Day of Christ

The Day of Christ begins with the appearing (the epiphaneia) and kingdom (basileia ) of Jesus Christ (2 Tim.4:1) and the blazing forth of the glory of the great God, even our Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). This is when the hope of the calling of the Mystery is realized. This is when our faith gives way to sight. This is the next event on God's prophetic clock. This is when Christ Jesus, in His role as the Head of the high calling, convenes [calls into session] His Ecclesia (Church) which is His Body. As the Great Convoker, He, alone, calls His Ecclesia into session. This marks His assumption of sovereignty over the nations. Those who have been memberd into “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” will either be raised out from among the dead, or will be changed from mortal to immortal, and will take their place, or station, in His Government. Concurrently with the many events taking place when Christ Jesus assumes sovereignty over mankind and the nations, the Holy Spirit (the Comforter) will actively and aggressively restrain evil (John 16:7-13). People who sin will die for their own sin (Jer. 31:30). The Spirit will hinder transgressions because man’s conscience will have been quickened (made alive). The Day of Christ is synonymous with all of the above, including the Kingdom of God, and comes before the tribulation and the second coming (Parousia) of Christ. During the Day of Christ, heaven and earth will be governed by Christ Jesus from His heavenly Throne. This dispensation is set in contrast to the Millennium or the Day of the Lord. To say the two are the same is to say that “one-plus-one equals one.” Most all Christians realize that the Day of the Lord (i.e. the Tribulation and the Millennium) begins with revolution, bloodshed and violence which will be an unprecedented event in all of human history. The Old Testament has a lot to say about this Day—the Day of the LORD. Isaiah speaks about the Lord's imposition upon the world of His Millennial Rule; “For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with wrath, and His rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by His sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord will be many” (Isa. 66:15-16). Psalm 50:3 says; "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him." Psalm 97:3; “A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about.” These verses relate to Jesus Christ Personally returning to earth to put an end to the nation’s revolt against His Rule from heaven (2 Thess. 2:1-12). When the Kingdom of God comes to Israel, it comes silently, “without observation” (Lu.17:22). It will not come suddenly or dramatically. Its’ coming is likened; “as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear” (Mk. 4:26-28). When the Kingdom comes, it comes without calamity with no harm being done to anyone. Notice a much overlooked passage; “He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory” (Matt.12:19-20). Matthew quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4 which informs us that the Kingdom (i.e God’s Government) begins with the Gentile nations. Israel will not be a nation at this time. They will still be scattered, or dispersed, among the nations. While ruling over the nations, the Lord begins His work of re-gathering the Jews. Over time, He leads them back to the Promised Land ─as believers. No unbelieving Jew will be brought back to Palestine; no, not one! The unbelieving will remain scattered among the nations. [This brings up the question; ‘What about the Israel that now is?’ All we’ll say for now is; the present Israel is not of God’s doing. When He brings them back, there will be no disputes regarding borders or whose land it is]. “And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezk.20:38). If words have any meaning, then we must conclude that something begins silently, mysteriously, without observation, without strife, without Christ being heard, and without damage being inflicted. On the other hand, something else begins (i.e. the Lord’s Day) with a colossal display of vengeance, wrath, and cataclysmic punishment which will be openly displayed. It is a contradiction to insist that the two descriptions relate to the beginning of the same event. In plainer words, the Prophetic Word informs us that there is coming the Day of Christ which is another term for the coming Kingdom of God. We are met with a non-Scriptural term, The Millennium, which relates to the 1000 year reign of Christ upon the earth. The Biblical term for this is the Day of the Lord. It is essential to distinguish between the two. The Holy Spirit does. We should do so, also. If we force all truths connected to the Day of Christ into the Day of the Lord, the result is utter confusion. Not only that, but we rob the Lord Jesus Christ of His Day of Exaltation. During the Day of Christ, He will draw, or compel, all men unto Himself. He will be exalted from the earth as every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord to the Glory of God the Father. His Day begins with His “appearing and Kingdom,” and He begins to judge the quick and the dead. (2 Tim.4:1). This is when the glory of the great God, even Jesus Christ our Savior, blazes forth (Titus 2:13). Isaiah speaks of this event in 40:5; “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” and at the same time. What is seen is the glory of the LORD, not the LORD descending from Heaven; to this, Numbers 14:21 agrees; “But truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.” When the Kingdom comes, “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters covers the sea” (Hab.2:14). The Psalmist says; “And blessed be His glorious Name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory” (72:19). The world will experience the revealing of His Glory without Christ Jesus leaving His Heavenly Throne. The shining forth of the glory of God takes place before the Day of the LORD. It is noted in Isaiah's vision that the seraphim see Christ's Day and say; “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts: the earth is full of His glory.” During the Day of Christ, the “times of refreshing comes from the presence of the LORD.” All things are rejuvenated while the Heavens retain Christ (Acts 3:19-21). The pristine, pre-Noah flood conditions will be re-created (Isa. 65:17; 66:22). When the Day of Christ begins, all of mankind will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit and realize that Jesus Christ is LORD! Christ will begin His benevolent rule of the world. Then, He will begin converting His ancient people, Israel. Read Ezekiel 20:23-33, and notice how the Lord begins a work in their hearts and will lead them back into the Holy Land as a Christ-believing people. As the Day of Christ draws to a close, the restraints of the Spirit are gradually withdrawn.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Absent From The Body

