[Picture above is not that shown on
the author’s book cover]
Writing on
back of the book cover
God, at the beginning of and throughout His Word, used numbers which are fraught with significance and
meaning. At the beginning of the Old
Testament through Moses and at the beginning of the New Testament through John
(John’s gospel should begin the New Testament, not Matthew’s), God, via the use
of numbers, set forth a septenary structure upon which His complete revelation
to man rests.
Then, beyond this foundational structure seen beginning both
Testaments, God used numbers at times in order to provide information and
instruction for His people. And God used these numbers throughout His Word in a constant
manner, with different numbers carrying different meanings, in line with the
context where they are found.
-------
Page II
“And from the
time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that
maketh desolate set up, there shall
be a thousand two hundred and ninety
days
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh
to the thousand
three hundred and five and thirty days.
But go thou thy way till the
end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand
in
thy lot at the end of the
days” (Dan. 12: 11-13; cf. Dan. 4: 34;
7: 28;
8: 19; 11: 27, 35, 36, 40, 45; 12: 1, 4).
* *
*
Page III
End of the Days
GOD ACTS AT THE END OF SET, ESTABLISHED TIMES
by
Arlen L. Chitwood
-------
Page IV
By the Same Author -
HAD YE BELIEVED MOSES
COMING IN HIS KINGDOM
WE ARE ALMOST THERE
THE MOST HIGH RULETH
FROM ACTS TO THE EPISTLES
IN THE LORD’S DAY
FROM
LET US GO ON
REDEEMED FOR A PURPOSE
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
PROPHECY ON
MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM
THE BRIDE IN GENESIS
SEARCH FOR THE BRIDE
SEVEN, TEN GENERATIONS
THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE
THE TIME OF THE END
DISTANT HOOFBEATS
MYSTERY OF THE WOMAN
“NEVER AGAIN!” OR “YES,
AGAIN!”
MIDDLE EAST PEACE - HOW? WHEN?
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
SALVATION OF THE SOUL
SO GREAT SALVATION
THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE
BROUGHT FORTH FROM ABOVE
THE STUDY OF SCRIPTURE
SIGNS IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
MOSES AND JOHN
RUN TO WIN
GOD’S FIRSTBORN SONS
BY FAITH
JUDE
RUTH
ESTHER
-------
Page V
CONTENTS
FOREWORD vii
CHAPTER
A TRIUNE, SEPTENARY STRUCTURE PERVADING ALL SCRIPTURE
CHAPTER II. AFTER SIX DAYS, ON THE SEVENTH DAY
Page 7
A SEPTENARY STRUCTURE BEGINNING THE O.T., N.T.
CHAPTER III. AFTER 400 YEARS, 430 YEARS Page 23
A DEPARTURE FOR THE LAND AFTER 400 YEARS, 430 YEARS
CHAPTER IV. AFTER 70 YEARS, 490 YEARS)
Page 29
A RESTORATION TO THE LAND AFTER 70 YEARS, 490 YEARS
APPENDIXES, I, II,
III, IV
I
THE INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS 1: 2 Page 45
II
THE SIGN OF THE SABBATH IN EXODUS 31: 13-17
Page 57
III THE COMPLETE PANORAMA OF
SALVATION, GEN. 1:
1 - 2: 3 Page 61
IV
THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS, GEN. 1: 1 - 2: 3 Page 69-92
SCRIPTURE INDEX Page 93 [Not included]
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Page VI
FOREWORD
God acts
at the end of set, established times; and this book has to do with these times,
particularly with a final time referred to throughout the Prophets as “in that day.” And “that day” is the time toward which everything in Scripture ultimately
moves, beginning in the opening thirty-four verses of Genesis.
Taking one through the Scriptures in this respect is what this
book is about - moving from a past day
through the present day to a coming day, referred to as “that day.”
Note Amos 9: 11-15, relating that ultimately awaiting the Jewish
people in this respect:
“In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up
his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.
That they may
possess the remnant of
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman
shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed, and the mountains
shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
And I will
bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and shall inhabit
them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also
make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
And I will
plant them upon their land, and they
shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them,
saith the Lord
God.”
The expression, “in that day” (Amos 9:
11), is used numerous times throughout both
the major and minor Prophets. And, it
would go without saying, “that day” could only
reference a future day set in contrast to the day in which the Prophet wrote and
used this expression.
But what future day, or possibly what different future days, did
the prophets have in mind through the use of this expression? And that, of course, is ALWAYS to be determined by the context each time that the
expression is used.
[Page viii]
However, observing the context each time, one will find, more
often than not, a particular, singular usage.
In this respect, one will find that this expression is usually
seen peculiarly related to ONLY ONE THING AND ONE TIME, not many different things and
times. The Prophets, continually, used
this expression to reference events pertaining to
And this can easily be shown numerous places in the Prophets,
beginning with Isaiah, where this expression
appears far more times than in any other book.
Man’s Day, The Lord’s Day
Certain distinctions between Man’s Day and the Lord’s Day (the
Day of the Lord) need to be established to properly understand what day
and / or time is being referenced by the expression, “in that day.”
And one of the best ways to do this is to deal with the septenary structure of
Scripture.
God has an affinity for numbers, and He established and set forth a septenary structure for His Word
at the beginning - in the first thirty-four verses of Genesis
(1: 1 - 2: 3).
Accordingly, this septenary structure forms a
foundational base for everything which God revealed from that point forward,
throughout all of the Old Testament.
And the New Testament, in complete conformity to the Old
Testament, forming commentary on the Old Testament, begins exactly the same way (provided one recognizes that the
Gospel of John should begin the New Testament, not Matthew’s gospel). John’s gospel not only begins the same way Genesis begins, showing a septenary structure but it also parallels Genesis
throughout (the types in Genesis parallel the signs in John).
In the preceding respect, the same septenary structure opening Genesis (1: 1 - 2: 3) is seen opening John
(1: 1
- 2: 11).
(For more information on the
preceding, refer to the author's book, Moses and John.)
Page IX
Attention has been called to this septenary structure
beginning both Testaments in order to show
the foundational basis for the length of both Man’s Day and
the Lord’s Day. And this, in turn, as
previously alluded to, will form a foundational basis to properly understand and deal with
the expression, “in that day,” as seen throughout the Prophets.
“Six” is man’s number, and “seven” is God’s number. Exactly as foreshadowed in
the foundational framework in the opening thirty-four verses of Genesis (“six” having to do with events during Man’s Day, “seven” having to do with events during the
Lord’s Day), or the parallel section
in John’s gospel (dealing with that foreshadowed in Genesis),
God is again taking the same numerical time for the same completed purpose - the
restoration of a subsequent ruined creation, ruined man, followed by a day of
rest.
The ruined creation in Genesis
was restored for man over six days time (man’s number), with God resting on the
seventh day (God’s number). Then, the
preceding restoration, set perfect in the beginning, foreshadowed how God would
subsequently restore ruined man, a subsequent ruined creation. And this was/is all carried out through an
established, unchangeable pattern concerning how God restores a ruined creation, set
forth in this manner at a time preceding man’s creation and ruin.
Then, the opening two chapters of John’s gospel, dealing more
specifically with ruined man (e.g., John 1: 29, 36), cover the same septenary structure and end at
the same place - with man, on
the seventh day, restored and realizing the purpose for his creation, six days
earlier, 6,000 years earlier.
Thus, each day in the restoration of the material creation in Genesis, followed by a day of rest, foreshadows 1,000-year
days in the restoration of
man (six days, 6,000 years, forming Man’s Day), followed by a 1,000-year day of
rest (the Lord’s Day, the Messianic Era).
The whole of Scripture, accordingly, is built on this
framework - Man’s Day lasting for six days, 6,000 years, and the Lord’s Day
lasting for one day, 1,000 years (cf. 2 Peter 3:
3-8). And, exactly as seen in the foundational type
in Genesis, the two NEVER,
NEVER, overlap one another in
Scripture - i.e., Man’s Day NEVER continues into any part of the Lord’s
Day; NOR is
the Lord’s Day EVER dealt with back
in any part of Man’s Day.
Page X
The six and seven days ARE NOT dealt with that way in the opening verses of Genesis, the opening verses of John, or any place else in Scripture. Events occurring on the sixth day have no
part in events about to occur on the seventh day; nor do events occurring on
the seventh day have any part in events which previously occurred on the sixth
day.
ALL THINGS foreshadowed by the foundational type MUST be in complete keeping with ALL
THINGS previously established
in the foundational type.
In this respect, contrary to much popular thought among Bible
teachers - teaching that the Lord’s Day (which, as will be shown, is the time
referenced by “that day” in numerous
texts) begins at a time during the last seven years of Man’s Day (Daniel’s
Seventieth Week, the Tribulation), continuing from that point throughout the
Tribulation and the ensuing Millennium - the Lord’s Day DOES NOT, IT
CANNOT, begin until after Man’s Day has run its course.
The Lord’s Day can begin ONLY AFTER six days, ONLY
AFTER 6,000 years, ONLY
AFTER the Tribulation. This is the way matters are set forth any
place in Scripture where the subject is dealt with.
The Prophets - “In That Day”
A great deal of
error in Biblical studies can be avoided if one knows and understands the
simple basics set forth in the first part of this study. And this would be even more so the case when
studying how different Prophets use the expression, “in that day.”
In the Prophets, this expression, when used relative to a future
end-time having to do with
Note a scattering of references pertaining to “that day”:
One would normally begin with Isaiah
in this respect, but before going to Isaiah
and working forward through a number of the Prophets, note a few things out of
the small three-chapter Book of Zephaniah.
In this small book, there are twenty-two references to this
future time. As well, in this book, “in that day” is consistently used as a reference
to “the day of
the Lord” (cf. Zeph. 1: 9-14; 22, 3; 3: 11, 16-20).
With this connection between “that day” and “the Lord’s Day,” note a number of corresponding references in Isaiah.
Isaiah 2: 1-4 references the millennial Kingdom, beyond Man’s Day, in the
Lord’s Day. And three subsequent verses
in this chapter (vv. 11, 17, 20) use the expression, “in that day,” referring back to the time depicted
in these opening four verses.
Then note the subsequent usage of this same expression a
number of places throughout Isaiah, all,
contextually, referring to conditions immediately preceding or during the
millennial kingdom, in the Lord’s Day, exactly as in chapter two (Isa. 4: 1, 2; 11: 10, 11; 12: 1, 4; 19: 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24; 24: 21; 25: 9; 27:1, 2, 12, 13; 28: 5; 29: 18; 31: 7; 52: 6).
Then note the same thing seen in a number of the other
Prophets (Jer. 30: 8; Ezek. 38: 14, 18; 39: 8, 11; Hosea 2: 16, 18, 21; Joel 3: 18; Amos 9: 11; Zech. 2: 11; 3: 10).
“That day” in the
preceding passages, references a time beyond Man’s Day, in “the Lord’s Day,” during which concluding events and
judgments surrounding
The latter follows the former, but the former, of necessity,
must occur first.
Christians - “In That Day”
Numerous Bible teachers today, it seems, are quick to look at
current events and attempt to relate them to Biblical prophecy, particularly
events pertaining to Israel and the nations emanating out of Israeli statehood
almost seventy years ago, May 14, 1948.
They view events pertaining to
Page XII
These verses from Amos tell
of a time (“in
that day” [v. 11]) when God
will regather His people back to their land, NEVER to be uprooted again. But
to relate these verses, or really any other verses dealing with
The Jews in the land today (some 6,000,000, about two-fifths
of world Jewry) have sought to emancipate themselves apart from their Messiah,
leaving an unhealed people in an unhealed land (a house left “desolate”[cf. Dan. 9: 27; Matt. 12: 43-45; 23: 37-39]), in
unbelief, before repentance. And, according to the clear teaching of
Scripture, these Jews will be uprooted from their land in the middle of the
Tribulation, their cities destroyed, and they will either be slain or driven
back out among the nations where God will then deal with them,
along with the remainder of world Jewry, relative to repentance (cf.
