A MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN

Is it Wrong to Gamble?

Many years ago, I preached a sermon entitled, “Shall We Gamble?” The outline is available on my website at http://www.harleypinon.com/shall_we_gamble.htm At the time I preached the sermon, state sponsored gambling was not a part of life in Texas. That changed. Governor “Ma” Richards was the one who supported a state sponsored lottery.

The purpose of the lottery was to raise money for the state. That, in itself, should speak volumes. The purpose of gambling it to make money for someone, but whom? If you are the gambler, it isn’t intended that you win. Now, please understand what I am saying. I don’t mean to imply that no one at any time will ever win, but the “cards are stacked” against you.

Let me explain it in simple terms. The combinations have been changed, but at one time, the odds of your winning the Texas Lotto, was one in 16,000,000. The jackpot starts at $4,000,000 so do the math. Yes, do the math! I taught math for 33 years in Texas, and the more you know the numbers, the more you know to leave gambling alone.

In order to be sure of winning that $4,000,000, you would need to buy all 16,000,000 combinations. So let’s assume that you can figure out how to buy all 16,000,000 combinations. Are you now a sure winner? Yes and No. I love that answer: Yes and No. As a math teacher, there was normally only one correct answer, so how can you say the answer to the question is yes and no.

The answer is yes in that you will win. The answer is no in that you are not sure that you will get the entire $4,000,000 because if someone else buys “the winning ticket,” then the two of you will get to split the $4,000,000. I often have said that life comes with few guarantees, and gambling certainly has no guarantee of winning.

As a math teacher, I actually taught students about gambling. It was part of the course. In the example we are studying, students were taught to study the actual “value” of their lotto ticket. The way you do that is by dividing the value you can receive by the cost of being sure you would get it. In this case, the answer is found by dividing $4 million by $16 million, and the answer is $0.25. In other words, each ticket that you buy for $1 is worth $0.25 as far as your chances of winning are concerned.

So how do you win at gambling? If you buy only one ticket, you only have one chance of winning, but you have only lost $0.75 in actual value. So what if you want to be surer of winning? Why not buy 100 tickets? Now you have bought $25 worth of chance at a price of $100. When the numbers are drawn, the greatest likelihood is that you will have lost your $100.

Let’s look at some other aspects of gambling. Is it wrong? Doest the Bible say it is wrong? We probably all know that no where in the Bible does it say, “Thou shalt not gamble,” but does that mean it is okay?

Let’s be honest: Gambling is fired by the fuel of greed. As Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Tim 6:9-10 (NKJV), he said, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. {10} For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Part of the appeal of gambling is something for nothing. “The traditional American dream based on the work ethic—if one works hard, he succeeds—has been replaced by a new dream: something for nothing.” Charles Colson – Christianity Today, July 10, 1987. But “something for nothing” just doesn’t work. If we truly get “something for nothing,” or a whole lot for very little, it is because someone else, or in the case of a state lottery, millions of others have lost a little, or much, for nothing in return. I’ve often heard gamblers reason like this: Someone is going to win, and it might as well be me. That sounds good, but there is a real problem with the statement: it’s false! In Texas, the Texas lotto rents billboards where they advertise the value of the next lottery. Why does it change? It goes up when no one won in the last drawing. Think about that a moment: no one in the entire state of Texas won!

I just returned from a Builders convention in Orlando. I put my business card in a fishbowl for a drawing. In fact, they drew for 5 prizes, and I didn’t win when I was in a room of only a 1,000 or so people. Think about it! I didn’t win in a drawing where I had 5 chances, and only 1,000 people. What is the likelihood of winning in a Texas Lotto where there are normally millions who participate and sometimes, no winners? So the idea that “Someone is going to win, and it might as well be me,” just isn’t sound thinking.

God’s plan for man is that we are to produce with our labor. Even in the Garden of Eden, before man sinned, he was to care for the garden. (Gen 2:15 NKJV) “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” God designed man to work. Work is rewarding. Ask someone where they work, and they will usually gladly tell you. Some may not be too proud of where they work, but what is the alternative? “I’m unemployed,” or “I’m retired.” I’ve never known anyone to say, “I’m unemployed,” and say it with pride. Employment is something we can be proud of. It’s how we produce something of value for ourselves, and for others.

Paul spoke of work this way: (2 Th 3:10-12 NKJV) For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. {11} For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. {12} Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” Gambling produces nothing. It is a process by which a lot of money changes hands. A few are winners, but most are losers.

Who is the real winner in Gambling? Let’s go back to the math problem. If you bought the ticket, you got a $0.25 chance of willing for $1.00, so who got the $0.75? Is that hard to figure out? It’s the one who sold you the ticket! I’m reminded of a friend of mine who says he goes to Las Vegas to gamble—just for fun. He has a certain rule. He goes to spend only a certain amount, and when that is gone, he quits. At least, that’s what he tells me. He told me of being in Las Vegas and hiring a taxi to take him to a Casino. He was telling the driver how he had come to gamble, and hoped he would win. As he was about to get out of the taxi, the driver said, “Just remember, Sir, you and your friends are the ones who pay for this place.”

As a home builder, I went to Las Vegas for a builders’ convention. I didn’t spend a cent on gambling, but it was obvious that huge amounts of money had been spent on buildings, lighting, etc., and whose money was it? As the taxi driver reminded my friend, Las Vegas was built with the losses of those who came to get rich.

Gambling is addictive.

In 1 Cor 6:12 (NKJV), Paul said, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Gambling becomes additive for many, many people. That’s obvious from the fact that there is a Gamblers’ Anonymous. “Compulsive gambling is now estimated to claim one million citizens—people like the New Jersey woman who embezzled $38,000 from a bank to buy lottery tickets, and like the Pennsylvania youth who was so distraught after dropping $6,000 trying for a $2.5 million jackpot that he attempted suicide.”

Gambling is poor stewardship.

As Christians, we must be good stewards of the blessings God has given us. In Luke 16:10-13 {NKJV) we read Jesus words as he said, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. {11} "Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? {12} "And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? {13} "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

It is rather well established that some who gamble deprive their families of the necessities of life. This is a very serious matter. Paul said in 1 Tim 5:8 (NKJV) “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” How can you get worse than an unbeliever: yet that is what Paul says of those who do not provide for their families?

But Who Gambles? Can’t they afford it?

One report stated, “What is especially unfair is that the lottery exploits those who are particularly vulnerable to the promise of a sudden windfall. A Maryland study found that the poorest one-third of state households bought half of all weekly lottery tickets. New York’s busiest lottery agent reports, “Seventy percent of those who buy my tickets are poor, black, or Hispanic.” Another study concluded that the lotteries in Connecticut and Massachusetts were equivalent to a state sales tax of 60 to 90 percent on lower income groups. A Texas Baptist official put it well: “A lottery is the sale of an illusion to poor people who view it as the only possibility for breaking out of the cycle of poverty they live in.”

We are accountable to God for all that we possess.

The cost of gambling is too high. In 1984, Americans wagered an estimated $177 billion—twice as much as they spent on higher education, 15 times what they donated to churches and over half what they spent on food. Illegal gambling had the biggest share of that total, with 28%, but state lotteries ran a close second with 22 %.

Gambling and Risks—they are Different!

Many people like to compare gambling to taking risks. If you get in your car and take a trip, or just drive to work, there is the chance that you will not return home alive. That is a risk that we take, and there are numerous risks that we take everyday. Every business owner risks his money as he invests it in his business. My sons and I are in the home building business. We invest our money to buy land, and to build homes. When we are successful, what is the result? The result is that we hope to make a profit for our risks and our labor, and in turn, we have provided someone a home to live in. There are millions of business men in various kinds of business. All are taking risks, but that doesn’t make them gamblers. Gamblers produce nothing. The risks of life should have a purpose, and most do.

What about the Stock Market?

Some may make the stock market gambling for them, but the stock market is basically nothing more or less than partial ownership of a company. How is the value of that company determined? It’s determined by what people think it is worth. It is driven by the emotions of people as well as the true value of the company.

What happens when the price of stock goes down? Some will perceive it as an opportunity to buy a bargain and hope the price will rise. Others will sell out of fear and drive the price down further. In the end, I call it an investment with a risk involved. Some stocks are far more risky than others. Maybe some make gambling of it, but in its worst form it is still investing in a company. It may be foolish investing, and can become very poor stewardship for some who seem driven by poor motives.

Isn’t there “recreational” or innocent gambling?

Some have the idea that there are certain forms of gambling that are okay. For example, my dad worked in a service station where the workers would “pitch for a coke.” Those participating would pitch a quarter at a designated crack in the concrete. The one whose quarter landed the farthest from the crack would have to buy cokes for everyone who participated. Some defended this practice as fine, since it was only a way of deciding who would buy the cokes.

While it is true that those who “lost” did not lose much, the fact remains, they lost. Yes, it’s less “creative,” but why not change the system. Let someone say, “Let me buy the cokes!” What’s the difference? Well, it’s going to cost him, but isn’t he going to be appreciated for what he did?

In the case of the coin toss, the recipients may thank the “giver,” but it isn’t quite the same. Everyone knows he’s the giver because he’s the “loser.”

Is Gambling Wrong?

As we said earlier, the Bible does not say “Thou shalt not gamble.” In fact, the words gamble, gambler, or gambling, do not occur in the Bible, but for all the reasons given in this article, I believe that gambling is wrong and should not be participated in in any form. Again, I didn’t say we should not take risks, but there is a difference.

www.yeshuahamashiaj.org

HOMOSEXUALITY:THE TRUE FACTS

"In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was something shocking, now anything goes!" Too true with too many implications. The moral standards of our country, and even more so of the world, have been in a tail spin for decades. Sexual promiscuity has become all too common among the young unmarried and the married as well.

In no way do we intend to make light sexual sins of this nature, but in this article, we will confine our remarks to Homosexuality: What does the Bible say?

Let’s begin with the Beginning

We don’t read far in the Bible until we come to this statement: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. {28} Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Gen 1:27-28 NKJV)

In its own discreet way, the Bible has already indirectly dealt with the issue of homosexuality. God created us as male and female. As such, we are to "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it;” The filling the earth has been taken care of and I do not believe this verse can be used as a prohibition of birth control as is done by the Roman Catholic Church, but part of the purpose of sex is to produce children. The future of the world and the economy of the world depend on it. Without young people getting married and buying homes in which to rear families, our economy and cities would soon go into decline. There is great wisdom in God’s plan of reproduction.

Intended for Pleasure

It is also clear that God intended the sexual relationship for pleasure, but He made it very clear that this pleasure was reserved for a man and his wife. Sexual relations between a man an woman who are not married to each other is clearly forbidden in passages such as (Heb 13:4 NKJV) “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” In this passage, both fornicators (unmarried people engaging in sexual relations with each other) and adulterers (married people engaging in sexual relations with someone other than the one to whom they are married.)

