THE RAPTURE AND THE FIRST RESURRECTION = THE SAME EXPERIENCE

04-12-20 This message may be viewed live streaming video at youtube.com and tabernacleofmoses.org today Sunday at 11:00 am, and repeated 24/7 thereafter. The video, audio, and study notes are archived.

God is Thought. The brightness of our revelations depends upon the correctness of our doctrines, our building blocks, our Godly Thoughts laid one upon another, ascending into the mind of Christ.

 

THE RAPTURE

(1 Thes 4:15-18) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the [second] coming of the Lord [Jesus Christ] shall not prevent [Gk: precede] [go before] them which are asleep [Gk: dead]. (1 Thes 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout [Gk: a cry of incitement] [Dict: an urge or stimulation to action], with the voice of the archangel [Michael] [1], and with the trump of God [Gk: (through the idea of quavering or reverberation); a trumpet] [a great shaking]: and the dead in Christ [all deceased saved persons] shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Gk: seized: caught (away, up), plucked (up)] [rising] together [Isn’t that just wonderful?] with them [with the dead in Christ (all deceased saved persons)] in the clouds [of glory], to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore [be wholly comforted and] comfort one another with these [loving] words [of fulfilling prophecy].

1.    (Jude 1:9)  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending [Gk: to vie] [syn: argue, assert, declare] with the devil [Gk: a traducer; specifically Satan //// Heb: a false accuser, slanderer] he disputed [Gk: (carefully) discussed in argument] about the body of Moses, durst [Gk: dared] not bring against him a railing [attacking, condemning] accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

2.    (Dan 12:1-3)  And at that time shall Michael stand up [prepare to take action], the great prince [Heb: head person: general] which standeth [takes action] for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble [Heb: adversity, affliction, anguish, distress, tribulation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered [Heb: escape, be rescued] [i.e., raptured], every one that shall be found written in the book [of life]. (Dan 12:2) [This verse is a compressed time statement, i.e., “the first resurrection” (Rev 20:5) through “the great white throne” judgment (Rev 20:11)] And many of them that sleep in the dust [fig. all graves] of the earth shall [suddenly] awake [be revived], some to everlasting life [“the first resurrection”], and some to shame [Heb: disgrace: rebuke] and everlasting contempt [Heb: repulsive; an object of aversion: abhorring] [“the great white throne” judgment]. (Dan 12:3) And they that be wise [Heb: circumspect and hence intelligent: consider, teach, have understanding, wisdom, guide wittingly] shall shine [Heb: gleam; fig. enlighten: admonish, give warning] as the brightness [Heb: brilliancy] of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness [i.e., win lost souls to Christ] as the stars [AS THE STARS] for ever and ever.

3.    (Rev 3:5)  He that overcometh [Gk: subdues: conquers, prevails, gets the victory] [GETS THE VICTORY OVER HIS NATURAL MAN (OVER HIS SOUL)], the same shall be clothed in white [Gk: “light”] [a Biblical color symbol of innocence, purity, perfection (the absence of darkness - sin),] raiment [Gk: robes]; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess [Gk: acknowledge] his name before my Father, and before his angels.

 

THE FIRST RESURECTION

(Rev 20:1-6) And I saw an angel [Jesus Christ] come down from heaven [“the Lord himself shall descend from heaven” 1 Thes 4:16], having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand [Gk: fig. power]. And he laid hold [Gk: to use strength] on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit [Gk: “abyss”], and shut him up [literally, i.e., vocally], and set a seal [Gk: to seal up, stop] upon him, that he should deceive [Gk: (cause to) roam (from safety, truth, virtue): go astray, err, seduce, wander] the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled [Gk: completed]: and after that he must be loosed [let loose] a little season [Gk: a fixed time or interval]. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them [unto the resurrected previously fallen angels, now redeemed and glorified] [1]: and I saw the souls [Gk: (by implication) spirits] of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast [a (powerful) unsaved man] [2], neither his image [Gk: likeness] [via statue, picture, television, movie, computer, projection, etc.], neither had received his mark [Gk: scratch or etching] [a tattoo, an emblem of ownership] upon their foreheads [fig. thoughts], or in their hands [fig. works]; and they [the resurrected redeemed previously fallen angels, now glorified] lived and reigned [as “kings and priests” Rev 1:6; 5:10 & 20:6] with Christ [Gk: the anointing, the Messiah] a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again [were not resurrected] until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [Gk: a standing up again: raised to life again].  Blessed [Gk: happy] and holy [Gk: sacred: a saint] is he that hath part in the first resurrection [Gk: a standing up again: raised to life again]: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign [as kings] with him a thousand years.

1.    (1 Cor 6:3) Know ye not that we shall judge angels [i.e., unsaved men]? how much more things that pertain [relate] to this life?

2.    (Eccl 3:18) I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest [make apparent to] them, and that they might see [understand] that they themselves are beasts [Heb: animals] [alive bodies with a soul but without a spirit].

 

THE LAST LAST DAYS ARE PRESENTLY FORESHADOWED

BY THE PREVALENCE OF ACCUSERS (Satanic adherants)

(Rev 20:7-15) And when the thousand years are expired [Gk: completed], Satan [Gk: the accuser, the devil] shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city [Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Rev 20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books [(multiple)] were opened: and another book [(singular)] was opened, which is the book of life [with God’s inspiration (Spirit)]: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books [of works without God’s inspiration (Spirit)], according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works [without God’s inspiration (Spirit)]. (Rev 20:14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Rev 20:15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

1.    (Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand [“the goats” Mat 25:33], Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

2.    (Rev 20:10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

3.    (Rev 20:14,15) And death and hell [concepts] were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

4.    Commentary: the devil, and the beast, the false prophet, and whosoever are the unclean spirits of men, i.e., fallen angels

 

OUR JOY

(Luke 22:28-30) Ye are they which have continued with me [Jesus Christ] in my temptations [Gk: adversity /// test]. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.