Jerusalem were triumphantly opened as Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, led the whole host of redeemed souls out of Sheol and into glory all at once (Eph. 4:8-10, Ps. 24:7-10). The inheritors, alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, finally possessed the Promised Land that they were looking for, and they found rest in the goodly “mansions” that were prepared of old (Heb. 4:1-11, 11:16, Jn. 14:2-3).

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” – Matt. 25:34 (Isa. 64:4, 1 Cor. 2:9-10)

“For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” – 2 Pet. 1:11

Amazingly, the Kingdom of Heaven was “prepared” in the beginning, even though the earthly inheritors of it will not possess it in the flesh until the end (Matt. 8:11). Everything that was “prepared” of old is now “laid up” and “reserved” for the elect inheritors of the Kingdom in the End of Days (Matt. 25:34, Col. 1:5, 1 Pet. 1:4). Notwithstanding, according to Hebrews 12:22-24, the redeemed spirits of the dead are the happy citizens of heavenly Jerusalem right now! There is a curious twinkle in the eyes of those who gaze upward. Oh, to comprehend “the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Eph. 1:18)! Remember, the “treasures” of Earth are corruptible, fading, fleeting, uncertain, and vulnerable (Matt. 6:20, 1 Tim. 6:17). Men should therefore turn their eyes to the riches of eternity; as Peter said, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” – 1 Pet. 1:3-5

Did you hear? It’s all reserved in Heaven for you! Literally, in eternity, at the beginning, in the creation of Heaven, and before the creation of Earth, the LORD constructed the supercity of heavenly Jerusalem to completion, with all of its glorious “mansions” for the elect (Jn. 14:2-3), and ever since then it has been “reserved in Heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Why did God choose to create it all so early in the beginning? God is pleased to reveal to men and angels the divine powers of sovereignty, foreknowledge, and predestination (Eph. 1:5, 11, Rom. 8:29-30, 1 Pet. 1:2). For some perspective, consider the vantage point of the holy Angels in these heavenly events.

Can you imagine the curiosity of all the Angels as they observed millions of vacant mansions in the golden city of Jerusalem? Now see them gathering in an assembly before the Throne with great interest, as they desire to hear about what God is going to do next. Hear them wondering, “Who was all this built for?”, and “How is God going to fill the vacant mansions of the golden city in eternity?”. Now imagine the Angels gazing with wonder and expectancy upon the Great White Throne of the Son of God (Jn. 17:5, 24), with the towering presence of a magnificent city in the background (Matt. 25:34).

As Christians, we too have a lot to learn about the government of heavenly Jerusalem. Curiously, Paul believed that the government of heavenly Jerusalem was responsible for the salvation of all the elect throughout all time! This is why the Apostle said, “Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Gal. 4:26). Oh, Jerusalem! “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God.” (Ps. 87:3). Evidently, a correct view of heavenly Jerusalem explains the birthright of elect Jews and Gentiles throughout all time. The names of every one of them are “written in Heaven” (Heb. 12:23, Lk. 10:20).

“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of Angels, To the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” – Heb. 12:22-24 (see Heb. 11:16, 13:14)

“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O City of God. Selah. I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.” - Psalm 87:1-7

The Kingdom of Heaven comes for the elect spiritually and physically in every generation. Remember, Jesus Christ boldly said, “My Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Similarly, Christians are taught to pray, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven.” (Matt. 6:10). The Kingdom of Heaven is advancing, and it will ultimately rule the world after it has harvested the souls of the elect throughout all generations (Dan. 2:44, Isa. 9:6-7). The Angels are thoroughly absorbed into this purpose as noble officers of the Kingdom of Heaven. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb. 1:14). They plan an indispensable part in the grand scheme of things.

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind in Eternity

The will, purpose, and pleasure of God was revealed in the form of decrees, ordinances, appointments, counsels, covenants, and promises being divinely spoken by the voice of omnipotence, and this greatly excited the Angels of Heaven to behold the forthcoming events of creation (Job 38:4-7). This is the language of foreknowledge, predestination, and determination. The voice of the Almighty could be heard calling out the names of those who were chosen in the election, and the names were then ceremoniously written in a book by an Angel with a heavenly pen and inkhorn (Ezek. 9:1-4, Rev. 7:2, 9:4, 14:1; Note: speaking of Angels with heavenly pens and inkhorns, an astounding correlation exists between the name written as the seal in the tribulation of Babylon and the names written in the Book of Life).

“The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.” – Rev. 17:8

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” – Rev. 20:12, 15

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof…And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there…And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.” – Rev. 21:23-27

The destiny of these people in time and eternity was predetermined based upon election, and the heavenly record of divine election is the Book of Life. Remarkably, the names were already “written in the Book of Life” when the LORD acted to create the Earth in laying “the foundation of the world” (Rev. 17:8). This is an impressive demonstration of divine sovereignty! The power of divine sovereignty is put on display to men and angels in how predestination literally preceded everything in the physical universe. The Book of Life was written to completion before life on Earth was created.

Obviously, an omniscient God doesn’t need the Book of Life as a personal reminder. Hence, the record book wasn’t written for Him! Rather, the Book of Life was ceremoniously written for men and angels to comprehend this supreme event of eternity when the LORD foreknew, predestinated, and determined everything by election. Having a clear understanding of the rank and order of the assemblies of Angels in Heaven, we can better comprehend the procedures of the courtroom of Heaven when the decrees, ordinances, appointments, counsels, covenants, and promises of election were divinely declared.

Ordinances: 1 Pet. 1:18-21
Will of God: Gal. 1:4-5
Promises: Titus 1:1-3

Purposes: 2 Tim. 1:9-10
Chosen: Eph. 1:3-6, 2 Thess. 2:13-14
Calling: 1 Thess. 2:12, 1 Pet. 5:10-11

The glory of the Son of God seated on the Throne of Heaven was revealed to an assembly of holy Angels gathered at the center of a fully constructed heavenly Kingdom in eternity, “before the world was” (Jn. 17:5), and “before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24, Mic. 5:2, Matt. 25:34). It is difficult to overstate the importance of this momentous occasion in eternity! Ordinances of salvation were decreed “before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20). The will of God the Father for the Son of God was revealed in a “commandment” (Gal. 1:4-5; Jn. 17:24; Jn. 10:17-18). promises of love were made “before the world began” (Tit. 1:2). purposes of grace were given to the elect “before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:9).

All this happened when the chosen ones were foreknown and publicly elected in the Courtroom of Heaven “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). “God hath from the beginning chosen [them] to salvation” (2 Thess. 2:13-14). Audibly, the voice of divine sovereignty called out the names of the elect for the record book, and hereby these souls were called unto the “eternal glory” of the “Kingdom” in Heaven (1 Thess. 2:12, 1 Pet. 5:10-11). The record book of divine sovereignty, the Book of Life, is a living testimony of predestination because the book was already completed “from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 17:8).

If God was so preoccupied with mankind in eternity, even before the world began, then the whole host of Angels in Heaven were absorbed into the same preoccupation. Shouts of joy were ringing out in eternity as the stary host heard and comprehended the plans of divine sovereignty! Clearly, the Angels didn’t know everything that God was going to do with mankind on Earth, but they knew enough to be stricken with longing to know more (1 Pet. 1:10-12, 1 Tim. 3:16, Eph. 3:8-11).

These compelling revelations then led to the employment of the Angels as the ministers of the elect (Heb. 1:14, Ps. 34:7; 91:11-12, Matt. 18:10). Their preoccupation with mankind is so intense that they take time to rejoice in Heaven at the repentance of every elect sinner on Earth (Matt. 18:13, Lk. 15:7)! No wonder. By virtue of hearing the decrees, ordinances, appointments, counsels, covenants, and promises of election being divinely declared, all the Angels in attendance on that fateful day of eternal glory acquired a bare minimum understanding of the proceeding scriptures.

The Son of God was Foreordained as a Sacrificial Lamb for an Atonement

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” – 1 Pet. 1:18-21 (Jn. 10:17-18, Acts 2:23, 4:28)

The Divine Promise to Give Mortal Man Eternal Life

“Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;” - Titus 1:1-3

Apparently, according to 1 Peter 1:18-21, the Angels heard how the Son of God was “foreordained” as a sacrificial “Lamb” to accomplish an Atonement! It stands to reason that this ordination came with a public commandment in the courts of glory. Remember how the Son of God spoke of a “commandment” that He received of the Father? Remember how the Son of God was compelled to pray, “Thy will be done” (Matt. 26:39, 42, Heb. 5:7)? Remarkably, according to John 10:17-18, this “commandment” is closely associated with the love that was being bestowed upon the Son by the Father (Jn. 10:17-18).

“Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” - John 10:17-18

It is a well-known fact that the Father speaks to the Son publicly before different audiences for the glorification of the Son of God (Ps. 110:1, Jn. 12:28). Understandably, the Angels would have been shocked to hear about this plan for the second Person of the Godhead. Similarly, they would have been astonished to behold the love of the Father being showered upon the Son of God! As Jesus Christ said, “for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24). We can assume that this had something to do with the ordinances, commandments, and promises that were coming from the dread Sovereign of eternity.

