The Gospel (part 3) Gospel and the gentiles

Based on my first two studies of the Gospel, I have been asked, how does the Gospel relate to the gentiles, specifically, John 3:16.  I consider this to be a good question, although I assumed it was covered within the confines of the previous two articles.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This verse will need to be broken down a bit. Frist, we can notice that God loved the world, whereas in the Old Testament we know God loves all of Israel. God gave up His son to death. He did this so that whoever believes would not perish, but have eternal life with YHWH. So, lets look at these two questions.

If He loves the world now, how can we reconcile this with the Old Testament?

What does this verse mean when it says “believes”?

We will start with the reconciliation with the Old Testament and how God’s love for Israel translates to God loving the whole world. This idea can be found in the idea of the fullness of the gentiles.

Romans 11:25

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in

If we go back and compare a similar verse found in the book of Genesis we may be able to start connecting the dots.

Genesis 48:17-19

Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.  And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

Joseph is asking his father Israel (Jacob) to bless his sons. Joseph fully expected Israel to give Manasseh the first born blessing, but this was not how it played out. Israel says Ephraim will be the greater of the two and he was to receive the first born blessing. It is Ephraim who will become the multitude of nations.

The Hebrew word used for the phrase “shall become a multitude” is mĕlo' and its meaning is fullness.  “Of nations” comes from the Hebrew word gowy and its meaning is Nations. With this understanding, we can conclude the descendants of Ephraim will become the fullness of the gentiles. This is exactly what we read from this verse. Now, with all in mind, we can go back a bit further to the promise given to Abraham.

Genesis 17: 2, 4,6-7

And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.

YHWH told Abraham that His covenant will be with him. He says Abraham will be multiplied exceedingly. “I will make gentiles of you”. He is giving him an everlasting covenant for him and his descendants. Why does he do all this?

Genesis 26:4-5

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

Abraham kept all of God’s laws and commands. YHWH says with his seed all the gentiles of the earth will be blessed.  So, we have a direct connection here with Abrahams seed, and Ephraim being linked to all the nations of the gentiles. This is the direct link to God loving the whole world. He did love the whole world because the world was filled with His chosen people. This was all part of His plan. Knowing this, we must connect Ephraim with the House of Israel.

1 Kings 12: 20-21

Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin

1 Kings 11: 26

Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king.

There are several things to take away from these two passages. First, Jeroboam was the king over the northern kingdom of Israel which became known as the House of Israel. Rehoboam became king over what was known as the southern kingdom of Judah. Second, Jeroboam was a servant of King Solomon. Third, Jeroboam was a descendant of Ephraim. Knowing the king of the House of Israel is descended Ephraim, it makes sense that the house of Israel is sometimes referred to as Ephraim. To take this a step further, we know the House of Israel had been taken captive into Assyria and from there scattered among the nations of the world. The House of Judah was later taken into captivity into Babylon, but they returned back to the land of Israel. So why did the House of Israel not come back? I believe it is directly linked to the following prophecy and the law YHWH gave.

Ezekiel 4:3-8, 13

Moreover take for yourself an iron plate, and set it as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face against it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

“Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

 “Therefore you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem; your arm shall be uncovered, and you shall prophesy against it. And surely I will restrain you so that you cannot turn from one side to another till you have ended the days of your siege.

Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

Leviticus 26:18

‘And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

The house of Israel has a barricade against it due to their compounding sin of disobeying YHWH’s Law. YHWH says Ezekiel is to lay on his left side for 390 days because of their sin. This is one day for each year of their sin. Then, 40 days for the sin of Judah. We then see another prophecy that states the house of Israel will “eat their defiled bread among the gentiles, where” YHWH “will drive them”.  Israel never returned to the land because they never repented. Not repenting means they did not return to obeying YHWH, and in their refusal to do so they multiplied their punishment by seven. . There is no mention in the entire Bible of the House of Israel ever returning to the land. There is no historical evidence found outside of the Bible that suggests this idea either. There is evidence found in the Mishna of two Rabbis arguing amongst each other about this idea.

Rabbi Akiva says, “The ten tribes will not return, as the verse says (Deuteronomy 29:27), ‘And the L‑rd uprooted them from upon their land, with fury, anger and great wrath, and He cast them to another land, as it is this day.’ Just as a day passes and it will never return, so too, they will be exiled never to return.”

