Key to Understanding the Bible
See how easy it is to understand Bible topics
The earth presents many sad sights to
those who have eyes to see. Where truth should be exalted for the hope
and salvation of perishing man, we see contradictory creeds and bitter
conflict. Instead of a generous distribution of the earth’s bounties
amongst her children, we see millions toiling in hunger; instead of
peace and prosperity, we see war preparations and oppressive taxation.
We see wealth concentrating itself into the hands of the few ... the
poor growing poorer; willing workers unemployed and starving;
despairing men arising in rebellion.
Is there no prospect of relief? There
is!
From these sad sights we turn to a
picture, bright and beautiful, drawn by God in His infallible but
neglected Word. In this we see Christ once more among us, ruling as
King over all the earth (Zechariah
14:9; Revelation 11:15) ... one law (Isaiah
2:3) ... one religion (Zechariah
14:16,17) ... no war (Psalm
46:8-10) ... no miscarriage of justice (Jeremiah
23:5) ... no mismanagement (Isaiah
11:1-5) ... no tyranny (Isaiah
29:20) ... no complaining in the streets (Psalm
144:14) ... the poor and helpless cared for (Psalm
72:4) ... the earth yielding her increase (Psalm
67:6) ... grateful hearts everywhere (Psalm
133:2,3). To share in this future blessedness is the hope
of the only true gospel ... the gospel of the Scriptures. All who come
within its sound receive a message and an invitation from God. Let us
not shut the door against Him.
The Bible ... The Only Hope For A
Troubled World
Famine, wars, political unrest, social
instability, personal discontent and ecological chaos ... this is the
world-wide picture of today. On the other hand, peace, true prosperity
and plenty for all the teeming populations of the earth are fantasies.
They remain mere hopes mouthed with pious platitudes devoid of
reality, whilst society is grapples with greed, crime, immorality,
violence and corruption in every sphere of life. Once it may have been
possible to be detached from world problems ... to "live a good
life" and insulate oneself from other people’s national and
individual behavior and difficulties: but that is no longer the case.
We live in a world where it is no longer possible to remain isolated
and detached. Such is the extent of world problems today that every
individual is in some way affected ... in his employment, his home or
his family; and in what he regards as "essential services".
Peace of mind eludes him as the media bombards him with news of the
latest world crisis.
Consequently, the question is
constantly asked, "How will it all end?"
The voice of the super-optimist is
almost silent: no longer is he so confident that "they'll sort it
out alright".
So vast are the world's ills, so
awesome are the possibilities of nuclear war, that no one knows where
to commence a cure. Diplomats, financiers, statesmen, scientists,
philanthropists, and revolutionaries are all alike without an adequate
answer. They may suggest palliatives, but none can provide the
panacea!
Is there a satisfactory answer?
Where does the solution lie?
We direct the reader’s attention to
the Creator and His written Word ... the Bible. Seldom used, and
little respected, the Bible not only foretold these very problems many
hundreds of years ago, but also revealed the solution to them.
The Basic Teaching of the Bible
The Bible is a library of sixty-six
books presenting God’s purpose with the earth, and His plan of
redemption for man. These books were written over a period of almost
1,600 years, and their various authors, or amanuenses rather (for the
writers of the Bible wrote by the inspiration of God), were drawn from
all ranks of society. Kings, statesmen, priests, scribes, shepherds,
fishermen, scholars all played a part in producing it: and yet,
despite the great divergence of time and class among the writers,
there is complete harmony in all that they teach and record. Each of
the writers presents a different facet of the "one great
hope".
The theme that unites all these books
is termed "the Gospel". An understanding of its teaching
acts as a key, unlocking the secrets of God's purpose with the earth.
Unfortunately, though many refer to the Gospel, few really understand
its teaching. To most, the true teaching of the Bible is a closed
book.
Yet eternal salvation is bound up in
an understanding of the Gospel (Romans
1:16); and for that purpose we urge that you closely and
critically examine what we set before you in this book.
The word "Gospel" signifies good
news or glad tidings. It is sometimes styled in Scripture
the Gospel of God, because it is good news emanating from Him,
in contradistinction to spurious messages of goodwill that emanate
from man.
It is important to comprehend the true
message of the Gospel. Paul wrote:
"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed" (Galatians
1:8).