God intended that we marry and that we have a good marital relationship. Paul makes this very clear in (1 Cor 7:2-5 NKJV): “Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. {3} Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. {4} The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. {5} Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

Rather briefly, we have dealt with God’s plan for our sexuality. Basically, that we marry a member of the opposite sex. That we have sexual relations to produce children and to provide for each others sexual needs and desires. That is God’s plan, and it is a plan which provides the very best for all involved. As with many things, man sometimes becomes self centered, and becomes interested in anything that brings him pleasure without regard for other people, or for God’s laws.

Homosexuality Has Been Here a Long Time.

The first mention of the problem is found in (Gen 13:13 NKJV) “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” There is no mention in this verse of the specific nature of their sins, but that becomes clear as the account continues: (Gen 19:4-5 NKJV) Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. {5} And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." If this version isn’t clear enough, I’ll share two others: (Gen 19:5 NASB) and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." (Gen 19:5 NIV) They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."

I think most people have heard the expression, “Sodomy” as a reference to one form of homosexuality. Most people also know the punishment that God measured out for this sin which God regarded as especially serious. (Gen 19:27-29 NKJV) And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD. {28} Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace. {29} And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

The New Testament Clearly Condemns Homosexuality!

(1 Cor 6:9-11 NKJV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, {10} nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. {11} And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

This passage teaches two very important concepts: (1) homosexuality is wrong, and (2) if can be forgiven, but it not something that we are to continue doing Paul included homosexuality in a short list of sins as he wrote to Timothy: (1 Tim 1:9-10 NASB) realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers {10} and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,

Some of the harshest words are used as Paul wrote to the Romans: (Rom 1:20-32 NKJV) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, {21} because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. {22} Professing to be wise, they became fools, {23} and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. {24} Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, {25} who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. {26} For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. {27} Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. {28} And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; {29} . . . {32} who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

Of what other sin does the Bible say God gave them up to vile passions. Just consider the statement: God gave them up Of what other sin does the Bible say God gave them over to a debased mind? Of what other sin does the Bible say, “receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” In our day, is this penalty AIDS? Whether it is or not, one thing is certain: God condemns the practice in no uncertain terms. Not only that, but he concludes by saying, “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” (v. 32) In that statement, I see a prohibition of approving “same sex marriages,” or anything else that approves, or encourages the practice.

Excuses Don’t Count!

Many want to argue that they were just born that way. I don’t believe that God condemns something in such harsh terms if we have no control over it. I’m thankful that the practice is totally repulsive to me, hence, not a temptation, but we have the clear promise of God for those that are tempted, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor 10:13 NKJV) If this is a problem for someone, he needs to do what we should always do with temptation: Ask God to help us with the problem. Sometimes it helps to share with a trusted friend, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16 NKJV)

The Bible treats homosexuality very seriously from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to Paul's statements to the church at Rome. It is to be taken seriously. It isn't a problem that judges and law making bodies can make okay. The One Great Lawgiver has spoken, and He has very clearly said, "It isn't okay!"

www.yeshuahamashiaj.org

THE GLORY

By. Mario Olcese

Key Text : “Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;” (Rom 2:7 NKJV)

The Mistaken Concept of Glory

Millions of people have listened to sermons in churches that state that God has called their friends and loved ones to his celestial glory. Also, in funeral sermons, the Pastor or Bishop may say that the dear deceased brother is right now with God in His glory, being synonymous with heaven itself. However, what many Christians are ignorant of is that this promised glory by God and His Son for the faithful, has to do with a possession, or inheritance, of a Kingdom on the earth at the the Parousia (the coming or appearing) of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of God's Kingdom.

This brief study will demonstrate that the Glory to which all believers are called has to do with the coming of Christ’s millennial kingdom to the earth. This primary study is intended to remove the doubts that we can still partake of the glory which we have been offered. The Catholic tradition is a distortion of the biblical view of the glory we are offered. It has largely gone unexamined by many Christians.

In Search of Glory

The apostle Paul refers to glory as the Christian's goal: the OBJECTIVE. We are to seek for it tenaciously. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle says to them:

“God "will give to each person according to what he has done." {7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (Rom 2:6-7 NIV) So, all Christian believers must seek and long for the future glory (see the parallel words of Jesus in Matthew: “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33), that will be granted to the believer after his mortal body has been clothed with immortality by the resurrection of the last day, in the parousia (or coming of) our Lord Jesus Christ. These are Paul's words: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:4). So you see that nobody yet possesses the glory that we have been offered through the teaching of the Bible. And again the apostle Paul tells the believing Romans about this end-time glory, in the following: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Here Paul says that we must suffer tribulations before receiving the glory, which agrees with other writings of his that say: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12). Here our suffering will bring glory as a reward: Glory which will come when we REIGN with Christ.

It is a fact that our glory is inseparably linked to the future kingdom of Christ. One cannot be in glory, without being in the Kingdom and vice versa. In 1 Thes. 2:12 Paul shows this inseparable connection between the glory and the kingdom. He writes to the faithful of Thessalonica the following words: “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. Paul says concerning the Kingdom and glory that they are future when he says that our glory will come when Christ appears. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4 NKJV)

The Glory in the Old Testament

King David, singer of beautiful praise Psalms, says it this way in Psalms 145:11-13: “They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations”. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. David predicts that men will recognize the kingdom of God as something glorious and magnificent. Besides, King David's Kingdom, including his descendants, was the very same kingdom of Yahweh. 1 Chro. 28:5 reads: “And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel”. Solomon, the successor of David, took his seat in the same throne of Yahweh's kingdom in Israel. And this kingdom that Solomon inherited was a glorious kingdom in the judgment of all men! God's dominion or government over His people through His anointed kings was God's glorious kingdom in the Promised Land. That kingdom was established to last for many generations (Psa. 145:13) and exercising divine authority on the nations of the earth in the long term (Psa. 72:8). God had sworn to David that his sons would continue to sit on the throne without fail. (2 Sam 7:16 NKJV) "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."' " (1 Ki 9:5 NKJV) "then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' Also he promised that some day a last and final Davidic king would restore David's throne (Eze. 21:25-27). The glory of the Kingdom would someday be established in the earth with a Jewish king of David's line. And Daniel (in chapter 7) spoke of that kingdom-glory as an inheritance that would be possessed by God's saints in the future. Note especially, verses 18 and 27 “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.' And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them” This is the glory that the Most High's saints will receive!

Ezekiel 39:21 says the following: “And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand which I have laid on them”. Here God talks about putting his glory among the nations, that glory that has to do with His tabernacle, his dwelling place among the saints (Rev. 21:1-3). God Himself will place His sanctuary among men. Finally, His presence and His rulership as King of kings will be absolute in the world. He will first reign in His kingdom through His Son, Jesus (The King of kings), for a thousand years, and then The Almighty Father will personally reign with Christ and his church as the Sovereign over His whole creation forever. Then the world will enjoy peace and justice never seen before by any human being, when the devil and his followers will be eradicated from the earth forever.

An Already Present Glory by Faith, but Not Yet Realized

It is certain that today we can have the glory, the salvation, the everlasting life, and the Kingdom through our faith. Each believer is already in the book of life in God's sight, and in a way, right now we possesses that glory and immortality by faith (“…those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” Heb. 6:12). But let's remember that we must keep that faith in order to get the final realization of our salvation (See Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5). Jesus “has given” us glory by faith (John 17:22). Christ had it while He was on the earth, although He received it after his victory over death in his resurrection (Heb. 2:9). In the same way, Christ will take us to glory (not heaven!) when we are raised from the grave, having also been made perfect through the present tribulations. "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22 NKJV)

The Gospel of Christ's Glory ( 2 Cor. 4:4 )

Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4 Says: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God”. Here Paul reveals that Christ's glory – which is like the glory that is promised to us, is the glory of the gospel. Paul preached ‘the Kingdom of God’ as related to the message of the gospel concerning Jesus. Consider (Acts 28:23 NKJV) “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” (Also Acts 28:30, 31)

So That ALL RELATED with Christ's glory is the true Gospel, because this glory is an important part of the Gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Mat. 24:14). (Mat 24:14 NKJV) "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

We have just seen that kingdom and glory come side by side. So, each time that we are promised glory, in reality what is promised to us is the Kingdom. In short, to talk about the gospel of Christ's glory is to talk about the gospel of Christ's kingdom. The glory is part of the Kingdom, and the Kingdom involves the glory that we will obtain completely in the Parousía (or return of Christ). All believers are moving by faith to that monarchical glory (Heb. 2:10).

Peter “Took Part” In The Coming Glory (1 Peter 5:1)

The apostle Peter says it this way: “…So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed” (1 Pet. 5:1). With these words the apostle Peter recognized that right now he was also participating with the other believers of the glory that has not yet been manifested. That participation in glory was, for Peter, the participation of the divine nature (see 2 Pet. 1:4), by which one can obtain “…an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (See 2 Pet. 1:11). This agrees with what has been said by Paul when he assured the faithful of Corinth that: “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50). One must earnestly desire the divine nature! Besides, for Paul, this participation in the glory of the Kingdom was equivalent to the participation of GRACE (Phil. 1:7), the true gospel of God's grace or the gospel of God's Kingdom in the earth (Look for my two articles on the subject in Google: “ Is the Gospel of Grace Paul's New Gospel? And “The Part is not the whole: A Study of the Complete Gospel!”).

The Apostle John Also Was a Participant in the Kingdom

John, just like Peter and Paul, was a participant of the glory which he called “the Kingdom”. In Revelation 1:9 he says: “John, your brother, who shares with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”. Did you notice, dear reader, that partnership in the Kingdom for John was the partnership of glory for Peter, and in turn was the partnership of grace for Paul? That is, do You Understand now that the 3 terms (glory, kingdom, and grace) are closely related? It is evident than John participated in the kingdom; that is to say, in the glory that had not yet become manifest. And if glory had not become manifest, then neither had Christ's Kingdom. Christ's Kingdom was for John, a subject of the future, because he finalized his book asking for the coming of the King of the kingdom (Rev. 22:20 ).

What does John and James's Petition reveal?

It is interesting to compare Matt. 20:20-21 with Mar. 10:35-37, where we will discover what was clearly the glory for the disciples. These verses in Matthew' and Mark have been overlooked by many students of the Bible, and are key verses to understand what glory is promised by Christ. Unfortunately many believe that the glory is to be in the third heaven as white winged little angels playing a harp or a golden lyre for all the eternity.

Let's compare these two passages:

Matt. 20:20,21: “Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your KINGDOM."

Mar. 10: 35-37: “And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your GLORY."