Rabbi Eliezer says, “Just like a day is followed by darkness, and the light later returns, so too, although it will become ‘dark’ for the ten tribes, G‑d will ultimately take them out of their darkness.

Here we see the two Rabbis, both arguing after the death of Christ, on whether or not the House of Israel will return to the land of Israel. The bottom line here is, they agree the House of Israel had not yet returned.

Contemporary Jews teach that only Judah, Benjamin and Levi returned to Jerusalem following their captivity in Babylon. In an article titled “Where are the Ten Tribes?” in the Jewish Quarterly Review, Adolf Neubauer distinguished between the ten tribes and the two tribes that returned from Babylon:

The captives of Israel exiled beyond the Euphrates did not return as a whole to Palestine along with their brethren the captives of Judah…. Ezra and Nehemiah give the enumeration only of “the children of the province of Judah, that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away unto Babylon, and came again to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone unto his city.”

Adolf Neubauer lived from 1831-1907 and is considered a modern Jewish teacher and scholar. He too agrees the House of Israel has not yet returned to the land of Israel. 

The House of Israel was sinful for 390 years, and taken captive in the year 722 BC. 390 multiplied by seven is 2730 years of exile. In doing the math on this, the House of Israel’s punishment should have ended right around the year 2009, taking into account the fact there is no year zero. It just so happens that between the years 2008 and 2012 massive amounts of people have turned away from the traditional church model and turned back to the Law of God. I personally fall into this statistic because I started “waking up” in 2011. It was 2008 when I started wanting to read the Bible, I struggled to make time to do this. But, the intent began to grow. In 2011 I began reading the Bible from the beginning and I stumbled onto the Genesis six issue of Nephilim. From there my Biblical studying took off. I noticed that first, the church never talks about what the Nephilim are. This was an issue for me because these Nephilim led to the world wide flood. After that, I chose to read and study the Bible as much as I possibly could and I discovered all of these truths that are rarely, if ever mentioned in church. The punishment of the House of Israel has ended and we want to come home. This the link between the House of Israel and the love of God for the world.

Ill get to the believes portion in part four.

If you enjoyed this study, Check out my books from Amazon

Tribulation Kingdom: Uncovering the Antichrist, the Elect, Babylon, and the Second Coming

ABSCONDED: Evading the Legal Ramifications of God's Law

  

The Gospel (part 2) The Mystery of the Gospel

This section needs a bit of background information in order to fully understand the Mystery of the Gospel.

Ezekiel 20:18-26

“But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

“Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

“Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” ’

YHWH told the Israelites in the wilderness not to keep the laws of the nations, which is the laws, rules, and rituals of those nations and defile them. Do follow after their idols and (false) gods. He told them to walk in His Laws, keep His rules, and do them. Sanctify, as in set apart, His Sabbath days because they are supposed to be a sign between Him and them in order to know He is YHWH, their God.

These Israelites rebelled against Him and did not walk in His Laws, and did not observe His rules, meaning they chose death, not life. They disrespected His Sabbath days. It was because of all this He scattered or dispersed them among the gentile nations throughout all the countries. They despised or hated His given Law. So, we have seen the prophecy about not keeping the Law of God, and we have now witnessed YHWH has made it come true.

So, when and how did this happen?

1 Kings 12: 20-21

Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

YHWH told Rehoboam not to attack the Northern House of Israel and thus we ended up with two kingdoms. So now we can see there are two Houses that make up all of Israel. This is extremely important in overall biblical understanding. At this point, the northern House chose to abandon their covenant with YHWH chase after and worship other (false) gods, forcing Him to divorce the northern House due to adultery.

Jeremiah 3: 8

And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

The House of Israel is again distinguished from the House of Judah, and it is Israel who is said to have been divorced, not all of Israel, and not the House of Judah. What happens when a woman is divorced?

Deuteronomy 24:1-4

When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, when she has departed from his house, and goes and becomes another man’s wife, if the latter husband detests her and writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her as his wife, then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

According to Jeremiah, YHWH gave the House of Israel a certificate of divorce and according to Ezekiel, YHWH sent the House of Israel out of His house (land of Israel). The House of Israel has went into all these other nations and worshiped their gods, defiling themselves. According to Deuteronomy, YHWH cannot take the House of Israel back. If He is a just God, surely He would not hold Himself to a lower standard than He holds us. So, if this is the case, and I do believe it is, then how is it possible for the Northern House of Israel to return to YHWH?

