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FANTASIES,
FABLES AND TRADITIONS
The
Emperor's New Clothes
Part 1
1And
I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first
earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Rev 21:)
In the
Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen there once ruled a king
who was convinced by two tailors that they could make him a grand suit
of clothing out of the most beautiful and precious of material. So
perfect in appearance was this fabric that only those of the highest
intelligence could see it; only those suited for the position they held.
Unwilling to show his
ignorance, the king
gave his approval to the tailors and their wonderful, nonexistent
commodity, and in so doing authorized them to make for him a fine suit
of clothing.
The king, being a very proud
personage,
demanding adulation and obeisance from his subjects, loved to make
display of his wealth and his finery.
One fine day, after a long,
anxious wait,
the king was informed by his tailors that his regal attire was now
prepared.
The king then sent forth his
heralds to
announce to the city that on this or that, such and such a day he would
sashay through the city affording the citizenry of said metropolis the
opportunity to behold his majestic magnificence.
News spreads quickly; and
rumor even
quicker. Throughout the region it had become a well established
understanding that the garments the king was to wear was not like any
other, but was in fact so resplendent that it would appear invisible to
all but those with the keenest of intellect.
On the appointed morrow, or
the day before
the next day thereafter, the streets of the city were lined with
expectant and enthusiastic folk prepared to have their expectations
realized.
The king did not disappoint
his many
admirers. A more splendid display of majesty had not been witnessed in
this city or in any other city in the kingdom at any time before or
since. Pomp and ceremony was the rule of the day.
Trumpeters riding upon great
white steeds
preceded the proceedings; and to the rear of the king, and behind him
followed a cavalcade of royal servants, dutifully ministering to the
needs of their ruler. And ahead of the entourage who followed strode a
couplet of youths upholding the tail of what would have been the train
of what should have been the suit of finery if the suit had in fact
ever been.
The king strode pompously
through the
streets of the city, his regal nose in the air, proudly displaying his
elegant new attire. With much puff, the supercilious king relished in
the cheers of adulation and approval engendered toward his elegance
and`ostentation. For what else could one do but that which those amidst
the throng did do? To demonstrate one's awareness of the nudity of one
so splendidly naked would be to display one's lack of intellect and
discernment: for all knew that the clothing upon the king could only be
seen by the most sagacious of the citizenry.
Amongst the much ado of the
hoi polloi, a
keen observer might well observe a desire to look askance at one
another: had there been such a one to look askance at: for none in the
congregation would have dared to display their lack of wisdom by
looking askance at another.
Therefore, in order to be
seen as wise, all
who would be wise remained a popinjay rather than display an iota of
quiddity toward the scene so overtly blatant before them.
Then, amidst the jubilant
throng rang the
voice of a child:
"Mommy, the king has no
clothes on!"
OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES
Jesus said:
3Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:)
3And
said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 18:)
25At
that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Mat 11:)
16And
said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them,
Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou
hast perfected praise? (Mat 21:)
Children will say what they see. As children grow older, they are
taught to lie and to hold their tongue when it is discovered that they
do not see what they are told to see.
And this we do.
The end result of this
"maturing process" is
this:
39And
Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see
not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40And
some
of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto
him, Are we blind also? 41Jesus
said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye
say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:)
Matthew 23
1Then
spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2Saying,
The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3All
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do;
15And
thou [Moses] shalt speak
unto him [Aaron], and put
words in his mouth:
and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you
what ye shall do. 16And
he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even
he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him
instead of God. (Ex 6:)
This is a powerful position
in which to be.
Whatever this person, the Scribe and the Pharisee, says is true, those
of his congregation are to believe and do. They represent God to the
Church and speak the very Words of God. This is an awesome
responsibility that should not be taken lightly. And it is one that I
am glad I am not called to.
Scribes at the time of Jesus copied the Words of the Book meticulously
in order that every synagogue might have a copy. Because these people
knew the words so well, therefore they knew the law so well, they were
called "lawyers." These lawyers supposedly knew what God was saying.
Today we no longer use Scribes as they did before the printing press,
but we still have "lawyers" with us, those to whom we go when we want
God's Word interpreted or explained. These we call "Theologians."
Theologians are the "experts" of religion.
In the days of Moses and
before the kings,
the Jews lived under a Theocracy ("Theo" being Greek for "god," or
"god-centered"). During the Millennium and thereafter we will once
again be living under a Theocracy. A Theocracy is when God Himself
rules over the people of the land.
Theologians during this day
and age are the
lawyers, the "Judges" of God's Word to us. They tell the preachers and
the teachers what God says they should teach us, the unlearned, in the
ways of God.
When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the Sadducees, who were in
essence like the Levitical Priesthood in that they were directly
attached to the Temple, were obliterated. But the Pharisees, the
teachers and the rulers of the synagogues (local "churches" scattered
throughout the world) continue to this day.
