MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Book of Revelation: Chapter Nineteen
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Let us bow our heads; If we need to use the Recovery Procedure as found in 1 John 1:9, let us do so at this time that we might be in fellowship. (pause) Father, we thank you for the privilege and opportunity to study your word and for the freedom that you have provided for us here in the Philippines.; furthermore, we express our appreciation to God the Holy Spirit who will enlighten us regarding the message this morning. We as priests pray this through the person of our Lord Christ Jesus, our High Priest, Amen.
Outline:
Verses 1-9: The Marriage Feast of the Lamb
Verses 10-14: The 2nd Advent of Christ
Verses 15-21: The Judgment Banquet
Revelation 19:1
After these things [the judgment of ecumenical religion: the 7th Bowl Judgment], I heard what sounded like a large crowd in heaven, shouting [The martyrs of the Tribulation celebrating the judgment of ecumenical religion], “Praise the Lord! Deliverance, glory [with emphasis on the Lord’s integrity] and power [the Lord’s power which he uses to protect the human race is infinitely greater than the power of Satan] belong to our God,
Μετὰ ταῦτα ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν µεγάλην ὄχλου πολλοῦ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λεγόντων, Ἁλληλουϊά· ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ ἡ δύναµις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡµῶν,
The Marriage Feast of the Lamb begins in verses 1-3 with a celebration in heaven over the judgment of ecumenical religion, the subject of chapters 18 and 19.
So, “after these things” we have John indicating an auditory report rather than one by sight. God in His justice always rectifies wrongs committed against believers, so, the believer must be patient under the principle of the Faith-rest Drill. There are going to be times in your life when you will be treated unfairly or wronged. When that happens, you will be tempted to react with resentment or retaliation or both. If you should follow through with this temptation, you will have failed this test. Rather, you must resist this temptation and recall the Lord’s promise. Romans 12:19, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Revelation 19:2
Because his judgments are true [actual historical events] and righteous [divine judgments based on God’s integrity] because he has judged [through death] the great prostitute [code name for ecumenical religion of the Tribulation] who seduced [corrupted] the earth by means of her fornication [both spiritual and actual immorality] furthermore, He has avenged the blood of his servants [martyrs who refused to accept the mark of the beast] shed by her hand.”
ὅτι ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἔκρινεν τὴν πόρνην τὴν µεγάλην ἥτις ἔφθειρεν τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐξεδίκησεν τὸ αἷµα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῆς.
“True,” being in the plural here refers to the printout of history, all the facts of history as they unroll; truth has to do with Bible doctrine. True refers to the facts of history as facts, not things that are true but facts that are true. So, we have to distinguish between true and truth. The facts of history in any given generation may be good or evil but they are true facts, true events of history. The doctrine of the Word of God is absolute truth while the facts of history are both good and evil as true facts. Historically a person may lie but that lie is still a part of the facts of history and therefore it is true. It is true that he lied, in other words. It is true that the devil lied in the garden. That is a fact of history. True is the accuracy of history as it comes from the computer of divine decrees while truth is an attribute of God, both accurate and perfect, both infinite and absolute.
In elaborating further, the plural of “true” refers to the facts of history as they come out of the computer of Divine Decree. First, the omniscience of God enters into the computer of the Divine Decree all these facts: every thought, every decision, every action, every motive of every person and how it relates to all others. For example, the entire history of the Tribulation is in the computer and it rolls out bit by bit: the function of ecumenical religion as true events of history, followed by the judgment of ecumenical religion. The function of ecumenical religion came first in which there was the torture and the martyrdom of those who were winners. “Truth,” on the other hand, refers to the essence of God. The essence of God is truth, God is truth, and what He puts into the computer from His omniscience in eternity past comes out as true, both as to sequence and interaction. So, there is a difference between true and truth. The facts of history in any given generation may be evil; they may be good, but they are true events. Whatever happens in history comes out, and that is true, not to be confused with truth which comes from God. Since doctrine comes from God, it is truth. Since the facts of history are the results of our decisions, our motives, our functions, they are true facts whether good or evil.
Revelation 19:3
And a second time they said, “Praise the Lord [they are expressing their happiness]! Her smoke rises up forever and ever [during the Millennium, apparently the mushroom cloud over the nuked headquarters of ecumenical religion will be frozen in place and in the eternal state placed in some type of a museum as an eternal symbol of the Lord’s integrity].”
καὶ δεύτερον εἴρηκαν, Ἁλληλουϊά· καὶ ὁ καπνὸς αὐτῆς ἀναβαίνει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
Heaven is always a place of great happiness and celebration, a place of tranquility, a place of “no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, no more death.” Immediately after physical death, whether a believer is a winner or a loser, he will go immediately into the presence of the Lord. He will be in his interim body, and so will be able to recognize all of his friends who have preceded him into heaven. So, it will be a place of great happiness and reunion.
In verse 1 and in verse 3 we are going to find a lot of people rejoicing in heaven because they did not try to take revenge. They left the matter in the Lord’s hands and having left it in the Lord’s hands they simply express their own happiness and their own wisdom in not trying to personally get revenge. The principle of rejoicing in heaven is a principle that applies to us on earth: the happiest people in the world and the best adjusted people in the world are the people who do not seek revenge, who do not take matters into their own hands. God in His justice rectifies wrong provided that you do not interfere with divine justice. Interfering with divine justice is simply taking matters into your own hands.
Judgment:
There are two categories of divine judgment in time namely judgment by pain and judgment by death just as there are also two categories of evangelism: normal and crisis. Judgment by pain is an evangelistic function of God’s grace. Judgment by death is a grace function of God in the preservation of the human race.
Judgment by pain:
1. Judgment by pain is the function of God’s grace in crisis evangelism.
2. Grace before judgment is the function of normal evangelism. Grace in judgment is the function of crisis evangelism. Any kind of historical disaster is related to the grace of God.
3. Normal evangelism is the presentation of the Gospel in time of tranquility and prosperity during normal times. Crisis evangelism occurs in time of historical disaster and personal catastrophe.
4. The administration of the first five bowl judgments in Revelation 16:1-10 is historical disaster under the category of judgment by pain.
5. Normal evangelism occurs in the presentation of the Gospel message through the evangelist, or through personal witnessing.
6. In normal evangelism, the unbeliever has the opportunity of considering the claims of Christ objectively. He has the opportunity of listening to the Gospel objectively.
7. When the unbeliever rejects Christ as his Savior under normal evangelism, he enters into Satan’s Cosmic System namely gate 2 of Cosmic One and eventually gate 2 of Cosmic two, both being gates of negative volition. In Cosmic One, negative volition originates from preoccupation with self. In Cosmic Two, negative volition comes from antagonism towards the Gospel.
8. Through cosmic involvement, the unbeliever becomes disoriented to reality through the blackout of the soul (Cosmic One), and through scar tissue of the soul (Cosmic Two).
9. This condition insulates the unbeliever against the most powerful presentation of the Gospel.
10. God, in His matchless grace, gives the unbeliever another chance for salvation. As long as an unbeliever is alive, there is still hope, but once in the Cosmic System, with blackout and scar tissue of the soul, he has a locked-in subjectivity that cannot change his mind, no matter how powerful the message, or no matter how strong the appeal. Therefore, God gives the unbeliever another chance for salvation by the introduction of pain in some form. It can be a personal catastrophe or historical disaster, or both. Pain is a grace category of Gospel appeal. No matter how great the judgment, there is always a grace aspect to it.
11. Under personal suffering or historical disaster, the pressure of one or more of the many categories of pain forces the unbeliever in the Cosmic System back to reality; forces him to go from subjectivity to a very temporary objectivity. He will have a few moments for retrospection; to recall the phrases he has heard in the Gospel appeal. He’ll remember enough to give him another chance to believe in Christ.
12. Being forced back to reality by pain, the unbeliever is temporarily distracted from the Cosmic System. Whether he really leaves the Cosmic System or not is not really the point, but for a few moments, the Cosmic System loses its influence, so that he can once more objectively reconsider the message he had rejected.
13. Judgment by pain does not kill the unbeliever. He is alive and in pain. This is illustrated by the first five judgments in Revelation 16:1-10.
a. Bowl judgment 1 is cancer of the skin to accompany the mark of the beast on the skin.
b. Bowl judgment 2 & 3 is contamination of both salt and fresh water with blood, to accompany the shedding of the blood of the martyrs.
c. Bowl judgment 4 is unbearable heat to provide a prophetical view of the heat in eternal hell.
d. Bowl judgment 5 is physical darkness to accompany the spiritual darkness of blackout and scar tissue of the soul.
14. Therefore, judgment by pain becomes the last call to personally accept Christ as savior by believing in Him under the principle of crisis evangelism.
15. Crisis evangelism is the judgment of God removing the unbeliever of his human resources. This will temporarily bring the unbeliever back to objective reality.
16. Each bowl judgment intensifies the pain from the grace of God, in order to distract the unbeliever from Cosmic involvement. Paul himself was a convert of crisis evangelism on the road to Damascus. 2 Corinthians 4:3, “If our Gospel is veiled [by the unbeliever rejecting gospel information under normal evangelism], it is veiled to those who are perishing.” This means the unbeliever has heard and understood the Gospel, but has said, “No.” The Gospel isn’t hidden or obscure. Paul heard Steven’s testimony just before Steven was martyred. 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whose case, the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Judgment by pain temporarily removes the blindness, in order that the unbeliever can once again view the gospel objectively. Some unbelievers at this point believe in Christ, others do not.