We have already discovered that the gospel message is the promises that accompany the guidelines YHWH gave to Israel as well as Abraham. This group of people, the House of Israel, who chose to disregard the Law God gave them, and chose death over life, were now the only group of people in the history of the world who were banned from coming to, or returning to God.

Hosea 1:6-7,9-11

And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.”

Then God said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God. “Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!

Paul seemed to understand it was the House of Israel who make up these gentiles.

Romans 9:22-26

What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.” “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

Paul is quoting directly from Hosea, and it is clear Hosea is referring to the House of Israel. We cannot change the meaning of the text to fit a preconceived notion. If Paul quoted something that directly referred to the House of Israel, we must understand he is also referring to the House of Israel.

What YHWH is saying in this passage is as follows. Israel will not receive any mercy from Me, but the House of Judah will. Israel will be called not my people and I will not be their God. But, at some point in the future, after Israel has spread out to the farthest parts of the world and multiplied to more than the sands of the seas, they will be called My people again.

This is the mystery of the Gospel Paul talks about. How was God planning to bring back the House of Israel without breaking His own Law?

Ephesians 6:17-20

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We can see here that there is at minimum a mystery of the gospel that no one really understood. It wasn’t until after the death of Christ when Paul finally understood how YHWH planned to bring back the House of Israel. Before we get there, we have to consider what Yeshua (Jesus) says, and we must understand that Yeshua is God in the flesh so all scripture absolutely must bend to His words.

Matthew 15:24

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

So, now we know Yeshua Himself says He was only sent for one group of people, the only group of people who had ever been banned from returning to YHWH. Yeshua came to set free the House of Israel. They were under the bondage of sin. So, how did He do it? How did He redeem the House of Israel?

Romans 7:2

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him.

This is it! This is why Yeshua had to die. This is the “riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He had prepared beforehand for glory”. Yeshua had to die in order to release Israel from being bound by the marriage law found in Deuteronomy 24. With His death, all Israel can be reunited back together, which fits the prophecy of the two sticks perfectly.

Ezekiel 37:16-19

“As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.

“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”

There are so many more verses, prophecies, and parables I could add to this, but for now I simply wanted to focus on the Gospel. If you are interested in seeing how many of the parables relate to this check out “The Parable of the Lost Son”.

Now, take all of that and look at the letter from Peter.

1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The first thing that should be noted is who Peter is speaking to. This is a huge clue as to who the gentiles really are. Peter specifically states he is speaking to the strangers, meaning no natives to these places, who have been scattered into Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. These are all within todays Turkey. These were gentile nations who had a certain people scattered into them. We know the House of Israel was scattered into the surrounding nations of the land of Israel. These are those nations which are to the north of the land of Israel.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Okay, Peter was speaking to those who were scattered within the gentile nations, and says the prophets have searched meticulously through the scriptures about this salvation that would come to these scattered peoples. They tried to find out when and how this would take place. Even the angels of heaven desired to understand this mystery. This is the mystery of the Gospel. Those divorced, scattered sheep of the House of Israel would be saved and be brought back to YHWH through the death of Christ. 

In conclusion, we can take away the idea the gospel was given in the Old Testament, as well as the New. There was a mystery concerning the Gospel that Paul seemed to figure out. There is a prophecy concerning the Gospel and relates to the Two Houses. The gospel can be followed. All in all, if nothing else, we should be able to take away the idea that the gospel is more than simply the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

If you enjoyed this study, Check out my books from Amazon

Tribulation Kingdom: Uncovering the Antichrist, the Elect, Babylon, and the Second Coming

ABSCONDED: Evading the Legal Ramifications of God's Law

  

The Gospel (part 1)

What is the Gospel we read about in the New Testament? Is it only found in the New Testament or is there mention of this Gospel in the Old Testament? Let’s start with the verse that is always brought up when this question is asked.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…

This is usually the furthest explanation I ever receive concerning the question, what is the Gospel. But, I would like to know much more considering in this passage Paul says we are saved by this Gospel and four sentences earlier in 1 Corinthians 14, he says he preaches the Laws of God.

1 Corinthians 14:37

If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.

Paul says he is teaching the commandments of God, and relates that to the gospel. There definitely seems to be more study required here.  What else do we see about the Gospel in the New Testament? Paul does talk about the Gospel in Galatians, Ephesians, Romans and we also see it in Hebrews.

