Sovereignty of God and Man

post 223

How can both man and God be sovereign?
The Calvinist/Armenian disagreement is not hinged on whether God is sovereign or not, nor is it debated that man is sovereign; both doctrines believe that man acts with choice, in fact this is why Calvinists do not reject the idea of putting a child molester or murderer in prison; man is to be accountable for his own actions and indeed God has made this more than clear in his scripture. “Do not murder”. But if man can be rightly held accountable for his sin he must also have the option of an alternative choice, this choice we call free-will; i.e. sovereignty.
So the argument is not the sovereignty of God or man but how both can be sovereign at the same time and in what relational degree.

Going through the Acts of the Apostles again and again, I was startled to suddenly discover the overlying answer to the persistent conflict of the Sovereignty of God vs. the Free will of man. I believe revealing this is a primary purpose of the book of Acts. Let me explain:
* * *

An Extra 40 Days:
After Jesus was raised from the Dead he spent 40 more days on earth before returning to heaven and assume his throne on the right of the Father.
Why?
What did he do in those 40 days he could not do in the 3 years of his ministry?
And why did the Son of God take 30 years to grow up before beginning his ministry of only 3 years?
Is this just some meaningless romance novel written by God to fill pages between important parts, or is there some great meaning behind it all?

The greatest mistake we can make in reading the Acts (and the other books of the Bible), is to assume it is primarily a history of past events. While it is indeed a history of past events, the primary purpose of the book is to reveal a comprehension of reality which we did not yet know or understand.

Theology is the study of God. But can you really put God into a box? Yet our theology does just that as we try to stuff God into our finite minds in the effort to understand Him. What we end up with is a very poor and corrupt perception of God by the mere portion of shirt tail we actually get in there. How small we must think God to be if we assume we can comprehend him at all!

Remember; God must be worshiped in truth (John 4:24). This is because Truth is whatever relates to reality.
God is.
He is not an illusion, or a thought, or a figment of our imagination. Neither is God a PART of our reality to be called on and dismissed as we choose perhaps one day out of seven to give him reverence.
God Is.
If we worship Him it must be done in truth. If truth really is whatever relates to reality then God IS reality. God must be worshiped in and by and through reality in truth.
But the limited truth our poor finite minds can comprehend does not come close to understanding God. So what are we to do?
Although the passage does end with worshiping God in truth, it doesn't begin with it;

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

Since we were born into an age when this kind of worship has always been the case, this verse is easily passed over as almost meaningless; “Of course” we say.
But take a look at the previous verses spoken in another age when Jesus was walking the earth in the kingdom of God’s law for the Jews (John 4:22) and God was worshiped in something else; the law, rules, the exercise of obedience.

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” John 4:23

Clearly before that day things were different than after that day. Jesus was identifying a significant change that took place in more than a change of empires.
I have previously shown that the 1st coming of Jesus on earth was at the change of ages. But his coming was not what changed the age.
The Jewish kingdom age was at its end and the Gentile age was well in place as the Nebuchadnezzar image revealed (Daniel 2). Jesus came to earth at the end of the Greek age of brass and the arrival of the Roman age of iron, (both Gentile ages) but what Jesus came to do was to seed the earth with the kingdom of heaven at the same time the kingdom of hell came to dominate in the form of the 4th diverse beast of Daniel 7:7-25 (Rome being the first of three progressively evil parts of this beast).
Why did Jesus do this at that time? Why did God wait thousands of years since the fall of Adam to send his Sacrifice of his Son?
“…When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 59:19-20

Jesus did not come at that time to establish his kingdom as his disciples had hoped;
“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6
The disciples were not asking the Lord so recently risen from the dead, if he was going to establish the nation of Israel which had not yet completely fallen, No. They now understood that Jesus was indeed God. They grasped fully that he was the Messiah of whom death itself could not hold. They now knew it was indeed He who would be the king of the the kingdom promised to Israel, and that it would be a heavenly kingdom on earth.
The kingdom they were asking about was the Kingdom of Heaven not Israel; They were asking about God’s dominion over the earth. Israel once had the kingdom of heaven but lost it. This is what the disciples were asking about being restored; "will you now restore the kingdom to Israel?"
So again the question; What did Jesus do for those 40 days after rising from the dead?
* * *

Lets take a few verses line by line:
Acts 1:1 “The former treatis have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,”
Acts 1:2a “Until the day in which he was taken up,…”

The author Luke refers to his Gospel bearing his name. The book of Luke is a first hand eye witness of all that Jesus did and taught while on earth. What did Jesus begin to do and teach? Jesus began to seed the earth with the concept of the kingdom of heaven and taught the ways of that kingdom. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 ect.
Theophilus 2321 in the Greek tongue means; from 2316 (Theos- God) and 5384 (philos- friend); friend of God. Acts begins by reminding the friends of God that the 1st book was about the Acts of Jesus.
So now what will we find in the Acts of the Apostles different that what we found in Luke?

Acts 1:2b “…Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:”

Ok, here we have a situation; Jesus was taken up after he, through the Holy Ghost, gave the apostles commandments. But remember; The holy Ghost could not come to them until after Jesus departed:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.” John 16:7
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” John 15:26 (John 14:26, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8, I Corinthians 2:13)
So how could he give commandments through the Holy Ghost before he was taken up?