The heavenly proclamation of these things would have been incomprehensible to the Angels without some degree of knowledge about the fate of mankind on Earth in the near future. Namely, how they would fall into sin and death, and that this would necessitate the incarnation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ as a Lamb (1 Pet. 1:18-21). However, even as the Angels came to understand something about the fall of mankind, in the same breath, the Angels came to know about God’s “promise” of “eternal life” to mortal man (Titus 1:1-3). Amazingly, the Angels were witnesses to how this promise was audibly declared “before the world began” (Tit. 1:1-3).

Believe it or not, these ordinances and promises are enforced by the power of divine sovereignty. In real time, “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” conducted Jesus Christ to the Cross of Calvary (Acts 2:23). This means that Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews cannot exclusively take responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They all did their part, as it is written, “For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:28). Can you believe it? Believers see the mighty work of divine sovereignty while acknowledging it as a mystery. Even this wisdom was “ordained before the world unto our glory” (1Co 2:7-8)

The Divine Purpose of Grace Given to the Elect

“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” – 2 Tim. 1:9-10

Chosen for Salvation & Ultimately to Be with Christ in Glory

“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 2 Thess. 2:13-14

Chosen Ones Who Will be Holy & Blameless in Christ Before the Throne

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” – Eph. 1:3-6

A “promise” of “eternal life” to mankind would have been incomprehensible to the Angels without some knowledge of mortality, sin, and death. Similarly, a divine “purpose” of “grace” given to the elect “before the world began” would be meaningless without some knowledge of divine justice as it will be executed upon sinners for the satisfaction of eternal wrath (2 Tim. 1:9-10). Literally, grace is incomprehensible and nonexistent without accusations of justice demanding divine punishment! Hence, the Angels came to know that the “chosen” ones are elected for “salvation” to escape this punishment (2 Thess. 2:13-14). Their destiny, since “before the foundation of the world”, was to stand holy and blameless in Christ before the Throne of God in eternity (Eph. 1:3-6).

Divine Sovereignty Over the Heathen

The sovereignty of God rules over all! Nothing and no one is exempt. God “worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28). Certainly, many things were spoken about in eternity. However, even more things were divinely planned and unspoken in the courtroom of Heaven. Scripture speaks of innumerable ordinances, appointments, determinations, and callings of divine sovereignty that pertain to heathen people worldwide.

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;” – Acts 17:24-26

Ordinances: Rom. 13:1
Appointments: Acts 17:26, Job 7:1, 14:14

Determinations: Acts 17:26, Job 14:5
Callings: Isa. 41:4

The rulers of every nation worldwide were “ordained” by God (Rom. 13:1). The habitations, boundaries, and bloodlines of every race and nation were “appointed” and “determined” by God (Acts 17:26, Job 14:5). The lifetimes of sinners were “appointed” to everyone; literally, each person has been appointed a specific number of days that they will live upon the Earth (Job. 7:1, 14:14). All this and more was done for everyone who would ever live in every generation throughout all time (Isa. 41:4). The sovereignty of God over the heathen became especially clear when the LORD spoke to or about various heathen Kings.

Sennacherib King of Assyria

“Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps.” – Isa. 37:26 (see Isa. 10:5-19)

Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon

“Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.” – Isa. 46:9-11 (see Jer. 27:1-13, Isa. 13:1-14:27)

Cyrus King of Medo-Persia

“Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow. He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the First, and with the Last; I am he.” – Isa. 41:1-4 (see Isa. 45:1-4)

God humbles these Kings by taking credit for thier actions and achievements. Divine sovereignty does not make void man’s responsibility, nevertheless, hearing God take responsibility for the mighty exploits of these heathen Kings is truly shocking. Meanwhile, in the same sentence, the LORD called the King of Assyria a hewing “axe” (Isa. 10:15), the King of Babylon a “bird” (Isa. 46:11), and the King of Medo-Persia a “shepherd” (Isa. 44:28). The King of Assyria is a tool in the toolbox of divine sovereignty. The King of Babylon is a pet in the cage of divine sovereignty. Being commission for a nobler task, the King of Medo-Persia is then referred to as a poor, base, and lonely sheep herder of the countryside. The divine point was coming through loud and clear. God, “the First”, is working and doing things in every generation after having decided upon the “calling” of everyone in each generation “from the beginning” (Isa. 45:4).

Divine Sovereignty in Callings and Elections

God wasn’t making things up in the process of time with each new up-and-coming generation. “Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” (Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:11, Rom. 8:28). Through omniscience God can easily navigated through an infinite amount of information. Effortlessly, the LORD was fully decided upon the purposes of divine sovereignty “from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18). This is especially relevant when it comes to the divine calling of the elect in every generation (Isa. 41:4).

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” – Rom. 8:28-30 (Acts 15:18, Eph. 1:11)

Calling: Isa. 41:4, Rom. 8:28-30, 1 Thess. 5:23-24; See Rom. 1:6-7, 1 Cor. 1:2, 24, 26, 1 Cor. 7:17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, Gal. 5:8
Election: 1 Thess. 1:4-5, Rom. 9:11, 11:5-8, Tit. 1:1, 1 Pet. 1:2, 2 Pet. 1:10, Col. 3:12, 2 Tim. 2:10
Chosen: 2 Thess. 2:13-14, Rom. 16:13, Rev. 17:14, 19:9

Ordinances: Acts 13:48, Jude 1:4
Appointments: 1 Thess. 5:9, 1 Pet. 2:8
Foreknowledge: Jer. 1:5, Ps. 139:13-18, Ex. 32:32-33, 33:12-13, 17, 19, Isa. 43:1, Rom. 8:29-30, 1 Pet. 1:2, 1 Cor. 8:1-3, Matt. 7:23
Predestination: Eph. 1:3-6, 11, Rom. 8:28-30

The testimony of Scripture forces mortals to gaze upon the irresistible and unstoppable calling of divine sovereignty. Credit is given to divine sovereignty in the conversion of sinners to Christ through simply referring to them as “the called” (Rom. 1:6-7, 8:28). These are “the Christians” in the New Testament (Rom. 1:6-7, 1 Cor. 1:2, 24, 26, 1 Cor. 7:17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24, Gal. 5:8). It can also be said that these elect souls were sovereignly “called” through the “Gospel” (2 Thess. 2:13-14, Gal. 1:6). The preaching of the Gospel came with power as it was accompanied with the Holy Ghost, and therefore these people were born again (1 Thess. 1:4-5, Jn. 3:3, 6; Matt. 13:19-23). Hereby, Paul discerned the “election” of the Christians of Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:4-5). The sealing of the Spirit is the token of election (1 Thess. 1:4-5, Eph. 1:13-14, 4:29-30, 2 Cor. 1:19-22, 5:5; 1 Pet. 1:2).

“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our Gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance;” – 1 Thess. 1:4-5

“Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded” – Rom. 11:5-7

“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)” – Rom. 9:11

All the results of soul winning can be traced back to divine sovereignty. When people get saved, “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” (Acts 13:48). “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Rom. 9:16). When people are unsaved, they “were before of old ordained to this condemnation” (Jude 1:4). These appointments are irresistible! They are for salvation and condemnation, or for obedience and disobedience (1 Thess. 5:9, 1 Pet. 2:8). Blinded souls are unable to believe in the Gospel, and persist in disobedience, because it is “whereunto also they were appointed” (1 Pet. 2:8). “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” (Rom. 9:18). Let all mortal flesh be silent before the Potter of Eternity.

“Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the Potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” – Rom. 9:19-24

The workmanship of the Potter in real time prevails upon the vessels. The hands of the Potter mold and form the clay. However, the sovereign purposes of the Potter were fixed and settled in eternity. Accordingly, some of the vessels were “fitted to destruction” (Rom. 9:22). Other vessels were “afore prepared unto glory” (Rom. 9:23). The Potter of Eternity works on the wheel of divine sovereignty from age to age (Eph. 2:7-10, 3:20-21). Speaking of this, Paul said, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10). This humble vantage point of believers is an upward looking gaze to the sovereignty of God in eternity.

“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.” – Isa. 40:21-23

“Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the First, and with the Last; I am he. The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.” – Isa. 41:4-5

“Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. The First shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem One that bringeth good tidings.” – Isa. 41:26-27

“Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?” – Isa. 43:13

First of all, before the creation of everything else in the physical universe, the whole assembly of Heaven witnessed the majesty of divine sovereignty over all things. All of creation should stand in awe at divine sovereignty in eternity governing everything in time, even as the Angels of Heaven were made so to do. In eternity, at the beginning, at the creation of Heaven, and before the creation of the world, “the First” spoke the names of the elect of every generation. By interpretation, this means that in eternity, “from the beginning” (Isa. 41:4-5, 26-27), at the creation of Heaven, “before the day was” (Isa. 43:13), the grand scheme of divine sovereignty was unveiled to the holy angels for the writing of the Book of Life. Subsequently, in time, many Prophets and Apostles arose and declared the matter in the ears of mankind, and Isaiah was chief among them.

