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Chapter 1 The
Forthcoming Saints Are The Lord's Holy Angels A Study
in the Apostle Paul's Revelation of the Great Mystery of Christ and the
Church By Steve Santini September 2015 Introduction About five
thousand years ago Enoch prophesied that one day the saints would come. Jude,
who was known as a brother of Jesus, restated this prophecy in the later
years of the first century church. And Enoch
also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord
cometh with ten thousands of his saints, Jude 1:14 In his benediction, Jude identified the condition
in which the saints would come. As Peter had written in his first letter, in
contrast to the original sufferings of Christ, there would eventually be a
time of the glory of Christ.Jude wrote that the time period he was referring
to in his letter was when saints would come in the glory of Christ written of by Peter. Now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy, Jude
1:24 If the saints are yet to come in glory, we as
Christians should know who the saints are and what their mission will be for
our sakes and the sakes of our children and our children's children. The Apostle Paul, as a saint whose gospel
fulfilled the word of God through the spirit of truth first entrusted to him,
most clearly understood and once applied the ministration of the saints in the
churches he founded. He, too, in a similar manner, reiterated Enoch's
prophecy in his first letter to the church in Thessalonica. And
the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and
toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable
in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ with all his saints. 1
Thessalonians 3:12, 13 This study begins with the keystone of the Apostle
Paul's revelation of the great mystery of Christ and the church as recorded
in his epistle to the church of Ephesus. Saints and Faithful Paul's epistle to the church of Ephesus has been
called the most divine piece of literature ever written. It was penned, like
Colossians and Philippians, in the later years of the apostle's life.
Ephesians was addressed to the saints and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at
Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1 The saints are separated from the faithful in
Christ Jesus by the conjunction and.
In the Greek language from which our English versions are translated the word
and is the word kai. Kai is simply a conjunction that annexes one thing to
another, not one of admixture or equivalency. Paul's letter to the church of Colosse begins in a similar manner with the kai
distinguishing each and joining the two. To the
saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Colossians 1:2a The
salutation to the church at Philippi is a bit different, however it too
distinguishes the saints from others by Paul's usage of the Greek preposition
sun rather than the other primary
preposition, meta, also translated
as with. Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the
saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Philippians 1:1 Unlike the Greek preposition meta, also translated in other verses as with, the preposition sun
is not one of admixture. Sun is
defined as in association with and as beside while meta implies a much closer relationship. According to the Apostle Pauls letters to the
churches he founded, there were two differing groups with divinely appointed
responsibilities that converged to function as the one body of Christ that he
espoused. They were and will be the saints and the faithful in Christ Jesus. Holy The Greek word translated as saint in the New Testament is agios. It is defined as things
set apart for God's purpose or things consecrated
to God that possess certain essentially divine qualities in contrast
with what is human. In its adjective form it modifies spirit in holy spirit, brethren
in Hebrews, prophets and apostles in
Paul's Ephesian epistle, men in context of the prophecies about the second coming of the
Lord in Peter's second epistle and angels
in both Matthew and Mark's account of the second coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. When the Son
of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall
he sit upon the throne of his glory: Matthew
25:31 Whosoever
therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and
sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Mark 8:38 At first, these two verses stating that the Lord
come with his holy angels appear to contradict Enoch's prophecy and
corresponding statements made by the Apostle Paul saying that the Lord comes
with his saints. However, a thoughtful study of the Lord's angels and the
saints in the scope of New Testament writings reveals that saints and angels
are different terms emphasizing two different states and abilities of those
which are the same. Angels The book of Hebrews is about the second coming of
Jesus Christ during which Enoch said the Lord comes with all his saints. The
word angels is
used eleven times in the first two chapters; far more frequently than any
other section of scripture. The seventh verse of the first chapter reveals
that angels can be made spirits. And of
the angels he saith, Who maketh
his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. Hebrews 1:7 Then in
the fourteenth verse the author writes that these angelic spirits are to be
ministers unto the heirs of salvation. Are they not all ministering spirits,
sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews 1:14 Salvation is for the souls of those
who have and have had faith in the promises of God once delivered by the
saints or as Peter calls them-holy men. In the closing chapter the author
again mentions angels by giving practical advice to those who believe the
author writes: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2 If one is to entertain a human unaware
that he is an angel that unseen angelic reality would of necessity be spirit. The apostle Paul, as a saint, was
latently empowered from birth internally with an angel made a spirit. But when it pleased God, who separated me
from my mother's womb, and called me
by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen Galatians 1:15-16a (Notice Paul did not say that when he
was called God placed his Son in him. The Son was already in Paul from his
mother's womb yet God revealed it to Paul when he called Paul to exercise
that spirit for his timely ministerial calling.) As such he was an angel. Paul's used
the term saint for a person gifted from birth with an angel made a spirit. In
his first letter to the Corinthians he indicated this when he theoretically
wrote: Though I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:1 He also indicated this as he wrote to
the Roman church when he emphasized at one point that he was speaking as a
man. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) Romans 3:5 In Acts, a quotation of Paul
by Luke, his companion, appears more convincing. But after long abstinence Paul stood
forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me,
and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And
now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of
the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and
whom I serve,Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be
brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee.Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be
even as it was told me.Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. Acts 27:21-26 In the twenty third verse, that reads,
For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, whose I am, the clause whose I am begins
with the genitive case of the relative Greek pronoun os meaning who, which, that,
what, whom or whose. The verb in the clause is eimi meaning to be and to
exist. J.