We have this bit of
information that
demonstrates the power of these Pharisees, especially the most powerful
of these powerful people:
6Therefore
said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth
not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do
such miracles? And there was a division among them........ [Speaking of
the man born blind who Jesus healed] 20His
parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that
he was born blind: 21But
by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes,
we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. 22These
words
spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had
agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he
should be put out of the synagogue [see verse 6 for the identity of the
"Jews"]. (John 9:)
And we have this:
42Nevertheless
among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the
Pharisees they did not confess him,
lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43For
they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:)
Even the rulers, the very highest political authority of the land
feared the Pharisees, as well as did the Pharisees fear the Pharisees.
What power!
Another picture of the power
church
officials can wield upon even the highest of kings can be seen
throughout Europe's Dark Ages. Kings feared the Christian "Pharisees"
as much as did the Jews of Jesus' day fear their Pharisees. Even kings
feared being put out of the church by which they become doomed to hell
for eternity.
Pharisees are with us today, not only with the Jews, but with those of
us in the church as well. We now call our Pharisees "Pastors,"
"Priests" and other such titles. They head the churches and tell us,
the
common folk, what the Theologians say that God has told us we are to
hear.
We, today, have the
impression that
Pharisees are all nasty people, haters of God. This is not so. The
Pharisees were the crème de la crème of the Godly
people. Their biggest problem was that they knew
they were the elite of God, and because of their self-righteousness,
they believed they understood God and His Word. And like in the days of
Jesus, there are many Pharisees who believe on Jesus, and are even his
disciples, secretly. And just like in those days, in spite of the fact
that these believers now know better than what is commonly taught, they
continue to preach and to teach the traditions that Jesus condemned.
Back to Matthew chapter 23
and what Jesus
had to say to the Pharisees:
3But
do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4For
they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them
on men's shoulders; but they themselves
will not move them with one of their fingers.
This is no longer true in the Modern and the Fundamental Protestant
churches. Instead of adding
to what God has said to do, they have essentially deny
what God has said for us to do, and even make it a sin
to obey the commandments of Jesus. Regardless, the Word of God has been
changed and covered over with theology and tradition making God's Word
of non-effect.
5But
all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6And
love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the
synagogues, 7And
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But
be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even
Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9And
call no man
your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10Neither
be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even
Christ. 11But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble
himself shall be exalted.
Here come the Words of Jesus to those who are our instructors, the ones
who claim to know the will of God.
Take heed.
13But
woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the
kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows'
houses,
How often have you seen pleas for money to support this or that from
the pulpits, taking from the poor and the widows in effort to finance
some "worthy cause" while the ones who speak the words wear expensive
suits and drive fine cars? Everything Jesus and the Apostles said
applies just as much for us today as it did when the words were spoken.
"Shut up the Kingdom of Heaven." How did the Pharisees shut up the
Kingdom of Heaven?
For one they refused to
believe in the
Kingdom as taught by Jesus. And they denied the "Door" to Heaven, which
we know to be Jesus. They did not believe themselves, and as seen
above, they threatened those who did
believe with ejection from the church.
Today this still holds true.
In almost any
church (except perhaps the Modern ecumenical churches where anything
goes) if you do not believe the "We Believe's" of the church, you are
not allowed to be a part of that church and will be put out, unless you
do as did the believing Pharisees and keep your beliefs to yourself.
Another way in which the
churches today shut
up the Kingdom of Heaven is by placing signposts in front of the church
door (called doctrine) redirecting those who seek the Kingdom to a land
of fantasy and wild imaginings.
It's these very imaginings
that is the
subject of this study.
And for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye
shall receive the greater damnation
[Remember who Jesus is talking
to here: the teachers of His flock, not
to the sheep themselves. Teachers take heed]. 15Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold
more the child of hell than yourselves. ......
We call those who go throughout the world to proselytize "Missionaries"
today.
"But, missionaries are a good
thing, aren't they?"
Do you really think so?
Consider that by far
most of the missionaries who are being persecuted, that you hear
praised in your church; are from the "cults" who all "true" churches
condemn, they and their doctrine, to the pit of hell. Yet the
conventional churches point to these persecuted missionaries as Martyrs
for the Word, as if adding to their
own victories, while defaming
the Martyrs for their beliefs. [Jehovah's Witnesses are the most
persecuted since they are the most vocal and are strong in evangelism.
Mormons also have a history of persecution and are big on evangelism.
And in some parts of the world it is the Bahia who are highly
persecuted.]
We preach that God's Word
should be preached
to all the world. This is true. But just as in Jesus' day, it is not
the Word of God that is being spread to the world, but multitudes of
competing doctrines that have thrown the World and the churches into
utter confusion. It is not as much the purpose of churches who send out
missionaries to win souls to Christ as it is to expand the denomination
and add to the tally they post of souls won.