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In Eternity Before the Beginning

3/16/2025

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Article #1 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible

An eternity transpired before the beginning. An eternity! The stillness and silence of eternity was filled with God. The divine being of God inhabited eternity. Mortal men cannot fathom such greatness.

“For thus saith the High and Lofty One that Inhabiteth Eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the High and Holy Place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” – Isa. 57:15

We are compelled by Scripture to gaze in wonder at the unfathomable greatness. “Behold, God is great, and we know Him not, neither can the number of His years be searched out.” (Job 36:26). It seems that Moses was made to peer into eternity when he said, “even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God” (Ps. 90:2). One can only imagine what prophetic visions empowered Moses to become the narrator of the Book of Genesis.

“In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth.” - Gen. 1:1

Finally, after an eternity, then came “the beginning”. In the beginning…God! Mortals need to be confronted with the reality of an uncreated God in eternity. The LORD preexisted everything and everyone! In the infinite space of eternity there wasn’t ever anything or anyone else besides the LORD.

“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.” – Isa. 44:6

God was first. God is “the First” (Rev. 22:13). Literally, God is “the Beginning” (Rev. 21:6). He is the beginning of creation. He is the beginning of time. He is the beginning of the new creation. He is the end of time. God is above all, and over all…transcending everything! Meanwhile, the LORD took on mortality through the incarnation to visit lowly mankind as a Savior.

“…Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Saviour.” – Isa. 43:10-11

Everyone should be awestruck with amazement to hear Jesus Christ say, “I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:11). These divine declarations force the adoration of myriads in Heaven! Oh, to be prostrated alongside John! To feel the touch of omnipotence giving strength to the weak! To hear the divine word coming softly upon mortal ears, “Fear not; I am First and the Last” (Rev. 1:17). God speaks! Let all mortal flesh keep silent (Rev. 2:8).

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Can God Change His Mind?

9/6/2022

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The Logical Consistency of Systematic Theology

Are you a student of Theology? Do you admire the attributes of God in Christ? Suffice it to say, if indeed God can change his mind, then this ability within the Godhead should be incorporated within the grand scheme of logical consistency in Systematic Theology. Amazingly, most Calvinists deny that God can change his mind at all, even though this very phenomenon appears in Scripture many times.

𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲...

𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 – Jonah 3:4, 10 (after 40 days Nineveh was not destroyed)

𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 – Isaiah 38:1, 38:5 (Hezekiah did not die)

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 – Ex. 29:9, 40:15, 1 Sam. 2:35, 1 Kings 2:27 (Eli’s family priesthood was not perpetual, everlasting, and forever)

𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗮𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 – Jer. 15:15-21 (Jeremiah was not carried away into the captivity of Babylon)

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 - Ex.2:24, 3:8, 17, 12:25, 13:5, 11, Num. 14:30, 34 (the Exodus Generation was not brought into the Promised Land to inherit it)

𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘁 – 1 Sam. 7:12-16 (Solomon’s earthly throne was not an unbreakable and enduring establishment from generation to generation forever)

Seeing that all these men are TRUE Prophets, the popular interpretation of Deuteronomy 18:21-22 needs to be reevaluated. However, this should not be done to excuse the hoards of false prophets among "Charismatic Christianity" today! Nevertheless, my fellow Continuationists need to make their voices heard to create some push-back against the proud and haughty Cessationist Calvinists who claim the moral high-ground on the subject and rashly anathematize people while oversimplifying the issue. Furthermore, I would urge the Neo-Calvinists of today to incorporate the reality of divine repentance into their logically consistent belief system.

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Refuting Popular Misconceptions about Jeremiah 31:31-34

9/5/2022

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Knowing the LORD in the Old & New Covenants

At the fullness of time (Gen. 15:13-16), and in response to the sighing, crying, and groaning of a penitent remnant of Israel (Ex. 2:23-25, Deut. 26:7-8), the LORD descended from Heaven to deliver the people from Egypt (Ex. 3:7-10). Even though the vast majority of Israelites were in bed with the gods of Egypt (Ezek. 20:5-8), and only a small remnant was sighing and crying to God in truth, the LORD sovereignly chose Israel (Ps. 105:26-45). Then, at the arrival of Moses to Egypt in private communion with the Elders, there was a glimmer of hope that Israel as a whole would suddenly turn to God in faith and repentance (Ex. 4:29-31). However, whatever faith the Elders demonstrated in the beginning proved to be superficial when tested with adversity (Ex. 5:20-21, John 8:30-34). This is because Israel did not yet know the LORD (Ezek. 16:1-6, Deut. 26:7-8, Acts 7:6-7; John 17:3, 25).

However, that said, many people argue that this perfectly represents the storyline in the Old Testament. They believe that all the hardships that the Exodus Generation went through were because only a small remnant of Israel actually knew the LORD while the vast majority were unregenerate for lack of true conversion. They would argue that this explains why the Old Covenant(s) failed, as described in Jeremiah 31:31-34; and, contrastingly, this is why the New Covenant storyline is completely different.

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my Covenant they brake, although I was an Husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” – Jer. 31:31-34

At first glance, Jeremiah 31:31-34 seems to settle the argument. It appears to plainly declare the fundamental difference between the Old Covenant & the New Covenant, namely that not everyone in Israel knew the LORD by virtue of true conversion, but in the New Covenant everyone shall know the LORD from the least to the greatest. However, the fine details matter. Things are not always as they appear. Howbeit, the fine details are sure to be unrealized if THE STORYLINE of the Old Testament is ignored by the interpreter. As an exemplification of this, consider the Doctrine of the Trinity.

One could argue against the Trinity based upon of Deuteronomy 6:4, even though THE STORYLINE of the Old and New Testaments do teach and support the Doctrine of the Trinity. Face value assumptions are born through ignorance (Prov. 15:28). That's why only a lawyer can be trusted to interpret the fine details of law documents. The fine details matter. Words matter in the natural and much more in the spiritual. Lawyers are hired because their knowledge is needed to assuredly know the bounds and parameters of the law (Hos. 4:6); and only a fool would suppose he can decipher complicated law documents with good success. Meanwhile, Christians endeavor the interpretation of Jeremiah 31:31-34 without an in-depth recollection of the Old Testament abiding in their souls! This is dangerous.

The fact that “all” of Israel didn’t know the LORD from generation to generation isn’t the issue. This is indisputable. Rather, the question is if “all” of Israel was required by law to know the LORD according to the Old Testament. Then, if the answer proves to be yes, we must search the Scriptures to see if this biblical ideal has ever been realized in Biblical Church History and / or if it ever will be realized according to Biblical Prophecy at some point in the future.

Every individual in Israel was required to know the LORD, and that is exactly why the Jews were teaching every man his neighbor, saying, “Know the LORD” (Jer. 31:34). Every individual in the Assemblies or Congregations of the Israelite People, in any place or for any purpose within the Land of Israel, or anywhere in the Kingdom of God, especially within the City of Jerusalem & upon Mount Zion, or anywhere of closer proximity to the Temple of God, were required by law to be entirely populated by righteous and godly persons.

The only controversy is that this requirement was hard to keep. Therefore, the plot of redemptive history gravitates around this requirement of the law. Definitively, it all began with the Exodus Generation. This reference point is clearly in the mind of God in Jeremiah 31:31-34, when the LORD spoke of “the Covenant that [Jehovah] made with their fathers in the day that [the LORD] took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt” (Jer. 31:32). Therefore, we should begin our investigation at the formation of the Mosaic Covenant.

The LORD was determined to bring this nation to birth (Gen. 33:20; Ps. 135:4, 33:12). Therefore, with unwavering commitment as a Father, the LORD pled the cause of redemption (Ex. 4:22, Hos. 11:1). Through a total of 8 Severance Miracles the LORD won the heart of the Jewish People in saving faith and repentance. The love of Jehovah for the Jews became utterly undeniable amidst the onslaught of flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death. In being separated from the Egyptians through a miraculous shield of divine favor amidst the plagues, the LORD won the trust of the fatigued and downtrodden people. Hereby, they came to know the LORD in truth (Ex. 8:22-23 [#1], 9:4-6 [#2], 11 [#3], 25-26 [#4], 10:13-18 [#5], 21-23 [#6], 11:6-7 [#7], 14:22-23 [#8]).

Chiefly, in the Passover, they were justified by faith in the blood of atonement (Ex. 12:23-28, Heb. 11:28, 1 Cor. 5:7).
Secondarily, in the Red Sea, they were baptized by faith (Ex. 14:30-31, 15:1-2, Ps. 106:8-12, 1 Cor. 10:1-2, Heb. 11:29).