Gresham Machen footnotes in his book, New Testament Greek for Beginners,
that a noun or pronoun in the genitive may stand in the predicate with the
verb to be. So, this verse could be translated as For there
stood by me this night the angel of God, who I am, and whom I serve, and,
according to the New Testament scope of the subject of men as angels, should
be translated the angel of God who I am. The twenty-third chapter of Exodus reveals that Moses was
likewise angelically gifted. For mine Angel shall go before thee,
and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites,
and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
Exodus 23:23 Luke 7:27 Jesus Christ, himself, confirmed this assertion that some were
gifted with angelic spirits when he described John the Baptist in such a
manner. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Luke 7:27 The word
translated messenger
in this verse is the same as the Greek word translated as angel most often in the New Testament.
As a result, for the sake of clarity on the subject, this verse should be
translated in this manner as it is in some versions of the bible: This is he of whom it is written:
Behold I send my angel before thy
face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. Luke 7:27 The Transfiguration The pivotal event of Jesus' ministry was his glorious
transformation with Moses and Elijah's appearances on the Mount of
Transfiguration. Luke's record of the event adds much to the subject of one
time saintly men in later angelic form being sent forward by the Lord Jesus
Christ upon his glorious second coming. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and
of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in
his own glory, and in his Father's,
and of the holy angels.But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing
here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.And it
came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John
and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion
of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.And,
behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who
appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which
he should accomplish at Jerusalem.But Peter and they that were with him were
heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two
men that stood with him.And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter
said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three
tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing
what he said.While he thus spake,
there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered
into the cloud.And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my
beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone.
And they kept it close, and
told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. Luke 9:26-36 This record is literally true. It is
also a prophetic prototype structured with essential elements that foreshadow
those of the Lord's second coming. The first two sentences include
the Lord's glory, holy angels, and some then standing with Jesus who would
see the kingdom of God before they died. (The definition of this Greek word, see, means to experience in what one
is seeing.) Then he took Peter, John and James up into a mountain where they
saw the Lord's glory, holy angels and themselves as if they were in the
kingdom of God. Moses and Elijah represented the class named saints, or, in
other words, holy angels while Peter, John and James represented the class
named faithful in Christ Jesus in Paul's Ephesian
letter. The heavy sleep of Peter, John and James represents the state of
death for those faithful in Christ Jesus as Paul expressed in his first
letter to the church in Thessalonica. And the awakening of the three
represents the resurrection for those in that class. The cloud into which
they entered with Jesus represents the cloud of Paul's Thessalonian
letter into which the living and the resurrected are said to be gathered to
be forever with the Lord. In his last letter, when Peter wrote of the second coming of the
Lord to those of like faith, this event on the Mount of Transfiguration was
central in his encouragement to them. For we have not followed cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.For he received from God
the Father honour and glory, when there came such a
voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were
with him in the holy mount. 2 Peter
1:16-18 The Twelve and The Seventy Luke uniquely included two proximate post
transfiguration events in his gospel by which Jesus laid a foundation for the
apostle Paul's eventual revelation distinguishing the saints from the
faithful. The first event is recorded in the later part of the ninth chapter
in Luke's gospel. And it
came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent
messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the
Samaritans, to make ready for him.And they did not receive him, because his
face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and
John saw this, they said,
Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume
them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.For the Son
of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another
village. Luke 9:51-56 James and
John had recently seen Elias (Elijah) standing with the Lord upon the holy
mount as Peter called it. It was commonly known that the heavenly angels
would bring judgment by fire in the last days. Elijah had brought the fire of
God's wrath down upon Ahaziah's soldiers who came
to capture him twice. It appears from this record that James and John assumed
they were of the same class as Elijah. But Jesus rebuked them and said they
were of a different spirit than Elijah. He then referred to his role as the
Son of man born of a woman implying that their spiritual role was akin to
that nature. As such, the proposition would be that there was another nature
of Jesus Christ to which Elijah was akin. In Luke's gospel it appears that
Son of God, the other term he used for Jesus, would identify that nature. The
second proximate post transfiguration
event that distinguishes those like Elijah from those like James and
John is the sending out of the seventy others in contrast to the proximate pre transfiguration sending
out of the twelve apostles. The Twelve Then he
called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over
all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of
God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two
coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence
depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city,
shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they
departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing
everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he
was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the
dead; And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the
old prophets was risen again. And Herod said, John have
I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to
see him. And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they
had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place
belonging to the city called Bethsaida. Luke 9:1-10 The Seventy After
these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two
before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye
therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send
you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes:
and salute no man by the way. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say,
Peace be to this house.And if
the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall
turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such
things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of
his hire. Go not from house to house.And into whatsoever city ye enter, and
they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick
that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto
you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your
ways out into the streets of the same, and say,Even the very dust of your
city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against
you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh
unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin!
woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for
if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and
Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be
thrust down to hell.He that heareth
you heareth me; and he that despiseth
you despiseth me; and he that despiseth
me despiseth him that sent me.And the seventy
returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any
means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are
subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in
heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so
it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and
no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and
who the Father is, but the Son, and he
to whom the Son will reveal him.
And he turned him unto his disciples,
and said privately, Blessed are the
eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and
kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things
which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Luke 10:1-24 There are remarkable statements in Luke's record
that distinguish the seventy from the twelve apostles who were sent out
before Jesus', Moses', and Elijah's appearance in glory on the Mount of
Transfiguration rather than after the event as were the seventy. In the
introductory verse, the underlying Greek word other has the meaning of other of a different kind. After
these things the Lord appointed other
seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and
place, whither he himself would come. Luke 10:1 In the third verse, Luke employs
the Greek word aren
that has been translated as lambs. Go your
ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs
among wolves. Luke10:3 Matthew's account of the commands
given to the twelve seems to provide the same information. Behold, I
send you forth as sheep in the
midst of wolves: Matthew 10:16 However a more thorough study
shows a distinction between the word sheep
in Matthew's account of the twelve and the word lambs in Luke's account of the seventy. As noted in the Louw-Nida Lexicon many languages have different words for
male and female sheep. And some also have different words for the young and
mature in each of the two categories. The Greek word translated sheep in Matthew of the twelve is probaton. Probaton and
its diminutive form probation are
never used to specify male sheep in scripture or in classical Greek writings. On the other hand, the Greek word
translated lambs in Luke's account
of the seventy is aren.
Luke's usage of the word aren is the singular biblical usage of the word. According Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the
Bible, aren
means rams the mature males of the flock. The
spiritual mission of the twelve is given as preaching the gospel, and healing every where,
while the mission of the seventy included even the devils are subject unto us through thy name as given in
their returning report to Jesus. In
contrast to Jesus' instructions to the twelve, Jesus instructed the seventy
to say to those that accepted a pair of the seventy the
kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Jesus also instructed the seventy to
speak the same words in a different context to those who rejected a pair of
the seventy. But into
whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the
streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you:
notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto
you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for
Sodom, than for that city. Luke10:14 As Jesus
had promised, James, John and Peter had actually seen the kingdom of God on
the Mount of Transfiguration when they had seen the glorified Jesus, with
Moses and Elijah as holy angels. Those that accepted a pair of the seventy
had just come nigh to the kingdom of God not seen the kingdom of God because
they had entertained human strangers unaware that they were angels one day to
come again in glorified bodies. The Greek
word translated appointed in the
introductory sentence of this section is revealing in this context. After
these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, Luke 10:1a The word appointed includes the meaning to lift
up anything on high and exhibit it for all to behold. These seventy were
lifted up to spiritual maturity for a time as a prefigured prophetic shadow
of the future coming of the saints. In closing the time of their appointment
Jesus said: In that
hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in
thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the
Father is, but the Son, and he to
whom the Son will reveal him.
And he turned him unto his disciples,
and said privately, Blessed are the
eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and
kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things
which ye hear, and have not heard them. Luke 10:21-24 Nathanael John, who
like Luke, wrote in the mature period of the churches Paul founded appears to
have distinguished a person who was later appointed as one of the seventy
when he wrote of Jesus' initial interaction with Nathanael in the first
chapter of his gospel. The day
following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth
Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip
was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth
Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him,
of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the
son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out
of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of
him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before
that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith
unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus
answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the
fig tree, believest thou? thou
shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter
ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of man. John 1:43-51 There are three relevant points within this record
to note in this study of the saints. Jesus, first, distinguishes Nathanael
from the others he was gathering to serve in his ministry by saying of him, Behold an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Then
Nathanael responded asking Jesus, Whence knowest
thou me? After Jesus answered his question Nathanael immediately responded,
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. What then was it
that Jesus said to evoke such a quick change from substantial doubt to
certain recognition of Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel? Jesus had
answered Nathanael's question with these words: Before
that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee. John 1:48 The Greek word translated under
is hupo.