The answer is that the Holy Ghost was on HIM as he taught but not on THEM;
“…but he that sent me (John) to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” John 1:33

Now stay with me.
The Old Testament has many examples of the Holy Ghost falling on men who then prophesied (I Samuel 10:10), but only for a period and specific purpose and then it departed from them.
Then quite differently than that, John the Baptist was full of the Holy Ghost while still in his mother’s womb! (Luke1:15), and both his mother and father were filled with the Holy Ghost at specific times (Luke 1:41, Luke 1:67), surely John must have been the one described in the verse above (John 1:6), But NO; Jesus is the only one that had the Holy Ghost "descend on him" (Matthew 3:16) and "remained on him" as he taught and commanded his apostles through the following years. The specifics of the scripture is very important.
It was this Jesus, full of the Holy Ghost, who promised that after he left, the Comforter (Holy Ghost) would come on them to teach and confirm what he had told them; “These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” John 14:25-26.
And later, after the fact; “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” I John 2:27.

But since the Holy Ghost now comes on all those who believe in Jesus Christ who sends him (I John 2:20,27, Acts 1:5,8, 2:38, etc.), why then do we find the Apostle Paul still preaching, even to the end of his life, the things Jesus just said the Holy Spirit himself would teach? (Acts 28:31). Why are we instructed to preach what Jesus commanded? “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I (Jesus) have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” Matthew 28:19-20.
Well that answer is easy enough; We who have the Comforter must preach to those who do not yet believe so that they can believe and receive the Holy Ghost who then teaches them the truth of what they have heard from us. It is a double header, a two-fold confirmation; “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Acts 5:32.
But here is where many modern believers stop in the truth, assuming there are simply those who have and those who have not the Holy Spirit, as if that is the end of it;
“I now have the Comforter and so can turn off my alarms of concern and rest in this possession under grace. God’s Spirit will lead me in his sovereignty so I have nothing to fear.”
Nice comfortable doctrine… BUT DEAD WRONG.
* * *

Walk Earnestly:
Galatians 6 begins; “BRETHREN, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Notice that the very first word in this chapter clearly defines those to whom it was written thereby excluding all others; This chapter was written only to the brethren in Christ.

AFTER clearly establishing this point, it goes right into a condition in which such a brethren can, and some will, be overtaken in a fault.
So begs the question; Where is the Holy Spirit teaching him all things as promised?
How can one who has been given the Holy Spirit of God to teach him all things find himself overtaken in a fault? Doesn’t this clearly state that a committed believer comforted by the Holy Spirit may in fact still be overtaken in a fault? YES it does.
and then comes another surprise; We are warned that even the spiritual who are to deal with this fault must themselves guard against falling to error through temptation!
The question then becomes; How does this happen? And just as importantly; Why?

There seems to remain a need for teachers to teach the teachers (Man is instructed to teach man: Deuteronomy 4:9, Matthew 28:20, Mark 6:30, Acts 28:31, II Timothy 2:1-2, etc.), but why is this If the Holy Ghost has now come on all believers? “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.” I John 2:27
The clue seems to be found in the previous verse;
“These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you” I John 2:26, (II Peter 2)
I will not here for brevity sake, go into just who the seducers are but to note that even the spiritual children of God are susceptible to seduction just as Eve in the perfect garden in perfect fellowship with God was nonetheless beguiled and fell from that perfect place and fellowship (Genesis 3).

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it” Hebrews 4:1.
What is the therefore there for? Read the previous chapter; The promised people of God, as our example, fell short after having been given the promise. How far did they fall short? Just look at the Jewish Holocaust! Where was their eternal security in being the children of promise then? (John 5:45)
Is Paul not clear enough yet? Simply read and ingest the clear words of the short books of I John and Jude. Do not waste your spirit of comprehension by twisting them to conform to your particular doctrine of faith, simply read it as if it meant exactly what it says.

Are you now currently walking fully in the light you have been given, or are you a bit compromised by your comfortable familiarity with the world? (I John 2:15, John 15:19)

The god of this world is a master at showing us the monster chained at the end of the room for the purpose of distracting us from the microscopic germ that crawls unnoticed through the skin of our unshod feet as we stand “a safe distance” while viewing the monster in curiosity.
You have no business abiding in that diseased room!
RUN NOW, it is not the chained monster that you should fear (James 4:1-4, Luke 9:62, Hebrews 12:14).

Virtually everything changes from the point of absorption, your illusion of faith has not protected you from what your feet are standing in (Luke 8:18 [as it follows 11-15]). Now the answer is no longer “more faith”, but a cure from the death you contracted after having been made alive. Anti-venom only works on the venom it was derived to combat. Your contracted death is a false perception which you must identify before the cure can work; That false perception is that Jesus blood can cleanse you while you remain in the sin that you choose not to see as sin; This is called iniquity (Titus 2:11-14, II Timothy 2:19) and is different than sin (Psalm 51:2-3).
Iniquity 458 anomia; Greek: from 459; illegality, i.e. violation of law or (general) wickedness.
Iniquity 93 adikia; Greek: from 94; (legal) injustice (properly the quality, by implication the act); morally wrongfulness (of character, life or act).
Iniquity 5771 avon; Hebrew: from 5753; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil.
Iniquity 205 aven; Hebrew: from an unused root perhaps meaning properly to pant (hence to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; specifically and idol.