However, the popular interpretation of Jeremiah 31:31-34 would argue that the inward and spiritual work of redemption was exclusive to only a small remnant of Israel (Rom. 2:28-29), while the vast majority remained unconverted even though they were physically liberated from Egypt. Yet, this ignores the fact that it was illegal for impenitent or presumptuous sinners to participate in and observe the Passover by offering a sacrifice for an atonement (Ex. 12:15, Lev. 16:33, 23:29; Num. 15:30-31, Heb. 10:28). Therefore, this interpretation promotes lawlessness. Furthermore, it’s obvious that God countenanced all the sacrifices of Israel in the Exodus rather than abhorring them (Prov. 21:27, 15:8, 28:9, 15:26) and hereby the LORD shielded the Jews from the destroying angel (Ex. 12:13, 23). Therefore, this interpretation calls into question the moral purity of God as the Judge of all the Earth (Gen. 18:25, Deut. 32:4). Of course, neither God nor the destroying angel would have regarded the blood if the sacrificial atonement in the Passover was outwardly observed in mere form and heartless pretense by wicked Israelites, but because the blood was indeed respected this means that Jehovah legitimately forgave the Israelites through an atonement (Num. 14:19, 15:25, 28; Gen. 4:4-5, Lev. 26:9, Num. 16:15)! Moreover (let the reader understand), this divine act of real forgiveness is impossible without God legitimately applying the virtue of the blood of Jesus through divine foresight (Rom. 3:25, Heb. 9:15, 10:4)! Therefore, this interpretation questions the efficacy of the blood of Jesus.

This erroneous understanding of Judaism allows for the presence of faithless ceremonial formalism and rampant hypocrisy (2 Tim. 3:5), all of which was forbidden by the Law, decried by the Prophets, renounced by Jesus Christ, and refuted by Paul. Popular interpreters look back on the scene of the first Passover and imagine rampant insincerity and overwhelming impurity among the people, while the inspired writers look back on the very same scene and see an allegory of Church Purity (1 Cor. 5:5-13). Popular interpreters suppose the Passover was open to depraved and unregenerate sinners, or unconverted Israelites, even while they close the Lord's Supper and forbid unbelievers from partaking of the holy ordinance for fear of profaning it (forgetting that the Lord's Supper was patterned after the Passover Feast). Also, further redemptive applications of the Passover Feast can be discerned in Paul's description of the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:26, where the participants thereof must show a readiness to depart from this world like Israel suddenly departed from Egypt (Ex. 12:10-11, 13:19); even as Peter emphasized in 2 Peter 3:12, describing the general conversation of Christian believers in daily life following the instructions of Exodus 12:11.

Meanwhile, being ignorant of the fine details, men continue to argue that the whole point of the New Covenant is clearly stated in Jeremiah 31:34, in the declaration, “for they all shall know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:”. Precise emphasis is put on the word “all” in Jeremiah 31:34. I only wish that equal emphasis is put upon such words every time they are found written in Holy Scripture.

According to Paul, “all” of the Israelites who passed through the Red Sea were “baptized” unto Moses as legitimate believers (1 Cor. 10:1-2), which would make sense because the Egyptians assayed the baptism and drowned because of their unbelief (Heb. 11:29).
Emphatically, and repeatedly, Paul described the spirituality of these unique individuals while sojourning in the Wilderness, saying, “all” ate “the same spiritual meat” and “all” drank “the same spiritual drink”, hereby affirming that they walked in spiritual communion with the pre-incarnate Christ (1 Cor. 10:3-4).

The spiritual communion being described was the commonwealth of Israel wrought through faith in the Gospel, as it was communicated through the Manna that came from Heaven and the Water that came from the Rock (Manna: Ex. 16:1-36, Jn. 6:32-33, 35, 1 Cor. 10:3, Neh. 9:15, 20, Ps. 105:40, Deut. 8:2-3, 14-16 [Matt. 4:4, Lk. 4:4], Rev. 2:17; Water: Ex. 17:1-7, 1 Cor. 10:4, Jn. 4:10, 13-14, Ps. 78:15-16, 105:41, 114:8, Hab. 3:9, Neh. 9:15, Jer. 2:13, Deut. 6:16, 8:15 [1 Cor. 10:11, Ps. 107:32-43, Isa. 41:18, 48:21, Rev. 21:6]). Nevertheless, 21st Century Christianity has argued that they weren’t “all” in saving communion with Christ, even though this is precisely their point of argument in Jeremiah 31:34. Overlooking the hypocrisy in this, they argue that the vast majority of Israelites were lying when they triumphantly sang the Song of Salvation amidst the crystal walls of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:30-31, 15:1-2, & 13, and, when they vowed in commitment to the Mosaic Covenant at the base of Sinai in Exodus 24:3-8.

Yet, according to Isaiah, the only reason the LORD ultimately acted in real time to save the Israelite people is because He saw in them a sincere and truthful faith in Jehovah (Isa. 63:8). That's why David and Asaph, looking back, saw a righteous company of redeemed souls celebrating in gladness as the flock of Jehovah (Ps. 66:6, 68:3-4, Ex. 15:2; Ps. 77:14-20, 78:13, 52-53); or, that's why Hosea foretold the end goal of Church Purity being restored through the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivities with this celebration in mind (Hos. 2:15). Therefore, in praying for the revival of these divine exploits, the Prophets called upon God for the revival of favor, mercy, and grace according to the promises of God in salvation (Ps. 77:7-9, Hab. 3:2, Isa. 63:7-9, 11-15; Rev. 15:1-4). So, what do you see when you look upon the freshly baptized Israelite people going into the Wilderness? At this momentous occasion of glory (Ex. 14:29-15:22; Isa. 63:14), do you see a people plagued with insincerity for want of true conversion with hardly a remnant escaping? Do you believe the majority of Israel is still encumbered with the idolatry of Egypt in the secret of their own tents as they were at the beginning in the Land of Egypt (Ezek. 20:5-8)?

Remember, God sees not as man sees (1 Sam. 16:7, Jn. 7:24). All that matters is what the LORD saw when He looked upon Israel going out into the Wilderness; and, speaking of this, lo and behold:

A Bride in the love of her Espousal pursuing her Husband (Jer. 2:2, 31:32).
A People that are “holiness unto the LORD” with “no strange god” among them (Jer. 2:3, Deut. 32:7-14; The Vanquishing of Idolatry: Ex. 12:12, 30, Num. 33:3-4, Ex. 18:11, Isa. 2:18-21, 19:1, 21:9, Rev. 1:7).
A Church of made up of “all” Holy Ones (Saints) sitting before Sinai; which means that “every one” was receiving the word of God (Acts 7:38, Ex. 19:17, Ex. 19:4-5, Deut. 33:3).
A Vineyard planted and flourishing because of a “wholly right seed” (Ps. 80:8-11, Jer. 2:21).

The LORD celebrated Israel and showered upon her the goodness and mercy of divine rejoicing (Isa. 63:7-9, Deut. 28:63, 33:3; Ps. 68:1-20); something He would never do over a company of mostly liars (Prov. 11:20, 12:22). The LORD would only think, feel, and speak thus to a company of redeemed saints that are truly holiness unto the LORD (Jer. 2:2). Remember, holiness means separation – a separation from sin and sinners in a salvific consecration to God; even as God commanded Joshua, saying, “Up, sanctify the people” (Josh. 7:13), when the holiness of Israel was compromised by the presence of one sinner in the ranks (Josh. 7:25-26, Deut. 23:12-14).

Evidently, this is why Abraham separated from Terah, Isaac separated from Ishmael, Jacob separated from Esau, and Israel separated from Egypt. Holiness! The divine calling of the Gospel always separates men from sin and consecrates them to God. For, the LORD is perfectly pure and completely unable to countenance immorality and wickedness (Hab. 1:13, Isa. 66:1-2, Deut. 23:12-14). Therefore, the spiritual and moral status of every individual in Israel was of utmost importance to everyone (Josh. 22:16-20). If in fact Israel was a general assembly of sinners who are falsely converted with only a small remnant of true believers among them, the plot surrounding these outbreaks of wrath wouldn’t resound in confirmation that every Israelite man’s personal holiness mattered to God!

Moses and Aaron wouldn’t have cried out in intercession, saying, “…shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?” (Num. 16:22), amidst the endangerment and death of around 14,950 souls.

Phinehas wouldn’t have been so commended by God (Num. 25:11-13) and credited for stopping the ongoing outbreak of wrath for his act of judgment against one man; when, amidst the slaughtering of 24,000 souls, Phinehas fastened his eyes upon “one of the children of Israel” in the act of sin, and, “he went after the man of Israel into the tent” and slew him (Num. 25:6, 7-9).
Joshua, acting to recover the holiness of Israel after the occasioned death of 36 men, wouldn’t have said to Achan, “Why hast thou troubled us?” (Josh. 7:25).

This kind of behavior would be outrageous and uncalled-for, if indeed Israel was a general assembly of sinners who are falsely converted with only a small remnant of true believers walking in holiness before God. For, what could possibly be so aggravating to God about the presence of one sinner, if there are an abundance of sinners in the Church of the Wilderness at enmity with God (Acts 7:38, Rom. 8:7-8)? A diligent reader of the Old Testament would know that these courageous men were acting in obedience to the plainly stated laws of holiness authored to regulate the people of God (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). These laws targeted one unholy person from among the people of Israel with the intent of mortifying the sin or executing the sinner to keep the spiritual environment of the people clean and pure.

