Marques,
I believe you answered your own question within your post. ;) Yes, it is all about Christ first and foremost but as Ray writes throughout the LOF series (and beyond) the Lord is presently assembling His elect to carry forth the work that He began, the salvation of all! But there are two distinct stages/works/times. One ultimate sacrifice opened the door to man's salvation but He shares that work with those He chose to judge/purge now.
Rodger, you added to the scriptures as it is not mentioned Jesus ate Passover supper with the disciples, it is written they ate before Passover.
If indeed they ate the Passover supper the day before Christ stood before Pilate how could the following also be true?
Joh 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
Joh 19:13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Joh 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
Peace,
Joe
What Rodger is pointing out is that the 'supper' mentioned in John 13 is the same passover supper mentioned in Matt 26, Mark 14, & Luke 22...here are witnesses to 2 events that are recorded in all 4 books:
Jesus stating at the Passover that one of the disciples would betray Him
Matt 26:17 & 21 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus...And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
Mark 14:12 & 18 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover...And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me
Luke 22:15 & 21 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer...But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.
John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
Jesus stating Peter would deny Him 3 times before the cock crowed
(Matt, Mark, & Luke all mention Passover earlier in same chapters; John says 'supper')
Matt 26:34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Mark 14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luke 22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
One other thing...if John is stating in his accounts these events happening on a different day, that would be John saying Christ died on a different day than what Matt, Mark, & Luke stated...as Christ was taken into captivity that night after the Passover and crucified the next day as it was light out.
Just some things I noticed... :)
Marques
Hi Marques,
Wow! :o
Once again we have veered a thread way off its original topic! ;)
Hey Joe,
Well, I thought we got here from the Passover accounts from John's epistle which you stated had a different account than Matt, Mark, & Luke...a different number of days. And then when you stated in Reply #16 the scriptures of 2 Pet 3:8 & Rev 20:5 (though with the spurious passage) as a possible spiritual reality of that missing day from John's epistle, then we got here, I think. 8)
Just to clarify what you are saying I have to ask you if you believe everyone is raised at Christ's return, the saved/elect/chosen into immortal bodies and the rest are raised into their physical bodies and they, along with those who are alive at His coming (but not saved) live through the "thousand years" under the rule of Jesus and His elect? That these dead (out of the earth, sea and "hell") are only spiritually dead but physically alive through the Millennium?
Perhaps I can give a better response if I knew your postion on this.
Yes, the dead from the sea, death, & hades are only spiritually dead (and NOT physically dead) to 'stand before God'. Resurrection means to 'stand' or 'raise up'.
What I believe is what Ray has taught us from the scriptures. The time of the Millennium (or 1000 year period) is for a noble purpose for God's elect:
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed...
Gal 3:8 ...foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee [thy seed, Christ] shall all nations be blessed.
1 Cor 6:12 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Ps 104:4 & Heb 1:7 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire
Excerpt from LOF #12 (http://bible-truths.com/lake12.html):
GOD’S MINISTERS ARE FLAMES OF FIRE
I showed you earlier that Jesus Christ is not only IN the lake of fire, He IS THE LAKE OF FIRE. He is the Divinity in this spiritual fire.
Ponder this:
Like Christ, we too are raised with a "SPIRITUAL body" (I Cor. 15:44).
We are in fact called, "the BODY of Christ" (Eph. 1:23).
We will literally "be LIKE Him [Christ]" (I John 3:2).
God will make us into "ministers [of] FLAMING FIRE" (Psalm 104:4).
We too then will be like our God, "a CONSUMING FIRE" (Heb. 12:29).
God promises us that, "…the saints shall JUDGE THE WORLD…" and "we shall JUDGE ANGELS" (I Cor. 6:2-3)!
God tells us WHERE this judgment will take place:
"…they were judged every man according to their works," and "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into THE LAKE OF FIRE" (Rev. 20:13 & 15).
Therefore, we, the Saints, the Body of Christ, the consuming fire ministers of God, the saviours of Mt. Zion, the manifested Sons and Daughters of God, along with our Head, Jesus Christ, also ARE THE LAKE OF FIRE!
THERE IS NO LITERAL LAKE, AND THERE IS NO LITERAL FIRE. Jesus Christ and His Body of Saints ARE THE LAKE OF JUDGING, PURIFYING, CONSUMING SPIRITUAL FIRE!!!
That noble purpose is to bless ALL the nations. As we will not all be sleep at his coming [1 Cor 15:51 & Matt 16:18], the wicked will also be alive at his coming. Remember, Christ asked, 'when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?[Lk 18:8]. This was asked with a negative connotation attached [see: http://bible-truths.com/souls.htm (http://bible-truths.com/souls.htm)]...so the wicked will be alive at his coming. And if these wicked are alive at his coming, and to be alive during His reign with His elect, why not resurrect the rest of the wicked to also be alive during the Millennium reign (1000 yr period)?
But again, the elect are to be kings and priests [Ex 19:6 & 1 Pet 2:9], who are to bless and santify all nations...and the nations have to be alive to be blessed and santified, no?
The purpose of the elect, reigning with Christ, having eonian life is why the 2 resurrections seperated by the millenium period does not fit with the rest of scriptures...it is why, when comparing spiritual to spiritual, the phrase 'But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished' does not fit. The 2 resurrections are not seperated by any time period...the reason why they are considered 2 different resurrections is because of what kind of resurrection they are. One is spiritual, the elect being raised in glory...the other physical, the corrupt, carnal minded being raised into that same corruption...'corruption CANNOT inherit incorruption' [1 Cor Ch 15].
The elect are chosen for their high calling for a divine purpose: to bless all the nations...how could they fulfill that purpose with no nations to bless?
I have to agree with Ray on the Millenium being the beginning of Judgment...as I believe the scripture state so, initially.
Thanks,
Marques