17. Those unbelievers who do not believe are like the dog who returns to his own vomit, 2 Peter 2:20-22, “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the cosmic system by knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [crisis evangelism], they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worst for them than the first.” They have become stronger in their negative volition after rejecting God’s grace in crisis evangelism. They have locked themselves into negative volition for a second time. (21) For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.” In other words, they have already said, “No.” Now when they say “no” again under crisis, this has exhausted the last grace function by which they could have been saved. (22), “It happened to them according to the true proverb [26:11], ‘A dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mud.’” Those in crisis evangelism, who say no, return to the Cosmic System. They have rejected the strongest offer of grace namely crisis evangelism, and nothing is left for them but to die.
Judgment by Death:
1. This is the function of God’s grace in the preservation of the human race during the entire course of human history.
2. God has promised that the human race and planet earth will not be destroyed until the end of the Millennium. However, there is a problem for mankind keeps trying to destroy himself on earth through the folly of his bad decisions from the Cosmic System. Not only does mankind have a tendency to destroy himself but others as well. However, the Lord will not permit the destruction of mankind in human history until this history is brought to completion at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ.
3. Man’s freedom and function of volition apart from virtue and establishment restraint is self-destructive. When man is negative toward establishment, the authority defined in it, and the responsibility developed from it, he becomes degenerate under either organized evil like communism or disorganized evil like crime.
4. So, judgment by death is radical surgery to separate the infected part of the human race from the non-contaminated part. The separation is permanent, since God removes through physical death those contaminated, thus giving the rest of the human race the grace opportunity to live and to believe in Christ.
5. The illustration is Sodom and Gomorrah. This gave the progeny of Abraham the chance to use their volition for or against Christ as part of the Angelic Conflict.
6. Perpetuation of the human race down through the last day of the Millennium is God’s grace function in judgment by death.
7. Hence, each category of divine judgment has a purpose. Judgment by death destroys one portion of the human race to preserve another part.
Application to Believers
1. If it were not for judgment by death in previous generations of history, we would not be here now as believers.
2. The perpetuation of the human race is only possible through judgment by death. Judgment by death is a grace blessing to the living who are not degenerate.
3. Judgment by pain is a grace blessing to the unbeliever. By application to the believer residing in the Cosmic System, judgment by pain distracts him from the Cosmic System, gives him the opportunity to use the Recovery Procedure and to continue the spiritual life.
4. So, judgment by pain reorients the believer to reality and to the importance of fellowship with God. Therefore, when the believer loses his priorities and starts to neglect the daily perception of doctrine, God in His grace sends judgment by pain through warning and intensive discipline to bring him back into the plan of God.
Revelation 19:4
And the twenty-four elders [the staff officers of the Angelic Order of Battle] and the four living creatures [the Seraph ranked heralds of the Angelic College of Heralds] fell down and worshipped the God [glorified Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] who sits on the throne and they shouted, “Amen. Praise the Lord [Hallelujah]!
καὶ ἔπεσαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες καὶ τὰ τέσσαρα ζῷα, καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ θεῷ τῷ καθηµένῳ ἐπὶ τῷ θρόνῳ, λέγοντες, Ἀµήν, Ἁλληλουϊά.
Revelation 19:5
Then a voice [the King of Arms, the highest-ranking Seraph in the College of Heralds] came from the throne saying, “Give praise to our God, all His servants, you who respect him [the Lord Jesus Christ at his coronation], both the small [believers who were losers in time, but now attend the coronation in their resurrection bodies] and the great [the believers who were winners in time].”
Καὶ φωνὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου ἐξῆλθεν λέγουσα, Αἰνεῖτε τῷ θεῷ ἡµῶν, πάντες οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ, [καὶ] οἱ φοβούµενοι αὐτόν, οἱ µικροὶ καὶ οἱ µεγάλοι.
Worship:
Romans 12:1. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [the grace blessings from the integrity of God] that you place your bodies [the soul is in the body] under orders [obeying God is how one is guided by God, an important part of advancing spiritually] as a living, set-apart sacrifice. This is well pleasing to our God: your rational and spiritual worship.
“That you place your bodies under orders as a living set-apart sacrifice” means to place one’s self at God’s disposal. We are on this earth to serve God, not for God to serve us. Why the body? Why not the brain? Why not the soul? The body of the believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is also the residence of the old sin nature. These two are resident and mutually antagonistic as explained in Galatians 5:16. When the old sin nature controls through sin, good, or evil, it also takes control of the soul. On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit who indwells the body, controls the soul, the believer is able to advance. The soul is the issue, what you think is the issue, and the whole process of the function of the soul. When it says here that you place your body under orders it is referring to the use of the Recovery Procedure to place oneself under the command of the Spirit via the Filling of the Spirit.
A few points regarding worship:
1. All worship must be rational, and this is only possible by relating it to Bible doctrine.
2. All worship must be spiritual, therefore related to the Filling of the Spirit and metabolized doctrine which is summarized in John 4:24.
3. To place your bodies under orders as a living, holy (set apart) sacrifice is not a one-shot decision, a so-called dedication to Christian living or service. In reality it is a series of decisions, daily decisions which involve the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the maintenance of the Filling of the Spirit, and the consistent intake of Bible doctrine, the means of establishing the royal family honor code in your life.
4. The pattern of the Christian life is never guided by one decision. It takes one decision to become a Christian; after that there are no one-decision panaceas. Always it is a series of decisions. God gives us a day at a time and so we must make decisions each day.
5. Salvation, then, is a one-shot decision, but the spiritual life which follows salvation is a series of decision. You place yourself under orders to God for daily commands, daily decisions, daily function.
A few more points regarding Worship:
1. Spiritual worship is rational worship. Therefore, the emotionalism of tongues and other forms of emotional revolt are excluded.
2. Basically, worship includes certain functions: singing, praying, giving, the intake of doctrine, and the communion service. Each facet of worship demands two things: the Filling of the Holy Spirit and the residence of Bible doctrine in the soul. Always, it is doctrine and the Spirit.
3. Therefore, singing must be related to doctrine and executed under the Filling of the Spirit.
4. Therefore, prayer must conform to doctrine and be executed in the Filling of the Spirit.
5. Therefore, giving must be motivated from doctrine resident in the soul and fulfilled in the Filling of the Spirit.
6. Therefore, perception of doctrine, the most important and basic facet of worship, demands the Filling of the Spirit for inculcation.
7. Therefore, the communion service is a ritual which has no meaning apart from doctrine resident in the soul. Hence, a worship function which is impossible apart from the Filling of the Spirit.
Documentation: Revelation 4:9-11
Revelation 4:9. And when the angelic heralds [literally the ‘living creatures’] shall give glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever.
One cannot give what one does not possess. These four angelic heralds in their eternal state had glory so they were able to give glory. These angels had developed great honor and integrity so, they are able to honor; they possessed tremendous capacity for gratitude based upon their grace orientation and humility and so were immensely thankful to the Lord.
Thanksgiving is based upon gratitude.
Application for the Christian:
1. Compliance with the royal family honor code and the production of functional virtue is necessary for the fulfilment of the worship principle.
2. All worship directed toward God must come from virtue, honor and integrity, the production of the divine power system.
3. Satan invented the Cosmic System as the administration for the rulership of this world. In the cosmic system, Satan uses both morality and immorality, two antithetical concepts, just as the communists do through peace movements and war.
4. Because most moral Christians today are not living in the divine power system where virtue, honor and integrity is produced, but live in the Cosmic System as servants of Satan, their overt morality is based solely on arrogance and self-righteousness.
5. These Christians use their morality as a means of maligning, gossiping judging, and crusading and so have no humility, authority orientation, integrity or honor.
6. To give God honor in worship one must possess honor. This demands momentum inside the divine power system, the function of perception and application of doctrine. Through this advance in the spiritual life, the Christian develops grace orientation and maximum gratitude which he expresses in thanksgiving. Furthermore, he develops honor by which he is able to honor the Lord.
7. Arrogance is devoid of gratitude. No matter what you do for the arrogant believer, he will never appreciate it. Obviously then the arrogant believer does not appreciate what God has done and is doing for him in logistical grace. In other words, people who are ungrateful to people are also ungrateful to God.
8. Believers involved in the Cosmic System are arrogant. Arrogant believers never appreciate anything that is done for them. Arrogance destroys capacity for appreciation and consequently capacity for love, capacity for life, and capacity for happiness. Arrogance either destroys worship or distorts worship into a system of ritual without reality.
9. 1 Peter 1:8, “and though you have not seen Him, you love [occupation with Christ], and though you do not see Him now, but believe [faith perception to maintain their love], you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible having received glory [Escrow Blessings in time].”
Restating the principle that one can only give what he possesses. The believer in time upon receiving his Escrow Blessings has some glory to give. However, in eternity with his Escrow Blessings in resurrection body, ultimate sanctification, he will have maximum glory to give to the Lord in worship.