Put Away: Deut. 13:5, 17:7, 12, 19:19, 21:21, 22:22, 24; Judges 20:13, Lev. 20:14
Cut Off: Ex. 31:14, Lev. 7:20, 21, 25, 27, 17:4, 9, 10, 18:29, 19:8, 20:3, 5, 6, 17, 18, 23:29, Num. 9:13, 15:30, 19:20
New Testament: 1 Cor. 5:2, 13, Eph. 5:3, 1 Thess. 2:10, 1 John 2:19

How hardly could such regulations be comprehended by true believers if Israel in the Exodus Generation was crawling with at least 600,000 falsely converted sinners! Truly. The popular understanding of Old Testament Judaism utterly confounds the storyline of redemptive history. It’s no wonder that nominal Christians today don’t have even a basic understanding of the narrative of redemption in Biblical Church History. Also, it’s no surprise that modern-day Preachers point the people to Extra-Biblical Church History instead. For, everywhere you go in the Bible, and everywhere you read, the plot of redemption continues with the same resounding testimony:

The congregation of Israel must be holy because they are “the congregation[s] of God” (Neh. 13:1-3). Therefore, they were bound by one supreme “ordinance” (Deut. 33:4-5, Num. 15:15) which necessitated that every individual in the congregation was holy (Num. 16:3, Lev. 19:2), “righteous” (Ps. 1:5), saintly (Ps. 89:5, 149:1), and belonging to God (Ps. 68:10, 74:2); hence, this congregated people was separated from all the accursed things and people who bring contempt upon the congregation (Josh. 7:13, Ezra 10:11-14). When God said that such and such a person “shall not enter into the congregation” (Deut. 23:1-8), He meant it. All those whom God spoke of and named for expulsion in various ways throughout Scripture can form a list, which includes: “the adversary”, “the heathen” (Lam. 1:10), “the ungodly”, “sinners” (Ps. 1:5, Num. 15:30-31), “evil doers” (Ps. 26:5), “the dead” (Prov. 21:16), “vain persons”, “dissemblers”, and “the wicked” (Ps. 26:4-8, 12).

Even so, according to Doctrinal Rule, the people who populated The Land of Israel & Judah were exclusively: “the upright”, “the perfect” (Prov. 2:21), those who put their “trust” in the LORD (Isa. 57:13), “the faithful”, “he that walketh in a perfect way” (Ps. 101:4-8), and those who were “clean” (Isa. 52:11). The people who were eradicated from the Land of Israel & Judah via the Death Penalty were: false prophets (Ezek. 13:9), rebellious Israelites (Hos. 9:3), “the wicked” (Nah. 1:5, Ps. 101:8), “the transgressors” (Prov. 2:22), “the rebels” (Ezek. 20:38-40), unconverted and forbidden “strangers” (Hos. 7:8-9, Isa. 1:7), “a froward heart”, “whoso privily slandereth his neighbor”, “him that hath an high look and a proud heart”, “he that worketh deceit”, “he that telleth lies”, “wicked doers” (Ps. 101:4-8), “the uncircumcised”, and “the unclean” (Isa. 52:1).

Most people feel they simply cannot believe that the Exodus Generation as a whole was truly converted. They feel that these people so often exemplified what shouldn’t be done rather than what should be done. However, it should be noted that this sentiment is not unbiblical. This is exactly how the Apostles of the New Testament employed their testimony. They warned all believers to beware of acting in the same way as the Exodus Generation (1 Cor. 9:27-10:13; Heb. 2:1-4, 3:1-4:11, 10:26-29, 12:18-29; Jude 1:5). However, in speaking of the Exodus Generation, they were warning believers about what they shouldn’t do rather than what they couldn’t do. They were warning believers about the real consequences of backsliding.

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Questions for the Neo-Calvinists of the 21st Century

7/18/2019

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Salvation is by grace through faith apart from works, as stated in Ephesians 2:8-10. No true believer would disagree. No genuine recipient of saving grace would dare promote "works" as a means for justification before God. However, that being said, we must be careful to uphold all of the teachings of Scripture pertaining to the subject. For, nowadays, many staunch defenders of "grace" disregard the "workmanship" of God in salvation (Eph. 2:10).

Such offenders would never readily admit it. Passion is a blinding force when it is not mixed with humility, even if one is passionate about the most noble of creeds. These men believe so "strongly" in salvation by grace through faith apart from works, they have begun to despise the mighty working of God in salvation. Being thus minded, a man once asked: "Do your blood-bought and Spirit-empowered works bring you approval before God?" This question was posed with animosity against many Scriptures that emphasize the work of God in salvation. Therefore, in humble defense, I have some questions for the questioner.

Hypocritical men are known to shield themselves from conviction by unlearned questions. This is a biblical fact (1 Tim. 1:4, 6:4, 2 Tim. 2:23, Titus 3:9). It's only natural. Ungodly men feel threatened by the truth; therefore they seek to suppress it through questions and various forms of carnal reasoning (Lk. 10:29). However, hereby, the very means of discerning if someone is truly saved is fading from relevance among the remnant circles of Christianity (Matt. 7:12-27, 2 Cor. 13:5).

The nominal Calvinist of today has a superstitious and over-simplistic understanding of justification, the same superstition which is pervading much of the remnant. It is a seeming intelligent way of reasoning, and yet... it nullifies scriptural commands. According to a superstitious reasoning about salvation - “in Christ alone apart from works” - biblical commands, warnings, promises, behaviors, prayers, and heart-conditions are nullified. These over-simplistic statements need to be challenged by scripture and held in conformity thereto, no matter how “illogical” it feels to our deceitful hearts (Jer. 17:9).

Therefore, I plead, when a seemingly pious man adamantly states, “My blood-bought and Spirit-empowered works cannot ever gain me approval before God.”, do not cave to tactics of intimidation. Do not remain silent. Question the man on the practicals of his statement of faith. Or, when you are questioned, "Do your blood-bought and Spirit-empowered works bring you approval before God?", here's some questions for the questioner:

Do you mean to say that you can go to heaven without, as Jesus said, "keeping My works unto the end" (Rev. 2:26)? Do you believe the Church of Thyatira would have gone to heaven if they didn’t keep the “works” of Christ unto the end” (Rev. 2:26)? What about the “works” of the other Churches (Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19, 26, 3:1, 2, 8, 15)?

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:" - Rev. 2:26

"I know thy works..." - Rev. 2:2, 9, 13, 19, 26, 3:1, 2, 8, 15

Do you believe the Church of Sardis would have gone to heaven if Christ did not find their “works perfect before God” (Rev. 3:2)? Would Sardis go to heaven if they failed to, “be watchful” (Rev. 3:2), “remember” (Rev. 3:3), and “walk” (Rev. 3:4)? For Sardis, are these “works” gaining or losing approval before God, upon which hinged their eternal standing? What about the “somewhat” that Christ had “against” the Church of Ephesus (Rev. 2:4), or, the “few things against” Pergamos (Rev. 2:14), and the “few things against” Thyatira (Rev. 2:20)? Do you deny that Christ does “give unto every one of [us] according to [our] works” (Rev. 2:23)?

"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God." - Rev. 3:2

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." - Rev. 2:4

"But I have a few things against thee..." - Rev. 2:14

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee..." - Rev. 2:20

Do you mean to say that I can go to heaven even if I don’t, like Paul, “work out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Php. 2:12)? If I didn’t do this “work” (by the grace of God in Christ) would I still be approved before God? Are you saying that “faith which worketh by love” avails to nothing (Gal. 5:6)? Do you mean to say that I should never “labour” that I “may be accepted of [Christ]” on Judgment Day (2 Cor. 5:9)? Are you saying that I need not "run" so as to win the prize, because Christ already ran (1 Cor. 9:24-27)? Are you saying that if I do not "run", I will still win the incorruptible crown of eternal life (1 Cor. 9:25)? Are you saying that I should not set my heart on running that I might obtain the crown, because running takes into consideration whether or not I will be approved before God on Judgment Day – a thing which, you say, I need not do?

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." - Php. 2:12

"Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." - 2 Cor. 5:9-10

"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." - 1 Cor. 9:24-27

Are you saying that I need not ever fear losing my everlasting life (my approval before God) if, when I am tried, I am near fainting instead of enduring unto the end (Rev. 2:10, Heb. 3:6, 14; Heb. 4:1; Rom. 11:21-22; Jn. 15:1-7)? Are you saying that a man should never have “patient continuance in well doing” so as to “seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Rom. 2:7)? Are you saying that I need not “fight” to “lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:12)? Are you saying that Christ will finally Judge my approval before the LORD without reference to or mindfulness of blood-bought and Spirit-empowered works, as indicators of saving faith?