Many countries, especially
this country of
America, have just such a history. For the most part people came to
this country at great risk of their lives to either escape persecution
for the beliefs they held, or like the Catholic church, to spread their
doctrine and expand their field of interest. The many missions are
reminders of this time, even though these missions were established to
teach the "heathen" Indians, who in the opinion of the church, were
unsavable because of their race.
Please note! I am not
talking about the
missionaries themselves, nor their supporters. It is the church
leaders, the Pharisees that I am speaking of.
The President of a nation
sits in his easy
chair and with a stroke of the pen sends thousands of young obedient
and sincere soldiers to their death. It is this same attitude many of
the leaders of the churches possess when they make up their doctrines
and their dictates.
23Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone.
The churches today, to their credit, now do
teach mercy and faith. But for the most part these have been dumbed
down, as has the rest of God's Word, and they have made these and other
commandments "suggestions" (of non-effect) rather than requirements.
And this the World has also done, preaching Peace and Love and "Let us
all think the same" (ecumenicalism), homogenizing and making Luke-warm
every belief and behavior the Bible teaches.
24Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of
extortion and excess. 26Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which
is within the cup and platter,
that the outside of them may be clean also. 27Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto
whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead men's
bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even
so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full
of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs
of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Remember, I did not say these things: Jesus did. Whether you agree with
my commentaries are not is of little importance. This we shall see when
we shall see. But the Words Jesus spoke should be taken to heart and
prayed over to see if any of it applies to you personally, or to the
doctrine of the church you attend.
It is obvious that no Preacher or Theologian is going to acknowledge in
any way that they are like the Pharisees or the Scribes of Jesus' day.
And why should
they accept such an accusation? They know, as do you and I, that they
are sincere in their beliefs and in their efforts (those who are
sincere, clearly all are not). But ask a Fundamental pastor if he
believes the Jehovah's Witnesses are Pharisees, and you will very
likely receive an enthusiastic acknowledgment. Ask a Catholic Priest if
an Evangelical pastor is a Pharisee, and watch his reaction.
One of the biggest problems
today is that
everyone is so busy analyzing the other guy, the other denominations
and doctrines that they do not bother looking at themselves to see if
there might be error in their own ways or their own beliefs. They, like
the Pharisees, continue following the many traditions handed to them
from their forefathers without giving any consideration as to whether
they are of God or not, or if they even make sense or not. And, as
shown above, those who believed Jesus at all, did not dare to witness
to such a fact or they would have been put out of their denomination,
that is the synagogue, posthaste.
This is exactly the
situation today. Pastors
and Theologians, and every other leader of any of the churches must
march exactly in the footsteps of those who preceded them or they will
be forced out of the assembly.
There are some denominations and churches who refer to themselves as
"Nondenominational" or "Independent." These might have a little
more leeway as to what they may believe and to preach: but not much.
These also must abide by certain unforgiving standards and doctrines or
chance being considered a "Cult," or "Modern."
Because of this ridged
structure in the
churches, error in doctrine is impossible to weed out, and those false
doctrines continue to grow.
And, I have found, the more
false a doctrine
is, the more absurd it is, the larger it becomes and the greater and
more widespread its roots.
There are certain doctrines in the church that have been, and continue
to be an embarrassment both to the laity and to the leadership of the
churches. Yet, because these doctrines are so embedded in the belief
system of the churches, and because they have so much appeal, they are
not questioned. All who view these doctrines consider them as they
would the Emperor's New Cloths; they pretend they see and understand
what they are being presented with.
There are three doctrines in particular that stand above the others in
absurdity. One such doctrine I have already given a peripheral study
under the heading: Lucifer,
the Making of a Doctrine. This
fantasy is especially difficult to uproot because of its occult nature.
Being about the devil and wicked demons this doctrine appeals to not
only all the churches, but the secular world as well. The doctrine, one
might say, is double-rooted.
Another such doctrine with overtones of Science Fiction is that of the
Rapture. I am not just talking about the Pre-Trib Rapture that is
believed by so many (though certainly not all), but the rapture as
viewed by all
the churches and cults alike.
In the future I will do a
study of this
doctrine, but for now I will leave it as stated.
There's one other doctrine that is believed even by the secular world
who do not even believe the Bible is true, and that is the doctrine of
an eternal fiery hell. This I will be presenting in the days to come.
Today, the doctrine I want to address is that of Heaven. More
specifically, the doctrine of the Bride of Christ. Although the other
doctrines I have mentioned might either lure or frighten people into
the churches, they have no particular eternal effect but to entertain
and cause one to cease from thinking.
The doctrine of the Bride of
Christ however,
being seen in a twisted and obscure light, causes many (if not all) to
miss the mark completely, should a believer even bother to load his bow.