If an inspired Apostle was not exempt
from such a curse if he preached a perverted gospel, certainly lesser
men will not be exempted if they do so. Unfortunately, a curse has
rested upon Christendom because of this. In consequence, its history
is a record of discord, trouble and bloodshed. True peace it knows
not.
The Gospel Speaks of the Future
The gospel is a simple statement of
God's purpose with humanity. In its simplest form, it was condensed by
Paul into seven words. He wrote:
"God preached before the gospel unto Abraham,
saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed" (Galatians
3:8).
The gospel, therefore, is prophetic:
it speaks of the future; for its promises have never yet been
fulfilled. In another place, Paul taught that Jesus Christ came
"to confirm the promises made of God unto the fathers" (Romans
15:8). The promises referred to were those made to the
fathers of the Jewish race: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Peter taught:
"... there are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of Divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust" (II
Peter 1:4).
Paul taught that the gospel was
comprehended in the promises God made to Abraham. Therefore, to gain
the true understanding of the Bible, we must know something of
Abraham.
Abraham - The Friend of God (James
2:23)
The biography of Abraham is compressed
in about twelve chapters of the Bible (see Genesis 12 to 24), which
would take about 40 minutes to read. We earnestly counsel the reader
to pay himself the compliment of reading this portion of the Bible,
for the life of Abraham forms a pattern for all true believers (Romans
4:23-24).
Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis
11:28; Joshua 24:2), where he first heard the call of God
and separated himself to travel to Haran, in company with other
members of his family. There he remained for a while until again God
called him, and made unto him certain promises conditional upon him
removing from Haran to the land that God would show him (which is
modern Israel).
The first few verses of Genesis 12
outlines the promises that God made to Abraham.
"Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee
out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the
earth be blessed" (Genesis
12:1-3).
This promise can be sub-divided as
follows:
-
The national promise - God promised that
Abraham will become a great nation;
-
The personal promise - his name will be
great in all the earth and he will be a blessing;
-
The family promise - God will bless those
who bless Abraham and curse those who curse him;
-
The international promise - in him all
families of the earth will be blessed.
This last item is quoted by Paul in
Galatians 3:8 as epitomizing the gospel message.
The four-fold aspect of the promise
made to Abraham comprehends every part of the Bible message.
The Four-Fold Promise of Hope
None of these promises have had their
complete fulfillment, for they await the setting up of the
Kingdom of God on earth.
Consider the national promise, for
example. Abraham's descendants, the Jewish people, are not a
"great nation" as yet, and never have been. True the nation
rose to prominence and glory during the reigns of David and Solomon,
but that was for but a short period, and it ended with civil war which
divided the twelve tribes into two groups, known to history and
Scripture as Israel (the northern kingdom of ten tribes) and Judah
(the southern kingdom of two tribes).
The history of Israel is a record of
constant apostasy, failure and defeat, ending in the scattering of
Jews among all nations.
Certainly, this history does not
reveal them as a great nation at any time. Even during the reign of
David, the people rebelled against him, and drove him temporarily from
the throne!
When will the promise to Abraham be
vindicated?
The answer is: "In the
future!"
The National Promise
Though God scattered Israel (Deuteronomy
28:64-67), He will yet completely regather the nation (Deuteronomy
30:1-3; Jeremiah 31:10), and restore it to its ancient land
(Ezekiel
39:25-29). The people will be educated in Divine truth,
will mourn for the past blindness (Zechariah
12:9-10). They will have their sins forgiven them (Micah
7:18-20); and will be established as the "first"
of the nations (Micah
4:7-8).
All this will be done on the basis of
the promise made to Abraham. The prophet declared:
"Thou wilt perform the mercy of Abraham,
which thou hast sworn from the days of old" (Micah
7:20).
"I do not this for your sakes, O house of
Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among
the nations, whither ye went" (Ezekiel
36:22)
The Jewish people have returned to
their ancient homeland today, and the nation of Israel has come into
existence once again, because of the promise made to Abraham.
The Jewish people, and the nation of
Israel, are yet to be disciplined and humbled, in order that they
might be elevated in accordance with the purpose of God. God has
declared:
"I will take the children of Israel from
among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them
one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king
shall be king to them all ..."