"...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." - Rev. 2:10

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" - Heb. 3:14

"To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:" - Rom. 2:7

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." - 1 Tim. 6:12

Are you saying that "the sheep" would have gone to heaven (been approved before God), even if they never, as Christ said, “gave”, “took”, “clothed”, and “visited” (Matt. 25:35-40)? Are you saying their approval has no reference to what they have “done” (Matt. 25:40), and that a Christian is in sin if they are mindful for what they must do, in this way, so as to be approved on Judgment Day? Are you saying that a man does not need to continue to believe in the Gospel, that he might be approved before God on Judgment Day? Are you saying that the Rich Man of Mark 10 could go to heaven, even if he did not sell all that he had and give it to the poor (Mark 10:21)? Are you saying that the rich Christians of 1 Timothy 6:17-19 will go to heaven even if they do not “do good”? Are you saying that these rich Christians will go to heaven even if they are not “rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate”? Are you saying that it is a sin to “do” anything that we might “lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:19)? Then why are these Christians commanded to do all these things, “that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Tim. 6:19)?

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." - Matt. 25:40

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." - Mark 10:21

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." - 1 Tim. 6:17-19

Would Paul have gone to heaven if he did not bring his body under subjection (1 Cor. 9:27)? Was it a sin for him to say that he would have been a castaway (one who is disapproved at final Judgment), if he failed to bring his body under subjection? Are you saying that I should never “hear” the sayings of Jesus Christ and do them, being minded that “whosoever heareth these sayings” and “doeth them”, will pass the trial of final Judgment (being “founded upon the rock”)? Are you saying it is a sin to fear a great fall on Final Judgment if I am one who “heareth” the “sayings” of Jesus and “doeth them not” (Matt. 7:26)? Are you saying that I need not ever “take heed” (1 Cor. 10:12, Luke 21:34) to myself, after I am regenerated, “lest at any time [my] heart be overcharged with surfeiting [over-eating], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that Day come upon [me] unawares”, to the end that I am “accounted” unworthy “to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk. 21:34-36)? Are you saying that I should never fear perishing if I fail to do the Spirit-empowered work called, “Watch therefore and pray always” (Lk. 21:36)? Would you say that, in all these ways, God judges a man’s faith and approval before God, “without works” (James 2:20)? Would you say that Abraham or Rahab were finally justified (or declared righteous at final Judgment) in some other way than “by works” (James 2:22, 24, 25)?

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." - Matt. 7:24-27

"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." - 1 Cor. 10:12

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Lk. 21:34-36

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" - James 2:20

"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." - James 2:24

My reader, I ask you all these questions to beg the answer: That our understanding of the eternal sufficiency of Christ’s Person and Work must coincide and not contradict all these passages of scripture. Any doctrine of “justification” or “meritorious salvation” which does NOT include the former descriptions - of feeling, thinking, praying, living, and doing – is a tradition and superstition of man which makes void the commandments of God. These things which I have formerly mentioned are products of saving faith, and more so, a product of Christ in us, therefore it can be said in truth – these things are not separate from the Person and Work of Christ, but they are evidences of the Person and Work of Christ, literally speaking, as He is living and working through the people in whom He dwells.

Indeed, it is by Christ's life and righteousness alone we can be justified or find approval before God, but God doesn't examine our experience of "Christ's life and righteousness" in a singular sense - only in a PAST TENSE relationship that we have by testimony. Salvation is past, present, and future. Therefore, in reckoning with the saints, the LORD looks at our relationship with Christ's life and righteousness TODAY - if we are abiding in Christ by an ongoing faith and repentance as we look to our Messiah who is alive in glory, being much more saved by His life (Rom. 5:8-10; Heb. 12:1-2, 15; Jn. 15:1-7). The Scriptures explicitly teach the ongoing work of salvation in true believers. Namely, that salvation is experienced in the past through conversion (regeneration) and at present in the same terms - through being crucified, resurrected, baptized, and quickened through the putting on of Christ. Accordingly, if our experience of salvation at present is found faulty by God, the LORD will reckon with us in terms of perfection, blamelessness, holiness, sanctification, spotlessness, and blemishes.

I am not debating if there is anything else other than Christ who justifies sinful men, but I am contending against an over-simplistic understanding of that justification - in how it is discerned by God and experienced by us in the past (as we relate to what Christ accomplished on the Cross), presently and progressively (as we relate to God today based upon what Christ did on the Cross), and finally (because Christ will be vindicated at final Judgment through what He did at Calvary, and also in our individual lives presently and progressively, for we are His workmanship), according to the Scriptures.

"Tremble for fear God should remove His candlestick from you. Labourers are sick. Those who did once labour are almost worn out... There are few who like to go out into the fields. Broken heads and dead cats are no longer the ornaments of a Methodist. These honourable badges are now no more. Langour has gotten from the ministers to the people; and, if you don't take care, we shall all be dead together. The Lord Jesus rouse you! Ye Methodists of many years' standing, shew the young ones, who have not the cross to bear as we once had what ancient Methodism was.

Don't be angry with a poor minister for weeping over them who will not weep for themselves. If you laugh at me I know Jesus smiles. I am free from the blood of you all. If you are damned for want of conversion, remember you are not damned for want of warning. YOU ARE GOSPEL-PROOF; and, if there is one place in hell deeper than another, God will order a gospel-despising Methodist to be put there. God convert you from lying a-bed in the morning! God convert you from conformity to the world! God convert you from lukewarmness! Do not get into a cursed antinomian way of thinking, and say, "I thank God, I have the root of the matter in me! I thank God, I was converted twenty or thirty years ago; and, though I can go to the public-house, and play at cards, yet, I am converted; for once in Christ, always in Christ." Whether you were converted formerly or not, you are perverted now. Would you have Jesus catch you napping, with your lamps untrimmed? Suffer the word of exhortation. I preach feelingly. I could be glad to preach till I preached myself dead, if God would convert you. I seldom sleep after three in the morning; and I pray every morning, "Lord, convert me, and make me a new creature today!" - George Whitefield

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I'm Neither a Calvinist Nor an Arminian

7/17/2019

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I'm neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian. I am a Christian who Believes exactly what the Bible says.

I believe that God is changeless, eternal, and irresistible, and I believe that God can change His mind (repent) and be resisted, it just depends on how you look at it in any given situation. I believe these two realities do logically coexist in Scripture, though not in our capacity of thought or reasoning. I oppose the divisive nature of Theological Circles that break apart what God has united as one in the body of Christ.

To my Calvinist or Arminian Friends, I plead for a thorough study of the following Biblical Facts.

Calvinists Assert: God cannot CHANGE His MIND or WORD, & by the Nature of Godhood He is CHANGELESS (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hebrews 6:17-18, Titus 1:2, Romans 11:29); God’s WILL or DESIRE cannot be RESISTED (Revelation 17:16-17, Deuteronomy 2:30, Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 46:10-11, Job 23:13, Acts 4:28, Ephesians 1:11, Jude 1:4, Romans 9:1-23).

Arminians Assert: God can CHANGE His MIND or WORD, & God’s WILL or DESIRE can be RESISTED (Exodus 32:10, 14; Num. 14:11-12, 30, 34; Num. 16:21-22, Num. 16:45,Ezek. 20:8-9, Ezek. 20:13-14, Ezek. 20:21-22, Deut. 32:26-27, Deut. 9:4-8, Jer. 15:6, Jer. 6:11, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 33:5, Hosea 11:8, Jeremiah 36:3,36:7, Ezekiel 12:3, Zephaniah 3:5-7, Isaiah 5:1-5, Ezekiel 18:32, 18:23, Lamentations 3:33, 36, Luke 20:13, Luke 19:41-44, Luke 13:34-35, Luke 13:6-9,Matthew 21:37, Luke 20:13, Isaiah 63:8, Psalm 81:10-16, Zephaniah 3:7).

Various Divine Repentances | Lesser Matters: Moses called alone & then with Aaron (Ex. 4:1-14); Divine claim of the firstborn & then the Levites (Ex. 13:2, 15-16, Num. 3:12).

Critical Divine Repentances | Weightier Matters (Life/Death): Moses’ life (Ex. 4:24); Jonah’s life (Jonah 1:3, 12; Ps. 88:7, 16-17; Jonah 2:2-3, 9); Nineveh’s livelihood (Jonah 3:4, 9-10, 4:2); Hezekiah’s life (Isa. 38:1-6); Ahab’s posterity (1 Kings 21:19-21, 27-29); a Priestly Covenant (Ex. 29:9, 40:15, 1 Sam. 2:29-36, 1 Kings 2:27); a Kingly Covenant (1 Sam. 9:16, 10:1-10, 11:6, 15, Heb. 11:33-34, 1 Sam. 12:14-15, 20-25, 13:1, 13-14, 14:47-48, 15:1, 11, 23, 28-29, 35, 16:1, 13-14); Nations & Kingdoms (Jer. 18:7-11).