Understanding the Word of God and His intentions require certain things
that are not possible by the carnal mind. Yet, it appears to me, that
these requirements have been ignored completely when doctrine is
established, and all that is at play is the mind of men.
The first requirement that must be met to understand what God has to
say to us is that we must set aside our own wants and expectations, and
view the Bible from God's perspective.
As long as we believe God has placed us here on earth in order that He
might serve us, we will never see the Truth of God's purpose for us,
that is, Mankind.
God has created us, and all
His creation,
for His
purpose, and not ours. He, unlike what is taught in the churches, is
not as interested in making us happy and contented, but rather He
expects us to dedicate our lives to making Him
happy and pleased with us. Those who do not leave their own ego and
lusts behind and want to follow Jesus (thereby God) even to the cross
will not reap the rewards they expect, nor will they seek the
understanding of God as He wants us to see Him.
26If
any man
come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he
cannot be my disciple. 27And
whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my
disciple. 28For
which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient
to finish it?
(John 14:)
21Not
every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many
will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy
name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many
wonderful works? 23And
then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. (Mat 7:)
We are taught in many of the churches that as long as we have been
dunked in water (in the right church with the right words said over our
heads) and spoken a few words read from a piece of paper that whatever
we do from that point on is ok because we will still be acceptable to
God. Then, we are told, it is God's responsibility to get us the rest
of the way to Heaven. I see this following Scripture and wonder how
such a doctrine could possibly ever be (remember, these Words are
spoken to the Church, not to the World):
15I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot. 16So
then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth. 17Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and
poor, and blind, and naked: 18I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that
the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with
eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19As
many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21To
him that overcometh will I
grant to sit with me in my throne, even
as I also overcame, and am
set down with my Father in his throne. 22He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
(Rev 3:)
"To him that overcometh," have you ever wondered what those words mean?
You might just look into the subject (I've done a study on Overcomers,
and I'm sure there are many others around as well). But take heed that
you don't accept the fantasy that you became an "instant Overcomer"
when you took your bath.
If we surrender ourselves heart and soul to the Lord, we
will still be unable to understand God's Word. By clearing the path to
such knowledge (ridding ourselves of ego) we will have made it possible
for God to provide us with what we need, albeit a step at a time, to
understand Him.
This is what the Bible tells
us Jesus will
do if we are His true disciples (not just in name-tag only):
12I
have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that
shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. 14He
shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it
unto you. (John 16:)
In order to understand God we must have the Spirit of God, that is the
Holy Spirit. Jesus knew the will of His Father because He had the Holy
Spirit working in Him. We also must have the Holy Spirit working in us
if we expect to understand God.
23But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24God is
a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth. (John 4:)
Jesus referred to the receiving of the Word of the Kingdom as seed cast
upon the ground.
16But
blessed are
your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17For
verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men
have desired to see those
things which ye see, and have
not seen them;
and to hear those things
which ye hear, and have not heard them. 18Hear
ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19When
any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which
received seed by the way side. 20But
he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that
heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21Yet
hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when
tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is
offended. 22He
also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word;
and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the
word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23But
he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word,
and understandeth it;
which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty. (Mat 13:)
We are taught that everyone who takes a bath is filled with the Holy
Spirit and that we can not lose the Holy Spirit. This is not the way I
read the above Scripture.
When we have fully accepted the Holy Spirit, the One who will instruct
us in the ways of God, like with any other aspect of life, there is a
learning process that must take place.
Not everyone wants to learn.
Many want it
now, or they don't want it at all. When I taught art I ran into this
problem frequently. A student would take a few jabs at a complicated
subject, then throw up his hands in resignation, acknowledging himself
a failure.
Paul, in his writings, often referred to the beginning of the learning
process as feeding milk to babies. This metaphor is especially
appropriate considering that Jesus called the conversion process being
"born again." We must learn everything anew.
2As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby: 3If
so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious. (1Pet 2:)
1And
I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even
as unto babes in Christ. 2I
have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not
able to bear it,
neither yet now are ye able. (1Cor 3:)
There are many people who enjoy their status as a baby. As long as one
remains a child they do not have to take responsibility for themselves
or their actions.
Church members are
especially prone to
remaining a baby. They love the milk of the Word, having the Word
spoon-fed to them once a week or so and fully accepting whatever they
are given. An extreme of this type of thinking is the Jim Jones
incident where 900 people not only intentionally drank poison but fed
it to their children as well, because that is what their religious
leader said they should do.
You wouldn't have taken the
poison? I have
no doubt but that every one who did
willingly take the poison would have denied enthusiastically that they
too would ever do such a thing. Yet they did.
Such is the power of the
Pharisee.
