RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT

 

CONT., page 4

 

FAITH, WORKS, AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

To better understand the Millennial Reign and second death, let us consider the uniqueness of the time period in which man has lived for the last two thousand years, even six thousand years, and contrast it to these two coming ages.  We have noted before that in Millennial kingdom John, the word “faith” is never used.  This might be surprising to you.  Neither are there any parables in the book of John.  Of course “faith” and parables are abundant in the other three Gospels (though less so in Mark).  On the other hand, “love” is used more in John than in the three other Gospels combined.  Why is John so unique regarding these testimonies, and what do they mean per The Key To Their Understanding? 

 

As set forth in that writing, John represents the pure kingdom that is established in the Millennial Reign.  The kingdom of heaven before this for the last two thousand years has been and is corrupted; and, of course it has been absent of the King.  When Immanuel comes, the time of the nations will cease and He will establish the pure kingdom of heaven on this earth, ruling over the nations for the first time.  When He came as Yahshua, He came as the Lamb of God, even in the female role as a servant, laying down His life for the world.  When He comes in the Millennium, He comes as king, in the male role, thereby having the right to rule the world, and is the promised fulfillment of Immanuel, God with us. 

 

For two thousand years, truth has been concealed in parables, evidenced by the numerous parables in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Yahweh has not spoken clearly to man throughout this time for many reasons.  The book has been sealed, for it has not been time for the pure kingdom.  Man, even kingdom man, leavens everything, and the full truth has not been given to him.  But, this will not be the case when the true Light comes.  He will not speak in parables anymore, but will explain all things clearly.  This we see evidenced in the fact that there are no parables in John. 

 

So, why is the word “faith” not used in John one single time?  To answer this we ask:  What is faith?  Hebrews 11:1 describes the mechanics of faith, providing us understanding of what faith is and its purpose.  We read in that verse that faith substantiates things hoped for, it evidences things not seen.  The chapter then goes on to give a long list of examples of this.  In clear testimony to this description of what is faith, verse 3 states:

 

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

 

Such is faith—it accepts and even pursues the unseen, which is NOT an easy task!  Furthermore, verse 6 tells us:

 

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

 

For six thousand years everyone who believed that Yahweh is God, and in the last two thousand years that His Son is Yahshua, has had to do so by faith.  Even Yahshua was a man like us, and it still required(s) faith to believe in Him.  Faith, seeing or accepting the unseen and acting in harmony with it, is the element that heretofore has qualified man to be a believer, and thereby be justified before God.

 

For six thousand years, man has been given the opportunity to be justified by faith.  But when God comes to earth, every living soul will be a believer.  It is hard not to believe in God when you are standing there looking eyeball to eyeball at Him.  Therefore, the prospect of being justified by faith will elapse.  Again, there is no faith in John.  When Immanuel comes, it is neither needed, nor will it be possible to be justified by it.  Thus, there will no longer exist the opportunity to become either a Christian or a Bride believer.  The door will close.  The test of faith expires.  Everyone who did not believe by faith is relegated to the nations and will have their place in the tabernacle court (Revelation 11:2).  On the other hand, believers will find their place as either the Holy of Holies Bride, or the Holy Place Body.  But at the sound of the trumpet of God, everyone’s placement is sealed in the kingdom.

 

 

Given this change, by what then is a man judged in the Millennial Reign, and thereafter?  He is judged by his obedience and behavior.  Frankly though, there is little difference regarding the believer, for faith is indeed a testing trinity of hearing, believing, and acting.  Faith is not just hearing and believing, anymore than we are a person on this earth possessing nothing more than a spirit and a soul.  The only way we can be a living person is to have a body that our spirit and soul can possess, and through it give expression.  In like regard, the only way a person can have a true expression of faith is to add works of obedience to their hearing and believing.  In this regard, James said, “… faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.  But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’  You believe that God is one.  You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.    For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:17-22, 26).  If you have true faith, your actions—what you say, what you do, how you live, even how you look—will evidence it.  If your life does not match your words, your faith is dead and useless!

