Tuesday 011425
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
From that day when I felt the need to help others open their own Bibles and get into God’s Word, my vision for this study has always been that we are only going to study a message that is found in the Holy Bible, and it pertains to us as a people in the 21st century.
We openly acknowledge that we are only going to gain from that message, by our own, personal effort that we put into this study.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Matthew 12:38-40, 40; Luke 23:39-43; Luke 16:19-26; 1 Thessalonians 4:17c, 14-16; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:4-6; Acts 17:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:17, 13-18.
So, tonight’s lesson has been led in a direction that the Spirit has been doing the leading, there must be a reason for someone out there that needs to see this message. So, this message is for that individual.
Matthew 12
vs38 ‘…Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, Teacher, we want to see a sign from You…’
vs39 ‘…But He answered and said to them, an evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so, no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet…’
vs40 ‘…for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
We’ve just read three simple verses that are full of information that we must recognize.
First, for Jesus to use the story of Jonah being in the belly for three days and three nights, there is recognition placed on the story of Jonah as being true and then the next realization, Jesus said He would need to go into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, this then must also be true.
Matthew 12:40 ‘…For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so, shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth…’ KJV (King James Version)
In the KJV version, Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a whale.
Luke 23
vs39 ‘…One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us…’
vs40 ‘…But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation…’
vs41 ‘…And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong…’
vs42 ‘…And he was saying, Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom…’
vs43 ‘…And He said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Luke 16
vs19 ‘…Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day…’
vs20 ‘…And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores…’
vs21 ‘…and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores…’
vs22 ‘…Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried…’
vs23 ‘…And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms…’
vs24 ‘…And he cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame…’
vs25 ‘…But Abraham said, Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony…’
vs26 ‘…And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
This is a picture of the earth on the left, and a drawing on the right showing the center of the earth. Paradise on one side and Torment on the other side with a great chasm between them.
This is what we’ve just read in the above verses.
This is just a visual picture for you to compare with Scripture.
First Jesus confirmed in Matthew 12:40 that He would be in the ‘heart of the earth.’
Then Jesus told the thief in Luke 23:43, ‘today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Finally, Abraham described the Torment side of Hades in Luke 16:23, where the rich man seen Lazarus in the arms of Abraham, and he was told about the Great Chasm that separated the two places in Hades in vs26.
This is a portrayal of what occurred before Jesus’ Resurrection and His now, ability to save mankind.
Jesus went into the depths of this inner earth to recover those believers in Him from the Old Testament.
It has been from this promise of Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection that the Believers in the New Testament have been promised a life with the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:17c ‘…And so we will be with the Lord forever…’ NIV (New International Version)
This next part is strictly conjecture on my part, since I am unable to locate any exact verses found in Scripture.
But this same ‘Paradise’ in Hades, the souls of those that Believe in Jesus, will be kept until the day when Jesus will return above the earth, in the clouds to gather those Believers that have already died.
1 Thessalonians 4
vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus…’
vs15 ‘…For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep…’
vs16 ‘…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
These six verses found in 1 Thessalonians 4, hold the entirety regarding the Rapture of Jesus’ church that so many today on this earth will not believe today … once again it will be the downfall of mankind’s UNBELIEF in the promise of God.
So many claim today that the word ‘RAPTURE’ is not found in the Bible and so therefore, it cannot be true.
With that being said, the word ‘TRINITY’ is not found in the Bible either, but the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are well documented, also referred to as the ‘Godhead.’
In the Greek πατήρ υιός και άγιο πνεύμα
Matthew 28:19 ‘…Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
2 Corinthians 13:14 ‘…The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Ephesians 4
vs4 ‘…There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling…’
vs5 ‘…one Lord, one faith, one baptism…’
vs6 ‘…one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Acts 17:29 ‘…Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device…’ KJV (King James Version)
So, for those unable to believe in the Rapture of Jesus’ church because the word ‘RAPTURE’ is not used in the Holy Bible, let’s just use the words that are used in the Bible.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 ‘…Then we who are alive, who remain, will be CAUGHT UP together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
As I stated earlier, it is through these six verses that our promise in Jesus Christ is completed.
As I have tried emphasizing repeatedly, it is mankind’s UNBELIEF that is going to keep him from ALL the glory that we have been promised, in the Word.
1 Thessalonians 4
vs13 ‘…But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope…’
vs14 ‘…For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus…’
vs15 ‘…For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep…’
vs16 ‘…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first…’
vs17 ‘…Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord…’
vs18 ‘…Therefore, comfort one another with these words…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Be proud of the promise you have been given. Stand tall and share with others your beliefs and feelings and voice to them how they MUST read the Word for themselves.
I love y’all. The days are getting so close, raise your voice and let others know what you found in the Word.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen. InHIM. ><)))o>