Lev. 26:
31-33; Isa. 6: 11-13; Dan. 9: 26; Matt. 24: 15ff; Luke 21: 20ff; Rev. 12: 6, 14).
Beyond that, all of this has happened and will happen BEFORE “that day,” seen in Amos 9: 11-15 or any
other place in Scripture where the subject is dealt with.
In God’s septenary arrangement of His Word, established
perfect in the beginning, a person simply CANNOT place events of one
day in those of another day.
* *
*
[Page 1]
CHAPTER I
ON THE THIRD DAY, SEVENTH DAY
AFTER TWO DAYS, ON THE THIRD DAY
AFTER SIX DAYS, ON THE SEVENTH DAY
“He that toucheth the dead body of any
man shall be unclean seven days.
He shall purify himself with it on the third day [with the ashes of
an unblemished red heifer placed in
running water [vv. 2-9, 17)] and on the seventh day
he shall be
clean: but if he purify not himself on the third day, the seventh day he
shall not be clean” (Num. 19: 11, 12).
“Come, and
let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn,
and he will heal
us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up,
and we shall
live in his sight” (Hosea 6: 1, 2).
The Word
of God has been established in a septenary structure, set forth in the opening
thirty-four verses of Genesis and seen
throughout Scripture. As well, within
this septenary structure there is a triune structure, also set forth in these
opening thirty-four verses, also seen throughout Scripture.
Then, not only does the Old Testament begin and continue in
this manner, but the New Testament begins and continues in this same manner as
well.
And to ignore or not understand this God-established structure
beginning both Testaments is to ignore or not understand the foundation upon
which the whole of God’s revelation rests.
[Page 2]
(For information on the overall
septenary manner in which God structured His Word, refer to Chapter II in this book, “After
Six Days, on the Seventh Day.”
Then, in line with this septenary structure, John’s gospel
should begin the N.T., not Matthew’s.
John’s gospel is the only one of the four which parallels Genesis, not only in the septenary manner in which
the gospel begins but in structure throughout as well.
For information on this subject, refer to Chapter V, “Genesis and John,” in the author’s book, Signs in John’s Gospel.)
The referenced verses opening this part of the appendix in Numbers chapter nineteen and Hosea chapter six, dealing with events on both a
third day and a seventh day, have to do with Israel in relation to a day yet
future.
Events seen in both of these accounts on both of these days,
in reality, foreshadow the same events occurring on the same day -
A septenary structure, along with a triune structure within the
septenary structure, can clearly be seen beginning both Genesis and John. And within this structure,
The entire seven days together - the overall septenary
structure - presents a picture of the restoration, salvation, of
a ruined creation during the six days for a purpose to be realized on the
seventh day.
A passing from death unto life is seen on day one, with a
continuing aspect to restoration, salvation, seen during days two through
six. And, again, this is with a view to
events on the seventh day.
When the three days within the seven days are in view, the
whole of the matter is somewhat reversed.
A passing from death unto life occurs at the end of the period (after two days, on the third day) rather
than at the beginning, with
the first two days encompassing events used to bring matters to the place seen
on the third day. And all is with a view to events
on the third day, which, within [Page 3] this triune structure, is the same as events on the seventh day
within the overall septenary structure.
Note how the preceding - a septenary structure and a triune
structure within the septenary - can be seen beginning both Genesis and John:
1) In Genesis
The opening sequence of events beginning the restoration of a
ruined creation on day one in Genesis (vv. 2b-5) - viewing
the overall septenary structure - had to do with the Spirit of God moving, God
speaking, and light coming into existence.
This opening sequence of events, occurring prior to anything else, was
absolutely necessary for events in any of the remaining five days to occur -
something which can be better understood by referencing the parallel passage in
John’s gospel, the restoration of ruined man (ref. next section [Section 2], “In John”).
Then, the triune structure within this septenary arrangement can
be seen by viewing the first three days together. On the third day, with water still covering
the entire earth (vv. 2b, 6, 7), God said, “Let the dry land appear” (v.
9).
And, through the raising of land masses out of the water on this day (Ps. 104: 6-9, ASV,
NASB), resurrection is seen for the first time in Scripture,
establishing an unchangeable first-mention principle regarding resurrection (e.g.,
Christ was raised on the third day; all three of God’s firstborn Sons [Christ, Israel, and the
Church [of the firstborn (Heb. 12: 17ff)] (following the adoption)] are to be raised up on the third day to live in His
sight).
[* See God’s warnings, (addressed to all
who are regenerate), against the loss of the promised Millennial and Messianic inheritance
during “the age to come” (Heb. 6: 5ff. R.V.)!
Because of the regenerate persons’ continual disbelief, disobedience,
and unrepentance, - they disqualify themselves for the promised millennial
inheritance! (Psalms 2: 8; 8: 7, 8; 14: 7; 19: 13; 22: 26-28; 34: 12-16. cf. 1 Cor. 6: 9ff; Gal. 5: 21ff.; Eph. 5: 5-6ff; Col. 3: 25; Rev. 3: 19-21, R.V.)
For an in-depth study of this present-day-neglected divine
teaching, see “Firstborn Sons Their Rights and Risks”
by G. H. Lang.]
Or, both the triune structure and the larger septenary
structure can be seen in the sequence of the three dispensations during Man’s
6,000-year Day, each covering two days, 2,000 years.
The first dispensation occurs during time covering the first
ten and one-half chapters of Genesis (1 - 11a) - the
2,000 years from Adam to the birth of Abraham.
The introduction of Abraham, in this respect, takes one into the third
day, the third 1,000-year period. And the
opening record of Abraham’s life on this third day has God calling him out of a
Gentile land to dwell in another land, a land which would later be given to him
and his seed through an everlasting covenant.
[Page 4]
This foreshadows God removing
And the subsequent destruction of
Gentile world power is seen in both the type and the antitype (Gen. 14: 17-24; 19: 24-28; Joel 3: 1-21).
Then the same thing is once again seen following the Jewish
dispensation covering the third and fourth days, the third and fourth
1,000-year periods. God, so to speak,
stopped the clock seven years short of this dispensation being fulfilled to
deal with a separate and distinct group - the Church, the one new man “in Christ” - for two more days, for two more 1,000-year periods.
And, once God completes His dealings with this new
man, with [regenerate] Christians, He will turn
back to
2) In John
John begins exactly the same way Genesis
begins - “In
the beginning...” Then, both Genesis
and John provide certain details not seen in
the other (e.g., the Spirit moving in
Genesis is not seen in John, and John
provides details about God not seen in Genesis).
But though the [Holy] Spirit moving is not seen in John,
matters have to be exactly the same as set forth in Genesis. God, beginning His Word in Genesis, forever established how He restores a ruined
creation. And, accordingly, no change can ever occur.
Thus, since the [Holy] Spirit was instrumental in the light shining out of darkness in Genesis,
exactly the same thing must be seen in John
(cf. Gen. 1:
3-5; John 1: 5-9; 2 Cor. 4: 6). And,
whether in Genesis or John, this is with a view to events occurring on
the seventh day (cf. John 1: 29, 35, 43; 2: 1ff).
Then, the triune structure within this septenary arrangement
can be seen by viewing the first three days together, as in Genesis. [Page 5] After two days, on the third day, John looked upon Jesus,
calling attention to Him as “the Lamb of God” a second time (cf vv. 29, 36).
But, looking upon Jesus on the third day
(v. 36) -
unlike the previous time (where the regular Greek word for “look” [blepo] appears [v. 29]) - John used an intensified form of this word
for “look” (emblepo, meaning that John
fixed his gaze upon Him, in a very intense manner). And the only other time emblepo is used in John’s gospel
is on
that same day when Jesus looked, in the same manner, upon a disciple who had
recognized Him as the Messiah (vv. 42, 43).
And this can only have to do with a reciprocal action in
that coming third day, seventh day, when the Jewish people not only
look upon their Messiah in this intense manner but He, in
turn, looks upon them in this same intense manner.
Events occurring on the seventh day in John 2: 1-11 comprise the first of eight signs in John’s
gospel, all having to do with
This first sign - a wedding festival in Cana of Galilee -
fore-shadows God restoring
Then the third day following the two-day, 2,000-year,
dispensation in which God deals with the Church can be seen in exactly the same
light. Following the Spirit procuring a
bride for God’s Son during the present 2,000-year dispensation, the bride* will be removed, presented to the Son, and a
marriage will occur on the third 1,000-year period, which will be the seventh
1,000-year period, leading into the Messianic Era.
[* Keep in mind: The “bride/“wife” of Christ,
will consists of those who are taken out from amongst regenerate
members of God’s redeemed family!
(See Gen. chapter
24. cf. Rev.
19: 7-8, R.V.).]
And as in
And then Christ, God’s firstborn Son, will rule both in the
midst of His people,
Thus, a triad of firstborn Sons will reign over the earth in
this manner in that coming [millennial] day.
[Page 6]
Back to
The third and seventh days in Num.
19: 11, 12, 16, 19, contextually, have to do with cleansing
for an Israelite who became unclean through contact with a dead body, a
man’s bone (skeleton), or a grave. And the complete account foreshadows the
manner in which God will cleanse
The entire account has to do with an unblemished red heifer
which was slain, its blood sprinkled before the tabernacle (before God in the
tabernacle), then burned, the ashes kept in a vessel, and then mixed with
running water used to effect cleansing.
Hyssop was dipped into the water and then the water was sprinkled upon
certain specified places, with cleaning from defilement occurring in
connection with the third and seventh days.
In this respect, note Ezek.
36: 24, 25ff:
“For I will take you from
among the heathen
[the Gentiles], and gather you out of all
countries, and will bring you
into your own land.
Then will I
sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your
idols, will I cleanse you...”
Or, as In
Hosea 6: 2:
“After two days will he revive us: in the third day he
will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
* *
*
[Page 7]
CHAPTER II
AFTER SIX DAYS, ON THE SEVENTH DAY
A SEPTENARY STRUCTURE BEGINNING THE
O.T., N.T.
“In the beginning God created the heaven [lit., ‘the heavens’] and the earth” (Gen.
1: 1).
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
The same was
in the beginning with God.
All things
were made by him; and without him was
not anything made that was made [lit., ‘All things came into existence through Him, and apart from Him
nothing came into existence which came into existence’]” (John 1:
1-3).
Moses
began Genesis after a particular fashion;
and John, 1,500 years later, began his gospel in exactly the same manner. Both began with creation, and both continued
with a septenary arrangement of events
- each from a different perspective - which carries the reader through six
days, into a seventh day.
In Genesis, this sets the
stage for that seen throughout the remainder of and beyond Genesis - a book built upon this septenary structure,
setting the stage for all which follows, the whole of the Old Testament, also
built upon this structure.
This septenary structure is seen in the numerous types forming
Genesis.
And this can only be the case, for the unchangeable pattern for all which
would follow was introduced and established in this manner in the
opening two chapters of this book.
And, viewing this same structure in the opening two chapters
of John’s gospel, exactly as it had previously been set forth in the
opening two chapters of Genesis (Gen.
1: 1 - 2: 3; John 1: 1 - 2: 11), the
stage is again set for that which follows - a book (the New Testament as a whole)
built upon this same septenary structure, a structure which, of
necessity (because of the foundation set forth at the beginning), had
pervaded the Old Testament.
Beginning in this manner in John’s gospel, this septenary
structure is then seen in each of the eight signs, whether referencing days leading into the Sabbath, referencing
the Sabbath itself, or relating a sequence of events which lead into the
Sabbath. Seven of the eight signs are
structured in the former manner (referencing particular days, in connection
with events); and the remaining sign, the fifth sign, is structured in the
latter manner (referencing events, in connection with particular days).