If we compare both texts that refer to the same subject, but with slightly different perspectives, we will see that Matthew says that the mother of Zebedee's children (James and John) requested of Jesus a position of privilege in the KINGDOM for her two children. On the other hand, Mark writes saying that James and John asked Jesus for a place of privilege in His GLORY. Why this difference between both evangelists? Well, the only possible explanation is that there was little or no difference, since it was obvious that for the first Christians they associated the glory with the Kingdom and vice versa. With these verses it’s again demonstrated that the gospel of Christ's glory (2 Cor. 4:4) is closely related to the gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Mat. 24:14). Rresent-day preachers should understand this subject, and not speculate with interpretations that get away from the pristine truth of the Scriptures. Definitively the gospel of grace, the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of glory, the gospel of peace, the gospel of salvation, Christ's gospel, the gospel of the promise, etc, are all basically the same unique biblical gospel (Gál. 1:6-9).

The Glory that the three Witnesses saw: Peter, James and John

It is extremely interesting what the apostle Peter wrote in his second epistle that carries his name, chapter one, and verses 16-18: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (of the transfiguration)”. This reminds us of what Jesus said in the Parable of the Tares when the nobleman went to heaven to RECEIVE a Kingdom, according to Luke 19:12. So Jesus went to heaven to receive glory and honor (2 Pet. 1:17), part of his glory and honor was in receiving the kingdom (Luke 19:12).

Now please notice this: In Luke 9:32 we are told that three selected disciples, Peter, James, and John, saw Jesus' GLORY. Notice that in Luke 9:27, Jesus had promised that some would see HIS KINGDOM. Also in Mark 9:1 Jesus announced to his disciples that it would be His kingdom that was to come and would be seen by some of His disciples in an event that we now know was his TRANSFIGURATION that occurred 6 days after. The three disciples, Peter, John, and James, really saw the majesty or the Messianic King's GLORY or His KINGDOM, like a preview of the glorified Lord in order that they might be witnesses of his glory and Kingdom.

Crowned to receive the Glory

The apostle Peter says that there is a crown of glory for the faithful. 1 Peter 5:4 says, “And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory”. This means that we will be crowned like kings in the Kingdom as was Jesus Christ according to Heb. 2:9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Rev. 5:10: NKJV) “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (Rev 3:21 NKJV) "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

This tells of our glorification. Only the crowned are the nominees to be the executives of the messianic Kingdom, and this event the prophet Daniel foresaw clearly for the conquerors ((Dan 7:18 NKJV) “ 'But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' . . . (27) Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'”

Thrones of Glory

We read in Matthew 19:28: “Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”. See clearly that Christ's glory has THRONES. And where can there be thrones but in the kingdom? In this case we discovered that in Christ’s glory (his kingdom) there are thrones for Him and for the saved. Those thrones are Messianic Kingdom's thrones. So the GLORY again relate with THE KINGDOM of the Messiah in the new earth. In addition, take notice of the Psalm 122:3-5, where we are given more details on the thrones and the geographic location: “Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David”.

So you must be aware that the glory has nothing to do with a stay of the just in heaven like winged little angels, but with the dwelling of the saints in positions of authority at Christ's millenarian Kingdom in the promised land. That promised land is not the heaven, but Jerusalem, Christ will govern with his followers. Notice (Mat 19:28 NKJV) ‘So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ At that time Christ's Kingdom will be glorious. Psal. 72:7-20 says: “In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live, may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day! May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may men blossom forth from the cities like the grass of the field! May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen! The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.”

But it is equally necessary to emphasize that our Lord Jesus Christ has not yet taken a seat on the throne of His glory in spite of the fact that some theologians have propagated the opposite. Notice what Jesus Himself says about the time of his being enthroned at his kingdom or glory: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” (Mathew 25:31). So Jesus has gone to heaven to receive the power of the kingdom (Luke. 19:12; Dan. 7:13,14), but he has not yet taken a seat on HIS throne, but on His Father's throne. He says : “He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” ( Rev. 3:21 ).

Glory and Power

We read in Rev. 5:13: “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!". And in Rev. 19:1 we read: “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God”. So the glory has to do with the power that Christ and His saints will have in the kingdom over the entire world.

Power, Authority and the Kingdom

In Revelation 12:10, talking about our Lord Jesus Christ's future kingdom and his saints, says: “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”. Well then again, power, glory, and authority are intimately linked with Christ's Kingdom. The saints will have power in glory, or that is the same as saying: Authority at Christ's kingdom. In the parable of Luke's ten Mines, Jesus explains that the faithful will receive authority over entire cities, and the power exercised on human groups means authority (v.17). Also Rev. 2:26 “He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations”.

Satan has obscured The Gospel of Christ

We have seen that Satan has blinded the unbelievers' eyes in order that they not perceive or understand the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom; that is, the gospel of grace, or the gospel of coming Christ's glory. The devil does not desire that potential believers welcome this message of God because it means his own ruin, and of his kingdom in this world (See Mark 4:15). He has exchanged the gospel of a literal kingdom of God in the earth for a “spiritual reign in the believer's heart”, or for an “ecclesiastical kingdom”. The devil obstructs the human beings' reasoning, making them believe that God's Kingdom has nothing to do with a personal reign of the Messiah over the new earth. He has managed to convince millions that the Davidic covenant and the Abrahamic covenant, which insures for Christ and his church a kingdom on this planet, were not to be realized. Such preachers maintain that those covenants expired because of the infidelity of God's pristine people, and that these now have proceeded to being the inheritance of a new people (the gentile church) but with a purely spiritual significance. Augustine of Hipona was one of the responsible fathers for this crass mutation of the original pact. For Augustine, the Messianic Kingdom became an ecclesiastic kingdom, and David's throne transferred, from the earthly Jerusalem, to the celestial Jerusalem itself. This grave error was propagated subtly by Romanism for centuries, obscuring and making almost dissappear the true earthly Kingdom, as it is displayed in the Scriptures from cover to cover.

Summary

1.- Looking for the Glory ( Rom. 2:6,7 ) is to look for the Kingdom ( Matt. 6:33 ).

2.- The afflictions precede the glory ( Rom. 8:18 ) and it precede also the Kingdom ( 2 Tim. 2:12 ). Therefore glory and reign are equivalent.

3.- the Gospel of Christ's Glory (2 Cor. 4:4) is the Gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Matt. 24:14), and is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).

4.- To be participating in the Glory (2 Pet. 1:4) is to be participating in the Kingdom (Rev. 1:9).

5.- To receive the Glory (2 Pet. 1:16-18) is to receive the Kingdom (Luc. 19:12).

6.- To see the Glory (Luke. 9:32 ) is to see the Kingdom ( Luke. 9:27 ).

7.- Christ is sitting now on His Father's throne, not on His ( Apo. 3:21 ).

8.- The Glory is associated with the Power, and the power with the kingdom, and the kingdom with Authority ( Rev. 5:13; 19:1; 12:10 ).

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THE FAITH OF JESUS

By Mario A Olcese

Introduction

It's quite interesting these words from the Apostle Paul to the Galatians on the issue of faith and justification: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” ( 2:16 KJV ). But to the Romans Paul wrote something similar: “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (including Jesus, Mat. 1.1) Take note that Paul speaks about the faith of Jesus to the Galatians, and to the Romans, about the the faith of Abraham. ¿Will it be that both sentences (faith of Jesus & Faith of Abraham) are equivalent or that they point out to the same faith? We will find the answer in few moments.

The Apostle Paul is very clear when he say that the faithful are justified by the faith of Jesus. However, they great majority of "Christians" claim to have attained the justification for the mere fact to have believed in Jesus Christ but without understanding absolutely nothing what the faith of Jesus is all about. Yes, Jesus was a man of faith, and he had a faith that should be ours too. This, unfortunately, do not understand millions of Catholics, evangelicals, and members of the sects or cults.

The Faith of Jesus

Those men that believe that they can please God keeping all his laws, but ignoring the faith of Jesus, are lost. Many certainly have the faith in Christ but no Christ's faith or the faith of Jesus. And this I want again to underline in order that you can keep it in mind. You must know the faith of Jesus to obtain God's justification. Unfortunately the majority of Christian believers do not have the faith of Jesus but the faith of a Gnostic Christ. You can ask to any Christian on which was the faith of Jesus that can save us and you will get surprised on finding that they all will almost answer in a different ways.

But let's see first two more passages before continuing our investigation on the faith of Jesus. Certainly you had read these thousand times, but maybe you have not stopped to reflect what precisely means that expression (the faith of Jesus).

Romans 3:26 “for [the] shewing forth of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just, and justify him that is of [the] faith of Jesus”

Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus”.

These two texts, along with the one belonging to Galatians 2:16, are further than enough to prove us that there is a faith of Jesus, or a faith that Jesus had, and that it is vital to know and believe to be really justified and finally, saved.

The Faith of Abraham

Now then, also we found that not only we must have the faith of Jesus, but also the faith of Abraham, because without a doubt both notable individuals had faith in a singular and equal promise, for the simple reason that there is only one faith, and not two or more (See Eph. 4:5). The faith of Abraham, like the faith of Jesus, was focused on the same goal and toward the same hope or promise that right away we will discover .

We read again in Romans 4:16 the following statement from the apostle Paul: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (including Jesus, Mat. 1.1) Take note that Paul speaks about the faith of Jesus to the Galatians, and to the Romans, about the the faith of Abraham” (including Jesus, Mat. 1:1).

The Faith of Abraham, like the faith of Jesus was related to a promise, and that that promise was that Abraham and his seed (Christ) will be heirs of the world (Rom.4:13). Remember that to Abraham the gospel or good news was preached to Abraham in advance, and it consisted that the blessing of God would come for the world through a his seed (Gen. 12, 2, 3). Paul says: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all the nations be blessed.” (Gal. 3:8 ).

This is the faith of Abraham. And that same faith that Abraham had, Jesus had, when he came to confirm the same promises or Good News to the world of his times. This says Paul in Romans 15:8, when he tells the faithful of Rome: “For I say that Christ hath been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given unto the fathers”. This task to confirm the promises done to the AT's fathers was the faith of Jesus, and the reason of his coming two millennia ago (see Luke 4:43). Now I ask you: ¿Is this one the same faith that you have? ¿Do you have the same faith of Jesus and of Abraham that The Son of God (The Christ) will be the coming inheritor of the future world of justice at the millenarian kingdom? You certainly are thinking that the promise is only for the Jews, and not for the church, to whom Jesus has promised the "kingdom of heaven". But stop an instant, and take note that Paul said that Abraham is the father of all of us, and when he said that, he told it to the Church of Rome. If Abraham is the father of faith, then we are his children by faith and heirs of the same promise or of the same faith. That is, if we have the faith of Abraham, then we also have the faith of Jesus. Remember always that there is only ONE faith—The faith of Jesus or also called ‘the faith of Abraham’ (Eph. 4:5).

To the Galatians Paul said: “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:16,29). So then they that are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham (v.9).