In this statement there is promised:
-
the regathering of the people;
-
the re-establishment of the nation;
-
the restoration of the monarchy.
The King referred to is the Lord
Jesus, described as "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the
Jews".
Under his firm and righteous rule, the
nation of Israel will reach the greatness promised it through Abraham.
The Personal Promise
Consider the personal promise made to
Abraham. Is he blessed today? Is his name great? Is he a blessing in
the earth?
The answer is, NO! Abraham is dead;
his name is far from great in the opinion of mankind, most of whom
know nothing about him.
How and when shall the promise be
fulfilled?
By a resurrection from the dead to
life eternal at Christ's coming. The Lord, himself, declared this. He
told those Jews who rejected his mercy and salvation 1900 years ago,
that they would be raised from the dead to be rejected of their
Messiah, and to witness Abraham and others enjoy a status that they
could have shared. He declared:
"There shall be weeping when ye shall see
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of
God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the
east, west, north, and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of
God" (Luke
13:28-29).
At that time, Abraham will be both
blessed and a blessing, and men will consider it an honor to be
associated with him. Again, we must look to the future for the
fulfillment of the promise.
The Family Promise
The family promise, has relation to
those who embrace the promises to Abraham, and who walk in his steps.
They will become his associates in the Kingdom that Jesus shall set up
on earth, and shall inherit eternal life. "They that are Christ's
are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians
3:29). They form part of the great family of Christ, to be
blessed in conjunction with Abraham whom they bless. Hence this clause
of the promise, comprises an assurance to the family of Abraham.
You can become a member of that
"family" by belief in the gospel followed by baptism into
Christ Jesus (Galatians
3:26-29).
The International Promise
The international promise points to
the time when Christ's righteous rule will be set up over all the
earth, and mankind shall rejoice in it. Then "the Kingdoms of
this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ"
who "shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation
11:15). The Law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the
Lord from Jerusalem, bringing all nations into a state of unity and
peace before God (Isaiah
2:2-4). The glorious administration of the Lord Jesus
Christ will solve the problems that afflict humanity today. The poor
will be helped; the needy will be assisted; the tyrant will be deposed
from the seat of authority, and "all nations" shall serve
the Lord and find him a blessing (Psalm
72:11,17). There will no longer exist the need to maintain
huge standing armies, mighty navies, and vast air-forces to protect
the rights of individual nations, when one king reigns over a united
world. The wealth of nations, previously expended on war, will be
utilized for the benefits of humanity. The result will be the
fulfillment of the promise to Abraham: "In thee shall all nations
be blessed".
This, as Paul showed, constitutes the
Gospel (Galatians
3:8), and will be fulfilled through Christ (Galatians
3:16), the seed of Abraham (Matthew
1:1).
And the Gospel comprises a key that
will unlock the true meaning of any part of the Word of God.
"All This Land Will I Give
Thee"
Genesis records a further development
in the promises of God to Abraham. Abraham had prospered with Lot his
nephew, to the extent that their combined herds became an
embarrassment, causing strife between their respective herdsmen.
They decided to separate, and Abram
(as Abraham was then called) unselfishly offered Lot first choice of
the land. Lot saw the well-watered plain of Jordan, with the
prosperous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and was attracted by the
prospects of easy living and pleasant communal associations to leave
Abram, and elect to go down to Sodom. He went "down" in more
ways than one, leaving Abram the hardship, the glory, the virtue of
the rugged hills of the Land of Promise, and the inheritance of Bethel
- the House of God.
After Lot had separated with his
herds, God made a further promise to Abram. He was told:
"Look northward, southward, eastward and
westward; for ALL THE LAND THAT THOU SEEST to thee will I give it,
and to thy seed FOR EVER ... Arise, walk through the land in the
length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto
thee" (Genesis
13:14-17).
We cannot over-emphasize the
importance of this promise made to Abram. It forms the basis of the
personal hope of every true believer. Notice that Abram and his seed
are promised the land FOR EVER, and not merely for life. It is obvious
that this promise has not been fulfilled, for otherwise Abram would be
alive today. Either Abraham and his seed must be resurrected from the
grave and given life eternal to enjoy this promised inheritance, or we
can place no confidence in the promises of God.