In this respect, the gospel of John is built around eight
signs; and the whole of the
book rests upon a septenary structure, established
at the beginning of the book, with this septenary arrangement of events leading
into the first sign.
(In the preceding respect, as Genesis begins the O.T. through
a sequence of events dealt with in a septenary structure, relating the subject
matter of the O.T., the Gospel of John is seen beginning the N.T. exactly
the same way. John’s gospel is the only one of the four
gospels containing this feature - a septenary structure, set at the beginning,
exactly as seen at the beginning of Genesis, relating the subject matter of the
N.T. [which is exactly the same as the subject matter of the O.T.].
Thus, John’s gospel should occupy a different place among the
four gospels - first, instead of last - for John’s gospel opens the N.T.,
exactly as Genesis opens the O.T.
And it should go without saying, had man seen and understood this
God-designed feature and parallel, placing John’s gospel in its proper place in
printed editions of the N.T., it may have gone a long way in preventing that
which can be seen throughout the Churches of the land today - almost total
ignorance about the subject under discussion.)
The Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis begins
with the
creation of the heavens and
the earth (1 : 1). Then the book immediately relates the
ruin of the creation (1: 2a). And this, in turn, is immediately followed by
revelation surrounding the restoration of the ruined creation over [Page 9] six days time. This restoration is then followed by the
creation of man, for the creation had been restored for man (1: 2b-31; cf. Isa. 45: 18b). And a
seventh-day rest followed (2: 1-3).
This forms the introduction to not only Genesis but to Scripture as a whole. The complete story of Scripture is told in
the opening thirty-four verses of Genesis. And the remainder of Scripture is simply commentary,
providing all the sinews (tendons), flesh, and skin to fully clothe the
skeletal framework set forth at the beginning (cf. Ezek.
37: 1-10).
To illustrate, note the complete sequence following creation: A
ruined creation existed, God restored this ruined creation over six days
time, and He then rested on the seventh
day. And any subsequent ruined creation
- if restoration were to occur through Divine intervention - would, of necessity, have to be restored in exact accordance
with the pattern which God Himself had previously established, at the beginning
of His Word.
(Note that God does not, He cannot, change His revealed works
in previously established patterns. God is
immutable; God is unchangeable. Once He has established a pattern, as seen
in the opening thirty-four verses of Scripture, perfection exists within that
pattern, and it can never change.
“For I am the Lord, I change not...” [Mal.
3: 6a].
There is only one revealed way in which God
restores a ruined creation - the one way which He Himself established and revealed at the beginning of His
Word - which leaves only one way in which
He can [remaining true to His Word] restore ruined man, a subsequent ruined
creation.
In this respect, the basics concerning man’s restoration following his
ruin [i.e., the basics concerning his salvation following his fall]
have been set forth in the opening chapter of Genesis,
forming Biblical truths relative to soteriology [the doctrine of salvation], which
can never change.
The restoration of ruined man MUST be understood from the standpoint of how God had previously set
matters forth in the prior restoration of a ruined creation. The matter MUST be carried back to
this point.
Thus, in order to have a correct foundation upon which to
build, teachings surrounding soteriology MUST be carried back to and [Page 10] understood correctly at their beginning point, the point where God began
this restorative work. There
is NO alternate way, NO alternate foundational beginning point.)
Man was created on the sixth day,
immediately following God’s restoration of the ruined material creation (1: 26-28; 17, 2: 7, 21-23). Then, through Satanic intervention, man was
reduced to a ruin (3: 1-7). Satan, through seeking to exalt his throne,
had previously brought about the ruin of the material creation (Isa. 14: 12-17); and Satan, through deceiving the woman,
causing her to eat of the forbidden fruit, now brought about man’s ruin.
Once man’s ruin had occurred, once Adam as the federal head
had eaten of the forbidden fruit, if man was to be restored, it had already
been revealed how God would accomplish this task and that which He would do
after man had been restored. In complete
accord with that revealed in the opening thirty-four verses of Scripture, God
would work six days to perform and complete man’s restoration; and He would
then rest the seventh day.
And that is exactly what began to occur in Gen. 3: 21, in complete keeping with God’s preceding
promise in verse fifteen:
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head
[‘He shall crush thy head’], and thou shalt bruise His heel’ (v. 15).
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of
skins, and clothed them” (v.
21).
Shortly after man’s fall, God began a work of restoring the
ruined creation. This would continue for
six days, six thousand years; and God would then rest the seventh day, the
seventh one-thousand-year period.
This septenary structure in God’s work of restoration and rest
is something which can be seen pervading all subsequent Scripture.
For example, God later gave the Sabbath to
His people, Israel, for a “sign”
that He was performing a present six-day work and would rest the seventh day,
following the completion of His work (Ex. 31: 13-17). And
though the Sabbath was given to Israel alone, God relates in the Book of Hebrews that a Sabbath rest awaits the [Page
11] people of
God, which sets the whole of that which the Sabbath foreshadows before
Christians as well (Heb. 4: 9).
Then note something about the references to the Sabbath in
both Exodus and Hebrews. In each instance, reference is made back to
God’s work of restoration in Gen. 1: 2b - 25, with God then resting on the seventh day (Gen. 2: 1-3; cf. Ex. 31: 15-17; Heb. 4: 3, 4). Attention is called in each instance to the
established pattern, providing a parallel between God’s past work of
restoration and His present work of restoration which no one should miss.
Some call attention to the Apostle Peter’s statement in his
second epistle (3: 8),
drawing from the ruin and restoration in Genesis,
along with the events on the Mount of Transfiguration (1:
15-18; 3: 3-7), in an effort to show that each day in the
latter restoration and rest is 1,000 years in length. However, this is like referring to the
mention of 1,000 years six times in Rev. 20: 2-7 to show the length of the coming Sabbath rest.
Both Peter in his second epistle and John in the Book of Revelation provide climactic material, material
forming apexes on the subject, material which had previously been dealt
with extensively
throughout portions of the Old and New Testaments, beginning with the
opening chapters of Genesis.
(For additional information on the Sabbath in the preceding
respect, refer to Appendix II in this book, “The Sign of the
Sabbath.”
For additional information pertaining to man’s salvation,
restoration, drawn from the opening two chapters of both Genesis and John,
refer to Appendixes III, IV in this book - “The
Complete Panorama of Salvation” and “The
Preaching of the Cross.”)
1) Comparing Scripture with Scripture
God’s work during the six days in the opening chapter of Genesis is usually understood and taught as
creation alone (i.e., verses describing God’s creation of the heavens and the
earth, from verse one, over a six-day period of time). Then, what could only be part and parcel with
this type thought, individuals invariably see little to no significance in the
septenary structure of these six days when combined with the following seventh
day of rest [Page 12] (cf. 2 Peter 1: 15-18; 3: 2-8).
However, if Scripture is compared with Scripture, and the
whole of subsequent Scripture is viewed in the light of that seen beginning in Gen. 1: 2, the preceding couldn’t possibly be understood as the correct way to
view this opening section.
For example, the Hebrew words translated “without form and void” (tohu
wavohu) in Gen. 1: 2a are used together only two other places throughout all of the Old Testament -
in Isa. 34: 11 and Jer. 4: 23. And both of these passages present a ruin of
that previously seen existing in an orderly state.
In Isa.
34: 11,
And in Jer.
4: 23-28, there is a comparison of that which had
previously occurred relative to the earth in
Gen. 1: 2a to that which was about to occur relative
to the land of Israel.
The
And, in complete keeping with this type understanding of the
use of tohu wavohu in Isa. 34: 11 and Jer. 4: 23, Isa. 45: 18 (where the
Hebrew word tohu is used) clearly states that God did not create the earth (in Gen. 1: 1) in the manner described in Gen. 1: 2a. Isaiah 45:
18 clearly states that God “created it [the earth] not in vain [not tohu].”
In this respect, if Gen. 1: 2a is to be
understood in the light of related Scripture bearing on the subject, there can
be only
one possible interpretation - the ruin of a prior existing creation (from v. 1), because
of sin. And the ruin seen in Gen. 1: 2a, Isa. 34: 11, and Jer. 4: 23 - ruined
for a purpose - is with a view to eventual restoration.
A restoration of the ruin seen in Gen.
1: 2a is
depicted in the continuing text in the chapter, and a restoration of the ruin
seen [Page 13] in both Isa. 34:
11 and Jer. 4: 23 is depicted in revelation numerous places
throughout the Old Testament (Israel restored, with the nations both restored
and placed in subjection to Israel [e.g.,
note Isa. 35: 1ff; 60: 1ff; Jer. 4: 27]).
Then, the whole of subsequent Scripture is perfectly in line with
this type understanding of the opening section of Scripture. The whole of subsequent Scripture is built on
a septenary structure, with the foundation established and set in an
unchangeable fashion at the beginning, in Gen.
1: 1-13.
That is to say:
The heavens and the earth were created, there was a
ruin of the material creation
(because of sin), God took six days to restore the ruined creation, and He rested the seventh day.
Man was created on the sixth day, man fell into a
state of ruin (because of
sin), God is presently taking six days (6,000 years) to restore man, and God will rest the seventh day (the seventh 1,000-year period [cf. 2 Peter 1: 15-18; 3: 3-8]).
And the latter, patterned after the former, is what the whole
of Scripture is about. The whole of
Scripture is about the same thing initially introduced and established in an
unchangeable fashion in the
opening thirty-four verses of Genesis (1: 1 - 2: 3).
The whole of Scripture is about the creation of man (for a
purpose), his ruin, his restoration over a six-day period (over a 6,000-year
period), followed by a seventh day of rest (a seventh 1,000-year period - the Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God
[Heb. 4: 9; cf. vv. 3, 4], the Messianic
Era, wherein man will realize the purpose for his creation in the beginning).
Man would have been expected to understand this opening
section of Scripture, at least in a general respect, after the preceding
fashion at the time it was written; and subsequent Scripture simply verifies
the correctness of the way man would have been expected to understand it (apart
from other revelation at the time Genesis
was written).
2) Only One Possible Conclusion
Through comparing Scripture with Scripture, and in the light [Page 14] of Scripture as a whole - i.e., in
the light of the soteriological nature of the whole of Scripture following
man’s fall, which is set in a septenary structure - there is only one
possible way to interpret and
understand Gen. 1:
1 - 2: 3. These
verses, solely from the standpoint of an interpretation and understanding from
Scripture, can be understood only as a ruin following creation, a
restoration of the ruined creation over a six-day period, and a day of rest
following.
Seeking to understand these opening verses after any other
fashion is out of line with the
way Scripture itself handles the matter - something which could only form a beginning
basis for unsound Biblical study. The latter is true simply because any
person beginning Genesis after a fashion
other than the manner in which God clearly reveals that He began His revelation
to man would be laying an incorrect foundation upon which to build
as the person moves on into and seeks to understand subsequent Scripture.
(For information on the Hebrew text of Gen. 1: 2, and Genesis chapter
one in general, refer to Appendix I in
this book, “Was or Became?”)
The Gospel of John
And, as previously stated, this septenary, soteriological structure
of Scripture is true not only relative to the manner in which the Book of Genesis begins but relative to the manner in which
the Gospel of John begins as well. The manner in which the Gospel of John begins (in chs. 1, 2a) forms an exact parallel to the manner in which
the Book of Genesis begins (in chs. 1, 2a).
In John’s gospel, as in Genesis,
there is a creation, a ruin of the creation, a restoration of the ruined creation over six days time, and a day
of rest following the
restoration. And this opening part of
John’s gospel, drawing from and calling attention to the opening verses of Genesis, again clearly shows the only way in which Gen. 1: 1 - 2: 3, from a Biblical standpoint, can
possibly be understood.