Galatians 3:8

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

We see in Galatians Paul says the Gospel was given to Abraham and that this was a gospel that would “justify”, as in make righteous, the Gentiles by faith. So, what do you see in Genesis with the gospel and Abraham, specifically the verse in which Paul pulls a quote from?

Genesis 22:18

In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.

Genesis 26:4-5

And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.

We see the Gospel given to Abraham was his descendants will spread to all the nations of the earth and be blessed, because he obeyed the Law, Statutes, and Commandments of YHWH. Does this indicate the Gospel and God’s Law are linked? It seems at minimum possible according to Paul.

Romans 10:15-16

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

Here we have Paul saying there is a factor of obeying the Gospel. What is there to be obeyed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ? Then he goes on to quote from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah says the gospel is preached at that time. In Isaiah 53, we see a prophecy concerning Christ and no one seems to have believed this “report” or prophecy. Notice, the gospel Isaiah talks about is concerning good news, peace and salvation, and linked to Christ.

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Before this passage in Romans, Paul talks goes into more depth about righteousness, which is that same as being justified according to Paul earlier.

Romans 10:5-8

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is by the law: "The one who does these things will live by them." So the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we preach)

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

So here we have Paul quoting right out of the Law of God. Moses gives instructions from God on how to be considered righteous, which is following the law. He tells us how being righteous by faith is related to the Law of God. We, in faith, should not say who will go bring Christ down from heaven for us, and who will bring Christ up from the dead for us. We should not be doing this because scripture says, His word is near us, we speak it, and it is in our hearts so we can do it. Paul is linking both the law and faith together here for righteousness. We are to be righteous this way and it is only a few verses later he brings up the gospel. Considering all this what else do we know? The Israelites were given the Law of God and chose not to follow it and it was said they did this in unbelief. Paul says the Israelites were given the same Gospel as what he is teaching.

Hebrews 3:16-19

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:2

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

Those who came out of Egypt with Moses heard the gospel and rebelled. They had sinned and did not obey and this was considered to be their unbelief. We know what sin is according to John.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

John is linking sin with unbelief as well as having faith with keeping the Law of God. John has a bit more to say on the topic of righteousness.

1 John 3:7

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Yeshua is righteous.

Righteousness is justification, and John is saying we should be practicing this in order to be righteous. Remember Paul said earlier that righteousness comes from keeping the Law of God. Now John is saying we become righteous by practicing righteousness. So, breaking God’s Law is sin, and keeping it makes us righteous in God’s eyes. Now, we still know that keeping His law a way to earn eternal life through salvation. But, it is a way to keep us set apart from the ways of the world. Peter agrees we should be obeying God as well.

Acts 5:29

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Obeying God does and always has meant keeping His Law. Ill get to the mention of the Gospel in Ephesian later, considering it is the “mystery of the Gospel” portion. So then, what does the Old Testament say about the Gospel?

Deuteronomy 30:1-10

“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. “Also the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. And you will again obey the voice of the Lord and do all His commandments which I command you today. The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the Lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

In this passage we can pull out a bunch of things. First notice God has driven His people into all the nations of the world. Second, we see those who were scattered among all the nations will return to YHWH and obey His voice as well as all the commands given to them from Moses. At this point, YHWH will have compassion on them and gather them from all the nations of the entire world. He will prosper and multiply them. He will circumcise their heart. In doing so, they will love God with all their heart and soul, and they will have life. They will again obey all the commands given by Moses. He will flourish the work done by their hands, increase their children and livestock, and the produce they grow. He will rejoice over them returning to Him. Then notice at the end it says, “if” they obey all that is written in the “Book of the Law” and turn back to God will all their heart and soul.

This is the same Gospel we read throughout the New Testament.

1.       Repentance of their sin

2.       Return to God

3.       Do His works

4.       Obtain a circumcised heart

5.       Be given everlasting life

6.       Have God rejoice for us

7.       Be blessed and multiplied

Acts 26:20

but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Something else we can take away from this is the fact God scattered His people throughout the whole world and it is the descendants from these people who will be called back to Him. That is not to say no one other than these people will come to God. But it is saying these are the ones being referenced in the gospel, both from the Old and New Testaments. There is no prophecy anywhere that says gentiles, who are not and never where part of Israel will be called to come back to God. So, what did Israel do to be scattered among all the nations of the world? First we should know that the original covenant was a type of marriage covenant that both God and Israel agreed to.