What of those who teach that the
promised reward is in heaven? They normally interpret the promise to
Abram as involving only occupation of the land during his lifetime.
But contrary to this, 1900 years after the death of Abraham, Stephen,
the first Christian martyr, clearly stated that Abraham had never
received the land promised to him. Significantly, also he based his
beliefs upon the promises made to this great man of faith. He
declared:
"He (God) removed him (Abraham) into this
land (Palestine) wherein ye (Jews) now dwell, and He gave him none
inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on, yet HE
PROMISED THAT HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM FOR A POSSESSION, and to his
seed after him ..." (Acts
7:1-4).
How is Abraham to receive the land
promised him? Only through a resurrection from the dead to life
eternal at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah
26:19; Daniel 12:1-2; Acts 26:6-8).
God's Promise To David
The promises made to Abraham were
amplified and extended many years later to one of Abraham's
descendents, David the King of Israel. In II Samuel, we read the
promise which God made to David. The King was told:
"I will appoint a place for My people
Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their
own , and MOVE NO MORE; neither shall the children of wickedness
AFFLICT THEM ANY MORE ... The Lord will make thee an house. And when
thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will
set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels,
and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for My
name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom FOR EVER. I
will be his Father, and he shall be My son. Thine house and thy
kingdom shall be established for ever BEFORE THEE: thy throne shall
be established FOR EVER" (II
Samuel 7:10-16)
The promise to David thus
incorporates:
-
The re-establishment of Israel in the Land of
Promise, never again to be removed nor afflicted (v.10);
-
The setting up of a King upon the throne of David
FOR EVER, who will be both son of God and son of David (vv.12-14);
-
The building of a House or Temple for God by this
king (v.13);
-
The manifestation of a faithful "house"
or posterity in the line of David (vv.11-12);
-
The death of David (v.12) after which the promised
descendent would come, who would ensure his resurrection to life
eternal, so that he might see these things established for ever
"before him" (v.16).
This promise follows in natural
sequence from the promise to Abraham - the first made promise of an earthly
inheritance; the second promised a throne and a kingdom.
Neither of these promises have yet
seen their fulfillment. In fact, David's throne has not existed for
over two thousand years. Some important words were declared to
Zedekiah, the last king of Israel, in Ezekiel 21:25-27:
"And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel,
whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end, thus saith the
Lord God; remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not
be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I
will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more,
until he come whose right it is; and I will give it
him." (Ezekiel
21:25-27)
Jesus Christ Is David's Son
The son promised to David, and the one
"whose right it is", referred to by Ezekiel is the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is established beyond all doubt by the words that
Gabriel uttered to Mary before the birth of her son. She was told:
"Thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be
called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke
1:31-33).
The fulfillment of these words demands
the return of the Lord Jesus to the earth to raise David and all like
him from the dead to life eternal; to restore Israel in it fulness;
and to reign from Jerusalem as King.
Christ's Coming Will Transform The
World
The return of the Lord Jesus Christ,
personally and visibly to this earth is a fundamental teaching of the
Word of God, both in the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah foretold that
the day would come when "... the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and
unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord"
(Isaiah
59:20); and that his return is linked with the destiny of
the nation of Israel, David foretold in the Psalms:
"Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion:
for the time to favour her, yea the set time is come ... When the
Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory" (Psalm
102:13-16).
The prophet Daniel, after speaking
unmistakably of the days in which we live, said:
"And in the days of these kings shall the
God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and
the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand for
ever" (Daniel
2:44,25).
The picture is exactly the same in the
New Testament. Have you ever considered the unquestionable import of
the words of the angels to the bewildered disciples at the time when
the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven from the Mount of Olives
after his resurrection? They were told:
"And while they looked steadfastly toward
heaven as he went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel;
which also said, 'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO into
heaven" (Acts
1:10,11).
To this agree als the words of all the
writers of the New Testament (as well as the Old). Take as an example:
"And to you who are troubled, rest with us,
when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty
angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
and from the glory of his power; 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" (II
Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Obviously, the believers in those
early times took comfort in the sure hope of the return of their Lord
to establish a literal world-wide kingdom; and believers in the gospel
in these dramatic days can take comfort in that same hope, know that
the signs indicate the certainty of Christ's return in our day.