Iniquity is a spiritually legal term meaning to break the known Law. Lawless.
This is a willful thing.
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee..." I Samuel 15:23 (see yourself in Saul's negotiation regarding his perception of "not actually rejecting" the word of the LORD.)

The word iniquity is used 315 times in scripture and is something we should fully understand. Today’s Christians constantly ask forgiveness for their sins but not having dealt with their iniquity, are powerless to refrain from more sin. Like Catholics before a priest they go to Jesus seeking absolution for sins they know full well they will commit again. This is not repentance because the iniquity remains in the heart (Psalm 28:3,40:12,41:6,64:6,66:18, Isaiah 57:17,Ezekiel 14:3,Hosea 4:8-9 to list a few).

That iniquity is not the topic of this present post. We are not speaking of willful sin sourced from iniquity; Here, we are discussing “missing the mark”;
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death." I John 5:16-17 (Exodus 20:20)
This is a sin due to ignorance or lack of understanding or confusion. These sins are dealt with in I John 1:9;
“If we confess our sins (266), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (266), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin (264) not. And if any man sin (264), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (2434) for our sins (266): and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2

sin 264 hamartano; perhaps from 1 (as a negative particle) and the base of 3313; properly to miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), i.e. (figurative) to err, especially (morally) to sin.
sins 266 hamartia; from 264; sin (properly abstract).
propitiation 2434 hilasmon; atonement, i.e. (concrete) an expiator.
atonement: 1. reconciliation, 2. Satisfactory reparation for an injustice or injury.

The iniquity in the heart of a common sinner is in ignorance of Jesus' offer of new life. The lowest, worst, most heinous wickedness is forgiven and cleansed by the sacrifice of the sinless Jesus Christ for the asking. But having understood such forgiveness, to fall back with knowledge in willfulness is a whole different thing entirely (Hebrews 10:26-31,38-39).
Judas was the only Apostle struggling with this back-sliding kind of sin and it destroyed him, all the others were committed to the Lord fully yet found themselves struggling with understanding application. This is the topic of this post.
* * *

Two Sovereigns:
How is it possible that we should be possessed of the Holy Ghost and yet still fall to subtle beguilement as did Eve? Is the Holy Ghost so powerless to protect us?
God forbid I should even whisper such a thought; IN NO WAY.
Yet the apparent problem clearly persists and seems to defy God’s Supreme Sovereignty in both doctrines of Calvinism (through the sovereignty only of God), and Armenianism (through the freewill of man under God's sovereignty). Only in the combination of ideas do we begin to see the incredible miracle of two sovereigns emerge and the awareness of the actual problem. But how is two sovereigns even possible!
Before I make my argument plain, lets look at the recorded scripture on the topic of Holy Ghost believers in the complexity and confusion of learning truth over time.
* * *

The learning of the Apostles:
The book of Acts does not hold back from the truth that once we receive the Holy Ghost of God we do not suddenly have all knowledge but learn it as we are taught and comprehend it (James 1:5). By its very nature learning is a process over time;
“But the anointing…teacheth you of all things… and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him” I John 2:27.
Here we see the context of time; the anointing first teaches you, then once it hath taught, you then shall abide.
This learning is not so much aided by, but rather confirmed by the teaching of others;
“Let him that is taught in the word communicate (2841) unto him that teacheth in all good things…” Galatians 6:6-8.
Communicate 2841 koinoneo; from 2844; to share with others (objectively or subjectively)

The combination of the two kinds of instructors is our confidence from being deceived much as a check and balance (I Corinthians 2:4-5, 12-13).
And we see the Apostles themselves, of all people, struggle to figure out the implementation of this new revelation of the old faith.

Acts 1:3 “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

So after his Holy Ghost inspired teaching, Jesus was killed, then raised from the dead and spent another 40 days teaching them about the kingdom of God. But now with blown minds by his resurrection they had a whole new comprehension of what he was actually talking about. It was no longer mystical theory of “good ideas”, it was very, very real and now practical as they saw their dead king alive again! This was the ultimate observation of how the eternal kingdom of heaven on earth is going to be applied!
This kingdom he spoke of was not just another kingdom of man in religious practice of following laws and rules as before; Jesus was speaking of a kingdom of such power as the dead would be raised back to life, but not the same life as before but a new life, an incorruptible body! They finally knew what it meant for him the Messiah to be the King of the Jews in an earthly kingdom that actually comes from heaven itself.
And in this light, before they received the Holy Ghost “not many days hence” (Acts 1:5), they asked him “…Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6

So why did Jesus not simply say; No?
Why tell them “…It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Acts 1:7
Doesn’t this fly in the face of the Matthew 24:32-34 fig tree parable describing that we ARE to know the times and seasons?

Jesus was not making a concrete declaration of the impossibility to know, it is a declaration that THEY could not know because it was not time to know, much as we see in other passages of prophecy;

“And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” Daniel 12:8-9
and again:
“and when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not” Revelation 10:4.