Now I hope that you understand that you must be of the faith of Jesus to be justified (Rom. 3:26). You have to believe in the gospel that was preached to Abraham in advance, and that Christ did of his own when preaching to his peasants two millennia ago (Luke 4:43). That gospel that was preached in advance to Abraham, remember, had to do with the blessing that Christ (his seed according to the flesh) would bring into the coming world of Justice when he establish his millenarian kingdom in the earth. ¿Do you believe it with all your heart as Abraham and his seed believed it? If you do not share this same faith, then you will not be able to be Abraham's child and Christ's brother. You will definitively not be able to be a part of that wonderland of blessings that Jesus will bring in his parousia when he reign among men. In the Parable of the Ten Mines of Luke 19, Jesus is plainly clear saying: “But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me”. The opponents to his kingdom will be definitively destroyed. There will be no contemplation.

Faith and works

Jesus showed his faith acting in consequence. For example, he began his ministry talking about the proximity of the Kingdom and calling to repentance (Mark 1:1,14,15 ). His parables— the Kingdom's parables— talk to us about his coming kingdom and the blessings that it will bring when it become established. To his disciples Jesus offers a kingdom and then he send them off to preach and to announce God's kingdom to all the world (Luke 8:1; Luke 9:1,2; Mat. 24:14). To another, Jesus said: “go and announce God's kingdom” (Lc. 9:60). To others Jesus ask to look first for God's kingdom and his justice (Mat. 6:33) and after his resurrection, Jesus spends 40 days speaking to his disciples about God's Kingdom (Acts 1:3,6). It is clear that God's kingdom was the theme of all the preaching of Jesus, and the raison d'etre of his coming as mortal (Luke 4:43). All these verses make us clear that God's kingdom was the faith of Jesus. Remember that of the heart abundance speaks the mouth.

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Escrito el 07/05/2007 08:15 por apologista | Comentarios (0)
THE AMAZING MEANING OF THE WORD GLORY IN THE BIBLE
THE GLORY: DO YOU KNOW

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS?

By. Mario Olcese

Key Text : “Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;” (Rom 2:7 NKJV)

The Mistaken Concept of Glory

Millions of people have listened to sermons in churches that state that God has called their friends and loved ones to his celestial glory. Also, in funeral sermons, the Pastor or Bishop may say that the dear deceased brother is right now with God in His glory, being synonymous with heaven itself. However, what many Christians are ignorant of is that this promised glory by God and His Son for the faithful, has to do with a possession, or inheritance, of a Kingdom on the earth at the the Parousia (the coming or appearing) of our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of God's Kingdom.

This brief study will demonstrate that the Glory to which all believers are called has to do with the coming of Christ’s millennial kingdom to the earth. This primary study is intended to remove the doubts that we can still partake of the glory which we have been offered. The Catholic tradition is a distortion of the biblical view of the glory we are offered. It has largely gone unexamined by many Christians.

In Search of Glory

The apostle Paul refers to glory as the Christian's goal: the OBJECTIVE. We are to seek for it tenaciously. In his letter to the Romans, the apostle says to them:

“God "will give to each person according to what he has done." {7} To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” (Rom 2:6-7 NIV) So, all Christian believers must seek and long for the future glory (see the parallel words of Jesus in Matthew: “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33), that will be granted to the believer after his mortal body has been clothed with immortality by the resurrection of the last day, in the parousia (or coming of) our Lord Jesus Christ. These are Paul's words: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:4). So you see that nobody yet possesses the glory that we have been offered through the teaching of the Bible. And again the apostle Paul tells the believing Romans about this end-time glory, in the following: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Here Paul says that we must suffer tribulations before receiving the glory, which agrees with other writings of his that say: “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12). Here our suffering will bring glory as a reward: Glory which will come when we REIGN with Christ.

It is a fact that our glory is inseparably linked to the future kingdom of Christ. One cannot be in glory, without being in the Kingdom and vice versa. In 1 Thes. 2:12 Paul shows this inseparable connection between the glory and the kingdom. He writes to the faithful of Thessalonica the following words: “so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory”. Paul says concerning the Kingdom and glory that they are future when he says that our glory will come when Christ appears. “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col 3:4 NKJV)

The Glory in the Old Testament

King David, singer of beautiful praise Psalms, says it this way in Psalms 145:11-13: “They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations”. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. David predicts that men will recognize the kingdom of God as something glorious and magnificent. Besides, King David's Kingdom, including his descendants, was the very same kingdom of Yahweh. 1 Chro. 28:5 reads: “And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel”. Solomon, the successor of David, took his seat in the same throne of Yahweh's kingdom in Israel. And this kingdom that Solomon inherited was a glorious kingdom in the judgment of all men! God's dominion or government over His people through His anointed kings was God's glorious kingdom in the Promised Land. That kingdom was established to last for many generations (Psa. 145:13) and exercising divine authority on the nations of the earth in the long term (Psa. 72:8). God had sworn to David that his sons would continue to sit on the throne without fail. (2 Sam 7:16 NKJV) "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."' " (1 Ki 9:5 NKJV) "then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.' Also he promised that some day a last and final Davidic king would restore David's throne (Eze. 21:25-27). The glory of the Kingdom would someday be established in the earth with a Jewish king of David's line. And Daniel (in chapter 7) spoke of that kingdom-glory as an inheritance that would be possessed by God's saints in the future. Note especially, verses 18 and 27 “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, for ever and ever.' And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them” This is the glory that the Most High's saints will receive!

Ezekiel 39:21 says the following: “And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand which I have laid on them”. Here God talks about putting his glory among the nations, that glory that has to do with His tabernacle, his dwelling place among the saints (Rev. 21:1-3). God Himself will place His sanctuary among men. Finally, His presence and His rulership as King of kings will be absolute in the world. He will first reign in His kingdom through His Son, Jesus (The King of kings), for a thousand years, and then The Almighty Father will personally reign with Christ and his church as the Sovereign over His whole creation forever. Then the world will enjoy peace and justice never seen before by any human being, when the devil and his followers will be eradicated from the earth forever.

An Already Present Glory by Faith, but Not Yet Realized

It is certain that today we can have the glory, the salvation, the everlasting life, and the Kingdom through our faith. Each believer is already in the book of life in God's sight, and in a way, right now we possesses that glory and immortality by faith (“…those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” Heb. 6:12). But let's remember that we must keep that faith in order to get the final realization of our salvation (See Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5). Jesus “has given” us glory by faith (John 17:22). Christ had it while He was on the earth, although He received it after his victory over death in his resurrection (Heb. 2:9). In the same way, Christ will take us to glory (not heaven!) when we are raised from the grave, having also been made perfect through the present tribulations. "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22 NKJV)

The Gospel of Christ's Glory ( 2 Cor. 4:4 )

Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4 Says: “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God”. Here Paul reveals that Christ's glory – which is like the glory that is promised to us, is the glory of the gospel. Paul preached ‘the Kingdom of God’ as related to the message of the gospel concerning Jesus. Consider (Acts 28:23 NKJV) “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” (Also Acts 28:30, 31)

So That ALL RELATED with Christ's glory is the true Gospel, because this glory is an important part of the Gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Mat. 24:14). (Mat 24:14 NKJV) "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

We have just seen that kingdom and glory come side by side. So, each time that we are promised glory, in reality what is promised to us is the Kingdom. In short, to talk about the gospel of Christ's glory is to talk about the gospel of Christ's kingdom. The glory is part of the Kingdom, and the Kingdom involves the glory that we will obtain completely in the Parousía (or return of Christ). All believers are moving by faith to that monarchical glory (Heb. 2:10).

Peter “Took Part” In The Coming Glory (1 Peter 5:1)

The apostle Peter says it this way: “…So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed” (1 Pet. 5:1). With these words the apostle Peter recognized that right now he was also participating with the other believers of the glory that has not yet been manifested. That participation in glory was, for Peter, the participation of the divine nature (see 2 Pet. 1:4), by which one can obtain “…an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (See 2 Pet. 1:11). This agrees with what has been said by Paul when he assured the faithful of Corinth that: “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (1 Cor. 15:50). One must earnestly desire the divine nature! Besides, for Paul, this participation in the glory of the Kingdom was equivalent to the participation of GRACE (Phil. 1:7), the true gospel of God's grace or the gospel of God's Kingdom in the earth (Look for my two articles on the subject in Google: “ Is the Gospel of Grace Paul's New Gospel? And “The Part is not the whole: A Study of the Complete Gospel!”).

The Apostle John Also Was a Participant in the Kingdom

John, just like Peter and Paul, was a participant of the glory which he called “the Kingdom”. In Revelation 1:9 he says: “John, your brother, who shares with you in Jesus the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”. Did you notice, dear reader, that partnership in the Kingdom for John was the partnership of glory for Peter, and in turn was the partnership of grace for Paul? That is, do You Understand now that the 3 terms (glory, kingdom, and grace) are closely related? It is evident than John participated in the kingdom; that is to say, in the glory that had not yet become manifest. And if glory had not become manifest, then neither had Christ's Kingdom. Christ's Kingdom was for John, a subject of the future, because he finalized his book asking for the coming of the King of the kingdom (Rev. 22:20 ).

What does John and James's Petition reveal?

It is interesting to compare Matt. 20:20-21 with Mar. 10:35-37, where we will discover what was clearly the glory for the disciples. These verses in Matthew' and Mark have been overlooked by many students of the Bible, and are key verses to understand what glory is promised by Christ. Unfortunately many believe that the glory is to be in the third heaven as white winged little angels playing a harp or a golden lyre for all the eternity.

Let's compare these two passages:

Matt. 20:20,21: “Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your KINGDOM."

Mar. 10: 35-37: “And James and John, the sons of Zeb'edee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your GLORY."

If we compare both texts that refer to the same subject, but with slightly different perspectives, we will see that Matthew says that the mother of Zebedee's children (James and John) requested of Jesus a position of privilege in the KINGDOM for her two children. On the other hand, Mark writes saying that James and John asked Jesus for a place of privilege in His GLORY. Why this difference between both evangelists? Well, the only possible explanation is that there was little or no difference, since it was obvious that for the first Christians they associated the glory with the Kingdom and vice versa. With these verses it’s again demonstrated that the gospel of Christ's glory (2 Cor. 4:4) is closely related to the gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Mat. 24:14). Rresent-day preachers should understand this subject, and not speculate with interpretations that get away from the pristine truth of the Scriptures. Definitively the gospel of grace, the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of glory, the gospel of peace, the gospel of salvation, Christ's gospel, the gospel of the promise, etc, are all basically the same unique biblical gospel (Gál. 1:6-9).

The Glory that the three Witnesses saw: Peter, James and John

It is extremely interesting what the apostle Peter wrote in his second epistle that carries his name, chapter one, and verses 16-18: “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (of the transfiguration)”. This reminds us of what Jesus said in the Parable of the Tares when the nobleman went to heaven to RECEIVE a Kingdom, according to Luke 19:12. So Jesus went to heaven to receive glory and honor (2 Pet. 1:17), part of his glory and honor was in receiving the kingdom (Luke 19:12).