Creation is seen in John 1: 1-3; the ruin of the creation is dealt with in connection with a
restoration of the ruined creation
in John 1: 4,
5; restoration is seen occurring over six days
time (cf.
1: 29,
35, 43; 2: 1), and
events on the day of rest, the Sabbath, are seen occurring immediately following
the restoration (John 2: 1- 11).
1) Creation
Creation in the opening chapter of Genesis
begins with the material creation. This
is what was both ruined and restored in Genesis,
with man created on the sixth day, preceding the day of rest.
John, in his gospel, presents matters surrounding God’s
creative activity from a different perspective.
John brings everything together (the material creation, angels, animals,
man) in one all-encompassing statement:
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made
[lit., ‘All things came into existence through Him,
and apart from Him nothing came into existence which
came into existence’].”
In this respect, the first three verses of John’s gospel form
commentary for Scripture dealing with any part of God’s creative activity,
whether past, present, or future (cf. Gen. 1: 1, 21, 27; 2: 3, 4; Isa.
43: 1; 65: 17; Ezek. 28: 14, 15; 2 Cor. 5: 17). Nothing within God’s creative
activity has ever occurred or will ever occur apart from the Son.
“For by him [‘For in
connection with Him’] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by him, and for him [‘created
through Him, and with respect to Him’]:
And he is before all things, and by him
all things consist [‘and in connection with Him all things have been brought
together’]” (Col. 1: 16, 17).
In verse seventeen, the
word “is” is a translation of the Greek word eimi (a verb of
being). This word, as in John 1: 1, 2, 4, is used
in a timeless sense - a sense with respect to an existence without a beginning
or an end. And, in keeping with the use
of eimi in this respect, the
verb translated “consist” in the same
verse (or, [Page 16] perhaps better translated as shown in the preceding translation of Col. 1: 17: “have been brought
together”) is in the perfect tense in the Greek text, pointing to a work
occurring during past time which exists during present time in a finished
state.
Thus, viewing Col. 1: 16, 17
and John 1: 3
together, all things were created in connection with, through, and
with respect to Christ. And, in connection with Him (in
connection with the One existing apart from a beginning or an end), these
things have been brought together in past time and continue that way during
present time.
2) Ruin of the Creation
The ruin in Genesis chapter
one had to do with the material creation. In John
chapter one, though an allusion is made back to the ruin of the material
creation in Genesis (v. 5; cf. Gen. 1: 3-5; 2 Cor. 4: 6), the ruin has to do with man (seen throughout the chapter in man’s
need of a Saviour). In this respect, Genesis sets forth the type and John the antitype.
Genesis foreshadows that seen in John.
Man, created on the sixth day immediately following the
restoration of the material creation (Gen. 1: 26-28), fell.
Through Satanic intervention, man was reduced to a ruin (Gen. 3: 1ff). John,
in his gospel, picks up at the point of the ruin having occurred and calls
attention to light shining out of darkness, connecting this light with God’s
Son, the Word made flesh, the Lamb of God (1: 4-14, 29-36).
In the preceding respect, man’s ruin is seen indirectly at
the beginning of John’s gospel two different ways:
a) It is seen through light shining out
of darkness (an allusion back to Gen. 1: 2-5, drawing from light shining out of a ruin in
God’s original restoration of a ruined creation, forming an unchangeable
pattern concerning how God restores a ruined creation).
b) It is seen in the appearance and introduction
of a Deliverer, a Saviour (Whose appearance and introduction would be
unnecessary if man’s ruin had not previously occurred).
[Page 17]
Thus, John, beginning at and drawing from the restoration in Gen. 1: 2b, connects the light shining out of darkness
with the Deliverer, the Saviour, the Lamb of God (John
1: 14, 29,
35).
And from how the Spirit of God handles the matter in the opening chapter
of John (when He moved John to pen his
gospel), one can know exactly what the Spirit of God was foreshadowing through His order of events during the
six days of Genesis chapter one (which He,
almost fifteen hundred years earlier, had moved Moses to pen).
3) Restoration over Six Days
Again, numerically, John deals with the antitype of that seen
in Genesis.
He moves through six days, into the seventh; and, from that seen
occurring on the seventh day, the six days could only be thought of as
connected with restoration (in
keeping with light shining out of darkness, the appearance and introduction of
a Saviour inseparably associated with this light, and in keeping with the fact
that the original pattern in Genesis is
structured in this manner [i.e., six
days of restorative work preceding a day of rest]).
John 1: 29 moves events from the first
to the second day (“The next day...”); verse thirty-five moves events into the third day
(“Again the
next day...”); verse forty-three moves events into the fourth day
(“The day
following...”); and John
2: 1 moves events into the seventh day (“And the third day...”).
In this respect, the numerical structure of John 1, 2a
would not only be in complete keeping with the numerical structure of Gen. 1, 2a but with the whole of Scripture as well.
Within this septenary framework, Scripture begins at two numerical
points to move into the
seventh day - one beginning at the time of man’s creation, the other beginning
at the time of Christ’s first coming, more specifically at the time of events
surrounding His crucifixion:
a) The complete six days, followed by a seventh
day, as seen in Genesis chapters one and two (cf. Matt. 17: 1ff).
b) The last two days, followed by a third day, as seen in sections of Scripture such
as Hosea 5: 15
- 6: 2
and John 11: 6,
7.
[Page 18]
(For information on the preceding, refer
back to Chapter
I in this book, “On the Third Day, Seventh
Day.”)
Then, both would be seen together in a section of Scripture
such as Num. 19:
11-22.
And the latter is exactly what John does at the beginning of
his gospel. He moves through all six
days, into the seventh; but he specifically singles out the last two (taking
one into the third, which is the seventh [depending on where the count
begins]), showing exactly what is seen in other parallel Scriptures (cf. Hosea 6: 2; Matt. 17: 1; Luke 24: 7, 21, 46; 1 Cor. 15: 4).
4) Rest on the Seventh Day
On the third day, the seventh day, all of God’s firstborn Sons* will be raised up to live in His sight:
[*See also “Firstbirn Sons”
by G. H. Lang.]
Jesus (God’s only
begotten firstborn Son).
The Church (following the adoption
[If judged by Christ Jesus as “accounted worthy” (Lk. 20: 35, R.V.)] into a firstborn status).
Jesus was raised [out] from the dead [Lit. ‘out of
dead ones’] on
the third day, pointing to His elevation and exaltation in that coming day - to
the third one-thousand-year period dating from the crucifixion.
The Church, “in Christ” and in one
respect presently occupying the some position occupied by Christ during His two
days in the tomb - with future life emanating out of present death (cf. Phil. 3: 10, 11; Col. 2: 12; 3: 1-4) - will, following the adoption, be raised up
with Christ on the third one-thousand-year period dating from the inception of
the Church.
And on the third day, or on the seventh day, the events
foreshadowed by the first sign in John’s gospel will occur. These signs have to do with
And that is exactly what is seen in the first sign, pointing
to [Page 19] events which will occur on
the third or the seventh day when the nation has been raised up to live in
God’s sight.
(Note that in the restoration occurring over six days, seen in
both Genesis and John,
one book does not concern
itself any more with events foreshadowed by those occurring on the first day
[events relating to salvation by grace through faith] than does the other
book. Both begin at this point and have
to do with a complete restoration seen through continuing events occurring
during the remaining five days as well, with a view to the seventh day, the
Sabbath.
And this is exactly what one finds in either book - the
types in Genesis, the
signs in John [among other related things in both books].
As well, this is perfectly in line with the stated purpose for John’s
gospel [20: 30, 31], which,
through
the signs [paralleling the
types in Genesis], moves beyond events foreshadowed by those
on day one into events foreshadowed by those on days two through six, with a
view to events foreshadowed by those on the seventh day, the earth’s coming
Sabbath.)
5) The Signs in John’s Gospel
The Gospel of John is built around eight signs; and, as in the
sign of the Sabbath, the signs in this gospel point to things beyond the signs
themselves.
It is the Jew who requires a sign (1
Cor. 1: 22); and these signs, taken from numerous signs
which Jesus performed during His earthly ministry, are directed (as was His
ministry in that day) to the Jewish people.
Jesus performed signs of this nature for one central purpose:
“...that ye [the Jewish
people] might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye might have life through
his name [‘life’ having to do with the subject at
hand, the proffered kingdom, not eternal
life]” (John 20: 30, 31; cf. John 2: 11; 5: 46, 47; 6: 14, 21; 11: 45).
Seven of the eight signs in John’s gospel were performed in
connection with particular days, all in perfect keeping with one another, all
in perfect keeping with the sign of the Sabbath, and all in perfect keeping
with the septenary arrangement of Scripture.
And all of the signs refer, after different fashions, to the same thing.
They all refer to things surrounding Israel’s coming salvation [Page 20] and restoration,
which will occur after six days (after 6, 000 years), in
the seventh day (in the seventh 1, 000-year period).
The first sign, in 2: 1-11, has to do with Jesus turning
the water in six waterpots to wine (“six,” man’s number; the
waterpots made from the earth, as man; filled with water [the Word]; and
through Divine intervention a change ensues).
This sign, foreshadowing the future salvation and restoration
of
The second sign, in 4: 40-54, has to
do with the healing of a nobleman’s son.
This sign occurred after
Jesus had spent two days with the
Samaritans, on the third day (vv. 40, 43). It will be after two days visiting “the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his
name,” on the third day that
Jesus will return to the Jewish people to
effect healing for the nation (cf. Hosea 5:
15 - 6: 2; Acts 15: 14-18).
The third sign, in 5: 1-9, also had to do with healing, with a man being healed at a particular time. This healing occurred after thirty-eight years, on the
Sabbath (vv. 5, 9).
The reference (drawn from an O.T. type) would be to the
healing of the nation through the second generation of Israelites being allowed
to enter the land under Joshua, after thirty-eight years (dating from the overthrow at
Kadesh-Barnea).
And both the sign and type would foreshadow the same future
event. They would both point to that
future time when the nation will be healed and will be allowed to enter the
land under Jesus, as the Israelites in the Old Testament were allowed to enter
under Joshua (the Hebrew name meaning “Jesus,” “Salvation”) - an event which will occur on
the seventh day, the Sabbath.
The fourth sign, in 6: 1-14, has to do with bread being provided for the multitudes; and this sign occurred in
connection with the Passover (v. 4).
Jesus is that “bread of life” which will be
provided for the nation [of Israel] yet future (v.
35), and
the
Passover is the festival in [Page 21] Lev.
23 which has to do with the future salvation of
The Passover, the first of seven Jewish festivals outlining a
prophetic calendar and sequence of events in relation to
(For additional information on the preceding, refer to
Appendix III, “The
Prophetic Calendar of Israel,” in the author’s book, “Never Again!” or “Yes, Again!”)
The fifth sign, in 6:
15-21,
has to do with Christ’s departure, a storm, His return, the disciples’
attitude toward Him at this time,
and the geographical location in which they subsequently found themselves.
This sign foreshadows Christ’s departure from
The sixth sign, in 9: 1-41, has to do with the healing of a blind man, on the Sabbath day (v. 14).
This sign foreshadows
The seventh sign, in 11: 1-44, has to do with the resurrection of
Lazarus. This resurrection occurred after Jesus had been out of the land of
Judea two days, on the third day (vv. 6, 7), after
Lazarus had lain in the grave four days (v. 17).
[Page 22]
This sign foreshadows Israel’s future resurrection/restoration
(Ezek. 37:
12-14; Dan.
12: 2) after two days, on the third day; and at this time Israel will have been
in the place of death four days, dating four millenniums back to Abraham.
The eighth sign, in 20: 1-29, has to do with Christ’s [selective] resurrection,*
after
two days, on the third day.