Revelation 4:10. and the twenty-four staff officers [of the angelic general staff] will fall down before Him [submission to divine authority] who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him [the Lord Jesus Christ] who lives forever and ever, and they will lay down their crowns [since they have glory, they are able to give glory] before the throne [as part of their worship] and say,
In verse 10, we have the antiphonal worship [responsive to the worship of the Four Heralds] of the angelic general staff. The future tense of the Greek verb proskuneo meaning to worship is a gnomic future for a statement or performance which may be anticipated when throne-room worship is conducted by some of the highest orders of angelic creatures. We also noted that they are not constantly doing this, they have other duties, but it is mentioned first because if you start under the concept of worship, then your priorities will be straight.
A few points for clarification:
1. God cannot be first in your life apart from submission to divine authority based on genuine humility. Genuine humility is the capacity for loving God from perception of doctrine. Note then that there are two concepts in worship: the first is submission to divine authority as delegated through the Word, and the second is capacity for loving God through perception of doctrine.
2. Love for God is a motivating virtue which comes from residence and function inside the divine power system, persistence in the perception of Bible doctrine.
3. Without genuine humility it is impossible to worship God, and it is impossible to have happiness in life.
4. Genuine humility increases as perception of Bible doctrine parlays love of God into occupation with the person of Christ.
5. The same genuine humility provides capacity for life, for love, for happiness in human relationships.
6. The same genuine humility also provides the base for the function of impersonal love in the application of doctrine to human relationships. Now here is the shocker. There is a definite relationship between worship of God and human relationship. Worship is a successful relationship with God and it results in successful human relationships. Take God out of life and successful human relationship cannot exist.
Revelation 4:11. You, O Lord, our God are worthy to receive glory and honor, also the power, because You have created all things, also because of Your sovereign will, they existed, and they were created.
A few points for elaboration:
1. Only one Man is ever worshipped by angels; only the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ in His glorified state is the object of angelic worship. In heaven there will be that remarkable phenomenon of angels worshipping the humanity of Christ though man was created lower than angels.
2. The deity of Christ has always been glorified as eternal God with all the divine attributes.
3. The humanity of Christ from the virgin birth to the cross was in a state of perpetual humility having humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Then in resurrection, ascension, and session, the humanity of Christ was glorified at the right hand of God the Father. As a result of this glorification, all elect angels worship Him.
4. In the state of glorification with kenosis set aside, our Lord Jesus Christ is the object of the highest angelic worship. While during the first advent our Lord’s humanity was made lower than angels, His same glorified humanity is now higher than angels forever. Therefore, angels worship Him.
Summary of the Worship of the Four Angelic Heralds and the Twenty-four Staff Officers as found in Revelation 4:4-11:
1. Wisdom is required for accuracy in worship, “they are full of [covered with] eyes [a uniform of wisdom] both outside [analogous to the application of Bible Doctrine] and inside [analogous to the perception of Bible Doctrine].”
2. Knowledge of doctrine is necessary for worship, Revelation 4:8b, “Holy, Holy, Holy [Christ’s integrity], the Lord God, the Almighty One, He who was [eternity past] and He who is [glorified Christ at the right hand of the Father], and He who is coming [at the 2nd Advent].” Revelation 4:11b, “because You have created all things, also because of Your sovereign will, they existed, and they were created.”
3. Thanksgiving is based on grace orientation and humility, “You, O Lord, our God are worthy to receive glory and honor, also the power” as per Revelation 4:11a.
4. Worship is based on recognition of divine authority as per Revelation 4:10a, “and the twenty-four staff officers [of the angelic general staff] will fall down before Him [submission to divine authority] who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him [the Lord Jesus Christ].”
5. You cannot give honor and glory unless you have honor and glory. The Four Heralds had honor and glory as demonstrated by their Uniform of Wisdom; the Twenty-four Staff officers had honor and glory as demonstrated by their Uniforms of Glory and their Golden Wreaths.
Revelation 19:6
Then, I heard what sounded like a large crowd of people [Church Age believers attending the coronation] and like the sound of many waters [the Old Testament Saints and Tribulation-martyrs attending the coronation] and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder [believers in mortal bodies who survive the Tribulation] and they shout, praise the Lord [Hallelujah], because the Lord our God, the Almighty has become King [The culminative aorist tense views our Lord’s coronation at the Second Advent in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results namely the beginning of the Lord’s Millennial Reign].
καὶ ἤκουσα ὡς φωνὴν ὄχλου πολλοῦ καὶ ὡς φωνὴν ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ ὡς φωνὴν βροντῶν ἰσχυρῶν λεγόντων, Ἁλληλουϊά, ὅτι ἐβασίλευσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς [ἡµῶν] ὁ παντοκράτωρ.
Revelation 19:7
Let us rejoice [a hortatory subjunctive] and celebrate [the expression of maximum happiness at the marriage banquet of the Lamb] and give the glory to Him because the wedding feast [already legally married when the contract was signed at salvation] of the Lamb has come [following the 2nd Advent and the coronation of our Lord] and his bride [the Church] has prepared herself [at the Rapture, she received her resurrection body minus the sin nature; after the evaluation by Jesus Christ, some believers will receive decorations and the Uniform of Glory as part of their preparation].
χαίρωµεν καὶ ἀγαλλιῶµεν, καὶ δώσωµεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτῷ, ὅτι ἦλθεν ὁ γάµος τοῦ ἀρνίου, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἡτοίµασεν ἑαυτήν·
Jewish Marriage:
Jewish marriage took place in three stages namely, the contract, the ceremony, and the celebration. In the first stage, the marriage contract was signed by the parents of the groom and bride. After the contract had been signed and registered with the Jewish government, the couple was legally married, even though the ceremony and celebration may not take place for many months or even years. In the second stage of marriage, the ceremony, the groom, and his male friends would ride their chariots to the home of the bride’s parents (or some other designated place), and then the groom only would enter the home while his friends waited outside. At that point, there would be four people in the home for this ceremony namely the bride, her parents, and the groom. Something similar to the following scenario would take place: the bride would be positioned a couple of paces ahead of her parents. When the groom entered the room, the father would step forward beside his daughter and make the following announcement to her as he pointed to the young man, “This is your husband and has been your husband since the date of the contract.” Next, he would say to the groom, “This is your wife.” Then, the father, taking the bride by the arm, walked forward and presented her to the groom. The groom then looked at the bride, but said nothing, then looked at the father and said, “She is now my wife, and I am her husband now and forever more.” (It is interesting to note that only the father and the groom spoke during the wedding ceremony.) The groom then took the bride’s fingers and put them into the crook of his arm and they walked out together. He put her in his chariot and his friends followed in a procession through town. He would then go either to a home which he had prepared or to his parent’s home. Waiting outside the home would be the bride’s friends, the bridesmaids who would be holding lanterns and waiting for the returning groom, bride and groomsmen (compare with the marriage feast at the 2nd Advent: Matthew 25:1-13). The groom and bride would enter the home first followed by the groomsmen and lastly the bridesmaids. Then, there would be a wedding dinner and celebration which would last from several days to several weeks. At some point during the celebration, the couple would slip away and begin their honeymoon and consummate the marriage. (Please listen to Spiritual Dynamic Series 631 by R.B. Thieme Jr. regarding this subject.)
Relating Jewish Marriage to the Church:
Contract stage: When a person in the Church Age believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, the Church Age believer is contractually married to Jesus Christ as her new husband.
Romans 6:5. For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Ceremonial stage: At the Rapture of the Church, the Church Age believer is caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord and so shall she be with Him forever is analogous to the ceremonial stage.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Because the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a command [will give a command through Gabriel], with the voice of the archangel [for mortality, those alive at the Rapture in mortal bodies to take-on immortality] and with the trumpet of God [the Father’s trumpet command for corruption, those in interim bodies of corruption to take-on incorruption], in fact, the dead in Christ will rise first [in their resurrection bodies]. (17) Then, we [Paul identifies himself with those who will be alive at the Rapture] who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Celebration stage: At the 2nd Advent, there will be a wedding feast in which a great celebration takes place.
Revelation 19:7-8. Let us rejoice [a hortatory subjunctive] and celebrate [the expression of maximum happiness at the marriage banquet of the Lamb] and give the glory to Him because the wedding feast [already legally married when the contract was signed at salvation] of the Lamb has come [following the 2nd Advent and the coronation of our Lord] and his bride [the Church] has prepared herself [at the Rapture, she received her resurrection body minus the sin nature; after the evaluation by Jesus Christ, some believers will receive decorations and the Uniform of Glory as part of their preparation]. (8) Furthermore, it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen [the resurrection body], shining [something shining about the resurrection bodies of winners namely the uniform of glory] and pure [it is the eternal righteousness of all Church Age believers as a part of their ultimate sanctification] for the fine linen is the fulfillment of justification [the imputed righteousness of the Church age believers at salvation is the basis for receiving resurrection bodies namely ultimate sanctification “the fulfillment of justification”] of the saints.
Consummation stage: The honeymoon will last for the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ.
All four stages are based on Jesus Christ’s victory on the cross. At His Session, God the Father gave Jesus Christ a royal family namely the Church Age believers to compliment his new title, “King over Kings and Lord over Lords” which title will become functional at the 2nd Advent.