What is with that? If God didn’t want it known why let it slip that something was said? did the thunders get excited and spill something before they should have?
Of course not; “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets“ Amos 3:7. But there is nothing to say they are required to explain it at the time they get it. This tells us God has a plan in play with a very specific timeline that the scriptures have yet to reveal because he told the prophets though even they did not get it at the time. These many years later we are just now figuring out much of it which means the time is right; it is for US to know! (in the spirit of Matthew 24)

Revelation 10:7 suggests a finishing of all the prophecy given, but 10:8-11 suggests John will yet one day prophesy still more! It seems God has already planned still more than he has yet reveled in the Revelation!
How long do you figure eternity is? What do you suppose goes on in eternity? Do we sleep happily dormant with elevator music playing in the morgue, or do you suppose this creation is but a shadow of similar but more incredible things still to come?! Reality does not end when we enter eternity, it just begins!

So again, Why did Jesus not simply inform them that the Kingdom of Heaven was not yet to be established at that time?
* * *

Why Like This?
From John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2 declaring that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” until Jesus was taken up in Acts 1:2, The ministry of Christ was all about the preparation for the future coming of that kingdom, and he spent an additional 40 days after his resurrection to expound on that (Acts 1:3). I am really amazed at the overwhelming focus all through scripture on the kingdom of heaven first alluded to in Genesis 14:22 by establishing just who really possesses what was made, and then in Deuteronomy 7:24 as we see the shadow of the Great King as he takes possession of all kingdoms (Daniel 7:26-27, I Samuel 2:10, Revelation 19:14-16) and on and on for a total of perhaps 79 shielded references to that kingdom; half in the Old and half in the New Testament.

So in recap;
We have Jesus full of the Holy Ghost giving instructions regarding the kingdom of heaven.
Then he continues speaking and teaching regarding the kingdom of God after his resurrection from death.
Then he is taken up into heaven (returned to the Father) and apparently it takes some time to get there and make arrangements to send the Holy Ghost because they waited after his ascension until Pentecost (Acts 2:1) when they themselves received the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:2-4).
Now we have a bunch of Apostles, personal close followers of Jesus, personally full of the Holy Ghost confirming to them all what Jesus had said. Great!
Finally. They have arrived!

But wait. Not so fast.
Why are they still confused about stuff?
Regarding the basics of Salvation they have it down perfectly from Jesus and confirmed by the Holy Ghost without doubt and without error (Acts 2:14-36, 4:7-14, 5:1-11, etc.) and proven true by miracles and signs (Acts 8:6, 9:34-35, etc.) even being led at times directly by angels (Acts 8:26-29,39-40,etc.),
while at the same time surprisingly in other things they act with confusion in trial and error:
“And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple” Acts 9:26.
(Side note: see Acts 8:1 and then 9:31; was Saul the primary source of the whole persecution?)
So they had to LEARN over time of Saul’s true conversion and that God wanted him on the team.
And along that line of thinking, Acts 10:1-27 really gets strange as we see the Holy Ghost run Peter through a whole series of things, repeating part even three times in order to change his mind of conviction about other foundational stuff of the faith.
Have you ever asked; Why?
Peter really had to wrestle with New revelation as it kicked against the traditional Law he already knew.
In fact we see the Acts full of such examples of conflict among the Spirit filled saints as they practiced the faith given them by Jesus and confirmed by the Holy Spirit yet still having to work out the logistics of the faith (Acts 11:1-4,18, 14:22,27, 15:1-29).
Even after the Holy Ghost fell upon men, there were still prophets of God which he used to influence the Saints from time to time (Acts 11:27-30,15:32).
Paul and Barnabas had a great and powerful ministry until they could not agree and had an unresolved heated argument that actually broke up their mutual effort into two ministries (Acts 15:36-41). That's quite an argument. But was it due to iniquity and self glory, or was it over how best to minister the Gospel?
How can two contending saints still have successful ministries? This does not seem spiritual or holy, yet the Acts goes on to show indeed they were both used mightily by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:5) and in the face of their recent dissension, the Holy Spirit still specifically redirected them to go other than they originally thought they should (Acts 16:6-8), and also found themselves guided by somewhat uncertain direction. It is a bit disconcerting to read the Holy Ghost filled Apostles themselves directed by “assuredly gathering” what to do (Acts 16:9-10).
I could go on and on reporting the struggle of the Apostles to administer their calling as revealed to us in the Book of the Acts, so why does God “air the dirty laundry” of this seeming weakness in the faith of the most holy saints who were actually taught by Jesus himself and confirmed by miracles and possessed of the Holy Ghost?
Why all the confusion, contention, and struggle even after all the personal teaching of Jesus, after all the miracles of evidence, and even after receiving the Holy Spirit himself? “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:26
It seems apparent that something is seriously wrong here! But is it?
* * *

Ignorant Christians today seem to conclude that after being saved, there is nothing more to be done. "We have arrived. We now have the Holy Spirit to tell us what to do and now all we have left is to do as he directs" (usually thought to be through feelings) "We have little to do but sit around clinging to our faith waiting for the rapture to rescue us from this wicked age."
But our own scriptures are abundantly clear that this is NOT the Christian faith.
In fact, in spite of the Calvinist theological TULIP of security (which has great merit in its place), the scriptures seem to go on after salvation, and after receiving the Holy Spirit, to warn that we have not actually arrived in unbreachable security as modern Calvinism suggests:

“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30
“Quench not the Spirit.” Hebrews 10:29, John 5:16
“But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.” Isaiah 63:10
“…it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints… I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” Jude 1:3,5 (and verse 4 is frightening when contemplating what Calvinism has been turned into by faithless theologians!)
"...No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62

So what is it that the Acts is revealing to us about the Faith?
It is more than a theology, it is more than arriving, it is even more than surrendering to God!
What is faith? It is diligently becoming citizens prepared for the kingdom of heaven and the work God has for us there (II Timothy 2:21). It is what comes after birth through growing up!
Let me explain why this is not simple:
* * *

Hang on a bit before stoning me:
All the strange acts of the Apostles revealed in the book called the Acts Of The Apostles is an utter mystery as to why, until we comprehend who we are;
God has made us eternal, free moral, sovereign agents. We really are little gods made in his image “And God said, Let us make man in our image (6754), after our likeness (1823)…” Genesis 1:26.
We are made with authority and responsibility over our own existence with accountability (Genesis 9:6-7), We are actually adopted siblings with Jesus himself who was natural born of God (Hebrews 2:9-14a). We are not just made in the worthless physical likeness of an inanimate idol (Isaiah 44:14-17), God made us eternal (John 10:28,Luke 20:36), a living soul (Genesis 2:7) which can never then be extinguished, spending eternity either with God or in Hell by our own free-will as it were.
And through union of two we re-produce images of ourselves, also eternal. We are literally created sovereign in the image of God’s sovereignty. It is actually frightening to think of what it means to be in the image of God. This concept begins to comprehend what it means to be free moral agents. Be careful not to abuse the concept as Lucifer did when he thought he could be equal to God (Isaiah 14:12-14 the iniquity of Mormonism) which is only the place for Jesus the Son (Philippians 2:6).
We are also likened as brides (Ephesians 5:25) in the sense that we were strangers to him until he invited us in and married us to then be his eternal companion. He retains the name and power, we are just some stranger he married and granted authority (Matthew 16:19). these representations are given to us so we can begin to grasp the far more complex relationship we have with God then we can now fully comprehend.

Image 6754 tselem; from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e. (figuratively) illusion, resemblance; hence a representative figure, especially an idol.
Likeness 1823 demuwth; from 1819; resemblance; concrete model, shape; adverb like.

Therefore we cannot actually surrender our sovereignty to God anymore than God can cease to be God. Rather we must use our sovereignty in obedience to him as an act of our choice. It is not possible to be neutral because of our very nature.
Because God made us sovereign He cannot say; “Ok, since you have surrendered to me I can now erase your mind and reinstall different information to control your perspective as I choose.” Nor would he want to.
God does not just change our minds about stuff like deleting and adding data from a computer “Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: “ Isaiah 28:9-10
This is important. No, it is extremely important.

Why is it like this?

The answer is found in our relationship with God who declared; “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” II Corinthians 6:14-18

This is not just a rule that God arbitrarily figured we should obey; God is declaring what we MUST be in order to have fellowship with The Sovereign God. God is inviting us into his fellowship as sovereigns. what fellowship could He have with something less?
As sovereigns, we MUST retain our sovereignty; This is not a choice but a state of being.

So how can the Supreme God; the All-existent One, share godhood with his creation?
How is it possible that God has actually made us eternal free moral agents yet retain his God status too? How do two free moral agents interact successfully?
What do you think he was representing when he gave us the mystery of marriage and the intimacy between man and woman, two independent minds and souls and bodies coming together as one?

Put another way, our mutual relationship with God is as complex and wonderful as flight! Let me explain:
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Flight:
By itself the Law of Gravity always pulls things down to earth. It is an unalterable stabilizing force that must be respected as is because it is unchangeable. We can accept it or fight it but it remains Constant. Unmovable. Persistent. Reliable.
But the principle of Lift applied with Gravity allows for an amazing result; we can fly!
Flying does not eliminate or deny or even defy gravity, rather it needs gravity’s constant to work.
It is not a matter of either/or, it is a combination to produce an effect.

But unlike gravity the principle of flight is not a law but a combination of several carefully integrated elements into a specific function that all must be perfectly in place for flight to result. At any given moment if the combination is suddenly altered by any of several causes, lift will be lost and the plane will plummet because gravity is always there.
Gravity represents stable God while flight represents unstable man’s application of knowledge and the resulting proper combination is wonderful beyond imagination!