[* That is, as first to rise out from
amongst the dead in “Hades” (that place,
appointed by God, for the confinement of disembodied “souls”
of the dead “in the heart of the earth” [Luke 16: 23ff.; Matt. 12: 40]),
leaving all others there to “wait” (Isa. 40: 31; Rev. 6: 9-11, R.V.),
until His Second Advent. (John 3: 13; 14: 3ff.; Acts 2: 27, 34; 1 Cor. 15: 23; 2 Tim. 2: 18ff.; Rev. 3: 20, 21ff; 22: 12ff.; 1 Thess. 4: 16, 27, R.V. etc.
See also R. Govett’s book: “Hades.”]
This sign foreshadows
that coming third day, dating from the crucifixion, when not only
And all of this, in another frame of reference, will be after
six days, on the seventh day.
* *
*
[Page 23]
CHAPTER III
AFTER 400 YEARS, 430 YEARS
A DEPARTURE FOR THE LAND AFTER 400
YEARS, 430 YEARS
“Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in
And it came to
pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts
of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12: 40, 41).
God
works with set times which He
has pre-established. Until these set
times arrive, matters may appear
exactly as they appeared to the Israelites and Egyptians alike throughout the
years when the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage. Aside from conditions deteriorating, little
to no change occurred throughout this time.
But when Moses appeared to the Jewish people a second time, things
began to change rapidly.
A Set Time During Moses’ Day
According to Ex. 12: 40, 41,
the Exodus from
But how can this possibly be the case? Following Biblical chronology back in time,
four hundred thirty years would take one to the days of Abraham while he was
still in
Thus, “the children of
Then, there is a four-hundred-year period seen back in Genesis in connection with the Exodus (Gen.
15: 13, 14; cf. Acts 7:
6). Abraham’s seed, through whom the nations
were to ultimately be blessed, [Page 24] would sojourn “in a land that is not theirs” for four hundred years. And it was only at the end of this period of
time that the Exodus under Moses would occur.
Thus, there are both four-hundred and four-hundred-thirty-year
periods in connection with the Exodus from
1) Strangers and Pilgrims
It was the seed of Abraham which was to sojourn in a strange
land for four hundred years. That seed was born when Abraham was one
hundred years old, which is when the sojourn began relative to his seed
in Gen. 15: 13, 14.
Then the four-hundred-thirty-year sojourn seen in Ex.
12: 40, 41, also
in connection with the Exodus, can only date back to a time thirty years prior
to the birth of Abraham’s seed. And,
according to these two verses in Exodus, the children of Israel date back to
this time as well, which could be seen only one way - a people in the loins of Abraham
while he was still in Ur of the Chaldees (cf. Gen. 12: 1-3; 15:
4; Josh. 24: 2-14; Heb. 7: 9, 10; 11: 9).
Thus, the complete sojourn of the Israelites - existing four
hundred thirty years prior to the Exodus, in the loins of Abraham - is seen
going back thirty years behind the actual birth of Abraham’s seed, from whom
the nation descended. And, as can easily
be shown, this time goes back to the very beginning, to the promise given to
Abraham thirty years earlier, as seen in Gen.
12: 1-3:
“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.”
[Page 25]
Note how the preceding is clearly stated in Gal. 3: 7, 18:
“And this I say, that the covenant, that was
confirmed before of God in Christ, the law,
which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it
should make the promise of none effect.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no
more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by
promise.”
The Law, the Magna Charta for the kingdom, was given through Moses
at Sinai during the first year following the departure of the Israelites from
2) Viewing the Time Correctly
Individuals often come up with the erroneous idea, from a
misreading of Gen. 15:
14, that
the Israelites spent four hundred years in Egyptian bondage. But that can’t be true. Galatians 3:17 alone would show the fallacy of this type
thinking.
Note in this verse that only four hundred thirty years existed
between the promise given to Abraham while still in
Thus, Abraham’s seed (Isaac and his descendants) sojourned in
a land not theirs for four hundred years; and an additional thirty-year sojourn
is seen immediately preceding this time, going back to the promise given to
Abraham in
“And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein
his father was a stranger, in the
“And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the
Lord.
[Page 26]
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac,
and unto Jacob...
And I have
also established my covenant with them, to give them the
“By faith, Abraham, when he was called to
go out into a place which he should
after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and
he went out, not knowing whether he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him
of the same promise...
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced
them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on the earth” (Heb.
11: 8, 9, 13).
Thus, the Israelites are seen in Scripture as strangers
and pilgrims throughout this time,
whether in
From the birth of Isaac, the seed of Abraham spent one hundred
ninety years in the
This time of bondage could not possibly have been more than
about one hundred forty years and may have been considerably less (times
derived from Joseph’s age when the 210 years began [abt.
40], his age at the time of his death [110], and the fact that the persecution
of the Israelites in Egypt began only at a time following Joseph’s death [Gen. 41: 46ff, 50: 26]).
This persecution began following the ascension of “a new king over
[Page 27]
Since the persecution existed at the time of Moses’ birth,
with Moses being eighty years old at the time of the Exodus, we con only say
that the persecution began sometime between about one hundred forty and eighty
years preceding the Exodus. There is
nothing in Scripture which would allow the time when the persecution began to
be determined any closer than this.
The Present and Future Day
The departure of the Israelites from
And all the details seen in the type will occur
in the antitype - from Moses
dealings with the Israelites (“signs”) and the
Assyrian (“Let my people go!”), the death of the
firstborn (future conversion of the nation), the restoration of the Jewish people
to their land, the destruction of Gentile world power, and the restoration of
the theocracy to the Jewish people under a new covenant.
(Details on the preceding can be found in different books and articles
which the author has written over the years.
Note particularly the author’s books, The Time
of the End, Coming in His Kingdom, and
For additional information on the loins of Abraham in
connection with the 400 and 430 years, refer Appendix
I, “Salvation Is of the Jews” [with a
section titled, “in the Loins of Abraham,” in
the author-s book, “Never Again!” or “Yes, Again!”)
And, relative to time, these things can only occur in the antitype exactly as seen in the
type - to the very day, within a time which God has previously set. It can be no other way.
In Scripture, God is seen working after only one fashion
throughout Man’s Day. In the opening
verses of Scripture, He is seen working for six days, foreshadowing 6,000
years. And [Page 28] throughout this time He is seen working with three groups of
people during set times in three dispensations.
And, as evident from the timing of the Exodus in relation to four
hundred and four hundred thirty years of time (to the very day at the end of
the latter period, and evidently the former as well), all of God's activities are
undoubtedly set in a perfect timing of this nature.
Man’s Day itself is not only set within a predetermined time
(6,000 years, no more, no less), but time occurring during the three
dispensations are set with the same predetermined precision (each lasting 2,000 years, completing the full 6,000).
(For information on these three dispensations, followed by a
fourth, refer to Chapter V, “Ages and Dispensations,” in the author’s book, The Study of Scripture.)
God is seen intervening within man’s affairs at the exact end
of each dispensation, and He is also seen acting at times during the dispensations
with the same precision, having to do with pre-determined times (e.g., timing of events seen in Daniel’s
Seventy-Week prophecy, particularly between the sixty-ninth and seventieth
weeks; also note when the kingdom is established - not before, but at the full
end of the prophecy; at the end of the full seventy weeks, at the end of the
full four hundred ninety years).
Individuals, prefacing or following a particular statement,
sometimes say, “if the Lord tarries...” But the Lord is not going to tarry. The Lord works with set times, and
when these set times arrive, He acts.
The matter is exactly as stated in Heb. 10: 37:
“For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”
The present dispensation can only last for a set
time, which is a preset 2,000 years.
The removal of the Church at the end of the dispensation will occur at a set
time; God’s dealings with
This is simply the manner in which God does things, which must
be recognized.
* *
*
[Page 29]
CHAPTER IV
AFTER 70 YEARS, 490 YEARS
A RESTORATION TO THE LAND AFTER 70
YEARS, 490 YEARS
“And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment;
and these
nations [the
southern kingdom,
And it shall
come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of
For thus saith
the Lord, That after seventy
years be accomplished at
For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an
expected end.
Then shall ye
call upon me, and ye shall go and
pray unto me, and I will harken unto you.
And ye shall
seek me and find me, when ye shall
search for me with all your heart.
And I will be
found of you, saith the Lord:
and I will turn
away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all places
whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place
whence I caused you to be carried away captive” (Jer. 25:
11, 12; 29: 10-14).
Because
of the continual disobedience - “continuous” in many instances - of the Jewish people over centuries of time,
God, true to His Word (Lev. 26: 14ff; Deut. 28: 15ff), eventually uprooted His people from their
land and drove them out among the nations.
[Page 30]
And God acted after this fashion for one central purpose - to effect
repentance on the part of His people.
Through persecution at the hands of the Gentile nations, repentance,
resulting in restoration, would ultimately be effected.
The northern ten tribes were uprooted from their land first
and carried away captive into Assyria, beginning about 722 B.C.; and the
southern two tribes were subsequently uprooted from their land and carried away
captive into Babylon, beginning about 605 B.C.
And with the Babylonians having previously conquered the Assyrian
Empire (with both kingdoms bordering one another, lying east and northeast of
Israel), the carrying away of the southern two tribes into Babylon essentially
left all twelve tribes together, as captives estranged from their land,
residing in the same part of the Gentile world.
The Seventy Years
Dating from the beginning of the Babylonian captivity, God
promised that after seventy years had passed, He would do two things:
1) “Punish the king of
2) “Visit you [the Jewish people in
That is to say, after seventy years had elapsed - but
ONLY
AFTER, NOT BEFORE - the
kingdom of Babylon would be dealt with, and God would remember His numerous
promises to His people pertaining to restoration (a healed people restored to a
healed land).
This is what Daniel had read about and understood at this time
in Dan. 9:
1, 2. Daniel had read about and understood these
things through the writings of Jeremiah the prophet (translate “books” [v. 2] as “writings”
[ref NIV]). And, as seen through his [Page 31] actions at this time, Daniel evidently had also read about and understood
from other writings (Moses and other Prophets) that repentance on the part of the
Jewish people must precede God visiting his people and restoring them to their
land (e.g., Lev. 26: 40-42; 2 Chron. 6: 24-27; 7: 12-14).
Daniel, knowing that the seventy years had run their course
(along with the Babylonian kingdom having fallen to the Medes and the
Persians), set about to seek the Lord’s face “by prayer and supplications,
with fasting, and
sackcloth, and ashes” (Dan.
9: 3).
Daniel then began to confess his own sins and those of the
people, detailed throughout the next sixteen verses (vv.
4-19).
Thus, one thing which was necessary for the Jewish
people to be restored to their land had occurred (the end of the seventy years); and Daniel, as an individual, was bringing
to pass the only remaining thing necessary (repentance, confessing his own sins
and those of the Jewish people).
How far repentance of this nature extended
beyond Daniel is unrevealed.
Nonetheless, God opened the door at this time for a return of the Jewish
people from
Most of the Jewish people, over time, had seemingly settled
down in the world and chosen to remain where they resided - in the Babylonian
kingdom, now ruled by the Medes and the Persians.
The Four Hundred and Ninety Years
Toward the end of Daniel’s prayer and supplication, while he
was still praying, the angel Gabriel interrupted him. Gabriel had been sent at the beginning of his
prayer and supplication in order to reveal to Daniel a period of time
subsequent to the seventy years - a longer period of time involving the Jewish
people, having to do with the same thing as the seventy years (Dan. 9: 20-23).
This latter period was seven times as long as the period which
[Page 32] had just elapsed - four hundred and
ninety years rather than seventy years (Dan.
9: 24-27); and
it would only be at the end of this subsequent, longer period that all
of the Jewish people scattered throughout the Gentile nations would be brought
to the place of repentance and restored to their land.
And, according to the Prophets, as these four hundred and
ninety years were brought to a close - exactly as at the close of the seventy
years - there would be a latter worldwide kingdom of Babylon, with
the Jewish people scattered throughout this kingdom.