1 Timothy 6:13-15. I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things [God gives life to all at birth] and of Christ Jesus who testifies a good witness before Pontius Pilate (14) that you keep the commandment without spot or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ [Rapture]. (15) Which [resurrection] he will bring about at the proper time. He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King over Kings and Lord over Lords, who alone possesses immortality [began with His receiving a resurrection body] and dwells in unapproachable light [the only ones who will see him are believers after they die and enter into His presence] or can see him, to Him be honor and eternal power, Amen.
Jesus Christ will be glorified especially by the mature believers whom He can bless with their eternal Escrow Blessings as per Revelation 2-3. Remember that the recipients of blessing receive some glory, but the greatest glory goes to the giver.
Revelation 19:6-7 anticipates the wedding banquet on earth after the Second Advent. 19:8 refers to the marriage in heaven prior to the Second Advent. Finally, Revelation 19:9 is the wedding banquet of the Lamb.
Revelation 19:8
Furthermore, it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen [the resurrection body], shining [something shining about the resurrection bodies of winners namely the uniform of glory] and pure [it is the eternal righteousness of all Church Age believers as a part of their ultimate sanctification] for the fine linen is the fulfillment of justification [the imputed righteousness of the Church age believers at salvation is the basis for receiving resurrection bodies namely ultimate sanctification “the fulfillment of justification”] of the saints.
καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτῇ ἵνα περιβάληται βύσσινον λαµπρὸν καθαρόν, τὸ γὰρ βύσσινον τὰ δικαιώµατα τῶν ἁγίων ἐστίν.
Revelation 19:9
Then [sequential use of ‘kai’] he [one of the highest-ranking angels: possibly the same officer of arms from the college of heralds] said to me, “Write [mandated to write down what he sees], ‘Blessed [blessing from God to man resulting in great happiness] are they who have been invited [two categories of guest: the groomsmen and the bridesmaids] to the wedding feast of the Lamb,’ also he said to me, “These doctrines [of eschatology] are [static present] the true doctrines from God.”
Καὶ λέγει µοι, Γράψον· Μακάριοι οἱ εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον τοῦ γάµου τοῦ ἀρνίου κεκληµένοι. καὶ λέγει µοι, Οὗτοι οἱ λόγοι ἀληθινοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσιν.
This eschatology is designed for edification and momentum for our spiritual lives, not to satisfy our curiosity. We are to take the trends of history as found in this eschatology and apply it to our spiritual lives.
Verses 10-14: the 2nd Advent (verse 10 is a transitional verse)
Revelation 19:10
Then, I fell-down [impulsively] at his feet [the Officer of Arms: this angel appeared with feet] to worship him [John is overwhelmed by his emotion], but he said to me, “Do not do this [an informal rebuke]; I am your fellow servant [both are servants], along with your brethren [communicators of the Church Age] who have the doctrinal communication [attestation] about Jesus; worship the God [Jesus Christ, the manifest person of the Trinity] for [explanatory] the doctrinal communication [testimony] about Jesus is the perceptive insight [the life of prophecy] into prophecy.
καὶ ἔπεσα ἔµπροσθεν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ. καὶ λέγει µοι, Ὅρα µή· σύνδουλός σού εἰµι καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου τῶν ἐχόντων τὴν µαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ· τῷ θεῷ προσκύνησον. ἡ γὰρ µαρτυρία Ἰησοῦ ἐστιν τὸ πνεῦµα τῆς προφητείας.
Revelation 19:11
Then [the first day of the Second Advent of Christ] I saw heaven open [stellar universe; the intensive perfect]; and behold, a white horse [nominative of appellation; the white horse is the symbol of victory and aristocracy;], and He who is mounted upon it is called, ‘Faithful [protocol demands faithfulness] and True [adjectives used as substantives: nominatives of appellation; Jesus Christ keeps his word because he has virtue.];’ consequently, with justice [righteousness], He will judge [Baptism of Fire] and He will make war [violence without the abuse of power; to meet the violence of evil with the violence of righteousness].
Καὶ εἶδον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἠνεῳγµένον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος λευκός, καὶ ὁ καθήµενος ἐπí αὐτὸν πιστὸς [καλούµενος] καὶ ἀληθινός, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κρίνει καὶ πολεµεῖ.
Both the ass colt of the 1st Advent and the white horse of the 2nd Advent are royal mounts. Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on an ass colt which represented his humility in obedience to God the Father’s plan; whereas riding a white horse represents his coming as a majestic victorious warrior. At the 2nd Advent, the white horse portrays the majesty of His battlefield royalty and his integrity. “Faithful and True” is the title of our Lord because He keeps His word in the deliverance of Israel at the 2nd Advent by annihilating all of the attacking armies.
(1) All divine violence comes from the perfect integrity of God. The perfect righteousness of God can use violence without abusing the power of violence. Perfect righteousness condemns and perfect justice executes all the unbelievers who had the same opportunity from God. The love of God did not reject these unbelievers, but they rejected the love of God.
(2) The only way to meet the violence of evil is with the violence of righteousness, justice, love and grace. That is the principle of law enforcement and the military establishment.
(3) The violence of righteousness removes human life both under the authority of the Laws of Divine Establishment, the military establishment and directly from the integrity of God.
(4) In this way the human race is preserved throughout the course of human history. This is part of the principle that Jesus Christ controls history.
(5) The key to the proper use of violence in history is integrity, which uses authority without the abuse of authority. Once you have authority and abuse it, you have tyranny.
(a) Arrogance abuses authority and has no sense of responsibility or accountability. If people in government are not responsible and accountable, you have tyranny.
(b) The criminal uses a gun, which gives him power over the law-abiding citizen, who does not have such a gun. Hence, the criminal misuses the gun for illegal power and violence. The fault does not lie with the gun, but with the criminal. The violence of tyranny and murder is the function of the criminal and cannot be blamed on the firearm. Getting rid of the firearm is not the solution, but execution of the criminal. Guns do not kill people; people kill people because their sin natures are out of control.
(c) The only way to meet the violence of evil is with the violence of integrity. The violence of righteousness in military function provides national freedom so that the citizens of the nation have a better chance of hearing and believing the gospel.
(6) What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes through his grace as part of God’s love. The love of God does not reject the millions of unbelievers at the Armageddon campaign (Armageddon is also a battle), rather they reject the love of God as per Romans 5:8.
(7) The conclusion of this verse is found in Isaiah 2:4, “And He will judge between the nations, and He will condemn many peoples, and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. No nation will lift up a sword against another nation and never again will they train for war.”
The Baptism of Fire:
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning of identification began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So, "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen the lace [remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent:
1. The wheat [Tribulational believers entering the Millennium] and the tares [the unbelievers identified with fire], Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good [Tribulational believers entering the Millennium] and bad fish [the unbelievers identified with fire], Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise [Tribulational believers entering the Millennium], five foolish [the unbelievers identified with fire], Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep [Tribulational believers entering the Millennium] and the goats [the unbelievers identified with fire], Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever [the unbelievers identified with fire].
After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
Jesus Christ Controls History:
1. Jesus Christ has direct control of human history through His divine essence, and through divine decisions of the Supreme Court of heaven.
Deuteronomy 33:26. There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His Majesty, He rides through the skies.
2. Jesus Christ has indirect control of human history through the function of the Laws of Divine Establishment. There are nations that follow the Laws of Divine Establishment and continue to survive and are even blessed by God through establishment principles. These are the laws related to the individual, marriage, family, and the national entity.
Romans 13:1-8. Let every soul be subject to governmental authorities, for there is no authority except delegated by God, that is, those which do exist have been delegated by God. (2) Therefore, those who resist the authority have opposed the ordinance of God [the divine institutions]; in fact, they who oppose shall receive judgment on themselves [punishment]. (3) For governing authorities are not a cause of fear for good function [establishment good] but for evil function [the rejection of authority such as activism]. Really, do you desire not to fear the authority? Keep on doing the good [obedience to the Laws of Divine Establishment] and you will have recognition from it [the government]; (4). For he [government authority functioning under the Laws of Establishment] is a minister of God to you for the purpose of good [that you may advance spiritually under the umbrella of government]. But if you do what is evil, keep on being afraid, for he [the government] does not wear the sword for nothing [capital punishment for crime]; for you see he is minister of God, a punisher to execute wrath to him who practices the evil. (5) For this reason, it is necessary to be subordinate to governing authorities, not only because of punishment, but also because of conscience. (6) So, for this reason also keep on paying taxes, for they are public servants of God who make a career out of this same thing. (7) Therefore, discharge your obligations to all: to whom taxes, taxes, to whom custom, custom, to whom respect [for those functioning properly with authority], respect, to whom honor, honor. (8) Owe nothing to anyone [fulfill all obligations], except to love one another [impersonally]; for the one who loves another, has fulfilled the Law [of impersonal love.]
Jesus Christ controls history through the hostility of mankind via finesse judgment. The rise of Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler are excellent examples of finesse judgment. The communist helped to destroy the Nazis.
Psalm 76:10, “For the wrath of man shall praise you [The Lord uses evil to destroy evil in finesse judgment]; With a remnant of wrath, you will gird yourself [The rest are restrained by seeing what happened to the portion wiped out.].