It is the intention that a seed placed in the ground should grow. And
the hope is that it will grow tall and beautiful, providing much fruit
and seed. It is also intended that a baby will grow out of diapers and
off the bottle thereby learning to think for himself and eat grownup
food. This process is seen in our schools (at least it used to be) that
a first grader will learn first grade material, not so he can remain a
first grader, but so that he can advance into the second grade, and
eventually through college.
A High School student with a
first grade
education would appear ridiculous, and he would be made to feel foolish
indeed. This situation exists in an area of moderate importance
compared to learning the ways of the Lord that will have Eternal
consequences.
Yet, year after year, decade
after decade a
church member can attend a church and not learn one iota more than that
which he or she learned the day they first walked through the doors of
that church, and no one thinks a thing of it.
And why should
such a one think anything of their lack of understanding of the Word?
In every church what is
preached is nothing more than pablum at best, and at worst it is funny
anecdotes and fairy tales that tickle the ear that's presented as the
Words of God.
Paul says this about moving past childhood:
1Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God, 2Of
the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3And
this will we do, if God permit (Heb 6:)
11Of
whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are
dull of hearing. 12For
when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach
you again which be
the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have
need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For
every one that useth milk is
unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But
strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil.
(Heb 5:)
Sound familiar? Remember these words?
3But
of the fruit of the tree which is
in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it,
neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And
the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For
God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened, and ye shall be
as gods, knowing good and evil.
(Gen 3:)
Man from the beginning has wanted to be like God. What Man (Adam, the
human race) did not value at that time was the eternal life available
to him if he remained obedient. Nor is Eternal life valued or even
believed to exist today, this evidenced by the lack of effort toward
achieving that goal. Eternal life is merely a topic of interesting
conversation (rarely discussed) or a sermon from the pulpit (rarely
preached). It is not a goal toward which to strive and prepare for as a
runner would a marathon crown.
Because of his disobedience,
man lost
everything.
But all need not be lost. It
was not God's
intention that man should forever remain in darkness. But those who do
not yield to the same selfish disobedience of our foreparents are again
presented with the tree of eternal life, as well as the knowledge that
Adam and Eve risked everything for.
22And
the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good
and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the
tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (Gen 3:)
Now, far from the beginning of God's creation, and at the close of
God's purposes for man, we read this:
14Blessed are
they that do his
commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of
life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city. 15For
without are
dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Rev 22:)
God has brought man full circle. Once again He will have what He set
out to do in the beginning, that is to have Man, His creation, to walk
with in the garden. But unlike what we are taught, those who cling to
their selfish ways will not be among those who fellowship with God, but
it will be those who desire nothing more than to do God's will, and are
willing to sacrifice all their worldly pleasure to that end.
Live here on earth and lose
a life with God.
surrender your pleasures here and gain treasures in Heaven (Luke 17:33;
Mat 7:2; 20:16).
As stated in Hebrews 5:14, it is those who have left the bottle and are
feeding on the meat of the Word who will gain the knowledge of good and
evil. It's not those who are satisfied with pablum and pleasant bedtime
stories.
Notice the last verses
above. Those who have
not overcome their sinful nature, who are still after what Adam and Eve
were after, satisfying their lusts; have no access to the Tree of Life.
They may be saved, but the rewards they seek are not theirs to receive.
HEAVEN
I began this study with a fairy tale. So then why am I telling you
about the ways of the churches and how to study the Bible?
In order to understand what is true, the false must first be exposed
and set aside. When the entire world believes the lie, and has believed
it for thousands of years, it is near impossible to just decide to not
believe it. It takes a special process to uproot the old so the new may
be planted.
[ I must offer a preface before I enter into this study. As I gather
material to present I become overwhelmed by the magnitude of false
doctrines that blend one into another. I come across entire chapters
that I must somehow present as a verse or two in order to not have this
study overly large. I find established beliefs that are derived from
twisted and warped Scripture that to me appear beyond untangling
without spending years of intense effort and volumes of books.
It is beyond me. I am going
to try to
untangle this mess for you, but my inclination is to throw up my hands
in resignation and say: READ THE BIBLE!!!
My thinking is if a person
really wanted to
understand what God has to tell them, they would search the Word for
themselves. But at the same time I realize, as I have stated, that God
has hidden His Truth which is why fantasy is so prevalent. I also
realize that if you, the reader of this study, were not interested in
finding Truth, then you would not be reading what I have to say,
perhaps in hope that I might have some light to shed on the subject.
So, for your
sake, I will do the best I can to give you some material with which to
find the Truth.
Of course we know that it is
impossible for
me or anyone else to show you the Truth of anything. That is a job
accomplished by the Holy Spirit alone. Therefore, if you do not have
the Holy Spirit guiding you, you will find nothing of value in this or
any other study.
As stated, I am going to try
and clarify the
truth about Heaven for you. I expect to fail miserably in my attempt.