The Apostles were taught by Jesus and they really worked at grasping the truths he was providing. But how could they have actually understood the divine while dwelling in the temporal? Miracles aided that comprehension but still there was difficulty. Then Jesus was raised from the dead and all constraints were broken wide open! Yet still they were men existing with the laws of our domain as the normal standard. How were they to know when normal laws still applied and when miracles did? Their sovereign minds had to unlearn and then relearn this new information of truth. By the nature of “free” it must be learned until comprehension comes, otherwise it is simple dictation.
This is why the Apostles were still a bit confused as they began to apply this new faith. This is why we must learn from those who have already learned, and read God’s word in our temporal plain allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us what it actually says until we finally grasp its truth. This is why we have the lifetimes we do, growing in the Lord (Ephesians 4:15-16, Colossians 1:10-12, I Peter 2:2-3 etc.) and this is why the 9th GDE comes as a stone that crushes all other kingdoms and grows into a mountain to fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:35b). This is what was represented by the Jews conquering their land little by little (Exodus 23:30).
salvation is just the beginning!
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So, in one way we can see that growing in Christ is a necessary process of learning and understanding to become who we should be and it will be often frustrating and painful to figure out, yet in another way we can be comforted by the fact that just because we have not yet figured it out, as believers in Christ through repentance we are guiltless even as we struggle (I John 3:20-21). Both Calvanism and Armenianism are wrong until they are combined into the miracle of flight! but the combination is something quite tricky to master.
We are the bride of Christ! Not as his equal but as one with him by his choice and gift. What a miracle that the creation can fellowship like that with the Creator!

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” Ephesians 5:25-28

Some wives take a lot of effort before they come around, and so do some believers.
And as our comprehension of marriage is corrupted by godless society so is our reference to comprehend our relationship with God (Hosea 4:6, Proverbs 29:18).
This parallel of concepts continues as we understand that we are also called the children of God. Do you wonder why your children struggle so hard to become successful contributing members of the family? It is a surrender of the selfish will, not to mindless obedience but to choose to participate in a social state. They represent that you are similarly struggling to become successful contributing members of the kingdom of heaven; they are images of you.
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If you have the time, read again this previous post four winds with this understanding in mind.

The Fig Tree Parable

Pre Ten Virgins - part 2
Post 222


“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matthew 24:32-34.

What generation? What things? What is “it”?
Just what is the parable of the fig tree talking about?
The reason why this is so difficult and seems to be intentionally confusing is because by its wording it allows it to be properly applied to more than one point in time even though the complete fulfillment is in fact one specific event that covers quite a lot as it regards a process of something coming gradually like the changing of winter into summer.
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The Fig Tree:
The meaning of the fig tree in this Matthew 24 passage has long been debated, but since Israel miraculously became a nation again in 1948 there has been an excited assumption in Christian circles to interpret that as the leaves on the fig tree. Indeed it is very exciting to see that after 1,878 years of abandonment the promised nation has been reborn. Clearly by many genuine miracles from the 1948 war just hours after creating the nation, to the 1967 6 day war, God has once again shown himself mighty on behalf of his people and it is easy to conclude that this is a significant putting forth of tender leaves from the dry bark of the tree long dormant through a very long winter.
But if the leaves of the fig tree in this parable is the 1948 nation of Israel, What is the fig tree?
There can be no doubt the fig tree is THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN which is after all the topic of the whole passage and even premiere in the whole book of Matthew (and Acts, but that will take another post to explain).
We know now that the coming of Christ in the clouds (Daniel 7:13-14, Matthew 24:30, 26:64, Acts 1:9-11, Revelation 19:11-16) prophesied by Exodus 14:20,16:10,19:9, Numbers 16:42, Deuteronomy 4:11,Isaiah 19:1,Ezekiel 1:4+ Jeremiah 4:13, and exampled by the cloud in the wilderness that drew the people and the tabernacle to it (Numbers 10:11-13,25,12:5), is the coming of Christ with his kingdom and the seat of that kingdom the new Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12, 21:2) with his saints (I Thessalonians 3:13, Jude 1:14-15, Revelation 19:14), to establish the 9th GDE on earth (Revelation 19:7) by the conquest of the 8th; “…he (the 8th) shall stand up against the Prince of princes (the 9th) but he shall be broken without hand” Daniel 8:25,
Daniel 9:27 “…even until the consummation (of the 9th)…”, (Daniel 7:26-27, Revelation 19:17-21) and to defend it even after it is consummated (Revelation 20:7-9).
The simplistic rendering of the 2nd coming of Jesus into a single simple event restricts the needful understanding that there are many complex details to the events of his coming just as any event in reality is complex. “My wife is having a baby” speaks volumes to those in the know but says nothing of all it means. The genuinely interested want far more information.

One such needful detail is the wrong “spring” that first comes and goes without the promised salvation of his coming. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” Jeremiah 8:20
“Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Jeremiah 8:22 (daughter is a prophetic meaning of the later generation not to blame for the original suffering still experienced).
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail… Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

By careful reading of the scriptures we see that there are very specific criteria that identifies the right and final return to Israel and to God, but few bother to figure it out. And God complains.
“Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.” Jeremiah 8:7