3. Jesus Christ controls history through liability to the Law of Volitional Responsibility. This is the principle of the sovereignty of God and the free will of mankind coexisting in human history to resolve the prehistoric angelic conflict. This is taught in Hosea 8:7, which tells us that “we sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind.”
Galatians 6:7-8. Stop being deceived [by the Judaizers]; God is not mocked [in the sense of sneering or turning up one’s nose; the believer pays a big price for having contempt for God and his plan: a total lack of respect] for whatever a man sows [the Galatians have substituted living under the Law for the spiritual life], this he will also reap [punitive suffering: self-induced misery followed by divine discipline in time on this earth]. (8) For the one who sows to his own flesh [the sin nature] will from the flesh [the sin nature] reap corruption [At the Evaluation Throne of Christ, their wood, hay and stubble will be burned], but the one who sows to the Spirit [functions under the Filling of the Spirit] will from the Spirit reap [rewards for] life everlasting [At the Evaluation Throne of Christ after the Rapture, the Christian will reap his production of gold, silver and precious gems].
4. Freedom and volition are the issues in both human history and the prehistoric angelic conflict. This is a part of Jesus Christ controlling history. Since freedom is necessary to resolve the angelic appeal trial regarding the angelic conflict, the free will of mankind and the sovereignty of God must coexist in human history. The unique spiritual life of the Church Age is extremely important as part of the witness for the Prosecution in the rebuttal phase of Satan’s appeal trial. Volition must pursue truth in order to bring about freedom.
John 8:32. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
Psalm 119:45. I will seek freedom; for I seek Your doctrines.
5. Jesus Christ controls history through the preservation of Israel. Our Lord gave Israel fantastic promises that must be fulfilled at a future time. Through three generations of believers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Old Testament a new racial species was born.
Romans 9:7-13. Neither because they are Abraham's posterity [racial Jews] are all children [of the inheritance], but [a quote from Genesis 21:12] "in Isaac your seed shall be elected. (8) This means that the descendants of the flesh [racial Jews] these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned for the spiritual seed [regenerate Jews]. (9) For the word of the promise [of an heir] is this: [a quote Genesis 18:10] "At this time [the Lord promised to return from the previous year] I will come [to impute blessing] and Sarah will have a son.” (10) And not only this [the previous case history - Isaac, Ishmael], but also Rebecca when she became pregnant from one Isaac, our father. (11) For though the twins had not yet been born, and though they had not accomplished anything good or evil, in order that the predetermined plan of God [the divine decree] might remain in status quo in relationship to election, not from works but from Him who elects. (12) It was said to her [a quote Genesis 25:23], "The older [Esau] shall be subservient to the younger [Jacob]. (13) Just as it stands written [a quote Malachi 1:2, 3], "I love that Jacob [an anthropopathism for Jacob’s faith in Christ], but I hate that Esau [an anthropopathism for Esau’s rejection of Christ].
Because of this, Jesus Christ is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So, beware nations that you be not judged for your anti-Semitism. You cannot malign the Jew and get away with it, just as you cannot reject Bible doctrine and get away with it.
Matthew 22:32. “I am [and keep on being] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob [They are alive in his presence: Exodus 3:6]?” God is not the God of the dead, but of the living [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive and will be given resurrection bodies at the 2nd Advent].
6. Jesus Christ controls history through the preservation of planet earth and the entire universe which He created. Jesus Christ not only created the universe but holds it together and preserves it.
Colossians 1:16-17. Because by agency of Him, all things [the universe, angels, and the soul of man] were created [the aorist tense indicating a point of time in which creation out of nothing took place] both in the heavens [angels and their pre-historic conflict] and on earth [the souls of the two humans]; visible [human souls in bodies seen by angels] and invisible [the structure of the universe and angels not seen by humans], whether human governments [of national entities], or constituted authorities, or rulers [angelic hierarchy] and authorities [angelic bureaucracy], all things stand created through [to indicate completion] Him and for him [for his purpose]. (17) And He [His deity] keeps on being before all [creations] and the all things [universe, angels and mankind] by agency of Him continue to exist [preservation].
Hebrews1:3a. Jesus Christ holds the universe together by the word of His power. Who [Jesus Christ] being the radiance of His [God the Father's] glory, and the exact image of His essence [deity of Christ]; furthermore, He sustains all things by the Word of His power.
Hebrews 1:10. And, [Psalm102:25] ‘In the beginning, O Lord [the deity of Christ], You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.’
Mankind does not have the power to destroy either the earth or the universe. The universe will not be destroyed until the termination of human history at which time, the Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy it.
2 Peter 3:10-12. But the day of the Lord [a protracted period namely from the 2nd Advent to the end of the Millennium] will arrive like a thief [suddenly causing fear, panic and shock] in which [day] the heavens will vanish with a sudden roar and the elements [chemical structure of the universe] will be dissolved with intense heat [possibly thermal action from nuclear fusion], both the earth and the works [related to the Book of Works, the basis of indictment at the Last Judgment] in it [the earth] will be investigated [a reference to the Last Judgment]. (11) Since all these things are in the process of being dissolved in this manner [the elements, the structure of the earth], what kind of people [directed toward the believer] ought you be in a dedicated to Godly lifestyle [which will glorify him]. (12) Anticipating and earnestly desiring the coming Day of God [the eternal state], because of which the burning heavens will be dissolved and the elements [atomic structure of the universe] will melt [possibly nuclear fusion] with intense heat?
The deity of Christ will then create a new universe for the eternal state.
2 Peter 3:13. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Revelation 21:1. Then, I saw the new heaven and the new earth [Isaiah 65:17] for the first heaven and the first earth were blown away and there was no longer any sea [in the new earth].
7. Jesus Christ controls history through mature believers. A few examples should suffice. Noah was used to preserve the human race from the angelic corruption of the prediluvian period. Abraham was used to start a new racial species since the other races had fallen into decline. Moses was used to deliver the Jews from slavery and to begin the first Jewish Client nation. Joseph was used not only to preserve Egypt but also to prevent the starvation of hundreds of thousands and to provide a safe haven for his Jewish family. Rahab was instrumental in helping the Jewish Army enter the Land. God used the Jewish prophets to warn Israel on numerous occasions, and Jewish dictators to deliver Israel. Finally, one should appreciate how mature believers, the writers of the New Testament impacted history!
8. Jesus Christ protects his people in his control of history.
Psalm 46 written by the Descendants of Korah (their father was swallowed by an earthquake as per Numbers 16:1-33, but they were not as per Numbers 26:9-11).
Psalm 46:1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in pressure [in tight places].
Psalm 46:2 Therefore, we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains should slip into the heart of the sea.
This will occur at the 2nd Advent and is the basis for developing Jerusalem as a port in the Millennium.
Zechariah 14:8. Furthermore, it shall come to pass in that day [immediately after the 2nd Advent and during the millennial reign of Christ] that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea [to the Jordan River through the Dead Sea into the Gulf of Aqaba and finally into the Red Sea] and the other half toward the western sea [the Mediterranean Sea]; it will be in summer as well as in winter [an all-weather Port].
Psalm 46:3 Though its waters roar and foam [the formation of the seaport], and though the mountains quake at its swelling. Selah.
Psalm 46:4 A river whose channels will make glad the city of God [Jerusalem], the holy place of the Tabernacle of the Most-High.
Psalm 46:5 Since God is in the midst of her [Jerusalem], she will not be moved [not totter]; the Lord will help her when the morning dawns [when the Millennium dawns].
Psalm 46:6 The Nations made an uproar [the last war in the last half of the Tribulation]; the kingdoms tottered. He [the Lord] raised his voice [uttered His battle cry as per Revelation 19:15], and the [inhabitants of the] earth melted.
Psalm 46:7 The Lord of the armies is with us [Israel]; the God of Jacob is our fortification. Selah.
Psalm 46:8 Come and see the works of the Lord who has caused desolation in the land [the deliverance of Israel at the 2nd Advent]?
Psalm 46:9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He smashes the bow and cuts in pieces the spear; He burns the chariots with fire [This will usher in the Millennium].
Isaiah 2:4. And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. [Also, universal peace is confirmed in Hosea 2:18 and Micah 4:3.]
Psalm 46:10 Cease striving [relax and use the Faith-rest Drill] and know that I am God [the use of the Essence of God rationale]; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth [at the 2nd Advent, Jesus Christ will supersede Satan as the ruler of the earth].
Psalm 46:11 The Lord of the Armies is with us [the citizens of Israel]; The God of Jacob is our fortification. Selah.
9. Degeneracy precedes economic disaster. Economic disaster plus degeneracy leads to violence and the abandonment of the Laws of Divine Establishment. These disasters precede military disaster. We in the United States are presently proceeding through these disasters. Believers will survive but no believer in time of historical disaster survives apart from functioning under God’s plan. So, believers who have rejected the spiritual life are going to die like flies in the upcoming disasters.
Revelation 19:12
And His eyes were a flame of fire [the Lord Jesus Christ is about to destroy all of the armies of the world], also on His head were many diadems [Divine (Son of God), Jewish (Son of David), and Battlefield Royalty related to the Angelic Conflict (Son of Man in Hypostatic Union)]; and He has a royal title [the Logos of God] which has been written which no one [in the human race apart from doctrinal information] understood except Himself.
οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλµοὶ αὐτοῦ [ὡς] φλὸξ πυρός, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ διαδήµατα [appositional nominative; a crown worn by a king] πολλά, ἔχων ὄνοµα γεγραµµένον ὃ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἰ µὴ αὐτός,
Royal Families of Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ has three royal families namely divine, Davidic and the Church. As eternal God Jesus Christ is royalty. His title is Son of God equal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit who are His royal family. Jesus Christ in His humanity was born into the Jewish royal family. As Jewish royalty with the title, Son of David, and therefore the entire family of David which preceded Him and all the family of David that followed Him are His royal family. As a result of his strategic victory over Satan, the resurrected and ascended humanity of Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father and given the designation, King over kings and Lord over lords (to be fulfilled at the 2nd Advent), and with this new title he has been given a royal family namely the believers of the Church Age.
Regarding this passage:
(1) This passage emphasizes the integrity and perfect righteousness of the deity of Christ and His human nature’s impeccability from His life functioning in the Prototype Spiritual Life.
(2) Divine judgment is designed to bring the unbeliever of the Tribulation to the reality of His status as an unbeliever and so his need for salvation as he sees others dying all around him.
(3) All judgment is delegated by God the Father to the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 5:22-23, 27. But not even the Father judges anyone, but He has delegated all judgment to the Son, (23) in order that all may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (27) He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man [true, and perfect humanity].
(4) There is always a grace period of intense evangelism before judgment is administered by our Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of all divine judgment is to bring the unbeliever involved in the Cosmic System back to reality. Arrogance blinds the unbeliever regarding his need for eternal salvation; judgment removes that blindness by means of personal or historical disaster or both.
Royal title: The Logos of God: “The Logos” is a title which was given in eternity past to the deity of Christ when he agreed to provide the solution to man’s problem. It is the manifestation of God and his plan and everything related to it. The title has been revealed to the Church, but was unknown up until the Church Age. Matthew 11:27 is the key to interpreting this verse, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Himself.” The Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, has the right of determination to reveal Himself which he did in the infallible word (logos) of God, which abides forever.
Revelation 19:13
Furthermore, he was wearing a military cloak which had been splattered with blood, and his title has been designated, “The Word [Logos] of God”.
καὶ περιβεβληµένος ἱµάτιον βεβαµµένον αἵµατι, καὶ κέκληται τὸ ὄνοµα αὐτοῦ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ.
That is the title that no one understood because they didn’t relate it with the Shekinah glory of the Old Testament. The Shekinah glory, the originator of doctrine comes to the believer of the Church Age through the Logos. Today, the Shekinah glory is revealed only through doctrine.
In Hebrews 4:12 we have that same phrase again, but it no longer refers to Jesus Christ as such, it refers to what He thinks, “The word of God is alive and powerful.” In the Old Testament the Shekinah glory had to be covered by a sacred building; it had to be hidden from the eyes of people. But now, it is opened up to us through doctrine, through thought, through what we find in the Scriptures. If doctrine is not everything in your life, you will never see the Shekinah glory this side of heaven.
So, we have, therefore, the Shekinah glory in the Church Age. 1 Corinthians 2:7, “We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery [Church Age doctrine formerly hidden, now revealed because the Shekinah glory became flesh], the hidden doctrine, which God predestined before the ages to our glory.” In a very special sense, through the perception of Bible doctrine, the Shekinah glory becomes ours.
Revelation 19:14
And the armies [Army of Elect Angels, Church Age believers, Old Testament Believers and Martyrs of the Tribulation] of heaven were following Him [the procession] mounted on white horses [sign of victory], and they were clothed with fine linen [resurrection bodies], white and pure [eternal bodies with uniforms].
καὶ τὰ στρατεύµατα [τὰ] ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἐφí ἵπποις λευκοῖς, ἐνδεδυµένοι βύσσινον λευκὸν καθαρόν.
They are called armies for a special reason. Heaven has its system of protocol as we have noted in the past. Heaven has organization; heaven has authority, and heaven has something else that is very important: heaven is going to be filled with creatures of unequal status. Some believers will have decorations and some will not. Everyone will have a resurrection body, but there is no equality in the eternal future. So, these army groups indicate immediately inequality. Whenever you see the word “army” there are several things implied. Army means, first of all, discipline. Discipline means authority orientation related to a system of authority. Authority means protocol; protocol means rank; rank means inequality. There are discipline and authority in heaven, and when Jesus Christ returns, he returns with an organization namely with three disciplined army groups.
Matthew 25:31. But when the Son of Man comes in His glory [2nd Advent], and all the holy angels [Elect Angels] with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory [coronation].
Revelation 19:15
And [at the 2nd Advent] a sharp broad sword [a long Thracian broad sword requires great power to wield it] comes out of His mouth, in order that with it [the sword] He might strike down [constative aorist: to kill with great violence from his integrity: fighting violence with violence] the gentile nations [the enemy armies of many nations]. Then, [after the slaughter of many armies] He will rule them with an iron scepter [a scepter is a badge of rank; an iron scepter representing the Laws of Establishment under which crime will be punished with perfect jurisprudence], and [prior to this] He treads the winepress of the wine [a euphemism for the slaughter of the enemy] of the wrath even the anger of God [anthropopathism], the Omnipotent One.
καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόµατος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύεται ῥοµφαία ὀξεῖα, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ πατάξῃ τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιµανεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ· καὶ αὐτὸς πατεῖ τὴν ληνὸν τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυµοῦ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ παντοκράτορος.
The armies that follow our Lord, both angelic and human, will be beneficiaries of the Grace of our Lord since he will do all the fighting. Israel in the past has been the beneficiary of the Lord’s grace.
Exodus 14:13-14. But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and watch the deliverance of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever [for they were all unbelievers]. (14) The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.
1 Samuel 17:47. [David speaking] and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you [the Philistines] into our [the army of Israel’s] hands.
2 Chronicles 20:15. and he [Jahaziel the son of Zechariah] said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude [the armies of the Ammonites, Moabites and the Edomites], for the battle is not yours but God's.”
Total annihilation of the enemy results in one thousand years of world peace.
Psalm 46:9. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the chariot with fire.
Isaiah 2:4. He will judge between the nations. He will condemn many peoples. They will hammer their swords into plow shears and their spears into pruning hooks. No nation will lift up a sword against another nation, and they shall never learn war anymore.
This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6b-7. He will be called Wonderful Counselor [perfect justice], the Mighty Hero, the Father of Eternity [the savior of all who believe in him during the Millennium], the Prince of Peace [peace and prosperity will last for 1000 years]. (7) There will be no end to the increase of His government or of world peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on [the Millennial reign] and forevermore [the eternal rule of Christ]. The zeal of the Lord of the armies will accomplish this [through military victory].
Anthropopathism: human emotions ascribed to God
Definition:
1. An anthropopathism ascribes to God a human characteristic which God does not actually possess, but is used to reveal and explain God's policy toward mankind in terms of human frame of reference by the use of language of accommodation.
2. Accommodation means that human modus operandi is ascribed to God, such as human affection or human sins, so that man can understand divine policy and attitude in terms of his own frame of reference.
3. Unless this doctrine is understood, the believer is going to assume that God has emotion and consequently this believer will be in a state of confusion regarding divine essence. Let’s examine a couple of passages just to get warmed-up. In Psalm 106:45b we are told that God relented [in other words changed His mind], but God is immutable and cannot change His thinking and 1 Samuel 15:29 confirms this, “The glory of Israel [God the Son] will not lie or change His thinking; for He is not a man that He should change His thinking.” In Psalm 110:4 it says, “The Lord [God the Father] has made a solemn promise and will not change His mind. You [Jesus Christ] are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”
4. In order to explain divine policy in terms of human frame of reference, human characteristics are ascribed to God to explain His policy to human beings. An anthropopathism is a human characteristic such as: love when used as an anthropopathism, hate, wrath, change of mind, scorn, compassion, longsuffering, remembering. Hence, an anthropopathism ascribes a human characteristic to God which God does not possess.
5. The purpose of the anthropopathism is to explain to us in a way so that we can more easily understand God’s attitude, policy, or modus operandi toward a person or persons. In this way, mankind can understand and adapt to God’s divine policy.
Classification:
1. Sinless anthropopathisms (anthropopathies):
a. Love.
2 Corinthians 9:7b, “For God loves a gracious giver [based on grace orientation].” Romans 9:13, “Just as it stands written, ‘I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau [a parallel structure: as hatred is an anthropopathism so is love in this verse].’”
The anthropopathism of love is an expression of divine approval, and acceptance. This is not the same as the divine attribute of love. Love explains God's approval of Jacob’s decision to become a believer and hate explains God’s disapprobation of Esau’s rejection of Christ as his savior.
Hebrews 12:17, “For you know that even afterwards, when he [Esau] desired to inherit the eternal blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of thinking [toward Christ] though he sought for it with tears [no one is saved by weeping or any other emotional function].”
When the scar tissue of the soul equals the garbage in the subconscious, you have reached the point of no return regarding believing in Christ for salvation. Therefore, all you can turn to is your emotions.
b. Compassion,
Psalm 103:13, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear [respect] Him.”