With the accusative case as its object here, hupo means motion or a period
of time under. George Lamsa, an accomplish author
regarding his native East writes that "under the fig tree"
figuratively means a newborn in the cradle. So, Jesus appears to have been
saying to him that as you were passing into this life I saw thee or before
you were born I saw thee. This would be consistent with the Paul's writings
regarding himself as a saint and others as saints. In either understanding,
this response instantly changed Nathanael's opinion of Jesus from "can
anything good come out of Nazareth" to "thou art the Son of God and
the King of Israel." With only this information, we, who study and think
about scriptural accounts, are left to wonder what could have previously
transpired in Nathanael's soul that would have so quickly brought this
recognition of Jesus as the result of Jesus' singular answer to his simple
question. Jesus
further distinguished Nathanael from the others present at the conclusion of
his interaction with him when he said: Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of
God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. John1:51 Here Jesus is referring to the
future time when he comes with is holy angels. The Greek word translated see in this verse is optanomai. It
is a future tense middle voice verb. In the middle voice it means that the
observer is both acting in the event and being acted upon in the event. In
other words Nathanael was to be an interactive participant in the future
event. Logically, Jesus was identifying Nathanael as one of the angels. By
selectively placing this record of Jesus' interaction with Nathanael at the
beginning of his gospel the author uniquely established a foundational theme
that runs in the background of his gospel. As he concludes his account he
again mentions Nathanael by name to remind us about the angelic nature of
certain ones and that day in the future when heaven will be opened and the
angels of God will ascend and descend on the forthcoming Son of man. After
these things Jesus shewed himself again to the
disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas
called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
and the sons of Zebedee, and
two other of his disciples. John
21:1-2 This is
the disciple which testifieth
of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is
true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if
they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could
not contain the books that should be written. Amen. John 21:24-25 The
saints never die; they depart. There are
two realms. They are heaven and earth. The well-known Lord's Prayer
identifies these two realms. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Luke 11:2 The
apostle Paul wrote of these two realms often. In his Ephesian
letter he wrote of the whole family both in heaven and on earth. In the same
letter, he also wrote of the fullness of times when the Lord will gather
together all things in one, both which are in heaven and which are on earth.
In his second letter to the Corinthian church he wrote of the character of
these two realms. While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 The apostle Paul, as a matured saint, had, from an earthly
perspective, been entered into the unseen heavenly realm. However, from the perspective of the
eternal heavenly realm, he had always been a citizen of heaven. When
he wrote to other saints in his Philippian letter
he said: For our conversation (citizenship) is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ: Philippians
3:20 The author of Hebrews cast Melchisedec in the
same manner. Without
father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days,
nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth
a priest continually. Hebrews 7:3 Days began in the first chapter of Genesis. And
human soul was made during the first chapter of Genesis just after the days
were made. Melchisedec,
described as one without beginning of days being accounted to him, was, like
all saints, made similar to the Son of God as one gifted from birth with a
preexistent angel made into a ministering spirit. And even though his flesh
corrupted unto human death, his preexistent spirit with his subsequently
engaged, angelically subservient soul lived on abiding as a heavenly priest
under the eternal high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul
wrote of this preexistent state of the saints in his letter to the church in
Ephesus. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:According as he
hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love: Ephesians 1:3-4 The word holy
in this verse is the translated, plural, masculine gender, Greek agious. In the
Greek texts of scripture the word also appears in the neuter and the feminine
genders. When it appears in the masculine gender it is rarely translated as
anything other than saint or saints depending on its number. Here, in this verse
it should also be translated as saints
rather than holy. William
Tindale recognized this when he translated his
English version of the bible in 1526, eighty-five years before King James'
translation. accordynge as he had chosen vs in him before ye foudacio of
ye worlde was layde that
we shuld be saintes and
without blame before him thorow loue.