But whether I fail, or should I succeed to any degree, it will be up to
you to glean from these pages what will satisfy you.]
There are two other factors which help make a fantasy difficult to
uproot. The first factor is the reason people believe fantasy in the
first place. Fantasy is more pleasing than the Truth, on the surface.
And since fantasy is more pleasing to the carnal man's itching ears, it
is more easily taught and accepted.
The Truth, on the other hand
requires the
releasing of our carnal desires, and truly wanting to understand the
Spiritual things of God. In order to understand the Spiritual, we must
first possess the Spirit. We have seen this above so I won't belabor
the point here.
Once the Spirit is at work,
the learning
process begins. Learning is a step-by-step process. The second step
isn't revealed until the first step has been taken. At that time a hint
of the second step is given us, and along with that hint comes a desire
to learn more.
The second factor that makes learning the Truth near impossible, at
least in this case, is that this one (meaning me) saying that he has
the Truth you should accept, is an electronically disembodied nobody
with no history of preaching the Word nor any accreditation whatsoever.
Were you or anyone else to accept what I say, and try to give an
account as to why you chose to retreat from an overwhelmingly popular
belief, you would find it embarrassingly difficult at best to explain
your position.
Thus far I have given you reasons as to why you should, and why you
should not, consider my view. Now for that view.
The traditional Christian view of Heaven is a mansion in the sky that
Jesus is building at this moment for His chosen people. When a
Christian dies he or she is given a pair of wings, a harp, and a long
white robe. And then for eternity all these special people will have to
do is float around Heaven all day and play their harp.
Sounds exciting.
I suspect that anyone who
has considered
this concept of Heaven at all has found it suspicious. But having
nothing else presented to us whereby we can see Heaven any differently,
the thinking person ceases from thinking about Heaven, and just accepts
the common view. And what else can a person do?
Should the thinking person
research the
subject of Heaven for him or her self, all evidence they might find
will either support the common view, or make no sense whatever. So
there again, the thinking person will most likely disregard anything
they have found to the contrary, and accept the common view.
I have to admit, all
evidence points to the
fact that the common view of Heaven is supported in the Bible. Although
such a concept makes no sense whatever, and one might wonder why they
should sacrifice the few years they have here on earth in order to
spend eternity doing that which is useless at best, and boring as all
get out at worse; yet we continue to believe, and to work toward that
end. (I use the words "work" and "believe" with extreme latitude.)
There is a counter reason for one aiming at that which does not really
sound all that appealing; and that is avoidance of the alternative to
Heaven.
Hell.
According to the doctrines
of the churches
we have but two choices; an eternity in suspended animation called
Heaven, or an eternity in a pit of fire shoveling coal for the devil.
The latter is a choice none of us would want to think about for long,
and the mere thought of such a destiny makes boredom look exciting.
We accept what we are taught. Most Christian churches allow no
alternative but the two mentioned here. (Some add purgatory for those
inadequately prepared for Heaven, but that is not a very appealing
thought either.) And again, if a thinking person was to research for
themself what the Bible says about Heaven and hell, they would be able
to find only what is popularly believed. The single alternative left
for the thinker is to either dismiss the concept of Heaven and hell
altogether, which would mean giving up your Christianity, and your
church; or to make up your own belief about Heaven and hell as have
others we call cults.
Of those who desire to believe in accordance with their church, and yet
wish to read what the Bible says for themselves (I will use you as an
example), certain insurmountable problems will inevitably confront you.
One problem you will run into is that of Jesus, our Lord, God
incarnate, spending His valuable time laying bricks somewhere in the
sky so that we, the Casual Christian will have a place to live:
2In
my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also. (John 14:)
And there we have it. Jesus Himself said that He is going to prepare a
place for us.
In this same Scripture another problem arises. God having a house. God
lives in a house? And in that house, there are enough houses for the
millions of houses Jesus is building for His followers?
Kind of hard to swallow,
isn't it? But
swallow hard, because that is what your church teaches, and there's no
other way to see those verses.
Is there?
God lives in a house. I particularly find this interesting because of
this Scripture:
23But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24God is
a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him
in spirit and in truth. (John 4:)
God is Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit.
Does spirit live in a house
do you think?
Does spirit set us housekeeping like we do?
There are many people who
see God in the
same light as Michelangelo's painting of Him in the Cystine Chapel. In
fact there are some who would say, and others who might not say so but
believe the same, that when they die they will climb up on Papa God's
lap and play with His long gray beard.
We know there's something
wrong with the
picture we have formed of God, but since there is no alternative
presented to us, we turn a blind eye to the matter and pretend like it
is of no consequence.
Heaven is in the air somewhere. Probably in the clouds. If that were so
then those who fly in airplanes must have seen Heaven.
Of course we know that
hasn't happened.