The Abrahamic Covenant | The Salvation of the Exodus Generation: Spoken to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16, 18-21); Remembered (Ex. 2:24, 3:8); the Word (Ex. 3:17); the Promise (Ex. 12:25); the Oath (Ex. 13:5, 13:11); Sonship (Hos. 11:1); the Church (Acts 7:38, Ex. 19:17, Amos 4:12, Ex. 6:7-8 [2 Cor. 6:16], Ex. 19:4-5 [1 Pet. 2:9], Ps. 114:1-7, Ps. 68:15-20 [Eph. 4:8]); Belief (Ex. 4:29-31, 12:23-28); Note: those things called “the Gospel” are those which are explicitly named in identification with Christ in the New Testament. Faith in Passover (the Gospel of Sacrifice): Ex. 12:23-28, Heb. 11:28, 1 Cor. 5:7; Faith in the Red Sea Crossing (the Gospel of the Spirit’s Baptism): Ex. 14:30-31, 15:1-2, 13, Ps. 106:8-12, 1 Cor. 10:1-2, Heb. 11:29; the Manna (the Gospel of the Imperishable Life of Christ): Jn. 6:32-33, 35, 1 Cor. 10:3, Neh. 9:20; Water from the Rock (the Gospel of Living Water): Ps. 78:15-16, 105:41, 107:35, Ex. 17:6, Deut. 8:15 Neh. 9:15 (Isa. 48:21, 41:18; Rev. 21:6), 1 Cor. 10:4, John 4:10, 13-14, 7:38, Jer. 2:13; Saved (Ps. 106:8, 10, Ex. 15:1-2, 13, Isa. 63:7-14, Jude 1:5); Bride/Holiness (Jer. 2:2-3); Wholly Right Seed (Jer. 1:2, 21-22, 2:21, 11:16-17); People/Portion/Inheritance/No-Strange-god (Deut. 32:7-14); Indwelt & Among-dwelt by the Spirit (Lev. 26:12, Deut. 23:14, Isa. 63:15, Hag. 2:5, 2 Cor. 6:16, 1 Cor. 10:3-4, 9, 1 Pet. 1:11); Forgiven (Num. 14:19, Ps. 78:38).

The Fall of the Exodus Generation: Broken Promise/Oath (Num. 14:34, Num. 14:30, Heb. 4:1; Principle: Ezek. 16:59, 17:18-19).

Progressive Provocations Leading to a Reprobation: When God thought, decided, or moved to annihilate and then repented...until reprobation (Exodus 32:10-14, Ex. 33:11-34:9, Deut. 9:6-29 [Ex. 17:8-16]; Psalm 106:23 [Num. 11:1-3, 33-35, 12:13]; Numbers 14:11-21; Num. 16:21-22; Num. 16:45-50).

Explicit Applications of the Exodus Generation to NT Christians: What happened to them can happen to us (1 Cor. 10:1-13, Jude 1:5, Heb. 2:1-4, 3:1-4:11, 10:26-31, 12:18-29). Remember, only those with whom God was not well-pleased perished in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:5-6): the lustful (1 Cor. 10:6), the idolaters (1 Cor. 10:7), the fornicators (1 Cor. 10:8), the tempters (1 Cor. 10:9), the murmurers (1 Cor. 10:10), and such like men. The Judgments that “the Glory of God” executed by divine plague to the vanquishing of idolaters (Ex. 32:25-29), complainers (Num. 11:1-3), lustful men (Num. 11:33-35), rebels (Num. 14:26-35), proud men (Num. 16-17), and such like, were the same judgments that were in operation from thenceforth in every generation of Israel that was keeping God’s instituted rules of holiness. In the Wilderness, only those who didn’t continue to savingly believe in God suffered death at the judgment of God (1 Cor. 10:5, Jude 1:5, Hebrews 4:1 [see the wider context in Hebrews 3:7-4:11])! Even so, approaching the prospect of inheriting the Promised Land so as to become the Church in the Civilization, only those who were not perfect (seeking and serving God with wholeness of heart) were to be slain (they were forbidden inheritance in the Promised Land: Num. 32:12, 14:24, Deut. 1:36, Heb. 4:1, Prov. 2:21, Deut. 4:1-10, Num. 15:22-31). Hereby, the doctrine of inheriting and inhabiting the Promised Land unfolds!

The Argument of the Book of Hebrews: Greater Salvation & therefore Greater Condemnation, rather than the Impossibility of Condemnation (Heb. 2:1-4, Heb. 3:1-4:11, Heb. 5:11-6:12, Heb. 10:19-39, Heb. 12:15-29).

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The Calvinist's Fallacious Reasoning - John Wesley

12/15/2016

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Calvinists, who deny that salvation can ever be lost, reason on the subject in a marvelous way

They tell us, that...

no virgin's lamp can go out; [Matt. 25:1-13]
no promising harvest be choked with thorns; [Mk. 4:18-19]
no branch in Christ can ever be cut off from unfruitfulness; [Jn. 15:1-6]
no pardon can ever be forfeited, [Num. 14:34, Isa. 63:8-10]
and no name blotted out of God's book! [Rev. 3:5]

They insist that...

no salt can ever lose its savor; [Matt. 5:13]
nobody can ever "receive the grace of God in vain"; [2 Cor. 6:1, Gal. 2:21, 5:4]
"bury his talents"; [Matt. 25:24-30]
"neglect such great salvation"; [Heb. 2:3]
trifle away "a day of grace"; [2 Cor. 6:2, Heb. 3:7-15]
"look back" after putting his hand to the gospel plow. [Lk. 9:62]
Nobody can "grieve the Spirit" till He is "quenched," and strives no more, nor "deny the Lord that bought them"; nor "bring upon themselves swift destruction." [1 Thess. 5:19, Gen. 6:3, 2 Pet. 2:1]
Nobody, or body of believers, can ever get so lukewarm that Jesus will spew them out of His mouth. [Rev. 3:16]

They use reams of paper to argue that...

if one ever got lost he was never found. John 17:12;
that if one falls, he never stood. Rom. 11:16-22 and Heb. 6:4-6;
if one was ever "cast forth," he was never in, and "if one ever withered," he was never green. John 15:1-6;
and that "if any man draws back," it proves that he never had anything to draw back from. Heb. 10:38,39;
that if one ever "falls away into spiritual darkness," he was never enlightened. Heb. 6:4-6;
that if you "again get entangled in the pollutions of the world," it shows that you never escaped. 2 Pet. 2:20;
that if you "put salvation away" you never had it to put away, and if you make shipwreck of faith, there was no ship of faith there!! [1 Tim. 1:19]

In short they say: If you get it, you can't lose it; and if you lose it you never had it.
May God save us from accepting a doctrine, that must be defended by such fallacious reasoning!

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The Gospel = The Quintessential Expression of Sovereignty

10/17/2013

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When Spurgeon defended Calvinism, he defended the gospel. When he took up an argument to defend the TULIP, he was impassioned to focus upon the gospel. The following quote represents how, to him, the two were intertwined and inseparable.

"The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again."—C. H. Spurgeon

On many points, as Spurgeon does so eloquently argue, I feel as though I can scarce keep myself from shouting AMEN! I too, with Spurgeon, believe that the gospel is affectionately connected to God's absolute sovereignty. I am persuaded that there - on Calvary's Hill - God's sovereignty was never so clear! Please, my reader, let me explain.

Let us consider, firstly, what God did in the life of Joseph. Then let us briefly look at the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, only let it be at the same noteworthy angles in which we just viewed the life of Joseph.

1) The Life of Joseph
2) The Life of Jesus Christ

Genesis 50:20
"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

It was the sin of Joseph’s brethren that they betrayed and sold Joseph to Egypt, even so, but God takes OWNERSHIP of it because it was God’s plan. What sin was in the heart of Joseph’s brethren? How did this come to pass? His brethren began to hate Joseph in their heart, and from this horrid and bitter hatred they conspired to sell him to Egypt. They indeed made a plan in their own wicked heart, nevertheless, read how it was the plan of Joseph’s brothers, while simultaneously, it was the Lord’s plan. Beginning with Genesis 37:4...

Genesis 37:4
"And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him."

Thus they (Joseph's brethren) did plan and conspire...

Genesis 37:18-20
"And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

If God is absolutely sovereign as the Calvinists do affirm, one must believe that God was in control of their hearts (Joseph's brethren) even while they were bent crooked in this wretched conspiracy. Shockingly, Joseph freely and unashamedly confessed to this! Read how all of this was God’s plan as well, yet He is innocent of any unrighteousness, altogether lovely, and pure!

Genesis 45:5-8
"Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

Joseph was able to confess this, but can you? Please do not harden your heart against the scriptures simply because they cannot be logically digested. Likewise to Joseph’s confession, the Holy Spirit inspired the psalmist of Psalm 105 to give credit to God in the same way. Again God was in complete, sovereign control!

Psalm 105:16-22
"Moreover He called for a famine upon the land: He brake the whole staff of bread. 17 HE SENT a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: 18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: 19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. 20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom."

By the hands of Joseph’s brethren God sent Joseph; even in their sinful thoughts God was Lord, and He was working a mighty plan of salvation! As God did with the hands of Joseph’s brethren, He did the same thing with Judas, the Jews, and the Romans when they betrayed Jesus Christ, that it might rightly be said that God sacrificed His own Son. The Lord takes OWNERSHIP of this sinful plan of the Jews in a multitude of places throughout scripture. If the Lord did not send Joseph by the hands of his brethren, then He did not crucify His own Son, both would have been the happening of the free will of man. If it was the happening of the free will of man and God merely orchestrated and allowed the circumstances and scenarios to transpire, then it would have been the foreknowledge of God alone that was active in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and that was God’s full part in the matter. It was not singly the foreknowledge of God only but it was the determinate counsel of God as well!