Now please notice this: In Luke 9:32 we are told that three selected disciples, Peter, James, and John, saw Jesus' GLORY. Notice that in Luke 9:27, Jesus had promised that some would see HIS KINGDOM. Also in Mark 9:1 Jesus announced to his disciples that it would be His kingdom that was to come and would be seen by some of His disciples in an event that we now know was his TRANSFIGURATION that occurred 6 days after. The three disciples, Peter, John, and James, really saw the majesty or the Messianic King's GLORY or His KINGDOM, like a preview of the glorified Lord in order that they might be witnesses of his glory and Kingdom.

Crowned to receive the Glory

The apostle Peter says that there is a crown of glory for the faithful. 1 Peter 5:4 says, “And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory”. This means that we will be crowned like kings in the Kingdom as was Jesus Christ according to Heb. 2:9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” (Rev. 5:10: NKJV) “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." (Rev 3:21 NKJV) "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

This tells of our glorification. Only the crowned are the nominees to be the executives of the messianic Kingdom, and this event the prophet Daniel foresaw clearly for the conquerors ((Dan 7:18 NKJV) “ 'But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' . . . (27) Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'”

Thrones of Glory

We read in Matthew 19:28: “Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”. See clearly that Christ's glory has THRONES. And where can there be thrones but in the kingdom? In this case we discovered that in Christ’s glory (his kingdom) there are thrones for Him and for the saved. Those thrones are Messianic Kingdom's thrones. So the GLORY again relate with THE KINGDOM of the Messiah in the new earth. In addition, take notice of the Psalm 122:3-5, where we are given more details on the thrones and the geographic location: “Jerusalem, built as a city which is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David”.

So you must be aware that the glory has nothing to do with a stay of the just in heaven like winged little angels, but with the dwelling of the saints in positions of authority at Christ's millenarian Kingdom in the promised land. That promised land is not the heaven, but Jerusalem, Christ will govern with his followers. Notice (Mat 19:28 NKJV) ‘So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ At that time Christ's Kingdom will be glorious. Psal. 72:7-20 says: “In his days may righteousness flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live, may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day! May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may men blossom forth from the cities like the grass of the field! May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May men bless themselves by him, all nations call him blessed! Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen and Amen! The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.”

But it is equally necessary to emphasize that our Lord Jesus Christ has not yet taken a seat on the throne of His glory in spite of the fact that some theologians have propagated the opposite. Notice what Jesus Himself says about the time of his being enthroned at his kingdom or glory: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” (Mathew 25:31). So Jesus has gone to heaven to receive the power of the kingdom (Luke. 19:12; Dan. 7:13,14), but he has not yet taken a seat on HIS throne, but on His Father's throne. He says : “He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” ( Rev. 3:21 ).

Glory and Power

We read in Rev. 5:13: “And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!". And in Rev. 19:1 we read: “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God”. So the glory has to do with the power that Christ and His saints will have in the kingdom over the entire world.

Power, Authority and the Kingdom

In Revelation 12:10, talking about our Lord Jesus Christ's future kingdom and his saints, says: “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”. Well then again, power, glory, and authority are intimately linked with Christ's Kingdom. The saints will have power in glory, or that is the same as saying: Authority at Christ's kingdom. In the parable of Luke's ten Mines, Jesus explains that the faithful will receive authority over entire cities, and the power exercised on human groups means authority (v.17). Also Rev. 2:26 “He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations”.

Satan has obscured The Gospel of Christ

We have seen that Satan has blinded the unbelievers' eyes in order that they not perceive or understand the message of the Gospel of the Kingdom; that is, the gospel of grace, or the gospel of coming Christ's glory. The devil does not desire that potential believers welcome this message of God because it means his own ruin, and of his kingdom in this world (See Mark 4:15). He has exchanged the gospel of a literal kingdom of God in the earth for a “spiritual reign in the believer's heart”, or for an “ecclesiastical kingdom”. The devil obstructs the human beings' reasoning, making them believe that God's Kingdom has nothing to do with a personal reign of the Messiah over the new earth. He has managed to convince millions that the Davidic covenant and the Abrahamic covenant, which insures for Christ and his church a kingdom on this planet, were not to be realized. Such preachers maintain that those covenants expired because of the infidelity of God's pristine people, and that these now have proceeded to being the inheritance of a new people (the gentile church) but with a purely spiritual significance. Augustine of Hipona was one of the responsible fathers for this crass mutation of the original pact. For Augustine, the Messianic Kingdom became an ecclesiastic kingdom, and David's throne transferred, from the earthly Jerusalem, to the celestial Jerusalem itself. This grave error was propagated subtly by Romanism for centuries, obscuring and making almost dissappear the true earthly Kingdom, as it is displayed in the Scriptures from cover to cover.

Summary

1.- Looking for the Glory ( Rom. 2:6,7 ) is to look for the Kingdom ( Matt. 6:33 ).

2.- The afflictions precede the glory ( Rom. 8:18 ) and it precede also the Kingdom ( 2 Tim. 2:12 ). Therefore glory and reign are equivalent.

3.- the Gospel of Christ's Glory (2 Cor. 4:4) is the Gospel of Christ's Kingdom (Matt. 24:14), and is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24).

4.- To be participating in the Glory (2 Pet. 1:4) is to be participating in the Kingdom (Rev. 1:9).

5.- To receive the Glory (2 Pet. 1:16-18) is to receive the Kingdom (Luc. 19:12).

6.- To see the Glory (Luke. 9:32 ) is to see the Kingdom ( Luke. 9:27 ).

7.- Christ is sitting now on His Father's throne, not on His ( Apo. 3:21 ).

8.- The Glory is associated with the Power, and the power with the kingdom, and the kingdom with Authority ( Rev. 5:13; 19:1; 12:10 ).

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¿Who is the True God in 1 John 5:20?
—The Truth that Few want to See!

(The Overlooked Old Evidences)

By Mario A. Olcese

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (NKJV)”

Many of those that mistakenly believe that the Messiah is the true God maintain that the final sentence in this verse: “This is the true God and the eternal life”, refers to Jesus, the Messiah, since the nearest noun to the word “This” is “Jesus Christ”. However, since God and the Messiah are both referred in the first sentence of the verse, the final sentence can refer to either one of them. The word (pronoun) “This” that begins the final sentence, is houtos (in Greek), and a study of it will show that the context, not the noun or nearest pronoun, should determine to which “This” is referring. The Bible provides examples of this, and a good one can be found in Acts 7:18, 19: “Till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This [Gr. Houtos] man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.”(NKJV). It is clear in this example that “this” [houtos] cannot refer to Joseph, although Joseph is the nearest noun. It refers to the other king, the first one, in the verse, although that evil king is not the nearest noun.

If it is true that the pronouns always refer to the nearest noun, the result would be serious theological problems. An example is found in Acts 4:10, 11: “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This [Houtos] is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone” (NKJV). If “This” in the last sentence refers to the noun or to the nearest pronoun, then the man that was healed is really the stone rejected by the manufacturers that has become head of the corner, that is to say, the Messiah. Of course this conclusion is not true.

An even more problematic example for those that don't recognize that the context, not the placement of the noun or pronoun, is the most vital key for the appropriate meaning of 1 John 5:20, where it is stated: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This [Houtos] is the true God and eternal life”. This [Houtos] is the true God and the eternal life”. Like in the two previous examples, the pronoun “This” in this verse is not related to the nearest noun, but rather it refers to the Father, one of two people that are mentioned in the whole verse.

A last example: 1 John 2:22. This interesting text says: "Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This [Houtos] is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son” (American Standard Version). If we conclude that "This is antichrist" is the same Messiah, the immediate person that precedes this sentence, we would have to conclude that the Messiah is the antichrist…¡and this would be a serious blasphemy! So we see that we cannot conclude that the sentence "this it is the true God and the eternal life" is referring to the antecedent person of this expression, because if we make it this way, we would have to make the same thing with 1 John 2:22 and then we would be blaspheming against the Son's person.

Finally, it is the same Teacher, Jesus the Messiah, who revealed the Father to us, saying: “And this it is the eternal life: that they know you (not, “know us”), the only true God, and to Jesus, the Messiah, whom you have sent”. Here our dear Lord teaches us clearly a truth that few want to accept because of the Catholic and Protestant tradition. And this truth is that the same Messiah taught that His Father is only the True God and nobody else. Even, already in heaven, Jesus continues calling to His Father as “MY GOD” 4 times in Revelation 3:12: “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him my new name”. We wonder this, can a True God have His own True God? I believe that this is a point that deserves serious consideration.

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¿IS JESUS SEATED NOW ON DAVID’S THRONE?
(Luke 1:32)

By Mario A Olcese

DOES THIS SURPRISE YOU? JESUS IS NOT

SEATED IN DAVID’S THRONE!

HE WILL NOT BE UNTIL HIS SECOND COMING!

What does the book of Revelation have to tell us?

INTRODUCTION

Amillennialists and Full Preterists maintain that our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is now seated on David’s throne in heaven. They allege that the Messiah returned to heaven to govern his people from his personal throne (“the throne of David”), thus fulfilling Luke's prophecy in (Luke 1:32-33 NKJV) "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. {33} "And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

However, what these amillennialists ignore is that Jesus the Messiah didn't go to heaven to sit on his own throne but on his Father's throne!. These teachers ignore that The Messiah will have (at his return) his throne AND HIS GOVERNMENT on the earth (2 Sam.23:1, VV.1960, Jer. 3:17), and that His Father now has His own throne in heaven where He is seated with Christ at His right hand. Notice (Heb 8:1 NKJV) "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, Therefore, it is important to clarify this matter that has been ignored by most Bible students. We are going to expose the error of the teaching that says that the Messiah is now reigning on his throne (“that of David”) in heaven, either from the year 33 AD or from the 1914 AD.

THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN AND THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Let us examine what JOHN says in Revelation on the existent thrones in heaven, and then we will examine all the verses where the word “Throne” or “thrones” appear. In this way we will be able to discover if a personal throne exists for the Father and another personal throne for the Son--- and in passing for the Holy Spirit! The texts where the words “throne” and “thrones” appear in the book of Revelation are the following ones: Rev. 4:2,4,5,6,9,10; 5:1,6,7,11,13; 6:16, 7:8,10,11, 15,17; 8:3;11:16; 12:5; 14:3,5; 16:10,17; 19:4,5; 20:4,11; 21:5; 22:3.

REVELATION 4: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10:

Revelation 4

2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

3 And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in (white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.

5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;

6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.

9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

COMMENT:

In these verses ia single Divine Person t is spoken of Who is seated on a throne and surrounded by 24 thrones that are for the 24 elders. Notice that these verses don't says that the 24 thrones are surrounding two thrones, and much less, three.