Then perhaps Heaven is even
higher. Maybe if
we sent a space ship high enough we can see Heaven. Do you think this
is possible?
Heaven has to be in the air somewhere. We know this because of these
verses:
13But
I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which
are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are
asleep. 16For
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first: 17Then
we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the
Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore
comfort one another with these words. (1Thes 4:)
36But
of that day and hour knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But
as the days of Noe were,
so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For
as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark, 39And
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then
shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(Mat 24:)
9And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up;
and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10And
while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two
men stood by them in white apparel; 11Which
also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this
same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.(Acts 1:)
Of course we all know these verses of Scripture are talking about the
Rapture of the church. Right? And what else could
they be referring to? After all, we all know, and we have all been
taught by regardless which church we belong to that Jesus is going to
come out of nowhere and take His people away to Heaven. Right?
The church is going to Heaven.
But yet we are told:
11And
I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him
was
called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make
war. 12His
eyes were
as a flame of fire, and on his head were
many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself. 13And
he was
clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word
of God. 14And
the armies which were
in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white
and clean. 15And
out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And
he hath on his
vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS. (Rev 19:)
12And,
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is
with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Rev 22:)
Jesus is returning to earth?
To do battle?
And who are those mighty warriors dressed in white with Him? And here
we have Jesus bringing the rewards to be given out here on earth rather
than in that mansion in the sky?
Another problem we run into with the common view of Heaven: the Bride
of Christ.
Paul said:
2For
I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to
one husband, that I may present you
as a chaste virgin to Christ.
(2Cor 11:)
22Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the Saviour of the body. 24Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let
the wives be
to their own husbands in every thing. (Eph 5:)
And Jesus gave us this parable:
1Then
shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And
five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. 3They
that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And
at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him. (Mat 25:)
And this:
14Then
came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees
fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15And
Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as
long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. (Mat 9:)
And John the Baptist gave us this:
29He
that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because
of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. (John 3:)
Now we run into a problem. God has made it clear that we are to only
have one spouse. And He has made it equally clear that He does not
believe in divorce except for the case of adultery.
22And
the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and
brought her unto the man. 23And
Adam said, This is
now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man. 24Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his
wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25And
they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (Gen
2:)
This is Adam speaking here of his new wife. But his statement was
confirmed by Jesus:
4And
they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her
away. 5And
Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he
wrote you this precept. 6But
from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7For
this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his
wife; 8And
they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one
flesh. 9What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10And
in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11And
he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry
another, committeth adultery against her. 12And
if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she
committeth adultery. (Mark 10:)
Have you seen the problem yet?
The problem comes from the
fact that God was
already wed: to Israel:
4Fear
not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for
thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy
youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5For
thy Maker is
thine husband; the LORD of hosts is
his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole
earth shall he be called. (Isa 54:)
20Surely as
a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt
treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. 21A
voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and
supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their
way, and
they have forgotten the LORD their God. (Jer 3:)
31Behold,
the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
LORD: 33But
this shall be
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; (Jer 31:)
God already has a wife. So then, how can the Church also be the Bride
of God?
39The
wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her
husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only
in the Lord. (1Cor 7:)
1Know
ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the
law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2For
the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed
from the law of her
husband. 3So
then if, while her
husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an
adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so
that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4Wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another, even
to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God. (Rom 7:)
As long as the husband is alive, the wife can't remarry. And of course
the converse is true as well: the husband can remarry if the wife is
dead.
There is another consideration as well, that is, according to the above
Scriptures, Israel, the wife had
committed adultery, therefore clearing the way for the husband (God) to
remarry.
But in order to have a divorce, there must be a writing of divorcement.
Is any such document recorded in the Bible?
31Behold,
the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
LORD: (Jer 31:)
When we read the New Testament we are reading God's voiding of His
contract of marriage with Israel the nation, and the contract of
marriage with His new bride, the Church, the true Israel:
6Not
as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are
not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7Neither,
because they are the seed of Abraham, are
they all children: but, In
Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That
is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are
not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed.(Rom 9:)
We have seen that there are two Israels. And we know that all who are
of Israel are not the true Israel, but those of the Spirit are the true
Israel.
The true bride is not a
bride of the flesh,
but of the Spirit. God is Spirit. And so must the bride be Spirit as
well.
6But
now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is
the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better
promises. 7For
if that first covenant
had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second. 8For
finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the
Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah: 9Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt;
because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not,
saith the Lord. 10For
this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those
days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to
me a people: 11And
they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least
to the greatest. 12For
I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more. 13In
that he saith, A new covenant,
he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is
ready to vanish away. (Heb 8:)
Adultery is enough for obtaining a divorce. But the Jews provided an
even stronger reason for the divorce:
39The
wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her
husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only
in the Lord. (1Cor 7:)
1Know
ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the
law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2For
the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her
husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed
from the law of her
husband. 3So
then if, while her
husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an
adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so
that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4Wherefore,
my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another, even
to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit
unto God. (Rom 7:)
Remember this? If the husband is dead, the wife can remarry.