Psalm 119:77, “May Your compassion come to me [forgive me in grace] that I may live, For Your law is my delight.
c. Longsuffering and Patience,
Numbers 14:18. The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.
2. Sinful anthropopathisms (anthropopathies):
a. Hatred:
Psalm 5:5, “The boastful shall not stand before your eyes [anthropomorphism]; You hate [anthropopathism] all who do iniquity;”
God cannot sin. Therefore, He does not hate. This only explains divine policy namely why God is doing what He is doing. Since man understands hatred as disapproval, he can easily understand divine disapproval expressed by hatred.
b. Anger and wrath:
Numbers 22:21-22. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. (22) And God's anger [anthropopathism] was kindled [the righteousness of God demands punishment and His justice executed] because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.”
John 3:36, “He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God [the righteousness of God demands eternal punishment for anyone who rejects faith alone in Christ alone and the justice of God will execute that demand] abides upon him.”
c. Scorn:
Psalms 2:1-6. Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? (2) The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. (3) "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." (4) The One enthroned in heaven laughs [God has a sense of humor]; the Lord scoffs [God never loses control] at them. (5) Then he rebukes them in his anger [from His righteousness] and terrifies them in his wrath [great judgment from justice of God], saying, (6) "But as for me, I [God] have installed my King [David] on Zion, my holy mountain.
To scorn means to ridicule someone. It is unkind and thoughtless, a sinful function. Scorn involves mental attitude sins. Again, these passages use human frame of reference to explain divine policy.
d. Vengeance:
Deuteronomy 32:25. Vengeance [is merely the justice of God executing the demands of His righteousness] is mine says the Lord for the Lord will vindicate his people and will have compassion on his servants.
Psalm 94:1-3. O Lord, the God who avenges [again the function of God’s perfect integrity], O God who avenges, shine forth. (2) Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. (3) How long will the wicked, O Lord, how long will the wicked be jubilant?
We are to leave our court case in the hands of the Supreme Court of Heaven. Vengeance is language of accommodation to express God's policy of perfect justice.
e. Repentance:
Genesis 6:6. The Lord himself changed his mind [anthropopathism: God is immutable, and so never changes his thinking] that He had made [after a pattern: the soul is made after a pattern] man on the earth, and He was grieved [anthropopathism: God is always perfectly happy] in His right lobe [an anthropomorphism: God is a spirit and does not have human anatomy].
These anthropopathisms and anthropomorphism are used to indicate that God was about to judge the ante-diluvian civilization.
f. Jealousy:
Exodus 20:4-5. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; (5) you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous [what the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes] God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
Jealousy and bitterness go together and are vicious sins. It is blasphemous to assign jealousy to God.
God’s Integrity is immutable and so He has no emotion.
1. God is holy. This means that God has integrity. Holiness is the integrity of God, both His righteousness and His justice.
2. The integrity or holiness of God is not attained by God or some sort of divine achievement. God has integrity but it was not attained, it wasn’t developed.
3. The integrity of God is eternal, absolute, infinite. It has always been a part of His perfect essence.
4. The integrity of God is not the mere absence of evil; it is the sum total of His perfection.
5. Therefore, the integrity or the holiness of God is neither maintained nor attained, it is God’s immutable, eternal self.
6. The being of God cannot be better or worse for God is eternal, immutable, unalterable, an absolute being who is eternally consistent.
Conclusion:
The complexity of a doctrine such as anthropopathisms is not going to be understood unless other doctrines are understood first. Understanding the doctrine of Divine Essence must precede a consideration of the doctrine of anthropopathisms. When both are mastered mixed with a little common sense, it is not so difficult.
Revelation 19:16
Furthermore, a royal title having been written on his military robe [cloak], and on His thigh, King [the Lord Jesus Christ’s sovereignty] over kings [Revelation 2:26. ‘He who is victorious [in the spiritual life] and keeps My assignments until the end [of his life], To him I will give authority over the nations in the Millennium] and Lord [the Lord Jesus Christ] over lords [our Lord’s sovereignty over all angelic rulers, both fallen and elect angels].
καὶ ἔχει ἐπὶ τὸ ἱµάτιον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν µηρὸν αὐτοῦ ὄνοµα γεγραµµένον· Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ κύριος κυρίων.
Our Lord’s royal title of the Second Advent is worn in two places, on His military cloak and on His thigh (Myron’s name engraved on the thigh of his famous statue, the ‘Discus Thrower’) for this was the custom in the ancient world. His royal title written on His tunic or military robe refers to His tactical victory of the Second Advent in slaughtering the enemy, removing Satan etc.; the same royal title written on His thigh indicates that our Lord Jesus Christ is the author or the sculpturer of the dispensation of the Millennial kingdom, the perfect environment on earth for 1000 years.
Regarding the phrases King (a head noun) over kings (a subordinate genitive) and Lord (a head noun) over Lords (a subordinate genitive), the subordinate genitive identifies what is subordinate or under the dominion of what is called a “head noun.” This is called a lexeme namely two words of the same vocabulary describing the same thing. We have two lexemes at the end of this verse. We have the same noun used twice, once in the nominative singular and once in the genitive plural. The noun in the nominative singular is the head noun or supreme noun, superior to the noun in the genitive. The subordinate genitives should be properly translated “over kings” and “over lords.”
Revelation 19:17
Then, I saw [a vision] a unique angel [the King of Arms] standing in the sunlight [the supernatural darkness is now replaced by sunlight indicating that the war is over]; and shouted with a loud voice saying [communicated in a bird language] to all the birds which fly in midair [birds who eat carrion: vultures (buzzards), eagles, hawks and ravens], ‘Come gather to the great feast [banquet] from the God [the Lord Jesus Christ],
Καὶ εἶδον ἕνα ἄγγελον ἑστῶτα ἐν τῷ ἡλίῳ, καὶ ἔκραξεν [ἐν] φωνῇ µεγάλῃ λέγων πᾶσιν τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῖς πετοµένοις ἐν µεσουρανήµατι, ∆εῦτε συνάχθητε εἰς τὸ δεῖπνον τὸ µέγα τοῦ θεοῦ,
(1) This unique angel is the king of arms, a seraph, the ruler of the angelic college of heralds. He is also called the powerful angel of Revelation 5:2, 8:3, 5, 10:1, 14:18, 18:1 and 21. He is going to make an announcement and invite all the carrion birds to a party.
(2) The fact there is sunlight indicates that the supernatural darkness has ended and the war is over.
(3) There are two banquets in Revelation 19. The first is the wedding feast of blessing in verse 9 and the second is the feast of judgment in this verse.
Revelation 19:18
In order that you [carrion eating birds] may eat the corpses of kings [world rulers have power, influence, approbation, fame and wealth but insecure], the corpses of general officers [and field marshals: commanding more than a thousand men], the corpses of the mighty [field and company grade officers], both the corpses of horses and their riders [chariots analogous to mechanized forces and armor divisions], in fact the corpses of all [both combat arms and service support organizations], both free and slaves [volunteers and draftees], both small and great [enlisted personnel and officer corps].
ἵνα φάγητε σάρκας βασιλέων καὶ σάρκας χιλιάρχων καὶ σάρκας ἰσχυρῶν καὶ σάρκας ἵππων καὶ τῶν καθηµένων ἐπí αὐτῶν καὶ σάρκας πάντων ἐλευθέρων τε καὶ δούλων καὶ µικρῶν καὶ µεγάλων.
(1) There is no security in being in the lower ranks and no security in being in the higher ranks. There is no security in being on the front lines or in being in the rear areas.
(2) True security in warfare is related to personal relationship with Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ controls history. God has a plan for every believer whether in war or peace.
(3) A parallel passage is found in Matthew 24:27-28, “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. (28) Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
(4) Another parallel passage is found in Joel 3:9-17.
(5) The love of God did not reject the people of these demon inspired, antisemitic armies, rather, the personnel of these attacking armies rejected the love of God.
Revelation 19:19
Then, I saw the beast-dictator [of the Revived Roman Emperor] and the kings of the earth [rulers under Satan’s influence] and their armies [represents the violence of organized evil], who had been concentrated to make war against Him [Christ] who sat upon the horse, and against His [the Lord’s] army [Church Age believers, Old Testament believers and the elect angelic army].
Καὶ εἶδον τὸ θηρίον καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰ στρατεύµατα αὐτῶν συνηγµένα ποιῆσαι τὸν πόλεµον µετὰ τοῦ καθηµένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου καὶ µετὰ τοῦ στρατεύµατος αὐτοῦ.
This is retroactive exposition to fill in the details regarding the human leadership under demon possession and their final judgment.
The paragraph below on the last war in history is taken from Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary by R.B. Thieme Jr. page 14.