 

When Immanuel comes, EVERYONE remaining on the earth will hear and believe.  EVERYONE will be a “believer.”  But their difference is that they did not see the unseen and perform confirming works, which would have justified them.  With the coming of Immanuel, judgment will then be based solely on one’s actions.  They will not be justified by faith, but in the fuller sense will be “justified” by deeds.  In Isaiah 26 where we saw the state of those who sleep, and that “the earth will give birth to the departed spirits,” we further read their means of achieving righteousness in the Millennial age and the lake of fire age: 

 

… when the earth experiences Your judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.    They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; indeed, fire will devour Your enemies.  Yahweh, You will establish peace for us, since You have also performed for us all our works [Isaiah 26:9, 11, and 12].

 

This is in no way to diminish the essential work of Yahshua, but from Adam and Eve who paid the price of the loss of the Garden, to David who paid the price of his first-born son (2 Samuel 12), to the Jews who paid the price by being sent into Babylon, to the statement whereby Paul said that many who did not judge themselves were sick and some were dying (1 Corinthians 11:30-31), to the man Paul turned over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh that his spirit might be saved (1 Corinthians 5:5), there are sins that the only way they are reconciled is for us to pay the price for them.  Hebrews 10:26-27 says that if you “sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”  The third-part Millennial fire and the second-resurrection lake of fire will most certainly provide this judgment.

 

Who would dismiss the necessity of disciplining children?  When they do wrong, we cannot tritely say, “It’s under the blood.”  No, children learn righteousness through discipline and correction; they pay the price.  Yahweh is no different towards us.  Sin necessitates judgment.  We have noted that “love” is used more in kingdom John than in the other three Gospels together.  But love is NOT freedom to sin.  In fact it is just the opposite.  The message to the corrupt Laodicean church is, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19).  Likewise, in Hebrews 12:5-8 we read this warning:

 

… you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son He receives.”  It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

 

If you are going to read and accept the contract, folks—the Bible—then be sure to read the fine print as well!  Do not just read and be lulled by the feel-good parts.  This contract is not a free ride where you get all the benefits with no obligations.  The fact is, some sins are forgiven by the work of Yahshua; but if you sin willfully or disobediently or even by omission, you have to pay the price!  In the end, every man, woman, and child enters into immortality by the work of Yahshua who went before us and opened the way for us, restoring us to the Father.  Our entrance was impossible otherwise.  But, that does not mean that we are exempt from paying a price and are not obligated to be holy, even as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16).  As it written in the fine print, “By this we know that we are in Him:  the one who says he abides in Him is himself (lit.) obligated to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).  If we are exempt from personal responsibility, then He will have to retract much of the Scriptures, including the necessity of taking up one’s cross, dying to self, and passing through the narrow gate where the way is afflicted and few, few will enter (Matthew 7:14).  As it is written, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

 

This is the very judgment man will know in both the Millennial Reign and the lake of fire; and make no exception, today as well!  The difference upon Immanuel’s coming will be that more accountability and a focus on righteous behavior will prevail, for the pure kingdom of heaven will be upon the earth.  All men will learn righteousness.  And today, a small remnant, the obedient people, will judge themselves, do what is right, and ascend alive.

 

The options of either choosing self-disciplined righteous behavior, or to have to learn righteousness from the external, is simply set forth by Yahshua in Mark 9:49-50: 

 

For everyone will be salted with fire.  Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

 

What can this mean?  Before saying this, Yahshua had just instructed that, “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off .…  If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off .…  If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out ….”  And in each case He concluded that it is better to enter life without these, than having them to be cast into Gehenna, “where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”  Yahshua tells us here that we either bring this salting fire into our own lives and judge ourselves, or He will—in these remaining days, in the Millennial Reign, or in being cast into the lake of fire.  We either salt ourselves and cease the rotting decay of sin, or He will eradicate it.  It is our choice.

 

Concerning children once again, as a father to my five children, I used to give them this same option.  I knew that it was far better for them to learn self-control and the pursuit of righteousness and things of value, than to obey just because I enforced it.  Therefore, when I saw a problem beginning, I would tell them:  This is what you are doing wrong, and you either correct it, or I will.  The latter meant that I would spank them for the repeat of the offense.  I did not spank them when I initially saw the wrong, but I pointed it out and expected them to correct it.  One way or another, they were going to change; and it was far more valuable if they learned to practice self-discipline.  To my memory, I cannot recall ever having to follow up with a spanking.  This is precisely what Yahshua is saying to us:  You either correct the problem, or I will!  Do not let your salt become unsalty.

 

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy before Yahweh, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity [Psalm 98:8-9].

 

 

Continue to page 5 of Resurrection and Judgment for BIRTH—NATURAL AND HEAVENLY

 

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