Exodus 19:5-6, 8

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.

After this, God gives a warning to Israel.

Deuteronomy 28:58, 64

“If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD…

“Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known—wood and stone.

Then we see exactly what happened.

Ezekiel 20:18-26

“But I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, nor observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

“Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; but they profaned My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them and fulfill My anger against them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out. Also I raised My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on their fathers’ idols.

“Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they might know that I am the Lord.” ’

YHWH told the Israelites in the wilderness not to keep the laws of the nations, which is the laws, rules, and rituals of those nations and defile them. Do follow after their idols and (false) gods. He told them to walk in His Laws, keep His rules, and do them. Sanctify, as in set apart, His Sabbath days because they are supposed to be a sign between Him and them in order to know He is YHWH, their God.

These Israelites rebelled against Him and did not walk in His Laws, and did not observe His rules, meaning they chose death, not life. They disrespected His Sabbath days. It was because of all this He scattered or dispersed them among the gentile nations throughout all the countries. They despised or hated His given Law. So, we have seen the prophecy about not keeping the Law of God, and we have now witnessed YHWH has made it come true.

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Tribulation Kingdom: Uncovering the Antichrist, the Elect, Babylon, and the Second Coming



ABSCONDED: Evading the Legal Ramifications of God's Law
 

1 Corinthians Chapter 16 Breakdown

1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

Concerning the gathering of offerings for the saints, similarly to the orders Paul gave to Galatia, Corinth must also do. Now, this is where I see an issue with the translation. The Greek word for “on” is Strong's G2596 – kata and its meaning is according to, toward, along. There is no reason to think this should be translated as on the. The Greek word for “the first” is Strong's G3391 – mia and its meaning is only one, someone. Finally, the Greek for “day of the week” is Strong's G4521 – sabbaton. This word we translate 59 out of the 68 times used as Sabbath. Paul is not telling these men in Corinth to gather together on Sunday, he is clearly saying to them they should gather together on the Sabbath. I read this verse as, “According to the one Sabbath, let each one of you give something to be stored up in order for the saints to prosper. This way, when the saints get there, there will be no more offerings to be given.

3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

Now, when Paul does arrive, he will send the one the Corinthians had approved to gather the offerings.

4 But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

However, if you choose, I will go with the approved saints.

5 Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia).

Paul is planning to pass through Macedonia, on his way to Corinth.

6 And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go.

Paul even says he may stay in Corinth for a long period of time.

7 For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.

He wants to spend some time with them, possibly to ensure they are continuing in the Way he taught them.

8 But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.

He does plan to spend some time in Ephesus staying until Shavuot, which is the celebration of the harvest as well as the giving of the Law of God. Pentecost is the fiftieth Sabbath after the Passover. The Catholic Church has changed this to the fiftieth Monday after Easter.  

9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Paul is afforded the opportunity to speak to many in Ephesus during Pentecost. He wants to be there to counter the many adversaries there who intend to preach false teachings.

10 And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.

1 Corinthians 4:17

For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

Timothy has already been sent to Corinth in place of Paul. He is to go and show them how to imitate Paul. He wants to ensure that Timothy can come in and preach to them without having to fear what they might say.

11 Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.

Keep him safe and do not let anyone oppose him. When he finishes, send him away in peace so he can return to Paul. Paul and the rest of the believers with Paul are waiting for his return.

12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time.

Apollos was supposed to go to Corinth but did not have the time to spare now. He will travel there soon.

13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

Keep watch, be firm in your faith, be brave, and be strong. This verse indicates that there are things believers must be on the lookout for. We will be tested and need to be strong and hold our beliefs firm. We also must be brave against things that come against us. If Paul is saying this, it means it will not be easy to be a believer.

14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Everything you do, do it out of love.

15 I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints— that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us.

Those in Corinth are urged to devote themselves to the ministry of the saints. Paul also mentions firstfruits which is a feast day of God. Granted this is not in reference to that day, it is the same terminology and has a similar meaning. This is just another example of Paul using the Torah and God’s Feasts as examples in his explanations showing that he thinks highly of both the Torah and its message as well as the feast days which are found within the Torah.

17 I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied.

Whatever the Corinthians were lacking before, these men will supply with their coming.