REVELATION 5: 1, 6, 7, 11, 13:

Revelation 5:

1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands,

13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."

COMMENT:

If we examine carefully these verses of the chapter 5 of Revelation where the word “throne” appears, we won't find evidence that the Messiah is seated on his own individual or personal throne. This is clear.

REVELATION 6:16

Revelation 6

16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb”

COMMENT:

In chapter 6 of Revelation we do not find evidence that Jesus the Messiah is seated on his own throne in heaven.

REVELATION 7: 9, 10, 11, 15, 17

Revelation 7

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

15 "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.

17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

COMMENT:

In chapter 7 of Revelation we have examined all the verses where the word “throne” appears and we observe that none say anything about the Son being seated on His own throne. In verse 10, for example, we discover that the one who is seated on the throne is the Father and not the Son.

REVELATION 8:3

Revelation 8:

3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.

COMMENT

Again, in chapter eight of Revelation it’s impossible to find that The Messiah is seated on his personal or singular throne.

REVELATION 11:16

Revelation 11

16And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God

COMMENT

Neither can we find in chapter eleven of Revelation that Jesus the Messiah is seated on his personal or singular throne. It is true that it speaks of thrones but these are for the 24 elders.

REVELATION 12:5

Revelation 12

5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

COMMENT

In chapter twelve of Revelation, the word ‘throne' appear once in the verse 5. nevertheless, this throne is not the Son's throne but Yahweh's, the Father.

REVELATION 14:3

Revelaltion 14

3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.

COMMENT

It is clear that again in chapter 14 of Revelation that a personal throne of the Son of God is not mentioned. Verse 5 says clearly that the throne is of God, the Father.

REVELATION 16:17

Revelation 16

17 The seventh angel poured his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

COMMENT

Neither in chapter 16 is there a reference to a throne for the Son of God. It is simply spoken of the throne that is in the temple of heaven.

REVELATION 19:4,5

Revelation 19

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" 5 And from the throne came a voice crying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great."

COMMENT

In chapter 19 of Revelation, there is no reference to a throne that belongs to the Son of Elohim, but alone to Elohim. This is very important because some people don't distinguish this singular detail.

REVELATION 20: 4,11

Revelation 20

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

COMMENT

This is a vision of the coming era when Yahshúa the Messiah inaugurates his millennial Kingdom in the earth. The thrones that are seen are the thrones of the martyrs that will reign with The Messiah in the earth. In Psalms 122:3-5 it is revealed that the thrones of the trial will be in Jerusalem and not in the sky. (Psa 122:3-5 NKJV) Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, {4} Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD. {5} For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.

REVELATION 21:5

Revelation 21

5 And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

COMMENT

Neither this verse (nor the context) tells us that this throne belongs to the Son of Elohim, but rather of the Father.

REVELATION 22:1, 3

Revelation 22

1 Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 3 There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him.

COMMENT

Chapter 22 refers basically to the era of the Kingdom in the new earth, and the only verse that speaks to us of the Father's throne is the 3rd. But anything in the context indicates us that this vision is one heaven, but of the new earth, when God and its Son dwells with the men (21:1-3).

FINAL COMMENTS:

JESUS THE MESSIAH IS NOW SEATED IN HIS FATHER’S THRONE

We have demonstrated that the Lord Jesus the Messiah is not seated on HIS throne of authority in heaven. It is crucial to mention that the same Lord Jesus makes the following statement: “He who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”. Take note that the Messiah is seated on His Father's throne--- Not on his! This truth is overlooked by Bible students. Most believe that our Lord is now seated on his own throne (that of David, his father in the flesh) in heaven, but this doesn't have a basis in Scripture. It is impossible that the Messiah is seated simultaneously on his throne and on His Father's throne. But there will be a throne for the Father and another for the Son when the New Jerusalem descends to the earth and God and His Messiah will be among men. Therefore, Jesus has still not been seated on his own throne, because that hour has not arrived, neither the hour of the saints. But it will arrive the day that Jesus and the saints occupy their thrones on the earth (Daniel 7.13,14,18,22,27).

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7 POWERFUL REASONS FOR WHICH WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST STILL DOESN’T REIGN IN THE WORLD

By Mario A Olcese

Key Text

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33).

Most of Christians has heard the announcement of the archangel Gabriel about the miraculous conception of the Savior Jesus Christ in virgin Mary's belly, His mother. But these Christians have not realized that the angel Gabriel's announcement included the fact that this Savior would sit on David's throne, his father on the flesh, and that He would reign on Jacob's house forever. Surprisingly, only the minority of Christians know this last promise, and the ones that know it, do not completely understand it.

Also it is well known that Jesus Christ talked about reigning in this world with His glorious and triumphant Church for a millennium (Revelation 3:21; 5:10). The Bible students still dispute if Christ is now reigning or not in the way as it was prophesied, that is, in the throne of David and on Jacob's house. Certain Christians affirm that Christ is right now reigning on his Church (His “Kingdom”) from His throne in heaven, which, according to his interpretation, is David's throne. That is to say: a) Christ is the king, b) The throne of God is David's throne, and 3) the Church is His kingdom.

This a-millenarian school of interpretation keeps out a coming millennium of justice, and neither expects a Davidic Kingdom in the land of Israel. In other words, for the opponents to millenarianism, Christ reigns right now over his faithful and consecrated followers (the church) from His heavenly throne (David's throne). Besides, for the amillenialists, Jesus fulfilled all the messianic prophecies concerning His reign when His Church was established or founded in Pentecost. It can be said that, for example, the Catholic Church is amillenialist and contrary to the belief of the reestablishment of a Jewish national kingdom (David's true throne) in the land of Israel (or Jacob’s house). The Catholics believe that their church is Christ's kingdom, and that she is already enjoying his millenarian rest with Christ.

But amillenialists Catholics and Protestants should remember that there are many indisputable passages that prove that Christ not yet reigns on the Church, and less still, on the nations. Let's remember than Christ's kingdom implicates His command over all of the nations (Daniel 2:44, Psalms 72:8, 11). We will at once examine 7 key passages:

1. - In Mathew 25:31, 34 Jesus says: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”.

Comment: This passage is clear and convincing. Here Jesus Himself is saying that he will take seat in his throne of glory — not when he is resuscitated and taken to heaven but rather for when he come back to the world for a second time. If the ammilenialists affirm that Christ is right now sitting in his throne of glory over His Church, then necessarily the second coming of Christ was already fulfilled two thousand years ago, in Pentecost; occasion according to them, that became established or founded Christ's kingdom.

It’s obvious that from these two verses is extracted the teaching that the church, or the blessed of God, will inherit the kingdom for that opportunity or occasion. But, did Paul —the posthumous apostle of Christ— that already had already turned in the 33 E.C? Take note that Paul, back in the year 65 AD, tell Titus that Christ's coming is still the faithful's blessed hope (Titus 2:13). This would refute any affirmation of a Second Advent in Pentecost.

2.- Mathew 19:28: “Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (NIV).

Comment:

This second passage has to do with the first. Both talks that Christ will take a seat in His throne of glory: The first, in his parusía or second coming; and the second one, in the regeneration. And it is that the re-generation of everything will take place in the second coming of Christ to the earth. This has to do with His kingdom or the overtaking of His throne. And also Peter affirms in Acts 3:21: “whom (Jesus Christ) heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began”. Peter talks about the restoration (regeneration) of everything here. Jesus is in heaven expecting the time of the regeneration or restoration of all things. Everything will be regenerate as it was at the beginning with the beneficial presence of the king Jesus Christ on earth. He will be the universal king that will take David's throne in Jerusalem, the great king's city (Matthew 5:33-35). Look for yourself in a dictionary the definition of the word restoration.

If Christ is now seated in David's throne, then that would mean that right now everything has been regenerated or reconstructed on the earth. However, we see that in the earth nothing has changed and is worse. There is more corruption, violence, impiety, atheism, indifference, insensibility, lack of respect, lack of love, divorces, child abuses, sexual depravation, satanism and occultism, etc. Without a doubt Christ has not yet taken David's throne (His human father) to regenerate the world of today that you are in chaos and disorder.

3.- Revelation 20:1-5: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a[a] thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection” (NKJV).

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Comment:

This passage describes the previous events to Christ's reign. First, the devil and his angels must be tied at the abyss for ten centuries. Then John receives the revelation that Christ and His martyrs proceeded to reigning during that lapse of ten centuries without the devil's and his demons presence. Now then, if we say that Christ is reigning since He ascended to heaven two millennia ago, then the devil continues tied at the abyss in order that he can not more deceive the nations. But, ¿will you believe that this world is not deceived by the devil at all? ¿From where originates so much crime, perversion, violence, materialism, atheism, witchcraft, occultism, Satanism, etc, etc? ¿doesn't it comes obviously from the devil? (see John 8:44). And John, some decades after Pentecost of 33 AD, affirmed that the entire world still lay under the devil's power (1 John 5:19). This proves that Christ could not begin to reign from heaven when the church was founded in Pentecost a little after His ascension to the Father, as ammilenialists affirm.

4.- Acts 1:6,7: “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (NKJV).

Comment:

These verses are interesting, because there are those who believe that Christ will never again restore the Davidic kingdom in Israel, and that rather he is already reigning today from heaven over His church. If this is truth, Jesus would carry two thousand years reigning, that is, a thousand years over of what it was prophesied. But Jesus never said that He would go to heaven to take David's throne, and reign from heaven. Rather in Acts 1:6,7 Jesus tacitly confirms the truth of the restoration of the Davidic kingdom in Israel by means of giving a suggestive answer in the verse 7. See that Jesus did not correct them (to His disciples) to suppose the possibility of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. He did not say something like this: “You are wrong, because never more it will be a restoration of the Davidic Kingdom to Israel”. What really Jesus told them is that they must not be finding out the exact time for that so longed and fair messianic hope.

These verses of Acts of the Apostles confirm that Christ will come to restore David's throne (his father’s throne) in order to retake his throne and scepter promised. That he had already expressed in Matthew 25:31, 34 and in Matthew 19:28.

But there still are Christians that believe that the question of the disciples in Acts 1:6 was the result of their misunderstanding of God's kingdom. But as I said before, Jesus did not reprehend or corrected them for that misinterpreted supposition. And besides, it turns out strange for all disciples to have apparently asked the same thing. Were they all clumsy people? Impossible!

5.- Revelation 11:15-18: “15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry…” (NKJV).

Comment:

Take note that the seventh angel announces Jesus Christ's reign, which makes that this world's kingdoms be His, and get under His command. But the nations won't keep the crossed arms waiting to be dominated by the Messiah. They will get angry because of the establishment of the messianic kingdom and will oppose fierce resistance, but they will be neutralized and subdued. Can it be said that this has already happened in the earth? Can it be said that nations have gotten angry for the supposed establishment of Christ's kingdom in the earth? No! Mostly, the church lives in relative peace and without persecutions. Even in Russia there is bigger opening to Christian religion and parishioners can meet without fear to be chased as it happened under Marxism.