In order to establish a Divine
theocracy upon this earth, it will, of course, be necessary for the
Lord Jesus to abolish all existing world governments. This is clearly
indicated in the prophecies concerning his work at his return.
Consider the following passages (Psalm
2; Micah 4:1-8; Isaiah 2:1-4). No longer will the
governments of this world rule with injustice, inhumanity, greed,
ambition, and corruption; but "out of Zion (Jerusalem) shall go
forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem" and
"he shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the
children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor ... in
his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long
as the moon endureth ... he shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
and from the river unto the ends of the earth ... all kings shall fall
down before him: all nations shall serve him" (Psalm
72).
Not only will universal government
emanate from Jerusalem, but that city will also be the center of
universal worship. Yes, no longer will there be a confusion of
religions and ideologies, but one world-wide faith will activate every
individual and move every heart in worship of the one, true God (Zechariah
14:16-19).
This is the Creator's answer to six
thousand years of man's misrule.
Neither politics nor protests can save
humanity from the morass of anarchy into which it plunges headlong.
God alone has the answer, and He has decreed that He will act in His
appointed time. He has mercifully indicated through His prophetic
Word, the Bible, the signposts which herald the time of His
intervention in man's affairs.
Be warned, dear reader, that the time
has come when, not only do the signs about us clearly indicate that
His hand is about to move, but it is imperative that He fulfill His
promise to "send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto
you; whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of
all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began" (Acts
3:20,21).
Christ
IS coming, to raise the dead who are responsible to judgment (I
Corinthians 15:22-26); to reward the righteous (II
Timothy 4:1,7,8); and to reign on earth (Revelation
5:9,10).
What Will Christ's Coming Mean to
You?
World problems will reach a climax and
Jesus Christ will return in fulfillment of the promises - as the
promised seed of Abraham and son of David, to rule the world in
righteousness from David's ancient throne.
But how will this affect YOU
personally?
The issues which we have discussed,
comprise principles of the GOSPEL.
Belief in the ONE TRUE GOSPEL and
baptism into the name of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST are essential for
salvation:
"... and he (Jesus) said unto them (the
disciples), 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature; He that believeth and is baptized shall be
saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark
16:15,16).
Note carefully the Bible's definition
of the Gospel, and you will see that all we have spoken of is embodied
in it:
"... when they believed Philip (one of the
disciples) preaching the things concerning THE KINGDOM OF GOD and
THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, they were baptized, both men and women.
God offers eternal life and an
inheritance in His Kingdom to those who believe and obey the Gospel.
An understanding of the Truth of God as revealed in His Book, the
Bible, baptism into the sin-covering name of His Son, Jesus Christ,
and a life of dedication and obedience to the principles laid down in
His Word and exhibited in the life of Christ, are essential
prerequisites for salvation in the day of his appearing.
For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are
all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM'S
SEED, and HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE" (Galatians
3:26-29).
A Summary of the "One
Faith"
taught by the Apostles
"There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord,
ONE FAITH, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is above all,
and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians
4:4-6).
* *
* * *
THE BIBLE
OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS are both
God's revelation to man, and are both equally authoritative. They are
wholly inspired and infallible. The New Testament supplements the Old,
its teaching being based exclusively upon it (Luke
24:27; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19-21).
THE GODHEAD
GOD is one, not three. He has
revealed Himself as the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and of all who
are related to Him in faith (Deuteronomy
6:4; Mark 12:29-32; I Corinthians 8:5-6; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy
1:17; 2:5).
THE SPIRIT is the power of God
by which He created all things, and by which they subsist (Genesis
1:1-2; Psalm 104:30; Acts 17:25-28). It is also used to
describe the power of Divine truth upon the mind of a believer, for
the revelation of such came by inspiration of the Holy Spirit upon
those selected to reveal it (Hebrews
1:1; John 6:63; Ephesians 6:17; I John 5:6). Thus believers
are exhorted "to be led of the Spirit" or the power and
influence of the truth believed (Galatians
5:16-18).
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT were
bestowed on believers for a testimony to the Truth, by the laying on
of the hands of the Apostles (Acts
8:18). With the death of the Apostles, the power of
transmitting these gifts no longer remained, and the gifts ceased (I
Corinthians 13:8).