(Four hundred and eighty-three of the full four hundred and
ninety years are now past, leading to the events surrounding
And the Spirit’s work in this respect, in the antitype of that
seen in Gen. 24
[between the time of the death of Abraham’s wife (Israel set aside; ch. 23) and Abraham again taking a wife (Israel
restored; ch. 25)], would be performed among those forming a new
creation brought into
existence at this time, the one new man “in Christ.”
Then, as seen in the type, at the end of the [Holy] Spirit’s work in the preceding
respect, God would remove this new man and resume His dealings with
And it will be during and at the end of these last seven years
that the Jewish people will once again reside in and be restored back to their
land from a Babylonian kingdom [in
complete keeping with the types].
For additional information on the preceding, refer to Ch. XII,
“Daniel’s Seventy Weeks,” in the author's book,
The Time of the End; also see the author’s book, Search for the
Bride.)
And exactly the same promises and the same thing seen at the
end of the seventy years in Jeremiah and Daniel will occur at the end of the four hundred
and ninety years in Daniel.
1) The king of
[Page 33]
2) God,
through His Son, will “visit” His people, perform
His “good Word” toward them (fulfil His
promises), causing a healed people to return to a healed land.
That is to say, AFTER
a
full four hundred and ninety years have elapsed - but ONLY AFTER, NOT
BEFORE - the kingdom of Babylon will be dealt with, destroyed; and God
will, at that time, remember His numerous promises to His people pertaining to
restoration, both the people and the
land.
“In That Day,”
NOT the Present Day
(Refer to the foreword in this book for an understanding of
how the Prophets used the expression, “in that day.”)
As there was a return of a remnant of Jews from the Babylonian
captivity in history, there has been a return of a remnant of Jews from a
worldwide dispersion during modern times - occurring since May 14, 1948, when
The restoration of a remnant in history was under God's direction, at His
command.
The restoration of a remnant today has been the result of a
Zionistic movement, under man’s direction and command.
God simply will not allow the Jewish people to return from their
present dispersion among the Gentiles, under His direction and command, UNTIL the
full time covered by the four hundred and ninety years has run its course. To state otherwise would have God acting
contrary to His revealed Word, an impossibility.
A rather strange situation though exists in the world
today. Most of the Bible students and
Bible teachers studying about or giving [Page 34] any thought to Israel’s place in God’s economy, both present
and future, attempt to see and teach that God is presently dealing with Israel
relative to a restoration to the land, with many also seeing the land presently being healed (through reclaimed land for
agriculture, etc.), at a time BEFORE the end of the four hundred and
ninety years, BEFORE the Jewish people are brought to the
place of repentance.
But God’s dealings with the Jewish people after this fashion DIDN’T
occur during the seventy years in Jeremiah, and God’s dealings with the Jewish people after this fashion ARE
NOT GOING TO occur during the four hundred and ninety years in Daniel either.
God’s requirements both places can only be seen to be the
same.
Both could/can occur ONLY following the full time in view (seventy years, four hundred and ninety
years), and both could/can occur ONLY following repentance.
Then, aside from the preceding, attempting to see and
understand that which has been occurring in the
God is not, He cannot be, dealing
with
(Note in the type - anti type structure of Gen. 23-25,
And, throughout this time,
And EXACTLY the same thing is
seen in the type - antitype structure of Gen.
37-45,
covering the same period as Gen. 23-25, seen in
the life and times of Joseph and his brethren.
[Page 35]
The type extends from events foreshadowing
In the type in Gen. 37ff, Joseph’s brethren are not seen between
two times. They are not seen
between the events foreshadowing
These two accounts show the way matters occurred in the types,
and they
can ONLY occur in the antitype EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.)
And of course numerous other things as well are out of line
with popular thought today, both among [regenerate] Christians in the world and among
Jews both in
1) The house of
He (Antichrist) will appear only when time covering the lost
seven years of Daniel’s prophecy resumes, and he will bring the
desolation in view to an apex
toward the end of this time, during the closing days of Daniel’s prophecy.
(For information on the preceding, refer to Chapters I, II, “Your House Left Desolate” [Parts I, III, in the
author’s book,
2) Healing for the
Jewish people and their land will occur ONLY AFTER two days, on the third day. It will be ONLY
AFTER two days, on the third
day (AFTER
2,000 years, IN the third 1,000-year period),
that all three of God’s firstborn Sons - Christ,
That occurring in the
3)
The time for this cleansing is seen in a two-fold manner in Num. 19. This cleansing can occur ONLY on the third or seventh day (three days dating back to the
crucifixion, or seven days dating back to Adam), and it can occur ONLY
following the death of the high priest (which can only be a reference to Christ’s completion of His
present priestly ministry in the sanctuary, preceding that time when He comes
forth as the great King-Priest after the order of Melchizedek.
(Numbers 35 alone would
destroy all of the false teaching concerning God presently restoring the Jewish
people to their land, with many erroneously seeing the land progressively being
healed as well. And it wouldn’t matter
what form this teaching might take, for Israel’s future cleansing, seen in this
chapter, occurs not only following Israel’s national conversion but in connection with
Israel’s restoration to a healed land [Ezek. 36:
24-32; 37: 1ff].
Thus, to see the Jewish people being restored to the land
today, AFTER ANY FASHION - even
in their unbelief, to later be dealt with by God [as some see matters having
occurred since May 14,1948] - is AN IMPOSSIBILITY on the basis of this one chapter in Numbers
alone. Such would have God acting
completely contrary to His revealed Word.
According to any Scriptures dealing with the subject,
This, for example, is seen in the type during Moses’day, or
in the
order of the fulfilment of the seven festivals in Lev.
23.
Israel’s national conversion [fulfilling the first Jewish
festival, the Passover] will occur while the Jewish people are still
scattered among the nations; the
cleansing, which many often confuse with [Page 37] the former, occurs subsequent to Israel’s national
conversion, in connection with the Jewish people being restored to their land [having to do with activities occurring
on the second and sixth of the Jewish festivals - the festivals of Unleavened
Bread and Atonement.
For information on a type - antitype structure of Num. 35, refer
to Chapters VII,VIII, “Time of Israel’s
Restoration,” in the author’s book,
4) The Jewish people
cannot be restored UNTIL they have
acquired ALL the wealth possessed by the Gentiles. Jacob, in the type (Gen.
28: 15 - 31: 3), as the
Jewish people today, tried to return to the land before he had acquired all of
Laban’s wealth (Gen. 30: 25ff). But he couldn’t. The heavens remained closed, and God did not
speak to Jacob during the entire time of his exile, not until he had acquired ALL
of Laban’s wealth and not until it was TIME for him to return.
THEN... And ONLY THEN... (Gen. 31: 1-3).
The Jewish people today have returned to the land through MAN’S
EFFORTS in a Zionistic
movement, DURING their time of
exile, BEFORE acquiring ALL of the Gentile’s wealth, BEFORE
THE TIME God speaks to them
in this respect.
When God restores His people to the land, it will occur DURING
HIS TIME, not during their
time. And they will be restored through
Divine power, not man’s power, never to be uprooted again (Amos 9:
11-15).
The remnant presently in the land has been restored BEFORE
the time through other than Divine power; and they, having been
restored in this means, will, of necessity, be uprooted from their land once
again (Matt. 24:
15ff; Luke 21:
20ff; Rev.
12: 6, 14ff).
5)
6) The seven Jewish
festivals in Lev.
23 form
what could be called, “The Prophetic Calendar of
And they must be fulfilled in a sequential order, following [Page 38] Christ’s return (e.g., the first festival is the Passover;
(For information on the typology seen in Jacob’s experiences
in Gen. 28:
15 - 31: 3, refer to Chapter VIII, “Time of Israel’s Restoration,” in the author's book, “Never Again!”
or “Yes, Again!”)
Or, for information on the seven Jewish festivals in Lev. 23, refer
to Appendix III, “The Prophetic Calendar of Israel,”
in the same book.)
As previously stated, prevalent thought in Christian circles
today relative to the restoration of the Jewish people to the land in the
Abrahamic covenant has to do with a false teaching concerning that which has
been occurring in the
To date, some 6,000,000
Jews have returned, and large parts of the land have been reclaimed for
agricultural purposes.
Also as previously stated, most Christians involving
themselves in the matter today - many referring to themselves as “Christian Zionists” - erroneously look upon that
which has been occurring since the spring of 1948 as God progressively restoring the
Jewish people to their land, with many seeing a progressive restoration
of this land as well, in accordance with His numerous promises in
the Old Testament to one day do so.
In this respect, the whole of the matter is rather amazing -
though not relative to the Jewish people returning to the land in the Abrahamic
covenant, for a remnant (which, as we know today, will have resulted from
Zionism) must be in the land when Antichrist appears on the scene. Rather, the amazing part has to do with the
vast numbers of Christians who should know better, completely misunderstanding
what is happening and, resultingly, making a mistake of this magnitude, one
with far-reaching, negative ramifications.
It is amazing that ANY Christian with an open Bible would make this mistake - bringing
events of “that
day” over into the
present day and time - though
understandable because of the working of the leaven in Christendom over two
millenniums of time, resulting in few Christians today studying Scripture after
the [Page 39] manner in which it has been written
and structured (Matt. 13: 33).
But what can perhaps be seen as even more amazing than the
preceding is the fact that MOST of the Christians involving
themselves in this facet of Biblical studies are making this mistake, though
again somewhat understandable for the reason previously given.
And this is not something minor in Biblical studies. Rather, this is something MAJOR, VERY
MAJOR! This is something which can only have a
dire, negative impact upon a Christian’s outlook and understanding of the
present and future place which the Jewish people occupy in God’s economy.
Then, part and parcel with the preceding are the numerous
pastors and Bible teachers caught up in this false ideology who are misleading
the masses. It’s not a pretty picture
when one begins looking at what’s presently happening in this respect in
Christendom, but that’s how matters exist nonetheless.
Until “That Day...”
To provide a current, up-to-date example of what is really
happening in the Middle East relative to Israel and the nations, showing how
Scripture handles and reflects on the matter rather than how all too many of
those who should know better are trying to handle the matter, note that which
has been and continues to occur in that part of the world today.
The Middle East, for sometime, has been unravelling, so to
speak; and that can be seen even more so with events of each passing day, with
this unravelling, this coming apart, spilling over into and affecting Europe in
a negative manner. And, as well, it is
also affecting the world at large in the same negative manner.
Islamic militant, terrorist groups (ISIS, AI Qaeda, etc.)
with their continuing reign of terror, now have existing cells scattered over a
good part of the war-torn Middle East fostering persecution (often ending in
death) and economic hardship. Then there
is a six-year old civil war in
[Page 40]
Then there is the Iranian nuclear problem, with different
opposing and often warring segments of the Moslem religion (mainly Sunnis and
Shiites) thrown into the mix.
Then, of course, there is
All is seemingly quite uncertain in one respect. Though, in
another respect, there is ONE THING that can be know for certain.
One can know for certain that THE WHOLE OF THE MATTER is only
going to get worse, far worse.
Why?
It is very simple and can be answered in two very concise,
short, to-the-point statements:
1)
2) The Prophets, those through whom God spoke in time past (Heb. 1:
1)!
Israel’s very presence in the Middle East is THE CATALYST for,
essentially, the whole of what’s occurring.
And, the Prophets have spoken, with their words being FINAL!
The present existence of a Jewish nation in the Middle East
(which is made up largely of humanists, atheists, and agnostics), BEFORE
the full end of the four hundred and ninety years, is nothing more or nothing less than the
Jewish people rising up and seeking to emancipate themselves from exile, apart
from their Messiah, establishing a Jewish nation themselves, entirely through
natural means, in the land covenanted to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Jewish people have sought to do this BEFORE the time by re-entering a desolated house,
seeking to effect a healing of the Jewish people and their land themselves,
through natural means.