18 For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men.

The men of Corinth should be sure to give acknowledgement to these men and those like them because they have refreshed the spirit of both Paul and the Corinthians.

19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

The Asian churches say hi.

20 All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.

All the believers say hi.

21 The salutation with my own hand—Paul’s.

Paul signs the letter letting them know it is from him.

22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

Anyone not loving Yeshua should be cursed.

23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

May Yeshua be with you in Corinth.

24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Paul sends his love to all those in Christ.

1 Corinthians Chapter 15 Breakdown

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

Right at the end of chapter 14, Paul ended by saying he preaches the commands of God, and then he starts up this portion of the letter by saying he preaches a gospel in which the Corinthian’s are saved so long as they hold fast to, or keep the word which Paul has preached. If they do not do this, their belief was futile. Now, the works of the law are not what saves men, Paul makes this absolutely clear. The gospel then is not simply the law of God, but it does seem linked. We know we are saved by Grace through faith. We know Grace is obtaining undeserved forgiveness. We also know this forgiveness is a redeeming matter, and we read continuously about coming back to the Father. To come back to the Father means we would have had to have been with Him at some point before. We also know that without Grace, gentiles would not have had the opportunity to come to the Father. But, this is not the case in the Old Testament. Those outside of Israel could very well choose to come to YHWH without the need of a Savior. So, who then are these people in Corinth, if not simply regular gentiles?

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

Isaiah 53:5-6, 9

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Hosea 6:1-2

Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.

Isaiah 26:19

Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

It is commonly understood Psalm 22 is referring to Yeshua considering there are so many parallels between the two. So I would suggest reading it along with the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Next, Paul mentions “according to the Scriptures” a few times. So I pulled a couple of the passages he was referring to. One thing we should really understand is the entire book of Hosea is a reference to the House of Israel, which is the Northern Kingdom of Israel who had been divorced by YHWH, then taken captive by Assyria, and ultimately dispersed among all the gentile nations and assimilating into their cultures and religions making them gentiles. That being said, we can correctly assume, when Paul quotes from Hosea, this is who he is referring to. These people never returned to the land of Israel. The Southern Kingdom, the House of Judah and known as Jews today, were also taken captive, but by Babylon, and they did return to the land.

Paul is equating the Gospel here with the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua. The term gospel just means “good news”. However, we also know that the “same gospel” was taught to those who were just coming out of Egypt. So, we know it cannot simply be the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua.

6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

500 believers saw Christ at one time after He did raise from the dead, and most of those people were still alive at the time Paul wrote this letter. However, some had died.

7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

James saw Jesus after the 500, then the rest of the apostles saw Him after His resurrection.

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

The last person to see Jesus was Paul, who was born into Christianity after the death of Yeshua.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Paul claims to be the least of the apostles and not worthy of even being called an apostle. His reason being his persecution of the church. Paul had a hand in killing many of the believers, including Stephen, before he became a believer himself.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

It was God’s grace that made Paul who he is at this point. Paul does not want that grace to be in vain, so he has put in the work, more than the rest of the apostles, because he had the grace of YHWH within him.

11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Either way, you believed because the apostles preached.

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Matthew 27:51-53

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Apparently there were some in Corinth who were preaching there was no resurrection. But, Paul and the apostles all have made this point while preaching. We can see from the gospel of Matthew that there was a resurrection of the saints who had already died up to the time of Christ’s death.

13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

The resurrection happened, because if it did not, then Christ Himself would not have raised.

14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

Without Christ being raised from the dead, the preaching of the apostles would hold no weight and be empty speech. Christ’s raising from the dead is extremely important to the salvation of the gentiles. Ask yourself why that is.

15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.

If that were the case, Paul and the apostles would and should be considered false witnesses of God.

16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

He repeats, if the dead did not come out of their graves, Christ would not have risen.

17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

If it weren’t for Christ being risen, the gentiles would still be baring their own sin.

18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Those who died while believing in Christ would simply have perished.

19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

Believers who only have hope in Christ and not His raising from the dead are most pitiable.

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

However, Christ did rise and is the firstfruits of everyone who has died.

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.

Adam brought death into this world, and Yeshua brought resurrection from death.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.

Because of Adam all men will die. But, because of Yeshua, all believers will be resurrected.

23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

The order is this, Christ with the first fruits, then at the second coming, everyone else who belong to Him.