“Armageddon [from Heb. har megiddo, the hill of Megiddo overlooking the plain of Esdraelon (Rev. 16:16; cf. Judg. 1:27; 5:19)] The last battle of the last campaign of the last world war of history, when besieged Jerusalem is delivered by Jesus Christ, who once and for all annihilates Israel’s enemies and deposes Satan as the ruler of this world (Rev. 19:11—20:3). During the last half of the Tribulation, when Satan sets vast human and demonic forces into motion (Dan. 11:36–45; Rev. 16:13), four Gentile world powers will eventually converge upon Israel in what Scripture refers to as “the war of the great day of God, the Almighty” (Rev. 16:14; cf. Zech. 12:3). With history’s largest concentration of armies encompassing one small section of Jerusalem, the situation will appear hopeless for the remnant of Jewish believers fighting against all odds. Suddenly a deep darkness will cover the earth, immobilizing the invaders, and a supernatural light will reveal the Second Advent of Jesus Christ. The Lord will descend from heaven and “set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:9). With eyes “a flame of fire, . . . robe dipped in blood” (Rev. 19:12–13), the living Word of God will decisively slaughter every hostile army, deliver the believing Jews, and bind Satan in the Abyss “so that he would not deceive the nations any longer” (Rev. 20:3).”
Psalm 2 documents what will happen in the Tribulation:
Verses 1-3 is the situation in the time of the devil’s desperation. In other words, it starts in the last half of the Tribulation.
Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations rage [the eschatology of the devil’s desperation], and the people plot [a time of great conspiracies] in vain?
Psalm 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand [against our Lord in the last half of the Tribulation for nations will rage against God namely the king of the north, the pan-Arabic bloc, the oriental bloc, and the revived Roman empire.] and the rulers conspire together against the Lord [God the Father], and against his anointed [God the Son], saying,
Psalm 2:3 [This is what they think] Let us break their bands [the authority of divine establishment], let us destroy their restraining forces [the function of divine establishment restrains], let us throw off the chains [the basis by which God protects the human race from self-destruction].
Inverses 4-9 we have the plan of God the Father mentioned.
Psalm 2:4 And he [God the Father, the author of the divine plan] who is enthroned in heaven laughs [an anthropopathism for his sense of humor]: the Lord scoffs at them, [an anthropopathism for his divine power as if the creature could ever challenge the creator.]
Psalm 2:5 Then, [at the end of the Tribulation] he will speak in his anger [God the Father judges as the source of the seven last plagues though they are administered by the Lord Jesus Christ], and he will terrify them in his wrath, saying [a reference to the Seven last Plagues, the closing events of the Tribulation such as the Armageddon Campaign and what will take place at the 2nd Advent such as the Baptism of Fire],
Psalm 2:6 But as for me [God the Father] I have installed my king [the coronation of Christ shortly after the 2nd Advent] on Zion, my holy mountain [the ultimate tactical victory of our Lord in the angelic conflict].
Verses 7-9, Jesus Christ controls history at that time as now.
Psalm 2:7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord [the printout of the computer of divine decree]: he [God the Father] said to me [God the Son], You are my Son [1st Advent]; today [at the moment of the virgin birth] I have brought you [the humanity of Christ] forth.
Psalm 2:8 [After His death, burial, resurrection and ascension] Ask from me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance [certain Church Age believers will share in this inheritance], plus the very ends of the earth as your possession [in the Millennium].
Psalm 2:9 And you [the Lord Jesus Christ] will rule them with a scepter of iron; and you will shatter them to pieces like pottery [instant judgment of crime etc.].
Verses 10-12, divine advice to the nations of the Tribulation, advice which we should take as well.
Psalm 2:10 Therefore, you kings [you rulers] become wise [perception of the gospel, perception of doctrine]: be warned [crisis evangelism: grace precedes judgment] you rulers of the earth.
Psalm 2:11 Worship the Lord with reverence [occupation with Christ], and rejoice with trembling [rulers can be happy if they should become believers and grow spiritually; understand his authority].
Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son [faith in Christ followed by perception of doctrine], lest he become angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath may soon be kindled [the approaching judgment, grace before judgment]. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.
Revelation 19:20
Then, the beast dictator [the ruler of the revived Roman empire] was seized, and with him the false prophet [the ruler of the state of Israel in the Tribulation] who performed miracles in his presence, by which [miracles] he had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, even those who worshipped his idol. These two [the Gentile and Jewish dictators], though still alive, were thrown into the Lake of Fire burning with Sulphur.
καὶ ἐπιάσθη τὸ θηρίον καὶ µετí αὐτοῦ ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης ὁ ποιήσας τὰ σηµεῖα ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς ἐπλάνησεν τοὺς λαβόντας τὸ χάραγµα τοῦ θηρίου καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ· ζῶντες ἐβλήθησαν οἱ δύο εἰς τὴν λίµνην τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιοµένης ἐν θείῳ.
The “mark of the beast,” a computerized system of tyranny, is the ID card indicating that the holder is a member of the ecumenical religious system. Hence, a system for identifying the converts of Satan’s Cosmic System. The ID card or mark is given to everyone who becomes a member of the ecumenical religious system, and on this card is the code number, 666, which is printed on the hand or on the forehead. This number 666 is tied into a computer memory system which has detailed information about each convert to Satan’s Cosmic System. Without this card, the people of the Tribulation will have a very difficult time to survive. On the other hand, those who accept this system will lose all privacy, and all freedom.
These two obviously will receive a trial before being thrown into the Lake of Fire. In which trial, they will be found to be without eternal life and imputed righteousness. So, justly thrown into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:10. And the Devil [the enemy] who had deceived [durative present] them [the unbelievers involved in the Gog Magog Revolution], was thrown [culminative aorist] into the Lake of Fire and burning sulfur, where the beast [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] and the false prophet [the false dictator and the false messiah of Israel] were, and they [the three just mentioned] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Two people in the human race were evil enough to precede Satan into the Lake of Fire. In the mouth of two witnesses, it shall be established. These two unbelievers establish the judgment during the Great White Throne Judgment of all unbelievers to the Lake of Fire. In the case of the angelic creatures, it takes one witness to establish judgment for all fallen angels.
Revelation 19:21
Then, the rest were killed [slaughtered] with the broadsword which came out of the mouth of Him [Jesus Christ] who was mounted on the horse, then all the birds were gorged with their corpses.”
καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπεκτάνθησαν ἐν τῇ ῥοµφαίᾳ τοῦ καθηµένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου τῇ ἐξελθούσῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόµατος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν.
In Revelation 19:17, the carrion eating birds were invited to this feast; they not only came, they gorged themselves.
Revelation 19:17. Then, I saw [a vision] a unique angel [the King of Arms] standing in the sunlight [the supernatural darkness is now replaced by sunlight indicating that the war is over]; and shouted with a loud voice saying [communicated in a bird language] to all the birds which fly in midair [birds who eat carrion: vultures (buzzards), eagles, hawks and ravens], ‘Come gather to the great feast [banquet] from the God [the Lord Jesus Christ],
The application below is taken from the booklet, Armageddon by R.B. Thieme Jr. pages 36-37
WHERE ARE WE TODAY? How close is the Rapture, the Tribulation, and Armageddon? According to the Scripture there is no prophecy yet to be fulfilled before the Rapture of the Church takes place, so no one can know the day or the hour of the Rapture; it could occur today, tonight, next week, or a thousand years from now. Famine, plague, conflicts, and power struggles have existed throughout history and continue to exist today, but these events do not indicate that the Rapture is near. Therefore, never be deceived by elaborate claims that the Rapture is an absolute certainty for the immediate future. God’s seven-year Tribulation, the countdown to Armageddon, has yet to begin.
Who are the false prophet and the beast? The identity of these two sinister personalities will not be revealed until after the Rapture of the Church. Any speculation concerning these men is futile. Evil men in the future will be falsely labeled with these names just as have evil men in the past.
Is the current crisis in the Middle East the harbinger of Armageddon? No! According to divine revelation, neither the Tribulation nor the Armageddon Campaign can occur as long as the Church is on the earth (Rev. 3:10). While Armageddon will not personally affect Church Age believers, this does not rule out present-day conflagrations in the Middle East that will affect them. Such crises may become so desperate that they erupt into World War III. This is the age of wars and rumors of wars, hot wars and cold wars (Matt. 24:6).
In the meantime, the client nation in the Church Age is responsible to prepare for war by building a strong military establishment. No client nation can have freedom or be strong economically without military protection.
For the individual in the client nation, the greatest preparation begins with salvation.
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey [believe] the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36)
And for the one who has received Jesus Christ as Savior, Bible doctrine has an answer for every exigency of life. If the believer knows Bible doctrine, as will those Jewish generals of the future, he will not faint in the day of adversity (Prov. 24:10). No matter what happens, the Lord has a plan and a purpose for his life. His first responsibility is to take in doctrine through the function of the ‘grace apparatus for perception’ and to move on to spiritual maturity.
God uses the mature believer in prosperity as well as in disaster. He honors the Lord and Savior; his life has meaning and purpose and definition; he possesses happiness exceeding, abundantly above all he could ask or think (Eph. 3:20); and he has confidence and tranquility in times of crisis. There is no catastrophe, no disaster, no pressure too great for the Word of God and the plan of God.
The Church Age believer must remember, as will believers in the Tribulation, that no matter how dark and grim the situation, God is always on His throne directing the affairs of men and working out His plan in the lives of His own (Ps. 33). If God still has a purpose for the believer’s life, then God will deliver him through or from any difficult situation. All hell cannot remove him from the earth as long as the Lord wants him here.
Understanding this comforting principle depends on having the Word of God resident in the soul. Bible doctrine provides discernment of God’s will in the believer’s life and gives strength in the face of hopeless disaster and catastrophe. Bible doctrine always makes the difference.