Then, not only is the preceding true, but, by doing this, the
Jewish people have not only opened the door for but guaranteed that God’s judgment
upon the nation, to ultimately bring about repentance, would be intensified
seven-fold (Matt. 12: 43-45; cf. Lev.
26: 18ff).
And God uses the Gentile nations to bring about judgment of
this nature upon His people. In this
respect, the turmoil existing [Page 41] among the nations in the
It all has to do with God’s plans and purposes for
And God is going to allow matters to increasingly go to the
extremes that it will ultimately take in order to bring this to pass.
God is going to allow the destruction of the present Israeli
nation (following the Jewish people rebuilding their Temple on the Temple
Mount), the death of a tenth of those in the land, the remainder driven back
out among the nations, and then followed by the attempted annihilation of the
Jewish people worldwide.
This is what lies in store for the 6,000,000 Jewish people
presently in the land - NOT at some far off time, in some distant
day, BUT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE
- completely destroying any Messianic hope that any of the Jewish people
will possess at that time (with a rebuilt Temple, with Temple worship
occurring). And this will then be followed by that which will befall the
remainder of the Jews worldwide (another eight to nine million).
Exactly as in Moses’ day and continuing down through the
centuries to the present time, relative to the matter at hand, exactly the same disobedient, “stiffnecked” people reside both in and out of the land
today (cf. Ex. 32:
9; 33: 3; Deut. 9: 6; Jer. 17: 23).
It took the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions and captivities
to get the people’s attention in past time.
And, after 2,600 years of Gentile dominance and persecution, dating back
to the days of the Babylonian invasion and captivity, God is going to use
something even more horrific.
God, in a final and lasting work, to once and for all get the
Jewish people’s attention, is going to bring about conditions so horrific that
no precedent exists at any past time throughout Man’s 6,000-year history.
The God of the Jews is about to pull out all stops to, at long
last, bring His people to the place of repentance.
[Page 42]
(For information on the preceding, refer to the different
chapters in the author’s book, “Never Again!” or “Yes, Again!”)
1) The Biblical Picture
The Biblical picture of that currently occurring in the Middle
East can be seen in the opening verses of the Book of Jonah (though this
account would have to do with Israel during the coming Tribulation, the same
thing can be seen today, leading into the Tribulation).
An unrepentant Jonah, out of the Lord’s will and seeking to distance
himself from the presence of the Lord, booked passage on board a ship headed in
the opposite direction from where the Lord had told him to go. And Jonah, in this condition, was asleep down
in the hold of the ship when God caused the sea to become so tumultuous that
the very ship itself, with all those on board the ship, was about to be
destroyed (Jonah 1: 1-5).
This storm arose for one multifaceted reason and
purpose alone.
It arose because of Jonah. God’s prophet was out of place, and
the storm arose in order to rectify the situation (1: 6-12).
Jonah must be dealt with and brought to the place of
repentance, bringing Jonah to the place where he would then do as God had
commanded. And bringing about repentance
was something which could happen only
(“The sea” in Scripture is used
as a metaphor for the nations [also, the
place of death]; and “the ship” could only be seen as a reference to the
land of Israel, for that is
the only place on earth where one could reside and be seen as other than out
among the nations, other than in the sea.)
The preceding is the type.
Now note the antitype -
A disobedient and unrepentant nation, following in Jonah’s
footsteps, resides in the land - on the ship - today. And exactly the same thing is occurring
among the nations, particularly those nations surrounding
[Page 43]
The sea raged in the type, because of Jonah; and the sea is raging today in the
antitype, because of
And whether type or antitype, the reason for the tumultuous
condition was/is the same - a disobedient and unrepentant Jonah running
from the presence of the Lord, and a disobedient and unrepentant Jewish nation
following suit in the land today.
2) The Biblical Solution
Do you want to know what’s about to happen? The type will relate the complete story. And if you think it’s bad now, just wait!
As previously seen, it can ONLY BECOME WORSE with time, with no
one being able to do a thing about the matter (Hosea 5: 14). The type relates this, and the antitype MUST follow the type in exact detail.
Again, the whole of what is presently occurring and will yet
occur in the
As long as a disobedient and unrepentant Jonah was on board
the ship, out of the Lord’s will, the sea raged. And the sea raged to the extent that the ship
was about to be destroyed.
And matters can be NO DIFFERENT in the antitype.
As long as an unbelieving and unrepentant Jewish nation is in
the land, TURMOIL CAN ONLY EXIST among the Gentile nations, particularly those
nations surrounding Israel in the Middle East.
And this turmoil, as the raging sea during Jonah’s day, can ultimately
be no ordinary turmoil. It can
ultimately only be the same type turmoil seen in the tumultuous sect during
Jonah’s day, described - one about to destroy the ship and all those on the
ship.
Note Matt. 24: 22, describing those coming days:
“And except those days should
be shortened [days during the coming Tribulation
just out ahead, the last seven years of the full four hundred and ninety years], there should
no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s
sake [for
[Page 44]
God, exactly as in the type, is about to go to the extent that
it will take in order to bring His plans and purposes for mankind to pass, plans
and purposes to be effected through Israel.
In the type, bringing about His plans and purposes had to do
with a Jewish prophet, ultimately
bringing to pass salvation and blessings for the Gentile city of
And in the antitype, bringing about His plans and purposes has
to do with the nation of
(For additional information on the typology of Jonah, refer to
Chapters V, VI, “The Turbulent Middle East,” in
the author’s book, Israel - What Does the Future Hold?
Also, note something which some individuals would see as a
problem with respect to all of this.
As Jonah in the type had to be removed from the ship and cast
into the sea,
The seeming problem would emanate from God having dealt with
But note a major difference between the nation both times in
history and the nation today. The nation
in the land both times in history, found itself under Gentile dominion and
control; the nation in the
land today is not under Gentile dominion and control.
Thus, the nation presently in the land is left without
recourse. This nation either has to be brought under Gentile dominion and control
or be uprooted and driven back out among the nations; and Scripture states that
the latter will occur [Matt. 24: 15ff, Luke 21: 20ff; Rev. 12: 6, 14ff].
Then, out among the nations, God will deal with
* *
*
[Page 45]
Appendix I
THE INTERPRETATION OF GEN. 1:
2
TEXTUAL, CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF
THE VERSE
It would
go without saying that there has been a great deal of controversy over the
years among theologians and Christians in general concerning exactly how the
opening two chapters of Genesis should be
understood. And it would also go without
saying that, resultingly, confusion has reigned supreme in Christian circles
concerning not only these chapters but the general tenor of the remainder of
Scripture as well.
Confusion begets confusion; and in this case, confusion at the
outset, in the opening two chapters of Genesis,
has resulted in confusion in that which follows - Scripture as a whole.
To provide an example, note the doctrine of soteriology
(salvation). The opening thirty-four
verses of Scripture provide the complete panorama of God’s way of salvation at
the outset, along with God’s purpose for salvation. The complete matter is succinctly set forth
in these opening verses in a God-designed, pristine form.
(For information on the preceding, refer to Appendixes III,
IV in this book, “The Complete Panorama of Salvation”
and “The
Preaching of the Cross.”)
And, if a Christian begins understanding the subject at the
place God first began setting it forth, understanding the God-designed basics,
he will have the proper foundation on the subject for all which follows. But if a Christian doesn’t begin here,
doesn’t understand the God-designed basics at this foundational point...
But who does this?
Who believes this?
Who understands this?
Numerous Bible students, probably most, know so little about
the way Scripture is structured at the outset that they can’t possibly begin at
this point, even on the basics of the salvation message.
Then, those who do believe and understand the way Scripture is
structured at the outset invariably begin at places in Scripture other than at
the beginning when dealing with salvation, among other subjects. And, an individual only has to look around at
the resulting confusion pertaining to this one doctrine alone to see what has
resulted from man ignoring the God-designed basics, the God-designed
foundation, at the outset.
The Opening Two Chapters of Genesis
There are actually two major schools of thought surrounding
the interpretation of these opening two chapters, though there are a number of
variations within that held by those in each school.
Those in one school (probably the position held by the
majority today) view the six days in the first chapter as time revealing and
describing God’s creative activity introduced in verse one.
And those in the other school view these six days as time
revealing God’s restoration of a ruined creation (creation seen in v.
1, a ruin of this creation seen in v.
2a, and God’s restoration of the ruined creation seen in vv.
2b ff).
Then, there is a variation of the second school which is held
by quite a few individuals and could be looked upon as a third school of
thought. Those holding to this view see Gen. 1: 1 as other than an absolute beginning. They see this verse as an opening statement
dealing with restoration, not creation.
That is, they see the verse dealing, not with God’s creation
of the heavens and the earth in an absolute sense (as most view the verse), but
with the beginning of God’s restoration (reforming, re-moulding, re-fashioning)
of a previously perfect creation which had been reduced to a ruin (with the
creation of the heavens and the earth per se not seen in these opening verses).
[Page 47]
“Was” or
“Became”
Much of the controversy surrounding these different views is
centered in the linguistics of verse two (though, as will be shown later, this
really doesn’t need to be the case).
Grammarians go back to the Hebrew text and deal mainly with two areas,
and good Hebrew grammarians reach different conclusions in both realms:
1) The relationship of the three circumstantial clauses which
form the second verse to that stated in the first verse.
2) The meaning and use of the Hebrew word hayah in verse
two (translated “was”).
1) The
Three Circumstantial Clauses
The three circumstantial clauses in Gen.
1: 2 are
simply the three clauses which form the verse:
1) “And the earth was without form, and void,”
2) “And darkness was upon the face of the deep,”
3) “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
In the Hebrew text there is what is called a “waw” beginning verse two (a conjunctive or disjunctive particle
[actually, a letter in the Hebrew alphabet, the waw, prefixed to a word], usually translated “and”
in most English texts). Some grammarians
view this particle prefixed to the word beginning verse two in a conjunctive
sense (showing a connection between v.
1 and v. 2 [“and”]), and other grammarians view it in a disjunctive sense (showing
a separation between v. 1 and v. 2 [“but”]).
(The other two circumstantial clauses in verse two begin with “waws” prefixed to words as well,
which will be discussed later.
The Hebrew text of the Old Testament uses the “waw” more frequently in a conjunctive [“and”] rather than a disjunctive [“but”] sense. Of
the approximately 28,000 usages of this particle, some 25,000 appear to be
conjunctive and some 3,000 disjunctive.
Normally the context determines how the particle is to be understood.)
[Page 48]
2) In a Conjunctive Sense
Those viewing the “waw” prefixed to the word beginning Gen. 1: 2 in a conjunctive sense would usually see the three
circumstantial clauses as inseparably connected with verse
one; and those viewing this “waw” in a disjunctive sense would, instead, see a separation
between these two verses.
If there is an inseparable connection
of the clauses in verse two with verse one (the waw used in a conjunctive sense), and verse
one describes an absolute beginning in relation to the heavens and the
earth (God’s actual creation of the heavens and the earth in the beginning),
then verse two would have to describe how God created the earth in the beginning (i.e., “without form, and void”).
Thus, understanding the structure of the Hebrew text after
this fashion would necessitate viewing that which is described at the beginning
of verse two as the condition of the earth at the conclusion of the action described in
verse one. That is to say, God would have initially
created the earth (v. 1) in the condition described in verse two.
Then the six subsequent days would have to be looked upon as time in
which God, step by step, performed and completed His creative work introduced in
verse one.
The preceding view of the structure of the Hebrew text is the
main reason for the position held by some that Gen.