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHRIST is not God the
Son, but is the Son of God, begotten of the virgin Mary by the Holy
Spirit (Matthew
2:18-23; Luke 1:31-35; Galatians 4:4). He was a man of our
race, identical in nature with all mankind (I
Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:14-17); but not identical in
character. His character was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners" (Hebrews
7:26).
HE IS THE CENTRAL FIGURE IN GOD'S
PLAN OF REDEMPTION, being the Son promised in Eden (Genesis
3:15; Galatians 4:4), to Abraham, David and others, through
whom the promises are to be realized, and the inhabitants of the earth
blessed (Genesis
22:17-18; Galatians 3:8,16; Psalm 89:34-37; Acts 13:22-23; Galatians
3:14,19,26-28; Acts 4:12; Romans 15:8).
JESUS CHRIST IS TO RETURN
personally and visibly to the earth, at the end of Gentile times (Acts
1:11; 3:20-21; II Timothy 4:1; Revelations 1:7). He will
set up the Kingdom of God (I
Corinthians 15:25; Daniel 2:44; 7:13-14; Revelation 11:15).
JESUS CHRIST WILL BE KING OF KINGS
for he will have as his associate kings and priests, those who have
been faithful in all preceding ages, and who will be clothed upon with
immortality (Revelation
19:16; 5:9; I Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:4; Psalm 149:5-9).
THE NATURE OF MAN
MAN IS A CREATURE OF THE DUST,
energized by the breath of life (Genesis
2:7; 3:19; 7:21-22; 18:27; Psalm 103:14). Apart from the
resurrection he is without hope (I
Corinthians 15:17; Ephesians 2:12).
THE SOUL, in its primary
meaning stands for the creature. It is rendered variously life,
living, man, persons, self, body, and beast. It can eat,
live, die, corrupt and perish, and it can be slain, strangled and
destroyed (Genesis
2:7; Joshua 10:28; Job 7:15; Psalm 56:13; 78:50; 89:48; 116:8; Isaiah
29:8; 53:12; Ezekiel 18:4; Acts 3:23).
IN THE DEATH STATE man is
entirely unconscious and (apart from a resurrection) must inevitably
perish (Ecclesiastes
3:16-21; 9:5,19; Isaiah 38:18; Psalm 6:5; 49:12,14,19-20; 146;3-4; I
Corinthians 15:13-18).
"HELL" IS THE PLACE OF
DEATH. The word is the equivalent of the Hebrew word Sheol,
and the Greek word Hades. Both words signify "a hidden
place," and are mostly rendered "grave" or
"pit". The Revised Version Bible and marginal references
show "grave" and "hell" as the translation of
"sheol" and "hades". Both words should be
consistently rendered as "grave". (Psalm
9:17; 31:17; Psalm 30:3; Acts 2:27,30-32)
"GEHENNA" is the name
of a place outside Jerusalem where a fire was kept burning to consume
the offal from the city. The term symbolizes the everlasting
destruction (i.e. perishing in death) of the wicked (Mark
9:47-48).
THE CAUSE OF SIN
"DEVIL" comes from
the Greek word Diabolos, signifying "false accuser"
or "slanderer". It is translated "slanderer" in I
Timothy 3:11, and "false accusers" in II Timothy 3:3 and
Titus 2:3. Its general meaning is sin or lawlessness, whether
manifested individually or politically. It is also applied to the
unlawful lusts and tendencies of human nature which invariably lead to
sin. It is not a supernatural being. Compare the following verses with
each other (I
John 3:8; James 4;1; Hebrews 2:14; I Corinthians 15:56; Romans
5:12,21; 6:23).
"SATAN" is a Hebrew
word signifying adversary, enemy, or accuser. It is
sometimes applied to a good adversary (I
Chronicles 21:1; II Samuel 24:1). It is used of an angel
withstanding evil (Numbers
22:22,32) where the word is rendered "adversary"
and "withstand". The Apostle Peter was a "satan"
on a certain occasion when he opposed his Master (Matthew
16:23). Kings and powers have been adversaries, or "satans"
(I
Samuel 29:4; II Samuel 19:22; I Kings 11:14,23,25; I Timothy 1:20).
THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION
A LAW was given to the first
man (Adam) whom God had created "very good"; and continuance
of life was dependent upon obedience to it (Genesis
2:17; 3:1-3).
MORTALITY became the
inheritance of mankind due to the transgression of God's law by Adam
and Eve, so that man is now inherently death-doomed (Genesis
3:17-19; Romans 5:12,18; I Corinthians 15:21-22; Psalm 89:48; Job
4:17; Ecclesiastes 3:19-20; 9:5-6; Job 3:15-19; Isaiah 38:18-19; Psalm
6:5; Acts 13:36; 2:29).
RECONCILIATION AND REDEMPTION
were ordained by God in His mercy, to be manifested through a promised
Son who would bruise the "serpent" (figurative of sin and
death) in the head. Christ was therefore manifested to effect the
abolition of sin and death (Genesis
3:14-16; Romans 7:24; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 8:1-4; I Peter 1:19-20; I
John 3:5).
ABRAHAM AND DAVID were promised
that this Seed would be among their descendents, and were given
"great and precious promises" which constitute the plan of
God for the redemption of man. It is necessary to become related to
them, otherwise we are without hope (II
Peter 1:4; Genesis 12:3; II Samuel 7:12-16; Romans 4:13;
Ephesians 2:11-13; 4:18; Hebrews 11:10-13,39-40).
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
BELIEF is a first essential to
salvation, for to become related to the promises of God we must
understand them, and their relation to the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans
1:16; I Corinthians 15:1-3; Acts 8:12).
BAPTISM must follow a knowledge
of God's will and purpose. It is burial or immersion in water after
believing the Gospel, and is necessary for the remission of sins, and
relationship to Christ (Mark
16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 8:12,36,37; 10:6,47; 22:16; Romans 6:3-5;
Colossians 2:12).
OBEDIENCE to the commandments
of our Lord must follow baptism (Matthew
28:20; John 14:15,23; Romans 2:6-7; Philippians 2:12; II Peter 1:3-11).
THE RESURRECTION of those who
are responsible to God (and a knowledge of His will brings
responsibility - John 12:48) will take place at the return of Christ (Daniel
12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Psalm 49:19-20; Isaiah 26:14; Jeremiah
51:39,57). These verses also teach that many will not
rise from the grave being ignorant of the Gospel (Ephesians
4:18). Those found approved will experience a change from
mortality to immortality (John
6:39; I Corinthians 15:50-53; Philippians 3:21; II Corinthians 5:10;
II Timothy 4:8; Matthew 5:5; 25:31-34).
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THE GOSPEL consists of the
things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Luke
9:2,6; Acts 8:12; 19:8), and was preached to Abraham in the
promises given him (Galatians
3:8).
THE KINGDOM OF GOD will be a
Kingdom established on earth. It will overthrow all existing kingdoms,
supersede them, and last forever (Daniel
2:44; 7:13-14,27; Revelation 11:15; Psalm 72; Micah 4; Isaiah 11).
THE RESTORATION OF THE THRONE OF
DAVID is an element of this kingdom, and involves the complete
restoration of Israel in the Land of Promise. Jerusalem will be the
capital city of the world, and from it the laws will issue to govern
all mankind (Isaiah
2:2-4; 11:12; 24;23; 51:3; Jeremiah 3:17; 31:10; Ezekiel
37:21-22; 39:25-29; Joel 3:17; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-8; Matthew
5:35; Luke 1:32-33).
THE MILLENIUM relates to the
thousand years' reign of peace that will follow the return of the Lord
Jesus and the setting up of his kingdom (Revelation
20:6). The mission of Christ will be to subdue all enemies,
the last being death. At the conclusion of the 1,000 years reign,
there will be a further resurrection of those who have died during
that period, and those worthy will be given eternal life, whilst those
unworthy will be consigned to "the second death." Death
itself will thus be eliminated, and the Kingdom will then be delivered
to the Father Who will then become "all and in all" (Isaiah
25:6-8; I Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 20:7,11-14).
Thus the plan of God that commences
with the statement, "In the beginning, God ..." (Genesis
1:1), ends with the final picture of glory: "God all
and in all" (I
Corinthians 15:28). Within the compass of that purpose you
can find a place by belief of the Gospel and obedience to its
requirements (Mark
16:15-16).