God’s people can and should know, but the majority simply can’t bother to take the time to learn. Be among the few who can, and who with Habakkuk, joy in their God even though the time is not yet for the kingdom of heaven to dominate this globe.
Until then we are the citizens of that kingdom seeding the earth as sojourners (Acts 7:5-6, Hebrews 11:8-10). Until then that kingdom of heaven is only within us; the people of Christ (Luke 17:21-23) and we are preparing ourselves to be worthy citizens once it does come; “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear” I Peter 1:17.
We live by a different custom, different laws, a different king while dwelling among the Godless in their kingdom. We are unwelcome guests and treated as such, and it is our job to remember this in humility while extending the invitation to them to transfer citizenship too.
“…Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Matthew 3:2-3
But many, including his own people, will refuse his gracious offer;
“But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us “ Luke 19:14.
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Wrong Again:
Without going into the details of why the parable of the fig tree leaves are interpreted to mean the return of Israel, it has been most common to suppose the parable to mean the generation that saw Israel become a nation in 1948 will be the generation that sees the complete arrival of the kingdom of heaven to earth, and the mistake is understandable. But this error of counting is reminiscent of the decree of Cyrus to build the city of Jerusalem in BC 536 which began the counting till messiah presented himself king in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25).
Because there were three similar decrees that came close but did not fulfill the accuracy of the prophecy, the beginning of the counting was corrupted and believed to be unknowable by the failure of what seemed obvious, and likewise the 1948 return of the Jews to Israel has been close to fulfilling the prophetic return, but not accurately and so is not the point to begin the count of the Matthew 24:34 promise of the prophetic parable of the fig tree, to do so ends in failure and results in lost or confused faith by the apparent failure of the prophecy when that generation passes but the kingdom still does not come.

Yes the Jews were called back to Israel in 1948 and returned, but not per Isaiah 41:8-20, and not in the promise of everlasting joy described in Isaiah 51:11, not in the promised perpetual return to the Lord that identifies the correct return; Ezekiel 37:23-24, Jeremiah 24:5-7, 31:12-14, Zechariah 13:9, and many others.
We see THIS return of the Jews in Isaiah 30:15 as rejected and spurned by them as shown in prophetic verses 1-14 which prepares the way for the 4th dispersion yet to come as shown in verses 16-17, and the Lord will again wait for them to respond as shown in verse 18, so he can call them yet again as shown in verses 19-24, while the cleansing of the wicked nations continues in verses 25-33. This interpretation can be found by carefully reading this chapter knowing there is more than one return (30:8,13-14,25,26 etc to chapter 34 which describes the cleansing of the entire earth from the nations of iniquity).
Isaiah 35 reveals the kingdom of heaven at Christ’s coming.
Specifically reading verses 4-10 as if it meant exactly what it says, and not just a general pleasant event, reveals this cannot have yet been fulfilled by this present return.

So far I know of three returns shown in both scripture and history which do not fulfill the specific requirements of the promise:
1- The return from Egypt (Genesis 15:13-16, Exodus 12:41, Acts 7:6-7)
2- The return from Babylon (Jeremiah 25:11+29:10, Ezra 1:1-3)
3- The return from the Global scattering (Matthew 23:38, 1948 AD)
4- Can only follow a scattering not yet witnessed (Matthew 24:15,21,29, Daniel 12:1) resulting in the final return at the trumpet of the Lord (Matthew 24:31, Isaiah 27:13, Zephaniah 3:14-20, etc.)

Remember we already discussed there are four horns that scatter Judah (Zechariah 1:12-21,6:1-8). The first two returns are easily rejected as not the right return, but that third one really seems to be close until we understand there is a 4th. How do we know that the return in 1948 is not the promised return? Enter stage right, a very strange verse with now enlightened meaning;

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Isaiah 11:11-12
Before a second recovery from all these places, there must have been a first recovery. 1948 was the first time to fulfill these specifics but it didn’t fulfill other specifics reserved for the second recovery.
A continued reading reveals a very spectacular geological alteration or a Red Sea kind of crossing that clearly has not yet been made! (Isaiah 11:15-16). Isaiah 13 is the events of Matthew 24:31.5 (between what is written), and Isaiah 13:19 is the destruction of Babylon also found in Revelation 18, all before Isaiah 14 talks about the promised rest for Israel (v.3) and the rest of the world (v.7) that now makes it clear all the great cleansing called the wrath of God and the day of the Lord comes after Jesus returns to earth (Isaiah 24). It could be this cleansing that requires the elect to wait an extra 45 days even after his lengthy arrival (Daniel 12:12, Isaiah 26:20-21).

Like the layer one “this generation” that Jesus directly spoke to was the generation that saw Jerusalem fall to the Romans and Israel’s scepter removed in 70 AD, the layer two “this generation” that lives at the time of “these things” is the generation that sees them all completed; therefore the events indicated in this passage all take place in the single last generation of the Gentile Age when Jerusalem will no longer be trampled down by the Gentiles (Luke 21:24, Revelation 11:2).
So what things do they need to see exactly in order to be “this generation”?

1- Matthew 24:15 begins; “When ye therefore shall see…”. This begins the end in the form of the great tribulation of Matthew 24:21-22.
2- Then the next event is the cosmic transition between the end of the tribulation and the coming of the Christ shown in verse 29.
3- Then the next event is the drawn-out coming of the Christ and his kingdom that takes some time to arrive (verses 27-28,30-31)
4- and the last event are the angels calling the elect to gather from all over the world (verse 31) in preparation for the great day of wrath also called the Day of the LORD (Psalm 110:5-6, Proverbs 11:4, Isaiah 13:9, Ezekiel 7:14-19, 38:19-23, Zephaniah 1:14-18).

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Matthew 24:32-33
The coming of the kingdom of heaven to earth is the “IT”, and so the signs listed are the “leaves”. The gathering of the elect (including Israel) is the last leaf described before “summer” breaks out. So just because we saw Israel gathered in 1948 as a single premature leaf combined with the pre-game leaf, we did not see “all these things” come with them and so this is not yet that long awaited spring in anticipation of the summer of holiness.