Ephesians 1:4 Tyndale Translation In like
manner, Jeremiah wrote of the Lord's words to him confirming his preexistent
angelic state. Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5 Paul, as
a member of this order of Melchisedec, in a similar
way to the record of Melchisedec, wrote of the
death of his flesh as one without the ending of his life.After his sentence
of execution for societal insurrection by the Roman high court had been delivered, Paul wrote his last letter to Timothy. In it he
referred to his death as a departure. For I am
now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith:Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Earlier, in
the years between his first appearance before the Roman high court and his
final appearance, when writing to the saints with the bishops and deacons in
Philippi, he wrote of his desire to depart and be with the Lord. According
to my earnest expectation and my hope,
that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to
me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the
flesh, this is the fruit of
my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a
desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to
abide in the flesh is more
needful for you. Philippians 1:20-24 Both Elijah
and Moses were manifested representatives of this deathless order of Melchisedec when they appeared on the Mount of
Transfiguration with Jesus Christ. It seems that the unique manner of
Elijah's departure was meant to emphasize the point that saints depart to be
with the Lord rather than die to await resurrection. And it
came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire,
and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11 Likewise,
the translation of Enoch appears also to have occurred as a representation in
the temporal realm to emphasize the truth of the eternal realm. By faith
Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because
God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony,
that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5 Son of
Man-Son of God Jesus
Christ, who the author of Hebrews identified as the high priest of the order
of Melchisedec, called himself the Son of Man and the Son of God. His term
Son of Man defined his temporal existence with a pristine soul as uncorrupted
Adam once had when he was first made a living soul. Jesus' term Son of God
defined his eternal heavenly existence from whence he was the firstborn of
all creation. This unification of earthly and heavenly natures is present in
the name Jesus Christ. Jesus, as a living soul being born of Mary and then
crucified, had a temporal existence. Christ, on the other hand, has no
beginning of days or end of life. When Paul uniquely used the term Christ
Jesus he was not only defining the two part harmony resident in the being of
Jesus Christ but also the two part harmony of the saints and faithful of his
corporate body. The
apostle Paul, when writing about Jesus Christ, addressed this unified living
duality in five verses of his letter to the Colossians. Who is
the image of the invisible God, the firstborn
of every creature. (creation)For by him were all
things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones,
or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him,
and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And
he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the
preeminence. For it pleased the
Father that in him should all fulness dwell; Colossians 1:15-19 As the
Son of God he is the firstborn of all creation and as the Son of Man he is
the firstborn from the dead. So, in all things, both in the spiritual of
heaven and the soul of earth, he has the preeminence and in him the Lord's
Prayer will be universally answered. The Best
of the Lot The
author of Hebrews reveals that Jesus Christ is the firstbegotten
of the angels that will come with him to minister to those who will partake
of salvation. Being
made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a
more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any
time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to
him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten
into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of
God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of
fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou
hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews 1:4-9 The period's traditional concept of inheritance expressed in by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they
and God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows of
this section points directly to Christ, the Son of God, being the firstborn
of the angels. The word inheritance
is the Greek word kleronomos
meaning the acquisition of the portion allotted implying other portions to be
allotted. Louw Nida's
lexicon adds this: In Jewish society the rights and responsibilities of being
a firstborn son resulted in considerable prestige and status. The firstborn
son, for example, received twice as much in inheritance as any other offspringIts also worth noting that the Eastern first
born son, in maturity, carried the authority of the father in the family and
in society. The word fellows
is metoxos
meaning a companion that shares a portion of the enterprise. John the
Baptist employed the same concept when he said: For he whom God hath sent speaketh
the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by
measure unto him. John 3:34 The usage of giveth not the Spirit by measure unto
him implies that there were others given the Spirit by measure. What then
is this particular Spirit given without measure to Jesus? Peter first
identified Jesus as the Christ. In the name Jesus Christ, Christ is the
spiritual, eternal, heavenly aspect while Jesus is the temporal aspect of the
same. Near the
end of his life Peter recognized that there were those who had a portion of
the spirit of Christ. Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow. 1 Peter 1: 11 The immediate context of this verse associates
those endowed with the spirit of Christ with angels. Searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not
unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported
unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost
sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:11-12 The
Greek word translated look into is parakupto
meaning, literally, to stoop down to examine. In biblical usages it
sometimes refers to stooping down to engage what is lower. This would be
consistent with the context of the previously cited first chapter of Hebrews
that concludes with Christ's angelic siblings being made into ministering spirits
unto those in the temporal realm about to obtain salvation. John's
gospel record reinforces the truth of Christ's unique position as the firstbegotten of the angelic order in the family of God.
The author utilizes the words only
begotten in descriptions of Jesus four times in his gospel- two each in
each of two sections. In the Greek language from which the English
translations are made the word for only
begotten is monogenes.
The meaning of the word and the contexts of it usages in the two sections is
enlightening. In common English terms, monogenes means best of the lot. By formal
definitions from classical and biblical lexicons, it has these meanings: alone, as isolated from others; the only
one of its kind or class; pertaining
to what is unique in the sense of being the only one of the same kind or
class; and single of its kind.