Acts 2:23
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain"

God appointed the men to their disobedient, wicked conspiracy so that God was able to take sure ownership of Christ’s death. In 1 Peter 2:8 it is written that the disobedient were appointed instead of freely choosing, and mind you, we could have known this already by the previous scripture that revealed God’s relationship to the heart of all men (Prov. 16:1, 9, 21:1, 30).

1 Peter 2:8
"And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed."

In Isaiah 53 God takes pleasure in His plan to kill His own Son as an offering for sin, and, He is innocent, again, of all unrighteousness! In Isaiah 53:10, God claims complete ownership and authorship of the plan and its execution; while in Acts 3:13-15 God holds the Jews responsible for this sin, telling them it was their desire of evil, and they will be punished for it if they fail to repent and believe. It is a paradox. Please read carefully – first, Isaiah 53:10, and then Acts 3:13-15:

Isaiah 53:10
"Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He [God] hath put Him to grief: when Thou [God] shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand."

Acts 3:13-15
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus; Whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, Whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."

Indeed, “whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven, and in earth” and “it pleased the LORD to bruise” and crucify His Son (Ps. 135:6, Isaiah 53:10)! God took ownership of the most momentous event in all time! God has provided “gates of righteousness,” and Christ is “this Gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter” (Ps. 118:19-20) – praise God! “Every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God,” and “strait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto life” (Heb. 3:4, Matt. 7:14)! Let everyone praise the LORD as the psalmist says, “I will praise Thee, for Thou has heard me, and art become my salvation” (Psalm 118:21)! Christ has become our salvation by “the LORD’s doing,” when, namely, “the stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:22-23)! “This is the day which the LORD hath made!” And will you rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)? The disciples were offended that Christ was smitten by men, but will you be offended that God smote Christ? God said, “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matt. 26:31). The Son of Man has gone to the crucifix “as it was determined” of Him, nevertheless God holds men in a simultaneous responsibility, and “woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed” (Lk. 22:22)!

I say again, God took ownership of the most momentous event in all time! This event was the greatest sin of man against God, for they crucified the Lord of glory, but since it was a sovereign work of God it was the greatest display of God’s love to give and kill His Son, likewise the Son willingly laid down Himself under the Father’s death sentence, and more so, this was the greatest display of God’s wrath to require the value of His Own Life as the only capable means to pacify the magnitude of His just anger against sin and sinners. The sovereignty of God behind the crucifixion of Christ is carefully detailed in the book of Romans with much more explanation than Psalm 105, which gave only a snapshot of God’s sovereignty in Joseph’s betrayal, slavery, and rise to power. In Romans, God declares His mysterious purpose behind why He killed His own Son, and how that He did it by blinding His own people. Through the “fall,” “diminishing,” and “casting away” of God’s chosen people Israel (Romans 11:15), the Gentiles are grafted into the Tree of Salvation! God determined that it would be through the “fall” of Israel that the Gentiles would be saved (Rom. 11:11). How can their fall be the casting away of God? Did God cast them away in response to their sin only, or was God the author of this unsearchable plan!? Their fall into sin was that they rejected and crucified Christ, and God was the author and executor of these events through ordination, specifically in that He made them “slumber” in blindness and deafness (Romans 11:8). It was because they were blinded and made deaf that they did reject Christ, thus God’s Sovereign control is the cause and determining factor of sin and righteousness. So when a man is blind or deaf it was God’s election that determined it. In conclusion, my dear reader, there is one single point I am seeking to make clear...

What is absolutely necessary for so magnificent a victory,
Is that God was not carelessly outwitted to lose His Son at the hands of free-will sinners undone!
The free will of man held no priestly knife in this sovereign, eternal, salvific plan!
The Father was the transcending Great High Priest, and He is the author of every chapter of the plan;
In His hand He held the knife to condemn all sin in One Man.
Every finger may have been the finger of man,
But they gripped the knife of salvation to slay the world’s sin in One Sacrificial Propitiation.
The knife in hand, the final blow, was God’s judgment against sin – let all the world know!
His work, His way, He sacrificed His Son for all in one day!

Related Sermons:
"Salvation Is A Miracle" - by Ryan Ringnald

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A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

10/14/2013

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Whitefield AGAINST Wesley = Saint AGAINST Saint

"But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth." - Luke 11:17

"And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." - Mark 3:24-25

Calvinists are divided against Arminians as George Whitefield was against John Wesley, and yet, what is so perplexing to the Body of Christ is that they were both regenerated, sin-hating, sincere, and soundly saved by grace through faith, and evidently, both were honored by the Spirit of God to grant them power to preach. If they were both sin-hating, sincere, full of the Spirit, and admirable in their ministries, how is it that they came to be so divided? How is it that they would both be honored by God, and yet divided?

Brethren, beloved of God, this is one of the foremost proofs that there is TRUTH on both sides of the division, meaning that, there are articles of doctrine in Calvinism which are biblical and true, and there are articles of doctrine in Arminianism which are biblical and true. If this were not the case, then I do not believe God would have been with them, both Wesley and Whitefield, by blessing their ministries until God's purposes were fulfilled.

A Calvinist does believe that God is, in His person, and does, in His ways or deeds, just as the scriptures declare.

➡️

Malachi 3:6, James 1:17, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hebrews 6:17-18, Titus 1:2, Romans 11:29, Revelation 17:16-17, Deuteronomy 2:30, Isaiah 14:24-27, Isaiah 46:10-11, Job 23:13, Acts 4:28, Ephesians 1:11, Jude 1:4, Romans 9:1-23

An Arminian views this and sees what the Calvinist argues, how that God, in His ways, is absolutely sovereign in every way: eternal, unchanging, all powerful, and irresistible...but they wonder, being offended, thinking, "how can this be true?" They argue, if this is the spectrum by which God relates to man, then how does one explain these passages of scripture which are columned to the right? The Arminian asserts that the passages to the right attest to the existence of God in a contradictory expression to what the Calvinist affirms (the everlasting, unchangeable attributes of God). The Calvinist asserts that God cannot change... but God does change (His mind and His word)!

➡️

Exodus 32:10, Num. 14:11-12, Num. 16:21-22, Num. 16:45, Ezek. 20:8-9, Ezek. 20:13-14, Ezek. 20:21-22, Deut. 32:26-27, Deut. 9:4-8, Jer. 15:6, Jer. 6:11, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 33:5, Hosea 11:8, Jeremiah 36:3, 36:7, Ezekiel 12:3, Zephaniah 3:5-7, Isaiah 5:1-5, Ezekiel 18:32, 18:23, Lamentations 3:33, 36, Luke 20:13, Luke 19:41-44, Luke 13:34-35, Luke 13:6-9, Matthew 21:37, Luke 20:13, Isaiah 63:8, Psalm 81:10-16, Zephaniah 3:7

For a further examination of such a consequential division, see The Condescension of God. Therein, by God's grace, this matter is addressed at length for the reader to prayerfully and solemnly consider. May God's grace be your guide.

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In Eternity After the Beginning During the Creation of Earth

Article #3 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind During Creation

A Divine Preoccupation with the Elect During Creation

In Eternity After the Beginning at the Creation of Heaven

Article #2 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

The Throne, Temple, City, & Kingdom of Heaven

Holy Angels by Rank & Position in the Worship of Heaven

Vacant Mansions in the Kingdom of Heaven

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind in Eternity

Divine Sovereignty Over the Heathen

Divine Sovereignty in Callings and Elections

In Eternity Before the Beginning

Article #1 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible

Can God Change His Mind?

The Logical Consistency of Systematic Theology

Refuting Popular Misconceptions about Jeremiah 31:31-34

Knowing the LORD in the Old & New Covenants

Questions for the Neo-Calvinists of the 21st Century

I'm Neither a Calvinist Nor an Arminian

The Calvinist's Fallacious Reasoning - John Wesley

The Gospel = The Quintessential Expression of Sovereignty

A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand

Whitefield AGAINST Wesley = Saint AGAINST Saint

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

The Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

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Article #3 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind During Creation

A Divine Preoccupation with the Elect During Creation

Article #2 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

The Throne, Temple, City, & Kingdom of Heaven

Holy Angels by Rank & Position in the Worship of Heaven

Vacant Mansions in the Kingdom of Heaven

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind in Eternity ​

Divine Sovereignty Over the Heathen​

Divine Sovereignty in Callings and Elections

Article #1 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible

The Logical Consistency of Systematic Theology

Knowing the LORD in the Old & New Covenants

Whitefield AGAINST Wesley = Saint AGAINST Saint

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

The Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)

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Categories

A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind in Eternity

Divine Sovereignty Over the Heathen