Also you are interesting to indicate that Christ's kingdom will be made evident when had been fulfilled the others six preceding trumpets that announce: hailed and fire mixed with blood in the earth that burnt the third part of the green grass, and also the third part of the sea became blood, dying the third part of the maritime beings, and the third part of the ships. The third angel announces the destruction of the third part of the rivers and water sources, causing the death of many people. The fourth trumpet announces the injury of the third part of the sun, the moon and the stars, in order to shorten the daylight in a third part. The fifth angel trumpeter announces lobsters' plague with caning of scorpions to wound the impious. The sixth angel trumpeter announces the death of the third part of men by fire, smoke and sulphur. And the seventh angel, as we said, announces the establishment of Christ's kingdom and his worldwide regime. ¿Can the ammilenialists say that all six trumpets have right now come true before the supposed establishment of Christ's kingdom 2000 years ago?

6.- Psalms 72:7,8: “In His days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (NKJV).

Comment:

Here there is a prophecy relating to Christ's reign. It’s announced that it will flourished in His reign justice and abundance of peace until there be no moon, and that He will have the control sea to sea, and from the river to the boundaries of the earth. But it is unlikely for this prediction to have come true today, because there are not justice neither peace in the entire world. Still China, a country that lodges 20 % of the worldwide population, does not know Christ, and less still, belong to His church. It is common knowledge than only 0,5% of Chineses have heard the gospel of the kingdom due to the prevailing Communism. Obviously Christ still not reigns at China. And if He does not reign in China, in the Islamic countries, etc, ¿how is that there are Christians who think that Jesus is right now reigning all over the world?

But, ¿why does there be no peace and justice in the world? It is simply because Christ has not yet taken David's throne in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Only when he return glorious and powerful from heaven the transformation of the human society will become reality. That was already mentioned by Peter in Acts 3:19-21, and the same Jesus Christ in Matthew 25:31, 34.

7.- 2 Samuel 23:3: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (NKJV).

Comment:

This is a messianic prophecy that predicts the Government of a Righteous among men. Take note that the prediction does not say that a righteous will reign on the men, or from the heights, or from heaven. What it clearly says is that a righteous will govern among men, that implies that his Government's throne will be located in the earth the.

The campbelites, for example, owe an explanation to us, because they press the point that David's throne is in heaven, and not in Jerusalem. Besides, the ammilennialist interpretation twists the prediction carrying the reign of the righteous to a cosmic and no earthly sphere.

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30 SUBSTANTIAL DIFFERENCES

BETWEEN GOD'S KINGDOM AND

CHRIST'S CHURCH

By Mario Olcese Sanguineti

Many Christian Churches confuse God's Kingdom with the Church of Christ without realizing that exist substantial differences between both entities.

1.- God's Kingdom has a headquarters: Jerusalem (Mat. 5:33-35), while Christ's Church not.

2.- God's Kingdom is one, singular, while the Church of Christ can be pluralized (example: Churches of God, or Churches of Christ, Rom. 16:16 ).

3.- In God's Kingdom all the members are saved, while in the Church of Christ not everybody that is a member will be saved (remember the Parable of the Wheat and tares).

4.- In God’s Kingdom the discipline will be not exercised, while in the Church of Christ's it is applied the correction (Heb 12:7).

5.- God's Kingdom is a theocracy (Isa. 32:1), while the Church of Christ is a democracy (Acts 15:22-25).

6.- In God's Kingdom there are not Teachers, Pastors, and Deacons, while in the Church of Christ, yes (Eph. 4:4).

7.- In God's Kingdom there are not rituals and ordinances, while in the Church of Christ, yes (example: baptism, communion, marriage, prayer, Praise, etc ).

8.- In God’s Kingdom membership is for ever, while in the Church of Christ we can lose our membership (Acts 15:24, 1 John 2:19).

9.- The Church of Christ preaches the Kingdom of God (Matt. 24:14), while God's Kingdom never preach the Church.

10.- To God's kingdom one enters with immortal bodies (1 Cor. 15:50), while in the Church of Christ one enters with deadly bodies (1 Cor. 15:53).

11.- To God's Kingdom only the spiritual matures enters (2 Pet 1:5-11), while to the Church of Christ enters the spiritual babies that will be made perfect by their Pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:4; 1 Pet.2:2; Heb. 5:13).

12.- One enters to God's Kingdom after having borne many tribulations (Acts 14:22), while one enters to the Church of Christ to begin suffering many tribulations (John 16:33).

13.- God's Kingdom is a Christian promise and a inheritance for the future (James 2:5; Matt. 25:31,34), while the Church of Christ is a Christian possession for today.

14.- God's Kingdom is something that requires to come (Matt. 6:10), while the Church of Christ is already here (1 Cor.1:2).

15.- God's Kingdom existed in David's times (1 Chron. 28:5), while the Church of Christ began with Christ (Matt. 16:16-18).

16.- God's Kingdom belonged to the Jews (2 Chr. 28:5; Acts 1:3,6), while the Church of Christ is compound by born again believers (Jews and gentiles alike).

17.- God's Kingdom will be restored in the future (Acts 1:6), while the Church of Christ is being built now (Matt. 16:16-18).

18.- The Father gives God's Kingdom to the Church of Christ (Luke 12:32), but it is never said that the Father gives the Church of Christ to God's Kingdom.

19.- Sinners and unworthy enters to the Church of Christ (Matt. 9:13), while to God's Kingdom only enters the saints and worthies (2 Tes. 1:5,11; Rev. 3:4).

20.- The unrepentant sinners can see the Church of Christ, on the other hand, God's Kingdom will be seen only by “born again” people (John 3:3,5).

21.- Many rich people can enter and even belong to the Church of Christ, but to God's Kingdom will hardly enter the rich people (Matt. 19:23).

22.- God's Kingdom does not come with warning (Luke 17:20), but the Church of Christ definitely came with warning, when it was founded in Pentecost with the Holy Ghost's coming with signs and wonders few days latter of the announcing (Acts 1:5,8 ).

23.- God's Kingdom was conceded to Christ in heaven (Luke 19:11,12), while the Church of Christ was conceded on earth.

24.- It is said of God's Kingdom that it is eternal (2 Pet. 1:11), instead, of the Church of Christ it is never said to be eternal.

25.- God's Kingdom has thrones (Ps. 122:5, Rev. 20:4), while from the Church of Christ it is never said to have thrones.

26.- God's Kingdom is named ‘the gospel’ (Matt. 24:14), but the Church of Christ is never called this way.

27.- It is necessary to look or long for God's Kingdom (Matt. 6:33), on the other hand, the Church of Christ now is in all parts of the world, and we are never commanded to look or long for her.

28.- God's Kingdom was compound of many incredulous or unfaithful Jews (Matt. 21:43), while the Church of Christ was first (and still is) compound by credulous Jews (and gentiles) that came to believe in God and His Son Jesus as the messiah, and were repented of their sins, and got baptized by immersion (Acts 2:36-47).

29.- God's Kingdom will appear and will be inherited at the Second Coming of Christ (Matt. 25:31,34), while the Church of Christ is already present since the First century AD.

30.- Christ's Kingdom does not consist in food and drink (Rom. 14:17), but the Church of Christ definitely consists in food and drink (Remember the communion service, John 6:55).

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Salvation: What did it really mean to Jesus and his disciples?

(¡Based on the interesting dialogue between Christ and the rich young man!

By Mario A Olcese

Christian theology teaches that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. But, What does the Bible really mean with the word salvation? From what would we have to be save, and for what? It is necessary to answer these questions with the Bible and not accordingly to the ideas of tradition

The Savior of Men

The Bible talks us that there is one that saves men, and that one is the Creator, God the Father. He says: “... Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:26). "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16,17). So we see that the Father is the Savior of all men through His unique Son, the Lord Messiah Jesus.

Salvation from Condemnation

In the previous biblical text of John 3:16, Jesus says that He came to the world to save sinners from condemnation or from doom. But, what did the world do to merit the condemnation? Two verses later Jesus answers: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (v.19). It is clear that Christ came to save men that were in spiritual darkness and that were doing bad things. In this account, Jesus came to save the sinners that were, in fact, already convicted for God.

Paul will say latter: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Yes, the gift of God is everlasting life by means of Christ and his sacrifice on the cross. And it is that sin's payment is death, and as they all have sinned (Romans 3:9), then we all are doomed for death. But Jesus took our sins and paid them for us dying on the cross of Calvary. His death gave us life, and it canceled the outstanding debt that we owed God. The only thing that we are supposed to do for our part is to accept that payment that Christ paid for us, and as retribution, serve Him for life, as a symbol of gratitude. We were slaves to sin, but Jesus set us free through his expiatory sacrifice. Now you, and all men, have a new opportunity to approach God and live as new men and in sanctity. Now God has gone back to welcome us in his breast, as that father did with his repentant lost son in the famous parable of the Prodigal Son.

There Still Remains a Future Salvation

Even though Jesus saved us from our crimes and sins passed, nevertheless, it still remains that our salvation must be culminated. In fact, we have not yet received all our salvation. Surprising, but real! Let's see what Paul says : "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring SALVATION to those who are waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:28 ).

Let's take note that Christ's first coming had to do with sin. This means that Christ's first coming was in order to treat the subject of the sins of the world, and to cancel them with his death on the cross. Now, His second coming is no longer for dying for the sins of the world, but to complete His salvation for those whom He has forgiven for their faith and good works. This means that Christ will complete the process of salvation for those that have accepted Him as their Savior, at all the times and places, and that have lived as they should during his absence. Also Peter says with regard to this matter: “who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5)

What does Future Salvation Mean?

So far we have seen that there are: a past salvation (Luke 23:35), a present salvation (1 Peter 4:18), and even another future salvation (Hebrews 9:28, 1 Peter 1:5). Also we have seen that the past salvation has to do with our past sins and God's pardon. Nevertheless, there are few people that know of what the future salvation is all about.

Some suppose that we are already saved, and that another salvation is not necessary to wait. These people suppose that the ones that be meant to be in grace will go to heaven once physical death happens unexpectedly to them. According to these believers, Jesus did not talk about any future salvation, ignoring Hebrews 9:28 and 1 Peter 1:5, and of course Matthew 24:13, texts that affirm that there will be a future salvation when the end comes.

The Bible is clear about what the future salvation is all about. Nevertheless, only few have noticed that that future salvation is hidden in Jesus dialogue with the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-25. Yes, in this short dialogue the significance of the true future salvation is hidden. Only those who examine the Bible with prayer and with the aid of the Holy Spirit's help can discover it.You must open your heart and mind to reflect, unbiased, upon the main verses of the mentioned dialogue. We are going to write them just as they appear in the Bible:

"16And someone came to Him and said, "Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain ETERNAL LIFE?"