I suppose that in just about
every country
there is a law which states that if a person is executed they have paid
their penalty and are then free from the law of reprisal. That is to
say that if a convicted person is hung for a crime, and should that
person survive the execution, that person can not be executed again for
that crime and is therefore free of the law. There have even been
occurrences of this very thing throughout history.
As a for-instance, let us
say that a wife
was to murder her husband, and that husband died and was brought back
to life. Would that man be forced by law to remain married to
his murderer?
Jesus (reportedly) stated that He is the "I AM" of the Bible. Jesus, by
way of the
Holy Spirit, the Shekinah Glory, was the husband of Israel. The I AM of
the Bible rescued His bride; conditioned His bride through a wilderness
training; established the rules for the marriage, which the bride
(Israel) agreed to several times ("counted the cost"); and He gave His
bride a dowery of a land flowing with milk and honey.
Then, after having done all,
and after the
bride had played the harlot many time, the Bridegroom left His bride
and went on a far journey.
Then for over 500 years,
from Nehemiah until
the birth of Jesus, we have a silent period during which God said
little and stayed in the background, allowing events to go as they may
without Him (seemingly). When the time had come, the Bridegroom
returned for His bride: and the bride rejected and killed their awaited
Bridegroom.
41And
when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42Saying,
If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which
belong unto thy peace! but now
they are hid from thine eyes. 43For
the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench
about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44And
shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and
they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou
knewest not the time of thy visitation. (Luke 19:)
34O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that
are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children
together, as a hen doth gather
her brood under her
wings, and ye would not! 35Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye
shall not see me, until the
time come when ye shall say,
Blessed is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Luke 13:34)
The Jew's rejection of their awaited Messiah, their Rescuer, their
Husband: opened the door for us Gentiles to enter into their place. Had
the Jews accepted their Messiah, we the Gentiles could only have been
lost as were those Gentiles until the time of Jesus. Now the way for a
Gentile to be lost is to reject their Husband, refuse to be an obedient
and faithful bride as did the Jews. (Those Gentiles in the Church. All
other Gentiles remain as of old.)
The I AM of the Old Testament went on a far journey. This was a
foreshadowing of the very situation in which we live today. Jesus
expressed this venture in several ways. Here are two examples:
1Then
shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2And
five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. 3They
that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4But
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6And
at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him. 7Then
all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8And
the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are
gone out. 9But
the wise answered, saying, Not
so; lest there be not enough
for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for
yourselves. 10And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12But
he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of
man cometh.
14For the kingdom of heaven is
as a man travelling into a far country, who
called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And
unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to
every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his
journey. 16Then
he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same,
and made them
other five talents. 17And
likewise he that had received
two, he also gained other two. 18But
he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his
lord's money. 19After
a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20And
so he that had received five talents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I
have gained beside them five talents more. 21His
lord said unto him, Well done, thou
good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I
will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord. 22He
also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them. 23His
lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then
he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee
that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And
I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there
thou hast that is
thine. 26His
lord answered and said unto him, Thou
wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed
not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou
oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then
at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take
therefore the talent from him, and give it
unto him which hath ten talents. 29For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:
but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30And
cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mat 25:)
When Jesus returned for His bride after a 500 year journey they
rejected Him and killed Him.
This time Jesus will return
for His new
bride after a 2,000 year journey. What do you suppose He will find when
He arrives? (Luke 12:49)
And here we come to the crux of this study.
I said in the beginning of this article that out of the many fantasies
taught by the churches, this one of Heaven is perhaps the most
dangerous. The reason I say this doctrine is dangerous is because it
directs the chosen, the elect, the bride of Christ away from the
Bridegroom. It instructs the bride to look the other way when the
Bridegroom comes for His bride. This is the very thing the Pharisees
and the High Priests of Jesus' day were doing: telling those who were
obedient and following their Lord that they were being deceived, and
they, the rulers, were ejecting the believers from the Temple, and
eventually hunting them down and killing them.
This doctrine also
encourages the bride to
play the harlot as did Israel in the Old Testament. Churches, rather
than teaching the bride to prepare herself for her Husband; to purify
and make herself a presentable and a pure virgin: they tell her that
she should be pleasing herself and that regardless of the state she is
in, the Bridegroom will whisk her away to His mansion in the sky (Mat
25:10-13).
The Bride is being told, as
Eve was told in
the garden, that she "will not surely die" if she indulges herself in
her lusts and her own pleasures.
Read again the parables in
Matthew chapter
25. See if your church teaches you in accordance with those verses of
Scripture.
Let us review what we have so far:
To Part 2
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