24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.

After this raising come the end and He delivers the world over to the Father. Christ will end the power Satan has on this world.

25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.

He will reign until all His enemies are a footstool to Him.

26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

Death will be destroyed last. This is very interesting because it means during the reign of Christ, death of men will still be happening.

27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.

Psalm 8:6

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet

We can see Yeshua is excepted by YHWH because YHWH put all things under Him.

28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Psalm 110:1-2

The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

Not all things are made subject to Yeshua as of yet, although they will be. Once all the enemies are gone, Christ hands everything back over to the Father.

29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?

Why do those who teach the dead will not rise baptize themselves for the dead? If they are not going to rise, there is no reason for this practice.

30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?

If there is no resurrection, why do the believers stand in jeopardy constantly?

31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Paul says he can attest to his dying daily. Those who Paul has helped bring to Jesus is his boast.

32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Isaiah 22:13

But instead, joy and gladness Slaying oxen and killing sheep Eating meat and drinking wine “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

Psalm 22:12-13

Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

Paul refers to fighting against animals, similarly to the opponents of God we see in the Old Testament. What we can take away from this is Paul is fighting against the opponents of God. Those who choose not to follow YHWH and His Christ. If the dead are not going to rise again, why go through all this trouble, instead Paul mocks, and quotes the sinners phrase, let us eat and drink today because we will die tomorrow.

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Proverbs 13:20

He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Paul says we should not be deceived and not to associate with men who are evil and do not believe the words of God.

34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

Psalm 119:11

Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

We can see here Paul equates righteousness with not sinning. Then he says some people do not have the knowledge of God, and that is shameful. So, what is the Knowledge of God?

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Malachi 2:7

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

It seems clear Knowledge of God is knowing the Law of God. Rejecting his law is what caused Israel (the whole book of Hosea is centered on the House of Israel) to be divorced and scattered.

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”

Now Paul is going into some of the questions the Corinthians may have about the resurrection. They may ask how and what body they would have.

36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.

John 12:24

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Paul says these men are foolish, they must die in order to bring forth life.

37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain.

We do not need to worry about the body that comes up. We just worry about the seed to plant. God is the one who creates the body. Just like planting wheat, when planting the seed, God causes the stalk to grow, the stalk is the plants body. This is precisely what happens with our spiritual body.

38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

It is God who gives the seed a body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

Not all flesh is equal. Men, animals, fish, birds all have flesh, but it isn’t the same flesh.

40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

There are bodies for heaven just as there are bodies for earth. The heavenly body has its own glory and the earthly body has its own as well.

41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

There are even differences between the glories among the heavenly bodies.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

Similarly, a human body is sown with corruption but then raised by God with no corruption.

43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

The human body is dishonored but raised in glory, it is weak but raised in power.

44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The human body is natural, but raised spiritual. There are two types of bodies, the natural and the spiritual.

45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Genesis 2:7

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

John 11:25

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Paul quotes from Torah as well as John. Adam became a human, Yeshua became a spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.

You first must be human or natural in body, then you can be spiritual.

47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

Adam was created out of the dust of the earth. Yeshua was from heaven.

48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

Because Adam was the man of dust, so are all those who descended from him. But, with Yeshua being heavenly, so are those who are His.

49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

We are born with the image of the man of dust, but we also will bear the image of the man of heaven.

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

Human flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of YHWH. Just as corruption does not obtain incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Now, Paul explains a mystery to these men. Not everyone will die, but everyone will be changed. This change will happen extremely fast and it will happen at the last trumpet. It will be at the sound of the trumpet when the dead raise with incorruptible spirit bodies, after the dead, the living shall be changed.

The trumpet is very significant to the Law of God. It is directly related to the Feast of Trumpets. There are many who believe it will be the Feast of Trumpets when Christ returns.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The human corruptible body must be changed to incorruptible, and the human mortal body must be changed to immortal.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Isaiah 25:8

He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken.

It wont be until after we have been changed that this prophecy will be fulfilled.

55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

Hosea 13:14

“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

Paul quotes from the Old Testament about how believers will be changed and raised from the dead so death has no more power over them.

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Death gains its power through sin. Sins strength is found in the law. We use the law to avoid sin because the law brings us the knowledge of sin.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

YHWH has given us the victory over sin and death with Yeshua the Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Do the work of God knowing that it is not done in vain.