These are the two sections in John where the word monogenes is used: And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the
Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried,
saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh
after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For
the law was given by Moses, but grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but
confessed, I am not the Christ. John 1:14-20 For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the
world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because
he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come
into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he
that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest,
that they are wrought in God. John
3:16-21 The usage of this word, mongenes, in Hebrews reinforces
its lexicographical definitions and the scriptural understandings
they offer in regards to the angels being additionally procreated by the
Father. By faith
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten
son, Hebrews 11:17 According to the Genesis records,
Abraham fathered a number of sons including his first son Ishmael. Isaac,
though, was the best of the lot because he was the child according to God's
promise. Sons of
God The
author of Hebrews begins by reminding his readers that in
times past God spoke unto the fathers by the prophets in various
manners. In other words, when writing about the angels procreated after
Christ, the prophets used various terms to identify them. He author of Job
wrote of them as the sons of God. Now there
was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD,
and Satan came also among them. Job
1:6 David wrote of them as both sons
of the mighty and saints. And the
heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the
congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the
LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be
likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the
saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. Psalm 89: 5- 7 Likewise,
the various authors of the gospels recorded differing literal and figurative
terms that Jesus used to identify these additional sons of God. When Jesus
addressed the raised up seventy he called them the rams of the Father's
flock. He also categorized them as those who had their names written in
heaven. When the author of Hebrews brings the faithful to the finality of his
treatise he lists a variety of descriptions of what they were to come unto.
One of those listed is the church of the firstborn, which are written in
heaven. To the
general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven,
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new
covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh
better than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:23, 24 Not only
is Jesus Christ the firstborn best of the lot with the fullness of the spirit
in the angelic realm, he was the best of the lot in the temporal realm of man.
In contrast to the yet still inherited sinful nature of man, he, as the
sinless second Adam, was generated a perfectly pure soul the lamb without
spot or blemish. Angels of the Saints Another
description of those the faithful will come unto is an innumerable company of
angels. But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews 12:22 Innumerable company is the
Greek word muriasin.
As a singular noun it means ten thousand. It is used here as a plural
adjective that means tens of thousands of angels. The same word is used of
the saints in Enoch's prophesy. And
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord
cometh with ten thousands of his saints, Jude 1:14 From
these two verses it would appear that either the scripture contradicts itself
or that there are two different groups that attend unto the Lord Jesus Christ
at his coming. However, with the understanding that the word angels emphasizes this singular
group's relationship to Christ of heaven while the word saints emphasizes their relationship to soul of earth this
apparent difference is resolved bringing these two verses into harmony. Shortly
before Jesus took Peter, James and John to the holy mount and was
transfigured with Moses and Elijah he said that his holy angels would come
with him in his glory. For
whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man
be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 The
holy angels should be
translated, the angels of the saints
since the same masculine gender Greek word, agioi, translated holy here, is translated as saints most often in scripture. And,
as it is in this verse, with the article, in its genitive case, plural
number, masculine gender and attributive position in the Greek text, it is
translated of the saints in the eighteen other
scriptures where it appears. He
then said to his disciples: But I
tell you of a truth, there be some standing here,
which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. Luke 9:27 And, then, days later, as Jesus was on the holy
mount with Peter, James and John this occured: And,
behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who
appeared in glory, Luke
9:30-31a The
Apostle Paul wrote of this time when Jesus Christ was to come in his own
glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels, as the time when the
he shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. (2 Thes. 1:7) Three
verses later Paul augmented his description of the time of the mighty angels
with these words: When
he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them
that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. 2 Thessalonians 1:10) These
angels of the saints, or, as Paul writes, mighty angels are the same angels
that will come to gather the elect of belief out of the wrath for the kingdom
of God. They will come with power and in similar glory as the saints Moses
and Elijah did when they appeared with Jesus on the holy mount. Jesus
Christ, himself, numbered the angels within the realm of tens of thousands.
When the temple guards from the chief priests and the elders came to capture
Jesus, one of his followers drew his dagger and cut off the ear of one of the
temple guards. Jesus told him to put up his dagger and said: Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my
Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?Matthew 26:53 In the times of Jesus' statement a
Roman legion was comprised of five thousand to six thousand men. That means
there would be between sixty thousand and seventy two thousand of the Lord's
angels. Throughout scripture there are
divinely orchestrated representations where a part prophetically represents
the whole. For example, upon the advice of Jethro
his Midianite father-in-law, Moses chose seventy to
be judges of matters while Israel was in the wilderness. This advice could
have been based on Enoch's ancient prophesy about the number of saints to one
day come with the Lord. Moses also sent twelve spies into the Promised Land.
