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Replying to Checkpoint in post #1]
Dear Checkpoint,
I wanted to reply to your comments about Matthew 24 and specifically about "this generation will not pass".
All of Matthew chapter 24 is teaching on the pathway to salvation. It is an
End-time chapter but the "end-time" is not what is commonly taught. The "end-time" is what happens to our old vessel/carnal nature upon the second coming of Christ (Latter Rain of the Spirit).
It is the end-time of our old vessel.
In Mat 24:24, Christ said to the people He was looking face to face with that "verily I say unto YOU, this generation will not pass until all these things be fulfilled". These are not events that happen thousands of years into the future. These events were all fulfilled when those in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost received the Latter Rain of the Spirit (same as the Baptism of the Spirit). That was certainly within the generation of the people He was speaking to. And those same events have been fulfilled over and over again within the lives of all of Christ's Elect since that time.
In Mat 24:29 it says:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
This verse is an example of Christ's spiritual language. Here is what it means: The "
tribulation of those days" is referring to the time we spend in our fallen away state between the Early and Latter Rains. This time period is represented by the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy. I have written a short paper explaining this prophecy which I can send to you if you have any interest. Our time of tribulation (time, times and half a time, 3 ½ years, 42 months, 1260 days) will end at the moment of conversion when our Man of Sin is destroyed. AFTER that happens, the sun is darkened and the moon will not give her light. That means that the converted believer will no longer receive their truth (light) from this world but will now receive it from Christ. It is this light from Christ that destroys our Man of Sin.
2Thes 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
In Mat 24:29, the "heaven" it refers to represents the "mind" of the converted believer. The "stars" (our beliefs) shall fall and the heaven (our mind) will be shaken. It is a spiritually earthshaking event within us. It comes with trumpets, thunder and lightning. The paradigm of our mind is being changed from having a carnal mind to having the mind of Christ. Peter describes it this way:
2Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
In Peter's verse, He adds that the earth and the works therein, will also be burned up. This is referring to the "works of the flesh" which will be judged (burned up). From this judgment, we will then only approach Christ by faith alone.
All End-time prophecy is teaching on the pathway (includes both the wide and narrow paths) that leads to salvation. Because that is true, Christ's second coming event is a re-occurring event within the lives of each of His chosen Elect:
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne...
Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Christ is coming and He has come and He will come to all of His Elect during this present age. They are the only ones who Christ is saving at this time. The rest of mankind will only be saved at the end of the final age. It is 100% His work to save us. The Old Covenant of Law proved that we cannot save ourselves. We all must wait on the Lord to come to us and change us from within so that we can be saved. There is no other way. Man's "works" are rejected by Christ. When a believer claims that they (from their own "free will") made a decision to accept Christ, they are following a doctrine of "works". We must approach Christ solely by faith (which He gives us), knowing that He will do everything necessary to change us from within so that we will make that confession of faith and start traveling the narrow path that ends with our glorified body.
Here is another example of Christ's spiritual language:
Mat 26:52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Does Christ really mean that if you use a sword to kill others, then you must likewise be killed with a sword? Literally, that is what He is saying. So if we are to understand it literally, then that statement can easily be proven to be false. There are countless examples of people who have used violence to kill others but then do not die from that same type of violence - it almost goes without saying. So is Christ mistaken or is His message something else?
Since His “words are spirit”, His message must be spiritually understood. Christ’s spiritual message is quite different from what He is literally saying.
In Matt 26:52, Christ is using a spiritual “symbol” to give us His spiritual message. Here Christ uses the symbol of a Sword. To understand what that symbol means, we must look at how it is used elsewhere in scripture – we must compare spiritual with spiritual.
Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword...
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword...
From this example, it is easy to understand that a Sword represents the Word of God. So Christ’s hidden spiritual point He is making in Matt 26:52 is that all who live (those being “born again”) by the Word of God, must perish (death of the carnal nature) by the Word of God.
Water baptism is another symbol which sends the same spiritual message as Matt 26:52. When an individual is baptized in water, the immersion represents the death of their carnal nature (Old Man). The ascension out of the water represents their new birth in Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven. This great work of conversion (salvation) is accomplished by the Word of God (Sword/Christ).
Spiritual understanding of scripture is further explained and expanded by 1Cor 2:13, Isa 28: 10-12 and Psa 119:160.
1Cor 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Isa 28: 10-12 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
When a Called Out believer cannot understand the Word of God, their lack of understanding will cause them to “fall backward and be broken”. So what does to “fall backward and be broken” actually mean? This is the same as to “fall away” (Heb 6:4-6) and it means to return to one’s own attempt to be acceptable to God through their own works. This is the sin that leads to death (1John 5:16).
God’s Truth is also presented to us in bits and pieces, which means we must put those pieces together to see the truth:
Psa 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Again, to correctly understand scripture, it must be understood spiritually. For this type of understanding to occur, we must first understand that the words used in scripture do not carry the same meaning as taught by man’s wisdom (1Cor 2:13). Christ’s words are spirit (John 6:63) and we are told to understand their spiritual meaning by comparing them with the same spiritual words used elsewhere in scripture. We must compare spiritual with spiritual. We are to also keep in mind that “the sum of God’s Word is truth.
Have you ever wondered why there are so many different denominational churches in the world, each with their own version of the truth? Those churches are full of Early Rain believers who are spiritually blind. They literally are places where the blind lead the blind.
You may be asking yourself why God made His Word so difficult to understand. I can assure you that He did not do it by mistake. God is purposely concealing Himself from this world so that He can reveal Himself to each individual at a time of His choosing.
Matt 13:10-11 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you (the Elect) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (those not Chosen) it is not given.
In scripture, the knowledge of God (which is fully found in Christ) is symbolized by Treasure.
Prov 2:1-5 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
For most people, God has not chosen to reveal Himself to them at this time. So for them, He remains “hidden” Treasure. However, that does not mean that He will forget them and forever remain hidden from their eyes. Scripture promises us that will not be the case.
1Tim 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1Cor 15: 22-23 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
During this present age, Christ is gathering in the First-fruits of His Harvest. These First-fruits are also called the Chosen, the Elect, the Heirs, the Overcomers, the Bride or the Saints. The remaining harvest of mankind will come later in the final age which God established from the beginning of creation. Contrary to popular belief, Christ is NOT working to save all mankind during this present age. He is only appearing (revealing Himself) to those who have been chosen from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8 & Eph 1:11). We are totally dependent upon Christ for our salvation, even the timing of it. We cannot “choose” ourselves to be one of His “chosen”. Christ alone is the One who calls us, chooses us and empowers us to remain faithful unto the end. It is all His work. To claim otherwise, only proves that we have “fallen away” and are attempting to be acceptable to Christ through our own “works”.
For those who have presently been given “eyes that can see” and “ears that can hear”, Christ is appearing to them and revealing Himself. They are finding great treasure!
The book of Revelation depicts this great treasure of God. This book is the great unveiling of Jesus Christ within an individual - it is salvation. But to keep Christ concealed from those not chosen to receive its message, the book was “signified” to the apostle John. In other words, the Truth was presented in spiritual symbols. It is in no way literal. It is not a book about end-time prophecy or future coming world events. There is no literal Lake of Fire or coming Antichrist who rules the world. And for that matter, there is not even a literal throne room in heaven or a heaven with streets of gold. These are all physical symbols which represent spiritual truths.
Once a believer can understand the spiritual language of Christ, the apparent contradictions in scripture disappear.
Joe