The use of a parable allows the promise to apply both to the generation hearing Jesus in 33 AD, as well as the last days generation. Once to the Jewish age and once to the Gentile age. The events will be fulfilled in both times though applied respectively. Was Jerusalem surrounded in 70 AD? Yes. Will it be again? Yes. Many Jews who did not flee to the mountains but instead fled to the walled city of Jerusalem for reasonably expected protection, experienced unspeakable horrors, and so it will be in the repeat event of the last days though prophesied to be a much faster destruction; as in an instant (Isaiah 30:13, Matthew 24:15-18) most probably by nuclear missiles. Those who flee in obedience, God will hide, but the mass majority will experience the beginning horrors of the Great Tribulation. It seems clear to me that Jerusalem will again fall and the land of Israel will again be desolate because of their unfaithfulness to God; they still turn to others to save them, as in imagined innocence they make God out to be the one who has failed them for so long (Isaiah 30:10-13, Ezekiel 20).

How many Christians today fall to this same delusion? How many Christians looking for the rapture still live in iniquity and will miss it because their hearts are turned inward in the corruption of selfish “Christianity” and not in yielding to Christ? It is easy to mock the Jews for their stubborn blindness against Jesus while doing the very same thing! “Asking Jesus into your heart” is not a magic incantation that then protects you from the iniquity of your own heart, Jesus came to give you a new heart and a new spirit. Do you have them? (Ezekiel 11:19,18:31,36:26)

“All these things” represent the listed events as the leaves that come about by the spring flow of life-giving sap in the tree, and therefore the tree is not actually the topic of this chapter but the summer itself as the “Time”; the “When” the “Season” the “Age”. The summer is the long awaited period and by this we know it means the domain of the kingdom of heaven. The coming of that kingdom is what causes these events just as the resulting birth of the baby is the cause of the labor pains that precede it. And again the whole topic of this chapter is answering “when?” and “what shall be the sign of thy coming and with it the end of the age that precedes that coming?”; Winter to Summer. When will the warmth of the kingdom of summer come?

These are the specific things the proper generation must see confirming that all the events will conclude within their generation which Genesis 15:13+16 declare to be 100 years. If all “these things” events are to fall within a 3-1/2 year period as is most commonly supposed, such a confirming promise of one generation seeing it all seems pointless. Therefore we can be sure that all these events will have every earmark of lasting many years, perhaps even longer than a lifetime! So Jesus encourages them by declaring; No, though taking many years and appearing to take even more, the fulfillment of the end events will all play out in just one generation. And to drive the promise home in an observable reason to doubt, the next verse declares; “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35. In other words; You can bank on this fact regardless of what appears sure to the contrary.

Since many generations following the rise of Rome (the Iron Beast part 1) have seen these beginning of sorrows signs (Matthew 24:8), we should not suppose any other generation than those who sees the Abomination of Desolation, the cosmic events, the signs of the Lord returning, and the gathering of the elect by the trumpet of the angels, is the generation that sees the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.
“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matthew 24:34

It seems sorta silly to say “if you see all this, your generation won’t pass till you see it all”, so just what is he saying?
It is clear by his confirming promise of verse 35 that even after that generation sees virtually all these signs, there will still be a very long wait to see the fulfillment of it all; the day and hour that no one knows (v36).
Again we see the waiting. Doesn’t the waiting ever end?!
And so the next several verses of Matthew 24:37-51 speak in parables first of a cleansing likened unto that of Noah's flood, and THEN of the long delay in the transition of the ages and those who lose heart in the waiting.
and NOW we can understand the meaning and purpose of the Ten virgin parable that follows!

“THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1

These virgins had waited patiently for their groom, and for reasons explained by Jewish tradition, the groom sounded his coming and in excitement the virgins ran to meet him! But wait! He was still some distance behind his trumpet and there was still more waiting to be done!
But the wise virgins expected this for some reason (they knew the scriptures) and were well prepared, but the foolish had already waited with them for an undisclosed period and now at the trumpet call they thought the waiting was over. But the door was still closed.
Now note, they are not shown to be struggling or fighting while they wait, they are all slumbering. Apparently the conflict is over and they are at ease while they wait. But in the pleasure of slumber is the danger of running out of preparation that the struggle seems to feed.
America has likewise fallen into slumber and has like the foolish virgins run out of oil. It seems this last waiting is one of ease after the Great Tribulation and while Christ is seen coming in the sky! Incredible! It seems his coming will be so long we may simply get used to seeing him in the sky like a new sun and forget he is still on his way!
Now if you read the several parables with this concept in mind, they hold significant new meaning.
I will get into that meaning in the next post.

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

Christianity is not something you do while waiting for rescue, it is something you become regardless of the circumstances. (Malachi 3:13-18)
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Note: through developing this post I was struck very near the end of it, by the awareness that my lifelong perspective on the Rapture may be utterly incorrect. Please allow me the time to explore this deeply before I post my conclusions. Until then I leave my original view unaltered.
It is regretful that I don't have the time presently to develop these last two posts as thoroughly as I would like before publishing them, but the Lord has me where I am for a very interesting learning that I feel continues my given mission. I hope to soon share it with you!
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