The twelve represented the entirety of the twelve tribes to one day enter
that land. In the New Testament, the other seventy that Jesus raised up and
sent out after his glorious appearance on the Mount of Transfiguration, in
like manner, as a part of the future whole, appears to point towards the
number to one day come with Jesus Christ being seventy thousand. Sodom and the Angels Jude placed the ancient prophecy of Enoch in the context of
Sodom. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha,
and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication,
and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the
vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7 The apostle Paul also used the example
of Sodom to explain the conditions during the transition from the present
realities unto the kingdom of heaven on earth. Except
the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been
as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. Romans
9: 29 Peter, after writing about the second
coming of the Lord being like his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, used the
example of Sodom. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 2 Peter 2:6-7 In Luke's record, Jesus used the example of Sodom twice. In his
instructions to the seventy that he had raised up and sent out two by two, he
told them that those who rejected them would, in the future, be dealt with in
the manner of Sodom But into whatsoever city ye enter, and
they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on
us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the
kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be
more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Luke 10:10-12 In the seventeenth chapter of Luke's record Jesus likened the
day that the Son of Man is to be revealed to Lot's rescue from Sodom by the
two angels just before fire and brimstone destroyed it. And there came two angels to Sodom at
even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he
bowed himself with his face toward the ground; Genesis 19:1ff Likewise also as it was in the days of
Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it
rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Luke 17:28-29
Angelic Rescue Luke's seventeenth chapter record goes on to describe how those
faithful, like Lot, are going to be rescued by the Lord's holy angels from
the wrath to come. Even thus shall it be in the day when the
Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and
his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is
in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose
his life shall preserve it.I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Two women shall be grinding
together; the one shall be taken,
and the other left. Two men shall
be in the field; the one shall be taken,
and the other left. Luke 17:30-36 The English word taken is a translation of the Greek word paralambano in the Greek texts.
In consideration of the scope of the New Testament this particular word
translated as taken in this context
is enlightening. It is a prefixed word with the preposition para as the
prefix. Para basically means two
things beside one another. It has meanings that include definitions similar
to those definitions of the Greek preposition sun that is used at times to differentiate and join the saints
and the faithful, such as, to take with as an associate or companion. Among respected lexicons like
Thayer's, Liddell Scott's and Friberg's paralambano is
often used, when a person is the object, as to take one's betrothed to his
home and to associate with oneself as
a wife or mistress or ally. It is
used in Matthew, chapter one, of Joseph who took Mary as his wife. The final coming of the Lord with his saints in scripture is many
times figuratively compared to a marriage. For example, Matthew recorded that
Jesus said: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And
sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and
they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them
which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his
farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant
took his servants, and entreated them
spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof,
he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers,
and burned up their city. Then saith he to his
servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the
marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together
all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished
with guests. Matthew 22:2-11 Matthew recorded another of Jesus'parables about
the future kingdom of heaven on earth beginning figuratively like a wedding feast. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:But
the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom
tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us
of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough
for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also
the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said,
Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. Matthew 25:1-13 The apostle Paul, in his Ephesus' letter to the mature saints
and to the mature faithful in Christ Jesus, took this comparison further unto
their existence as a complementary corporate body, comprised, both
collectively, like a husband and as a wife. Giving thanks always for all things unto
God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God.Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands, as unto the Lord.For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour
of the body.Therefore as the church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 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. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh;
but nourisheth and cherisheth
it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and
mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:20-32 So from the scope of scripture it appears that the saints in
their form as the holy angels will come to take those of faith unto this
symbolic wedding feast to be united like a husband and wife as one in joint
function and joint inheritance to administer the new heaven and earth as
promised by the prophets of old, Jesus Christ and the New Testament saints. Where? Where then are the faithful to be taken for this celebratory
festival? This is the question asked by Jesus' disciples after he informed
them of those, one day, to be taken. Jesus responded saying, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. Luke 17:37 There is a place where eagles gather
more profusely than any other place on earth. It is in the Jordan River
valley just north of the Dead Sea. Every year in the spring and in the fall
tens of thousands migratory steppe eagles rest in this area as they travel
between their summer homes on the Eurasian steppes and their wintering
grounds in eastern Africa. According to the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy,
this area was known as Sion.