          
"Absent from the Body
Present with the Lord"
 


The Scripture verse in 2 Corinthians 5:8 is often misquoted and misunderstood. Many like to use this as if it's proof that we are immediately in the presence of the Lord upon dying. This teaching is far from the Word of God but is a tradition believed by the majority of Christians. It is the root of all spiritism and began back in the Garden of Eden when Satan uttered the first lie:

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.(Gen. 3:4,5)  

This first lie should not be glossed over. It is the opposite of what God told man in the garden:

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God says "Thou shalt surely die"
Satan says "Tho shalt NOT surely die..thou shalt be as gods (spirits)

Does this have a familiar ring?

Most Christians believe that you don't really die but your immortal soul goes up to heaven if a believer or to a burning hell if an unbeliever.

This is in complete contradiction on God's description of death:
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Only Christ is said to have immortality at this time, (1 Tim. 6:16) There are no "immortal souls" floating around in heaven or hell. Did you know that the term "immortal soul" cannot be found in the Bible? It is man-made term. Search and see.


There are many scripture verses that tell us of a "raising" out of sleep, and a"putting on" of immortality, which Christ gives to us at that day (2Tim.4:8).  

The passage in Corinthians has to do with the saints whose hope was to dwell with Christ at his Kingdom on earth. It is obvious that this resurrection is postponed, because the King did not return to set up His kingdom, due to Israel's blindness and lack of repentance, see Acts 3:19,20 and Acts 28:25-28.

The Bible tells us that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God
(1Cor.15:50) and Paul knew this. Therefore, Paul had a desire to escape this
"naked state" spoken of in verse 2Cor. 5:3. He did not want to feel the sting of death that so many other saints before him felt. He groaned to be clothed with the glorious body he so longed for, so that he could be present with Christ. He knew that, while he was in that mortal body, he could not be present with Him at His Kingdom. (v.2) He expected Christ to return at any moment to give immortality to those saints whose hope was the Kingdom on earth.

The subject of 2 Cor.5:1-8 is not about dying and immediately being in the
presence of the Lord. It is about a desire to be clothed with the spiritual body at Christ's coming. If you read the verses preceding v.8, you will see the subject concerns resurrection and a longing not to suffer the naked state, but to be clothed in the glorious resurrection body at His coming, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52). It has nothing to do with the Satan-generated lie of the "immortal soul." It has to do with resurrection and a desire to escape the naked state (death) at His coming.

Paul knew, that while he was in his mortal body, he would not be present with the Lord. 2Cor 5:6 - "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." It is obvious that he'd rather be absent from that mortal body and present with the Lord. Paul, who was flesh and blood at that time, knew that could only happen in resurrection, when that mortal MUST put on immortality and when the corruptible MUST put on incorruptible. (1Cor.15:53,54) It is only Christ, dwelling in the light (heaven), who has immortality (1Tim.6:16). The saints, whose hope was the Kingdom on earth, will one day realize their hope in resurrected bodies from the grave (Hosea 13:14).
" I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction..." (see also, 1Cor 15:55). “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

SEARCH AND SEE
Study concerning 2 Cor. 5:1-8

1. He groaned in his tabernacle (mortal body), which is described as his earthly house. (vs.1)

2. What did he groan about? Paul groaned (desired exceedingly) to be clothed with his resurrection body. (vs.2)

3. He did not desire to be found naked (dead) (vs.3) - see also Job 1:21,26:6 - but wanted to experience his change in the twinkling of an eye (See also: 1Thess. 4:15-17).

4. He groaned to be clothed with his immortal body, so that he would not see death (be naked), that mortality might be swallowed up of life (vs.3,4, See also 1 Cor.15: 53,54).

5. His Spirit is given to the believer, and thereby sealed until the day of redemption (vs. 5, See also 2Cor. 1:22, and Ephesians 1:14).

6. He knows assuredly that while he is at home in his mortal body, he is absent from the Lord (vs. 6).  But when the Lord returns, he will put on immortality and thereby be ever present with the Lord. (1Thess.4:17)
Paul could surely have declared "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory", if the Kingdom had not been postponed. Paul's desire in this passage was to not taste the sting of death at that time. But after the Kingdom was postponed at Acts 28:28, Paul was resigned to death and resurrection. He looked for His appearing "in that day" (2 Tim 4:6-8).

7. They walk by faith, knowing that they will be clothed. (vs.7)

8. Paul was willing to be clothed with his immortal body and be present with the Lord. This is like saying, I'm ready and willing to be present with the Lord in my immortal body, and be absent from this mortal body thereby not experiencing the sting of death (vs.8, see also 1Cor.15:55).

9. He knows that while he is at home in that mortal body, he is not present with the Lord. (vs.6,8) No one could enter the kingdom that was not clothed with their immortal body because "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God". (1Cor.15:50)

In conclusion, do these passages have to do with resurrection? Or, do they have to do with dying immediately and floating up to heaven as some platonic "immortal soul"?
D. Kelson


http://www.bibleunderstanding.com/absentfrombody.htm

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