17And He said to him, "Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."

18Then he said to Him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS;

19HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

20The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?"

21Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me."

22But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23And Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

24"Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the KINGDOM OF GOD."

25When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, "Then who can BE SAVED?"

Here there are THREE KEY PHRASES that clearly define what future salvation is all about. Those phrases are: ETERNAL LIFE (Verse 16), KINGDOM OF GOD (Verse 24), and BE SAVED (Verse 25). These three sentences have not been noticed by the majority of Bible students, thus failing to understand what future salvation was for Jesus and His disciples.

The rich young man wanted to inherit EVERLASTING LIFE, but he was not willing to give everything to the poor in order to follow Christ. Jesus, it seems, needed to say that a rich man will hardly enter the KINGDOM OF GOD. The disciples then ask Jesus: “Then who can BE SAVED?” Now, What is salvation according to this dialogue? The answer is as clear as pure water. You will have to open your heart and mind to understand what our Lord is teaching to all of us. The formula is this: The only thing you have to do is to accommodate or arrange the three KEY SENTENCES: Eternal Life, Kingdom of God, and be Saved. What is the result? Salvation is then ETERNAL LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD or TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITH ETERNAL LIFE This simple explanation is not known to millions of Christians. Most Christians believes that salvation is to be with God in heaven (the third heaven). But this is not what Jesus says. Here Jesus speaks of a kingdom and of a future salvation that will come with the second coming of Christ. Then Rev. 12:10 will be fulfilled. This verse says: “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ”. Take note here that salvation is correlated with the kingdom of God and the authority of Christ. Salvation and the Kingdom walk always side by side. Of course none of the dead saints have inherited the kingdom, but they will be raised from their graves to be included in it in the parousia of Jesus.

If a Bible student compares Hebrews 9:28 and Matthew 25:31,34, he will discover than the salvation of the faithful will happen immediately with the second coming of Christ. This means that these people will inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. This is Jesus true and pristine gospel that needs to be preached all over the world (Matt. 24:14).

Christ and His Kingdom are the more important themes of the Bible, since they are mentioned so often from the beginning to the end of it. Jesus began his ministry preaching the kingdom of God (Mark 1:1,14,15). Also his disciples preached it (Luke 8:1-2; Luke 9:1-2; Acts 8:12; Acts 28:23,30,31). It was also the last thing that Jesus taught to his disciples, just before going up to the Father (Acts 1:3).

The apostle Paul preached it as part of his ministry to the gentiles (Acts 28:23,30,31; Acts 19:8; Acts 20:25). Also He said that in order to be included in it one must first suffer tribulations in this life (Acts 14:22). He affirmed that it is impossible to inherit the Kingdom with our mortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50). He clarified that the dead and the living would receive transformed bodies at the second coming of Christ in glory (1 Corinthians 15:42, 52).

Will you Pass Up This Great Salvation?

Paul says: "how shall we escape if we ignore such a great SALVATION? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him" (Hebrews 2:3). Now I ask you: Will you pass up this great salvation of God, that is also intended for you ?. Do not postpone your decision to earn that present and future salvation, because tomorrow may be too late. For that reason Paul tells the Corinthians: "...now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of SALVATION" ( 2 Corinthians 6:2b).

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THE "KEY SIGN"

By Mario A Olcese

E-mail: molceses@hotmail.com

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The crucial Questions:

In Matthew 24:3 the disciples ask the following question to the Lord: “Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age?” Here we find basically two questions: One, When will these things be? That is, when the temple of Jerusalem will be destroyed (v.1,2), and the other one: And what sign (see the singular) will there be of your coming and of the end of the age? Some say that there are three questions, but I see only two. Now, many Bible students have not stopped to meditate for themselves that the disciples asked a concrete and specific sign that would indicate for them the real coming or return of the Lord (not his proximity!) and of the end of the world. Yes, the disciples wanted to know A SIGN And only ONE SIGN! This particular detail we all must KEEP IN MIND, because many Bible students have failed to notice it, and are continuing to look for many signs. So, we must focus our attention on the manner of Jesus coming, the same manner as is given by Jesus in Matthew 24:30 and by the angels of God in Acts 1:11.

The Sign of Jonah and the Sign of the Son of Man

¿Which will be that singular sign requested by the disciples to Jesus in Matthew 24:3? In order to understand what we want to say for the sign, let's see the so-called Sign of Jonah pronounced first by Jesus in Luke 11:29-30, and that says: "As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation." (See that also in Matthew 24:30 Jesus expresses us a similar sentence, but this time as: The Sign of the Son of Man). Here basically Jonah's Sign is the same Jonah, because Jesus said that Jonah himself was sign to the ninivites. In the same way, Jesus himself would serve as a sign, or would be sign, for a perverse generation. From there that Jesus spoke about the sign the Son of Man. It is not an extraordinary or mysterious sign like that one of a cross in the sky, or a sound of any trumpet, or any brilliant light, or any spaceship, or some out of common meteorological event. The sign of the Son of Man, as it was with the sign of Jonah, refers to the same mentioned person —that is, to Jesus, the Messiah! Again, Jesus, as Jonah, would be A SIGN. This concept must be kept in your mind: ¡Jesus himself would be a SIGN for a perverse generation that would see His parousia and the end of the age"! Later on we will see how Jesus will be useful as a SIGN for a malignant generation.

His Proximity's Signs:

In verses 4-6 of Matthew 24 Jesus says that before his return, and of the end of the world, many false Christs would say that they are the promised Messiah, or the Christ incarnated in them. Examples of these are many through the centuries. Recently we can mention Jim Jones who died in Guyana with his church, and David Koresh, who died with 80 of his followers in Waco, Texas. Right now, new false leaders (as Reverend Moon) are passing themselves off as the Messiah, and are deceiving a great number of sincere followers (v.5). Also Jesus talked about wars and rumors of wars (v.6), but these wars would not be the sign of the end! (v.6) At this point Jesus does not give us a single or specific sign of the end of the age. In verses 7-14 the Lord Jesus clearly prophesied the international conflicts (v.7). Then Jesus talked about the great tribulation that will come to his chosen because of his name (v.9), and the surging of false prophets or fraudulent teachers eager for money and power (v.11). In verse 14 Jesus announced that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all over the world as a testimony ... and then the end will come. But even here we do not have the UNIQUE or singular SIGN that was requested by the disciples about His coming and the end of the world. Many Christians mix up these signs of the proximity of His coming as if it were proof of his real coming. Being about to come does not mean that His coming already took place. Another group of Christians believe that the sign is really a set of signs. But this idea is an error! The disciples are asking Jesus for A sign, and Jesus will openly and immediately reveal it to them without evasiveness.

Moving on to verse 23, Jesus predicts again the coming of false Christs. Verse 24 repeats the same thing and adds the coming of false prophets that will do portents and will deceive many, even the chosen ones belonging to God. 26 Jesus notices the coming of false Christs and false prophets that will appear (“horizontally”) in the deserts and rooms (Notice: Not from heaven, or “vertically”, of up- down), and whom we must not believe.

It’s in verse 27 where Jesus begins to unroll, so to speak, the unique SIGN (singular) of His true coming or return, contrasting with those false comings of false Messiahs or Christs that shows up from the deserts and rooms (hotels, houses, splendorous temples, etc) of verse 26, and to whom we must not believe. Jesus reveals in verse 29 that after the happening of all the events of verses 4 to 27, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken”. These strange and hair-raising events that will happen in the sky, PRECEDE the manifestation of the UNIQUE OR SINGULAR expected SIGN.

In verse 30 we find, at last, the clear and concise SIGN given by Jesus of His true Paruosia or second coming in glory and power. He says: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and ]beat their breasts and lament in anguish, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliancy and splendor].”

In response to the question of the disciples about a clear and singular SIGN of his coming (not His proximity!) and of the end of the world, Jesus says to them that the SIGN IS HIMSELF, PER SE, DESCENDING CONSPICUOUSLY FROM ABOVE (not from the deserts and rooms) WITH POWER And GREAT GLORY. Unlike the false Christ that appear horizontally and secretly, the true Christ comes vertically and visibly, from above downwards, to the earth.

So, if any so called “Christ” does not come VISIBLY AND CONSPICUOUSLY from above downwards, to the earth, with the angels of His power and with great glory, THAT CHRIST IS NOT THE REAL ONE!. There are men that use to proclaim themselves as The Messiah, but THEY HAVE NOT COME vertically from above to the earth, with power and great glory. Besides, no man has yet been seen descending from heaven to the promised land in the biblical way. But when Christ returns in the exact way as it was prophesied, we will know that He is the expected Messiah, and therefore, there will immediately follow a resurrection of the saints (John 5:28,29; 1 Thess 4:16,17). The false Christ will not be able to descend from heaven, neither will he have the power to rise all the faithful dead, in order that these, along with the alive Christians, may be snatched away by Him to the clouds to meet Him (read Again 1 Thess. 4:16,17— see the word meet of verse 17).

Additionally to what has been said previously, in Acts 1:11 we read that two angelic creatures gave more details of the true Parousia of the Messiah, with these words: “Men of Galilee, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven”.

Further, in Revelation 1:7 we read: “He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen”. This prophecy never happened before. Not every eye in 70 AD from all people of the earth saw Jesus coming in the same manner as He returned to heaven. In 70 AD Jesus never descended from heaven and touched the Mount of Olives, as it is prophesied in (Zacariah 14:4 NKJV) "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south."

Summary:

In Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked Jesus for a single sign that would indicate to them His coming from heaven and the end of the world, and, of course, the Lord Jesus will give them very clearly and without evasiveness that single sign in verse 30.

The other supposed signs of the verses 4-29 are events that will be presented before His glorious coming, and that they would become more and more notorious and generalized in the measure that Christ's coming came closer, as the pains of a pregnant woman's childbirth. To affirm that wars —including that of the Jews with the Romans— and the rumors of wars, were a sign of Jesus' arrival in glory and in His kingdom in 70 A.D, is to twist what the same Christ taught us concerning His return. Jesus said in Matthew 24:6 that wars, and rumors of wars, would not indicate the end of the era or His second coming but His proximity (Luke 21:9—“for all this must take place first, but the end will not come immediately”). So the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place by the war of the Jews with the Romans, was not the sign of Christ's second coming and the end of the age. Jesus never said that the destruction of Jerusalem would be the sign of His paruosia, or second coming.

The singular Sign that Jesus left us of His real parousia, or second coming, is His personal descending, coming with the celestial clouds in power and great glory. The false Christ have appeared "horizontally" from among men in the deserts and rooms. On the other hand, the true Messiah will come "vertically;" that is, from above downwards, visibly, personally (the same risen human Jesus) from the clouds of heaven with the angels in His power. These specifications given by Jesus Himself and later by the angels for the parousia, were never mentioned by Josephus in his writings for his supposed coming in 70 AD.

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