The book of Hebrews confirms this as the place to which the faithful will be
taken to be the first to
experience the Lord's salvation. (1 Tim. 2:3-6, 4:10) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews 12:22 The apostle Paul also confirms this location in his letter to
the church in Rome. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said
unto them, Ye are not my
people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. Esaias also crieth concerning
Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the
sea, a remnant shall be saved: Romans
9:26-27 Moses' last words to Israel as
recorded in the thirty-first and thirty-second chapters of Deuteronomy were a
stunning rebuke to the people of Israel. Gather unto me all the elders of your
tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and
call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death
ye will utterly corrupt yourselves,
and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall
you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to
provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 31:28-29 These words were prophetically delivered by Moses when Israel
was camped in the area that encompassed Sion beyond
the Jordan River. Afterwards Moses left the camp of Israel and disappeared on
the slopes of close by Mount Nebo and the supernatural cloud that had
followed Israel in the wilderness ceased. It was also here in Sion that Elijah was taken up in a whirlwind and never
seen again. It was here too that Jesus was baptized and, as some believe, transfigured
in the midst of the glorified Moses and Elijah. And, by these things, Sion is
identified as the place where the Gentiles grafted, by faith, into the
prophetic promises once offered to only Israel and the remnant of Israel not
broken off by unbelief in the prophetic promises made to them will be called
the children of the living God. The Restitution of Eden Zechariah concluded his prophetic writings with a vision of the
Lord's coming that included the area of Sion as the
eastern terminus of a newly formed valley that stretched from the Dead Sea
through Jerusalem unto the Mediterranean Sea. In it he described Jesus Christ
with the term Lord of hosts four
times in the span of the last five verses. The definition of hosts includes an army of angels. In
the opening of this conclusion, in correspondence to the term Lord of hosts, he wrote of the saints
that come with the Lord: And the valley of my mountains shall be
closed up, and the valley of the mountains shall be joined on to Jasod, and shall be blocked up as it was blocked up in
the days of the earthquake, in the days of Ozias
king of Juda; and the Lord my God shall come, and
all the saints with him. Zechariah
14:5 (Septuagint Translation) Joel also wrote of these glorified holy ones that come with the
Lord as an army. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a
day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the
mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like,
neither shall be any more after it, even
to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth
before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the
land is as the garden of Eden
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall
escape them. The appearance of them is
as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.Like
the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the
noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the
stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people
shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like
mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their
ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every
one in his path: and when they
fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in
the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses;
they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before
them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the
stars shall withdraw their shining:And the LORD
shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he
is strong that executeth his word: for the
day of the LORD is great and
very terrible; and who can abide it?
Joel 2:2-11 Epilogue Understanding who the saints are and how and what they are to
accomplish refreshes hope and strengthens faith unto salvation. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah each defined this time of the coming
of the Lord as a day or time of trouble. Peter defined this time as trial of
faith being much more precious than gold even though it is to be tried by
fire. Paul wrote of a strong delusion from the mystery of iniquity to
overtake those without faith in the truth during the coming of the Lord, yet
he wrote that those of faith would be moved away from the wrath. Jesus
himself warned against following false Christs in
that day rather than waiting to be gathered by the glorified saints. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive
the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say
unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;
believe it not. For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even
unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is,
there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation
of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens
shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:
and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son
of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he
shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather
together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:24-31 In that day, the sun will be darkened
and the moon will turn blood red while the sign of the Son of
Man as the edge of the clouded
galactic plane, or Milky Way, is seen flashing like lightning through
a thunderhead. As Jesus sent the seventy forward unto every place he would go
on his way for his triumphal entry over the Mount of Olives and into
Jerusalem, the holy angels will first come to gather the faithful for the
appearance of the Lord. Then, as Paul's first letter to the church in
Thessalonica states, the Lord himself will descend to raise the dead who once
had faith in Christ. Then all will be lifted up to be with the Lord in the
divine clouds of Sion's hills. And seven
women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear
our own raiment: only let thy name be called upon us, and take away our reproach. And in that day God shall shine
gloriously in counsel on the earth, to exalt and glorify the remnant of
Israel. And it shall be, that the remnant left in Sion, and
the remnant left in Jerusalem, even all
that are appointed to life in Jerusalem, shall be called holy. For the Lord
shall wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Sion,
and shall purge out the blood from the midst of them, with the spirit of
judgment, and the spirit of burning. And he shall come, and it shall be with
regard to every place of mount Sion, yea, all
the region round about it shall a cloud overshadow by day, and there shall be as it were the smoke
and light of fire burning by night: and upon all the glory shall be a
defense. And it shall be for a shadow from the heat, and as a shelter and a
hiding place from inclemency of
weather and from rain. Isaiah
4:1 - 6, Septuagint Translation Understanding these things is important for the person of faith.
Ephesians reveals that Paul prayed as much in his timeless prayer for the
faithful in Christ. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give
thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being
enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his
power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places, Far above
all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath
put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the
head over all things to the
church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23 Appendices The Synonymous Gods,
Angels and Saints According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love: Ephesians 1:4 The Saints Shall Judge as Angels 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 Know ye not that we shall judge
angels? how much more things that pertain to this
life? Or Know ye not
that because of angels we shall judge? How much more things of this life? The Conjunctive Kai of
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by
the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in
Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1 Chapters Chapter 2 The Woman and the Angels of
1 Corinthians 11:10 For
this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. February,
2016 Chapter 3 The Man and the Woman of
1 Corinthians 11:8-12 The
Pauline Analogies July,
2016 Chapter 4 The Saints and the
Faithful as the Figures in the Communion Loaf For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1 Corinthians 11:31 |