1: 1
describes the beginning of God’s restorative work rather than an absolute
beginning. Those holding this view see
the three circumstantial clauses in verse two
as inseparably connected with verse one. But they also see that
Scripture teaches a subsequent ruin of the earth following God’s creation of
the heavens and the earth in the beginning (e.g., cf Gen. 1: 2 and Isa.
45: 18 [the Hebrew word tohu, translated “without form”
in Gen. 1:
2 is translated “in
vain” in Isa.
45: 18; and this verse in Isaiah specifically states that God did not create
the earth tohu, i.e., after the
fashion in which it is seen in Gen. 1: 2]).
Thus, those who see God’s perfect creation undergoing a
subsequent ruin but also view the three circumstantial clauses in verse two as inseparably connected with verse one (in a conjunctive sense) are, in a
respect, forced into a particular position concerning the interpretation of the
opening verses of Genesis. [Page 49] They are forced into the position of
seeing the actual creation of the heavens and the earth, and
also the ruin of the heavens and the earth, as occurring at a time prior
to Gen. 1:
1, events which they would see as not being
dealt with per se in the opening verses of Scripture at all.
3) In a Disjunctive Sense
Then there are those grammarians who see the “waw” prefixed to the word beginning verse two as disjunctive. These grammarians would
understand this Hebrew “waw” in a
similar sense to the way in which the Greek word de is used in the New
Testament (normally disjunctive), as opposed to the Greek word kai (the word usually used to show a
conjunctive sense).
In this respect, the translators of the Septuagint (Greek
translation of the Old Testament) used de
to translate the first “waw” in what
was apparently meant to be a disjunctive sense beginning Gen. 1: 2 (with the conjunctive kai used to translate the
remaining two “wows” prefixed to the words beginning the other two
circumstantial clauses in the verse).
Using the K.J.V. text to illustrate, the translators of the
Septuagint used de and kai to translate
the three Hebrew “waws” in this manner:
“And [De,
lit., ‘But’] the earth was without form,
and void; and [kai] darkness was upon the face of the deep. And [Kai] the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
And, viewing the verse beginning in a
disjunctive sense of the preceding nature, there would be no connection between
the first two verses of Genesis. Rather,
a separation would exist instead. Within
this view, one would normally see verse one
revealing an absolute beginning, with verse two
(along with the verses following) revealing events occurring at later points in
time.
(Most holding this
linguistic view see verse two as a
description of God’s perfect creation [from verse
one] being brought into a ruined state, separated from verse one by an unrevealed period of time. And they would,
accordingly, see God’s activity during the six days as activity surrounding the
restoration of this ruined creation.
[Page 50]
Some holding this linguistic view though still see the six days as time
revealing God’s creative activity. They
view verse one as describing a “grand summary declaration that God created the universe in
the beginning.” Then, apart from
seeing a connection between v. 1 and v. 2, they view
God’s activity during the six days as a revelation concerning how God
accomplished that which He had previously stated in verse
one.)
4) The Hebrew Word “Hayah”
Hayah is the Hebrew word translated “was”
in most English versions of Gen. 1: 2 (“And the earth was...”). The word is found twenty-seven
times throughout chapter one
and about 3,570 times in the entire Old Testament.
The etymology of the word is somewhat questionable (most look
at the probable, primary meaning of hayah as “falling”
or “to fall”).
Hebrew scholars though see the word used over and over
in the Old Testament in the sense of “to be,” “to become,” or “to come to
pass.”
And through attempts to trace the
etymology of the word, comparing Hebrew with Arabic (a related Semitic
language), and seeing how the word is used in the Old Testament, many scholars
have come to look upon the word in the sense of a verb of “being” (“to be”). But scholars also recognize that it is not completely
accurate to equate the word with the English verb of being after this fashion.
The word is translated different ways in English versions - e.g., “was”
or “were” (Gen.
1: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13, etc.), “be” (Gen. 1: 3, 6, 14, 29, etc.), “became
[or, ‘to become’]” (Gen.
2: 7, 10;
3: 22,
etc.). But
that’s in English versions. In the Latin
Vulgate there are thirteen instances where hayah has been translated in the sense of “became”
in Genesis chapter one alone; and in the
Septuagint there are twenty-two such instances in this one chapter (out of the
twenty-seven times hayah appears in chapter one).
The first use of hayah in Scripture is in Gen. 1: 2 - the
verse being discussed.
But going beyond this verse for a moment, note
how the word is used elsewhere in chapter one.
Hayah appears twice in verse three, translated “be” and “was.” And
translating, “Let light be [or ‘become’]: and light became,” would actually best convey the thought of that which
occurred.
[Page 51]
Then note verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31. The
word hayah appears two times in the latter
part of each verse (both translated in a combined sense in the English text by
one word - “were”).
Translating literally from the Hebrew, using “was” in the translation, the text would read, …
“And
there was evening, and there was morning, [comprising] the first day ... the
second day ... the third day,” etc.
Actually though, “became” would really better convey the
thought surrounding that which occurred, for evening and morning came to pass, “became,” comprising each of the six different
days.
(Leupold, a Hebrew grammarian from
past years, in his commentary on Genesis,
appears to capture the overall thought of hayah to mark beginning and/or ending points in each day quite well by
translating, “...Then came evening, then came
morning - the first day ... the second day ... the third
day,” etc.)
Then note the words, “...and it was so,” at the end of verses 7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30. “Was” in each reference is a translation of the word hayah, and it is easy to see that “became” rather
than “was” would really provide a better description
of that which occurred in each instance, translating, “…and it became so” (cf “Let there be [a translation of hayah]..”
[vv. 3, 6, 14]).
Though hayah has been translated “was,” “were,” or “be” throughout the first chapter of Genesis, the word is actually used mainly
throughout this chapter in the sense of “be,” “became,” or “had become.”
Attention is called to this fact because numerous individuals
look at translating hayah “became [or had become]” as so rare in the Old
Testament that serious consideration should not be given to the thought of
translating Gen. 1: 2, “And [or ‘But’] the earth became [or ‘had
become’]...” But the rarity is in the English translations, not in a literal Hebrew rendering or in
certain other translations (e.g., in
the KIV there are only 17 instances in all of Genesis where hayah has been translated “became [or, ‘become’]”
[2: 7, 10; 3: 22; 9: 15; 18: 18; 19: 26; 20: 12; 21: 20; 24: 67; 32: 10; 34: 16; 37: 20; 47: 20, 26; 48: 19]; but in
the Septuagint there are at least
146 instances [and some 1,500 instances in [Page
52] the entire O.T.).
The Hebrew Text Alone
Can linguistic questions surrounding the first two verses of Genesis be resolved from the Hebrew text
alone? Can one determine from the Hebrew
text alone whether the “waw” beginning verse two
should be understood as conjunctive or
disjunctive? Or,
can one determine from the Hebrew text alone how the word hayah should be
translated in verse two? Or, can one
determine from the Hebrew structure of verse two alone how the remainder of the
first chapter should be understood in an overall sense?
Some Hebrew scholars would answer in the affirmative. But, because of the
different ways in which a number of Hebrew scholars view the matter at hand,
using the Hebrew text alone, the issue could only be resolved within their
minds and possibly within the minds of others who would follow their same line
of reasoning.
And note that the issue would be resolved
by different scholars after entirely different fashions, all based on their
understanding of the grammatical structure of the Hebrew text.
Another Way
However, there is another way to approach the matter; and that other way is to see how the whole
of Scripture deals with the issue at hand.
If the whole of Scripture can be shown to support one view alone - which
it can - then the correct linguistic understanding of
Gen. 1: 2 and
the corresponding correct interpretation of chapter
one can easily and unquestionably be demonstrated.
This is not to say that Gen.
1: 2 or
the first chapter of Genesis as a whole cannot be understood correctly apart from first going to the
remainder of Scripture, for that cannot be the case. God would not have begun His revelation to man after a fashion which man could not have understood
apart from subsequent revelation (requiring approx. 1,500 years to complete).
But this is to say that the correct
linguistic position for Gen. 1: 2 and the correct corresponding
interpretation of the entire chapter - which can be shown by going to the
remainder of Scripture - is [Page 53] a position which God would have expected man to see as evident when he
began reading at this point in Genesis,
though man many times has not done so (past) and does not do so (present).
Thus, in this respect, a knowledge of
the way in which the Hebrew text is structured is really not going to resolve
the issue at hand. And
time has been spent on the Hebrew construction of Gen.
1: 2 and
other related passages, not in an attempt to resolve the issue, but to
demonstrate two basic things:
1) There are good, reputable Hebrew
scholars who hold varying views on the opening verses of Genesis, which are many times
based strictly on their understanding of the structure of the Hebrew
text, apart from contextual considerations.
2) Though the linguistics of the Hebrew text
(within the different ways scholars understand the linguistics of the text)
will support any one of these views, all but one are out of line with the
remainder of Scripture and are, consequently, wrong.
That is to say, though it may be possible to support different
views from the structure of the Hebrew text alone (the
way different scholars understand the syntax of the Hebrew text), different
views cannot be supported when the remainder of Scripture is taken into
consideration - with or without the Hebrew text. Scripture will support only one view, and
that one view is the position alluded to in the opening portion of this
chapter.
Scripture will support:
1) “Creation” (an absolute creation [v. 1]).
2) “Ruin” of the creation (which means that the “waw” prefixed to the word beginning v. 2
must be understood in a disjunctive
sense [“But”], and the Hebrew word hayah must
be understood in the sense of “became [or ‘had become’]” [v.
2a]).
3) “Restoration” of the ruined creation (vv.
2b-25).
4) “Rest,” following six days of restorative work (1: 2b - 2: 3).
And to illustrate this is not difficult at
all. In fact, the opposite is true. It is a very simple matter to illustrate,
from other Scripture, exactly how the opening verses of Genesis must be understood.
Tohu Wavohu
In this respect, first note the words tohu wavohu from the Hebrew text of Gen. 1: 2.
The words tohu wavohu are translated “without form and void” in the KJV English text (“formless
and void,” NASB; “formless and empty,” NIV; “waste and void,” ASV). These two Hebrew words are used together
only two other places throughout all of the Old Testament - in Isa. 34:
11 and
Jer. 4: 23. And both of these passages present a ruin of
that previously seen existing in an orderly state.
In Isa.
34: 11, “
And in Jer. 4: 2-28, there is
a comparison of that which had previously occurred relative to the earth in Gen.
1: 2a to
that which was about to occur relative to the
The
And the reason for both of these actions
- that which God had done to the earth, and that which He was about to do to
the
And, in complete keeping with this type understanding of the
use of tohu wavohu in Isa. 34: 11 and Jer. 4: 23, Isaiah 45: 18 (where the Hebrew word tohu is
used, translated “in vain”)
clearly states that God did not create the earth (in Gen.
1: 1) in
the manner described in Gen. 1: 2a. Isaiah 45:
18 states
that God “created
it [the earth] not in vain
[not ‘tohu,’ not ‘without form,’].”
Thus, if Gen. 1: 2a is to be understood
in the light of related Scripture bearing on the subject (which it must be [cf Ps. 12: 6; Isa. 8: 20; 28: 10; 1
Cor. 2: 13]), there can be only one possible
interpretation - the ruin of a prior existing creation (from v.
1),
because of sin. The earth from verse
one “become” tohu
wavohu.
[Page 55]
The ruin seen in both Gen. 1: 2a and Jer. 4: 23, for a
purpose, is with a view to eventual restoration. And the restoration seen in the continuing text of Gen.
1: 2 (vv. 2b-25) and in the overall passage of Jer. 4: 23ff (v. 27b), as
well as in related Scripture (e.g., Isa. 35: 1 ff), is
also for a purpose.
Subsequent Scripture
Then, the whole of subsequent Scripture is perfectly in line
with this type understanding of the opening section of Scripture. The whole of subsequent Scripture is built on a septenary structure, with the foundation
established and set in an unchangeable fashion at the beginning, in Gen. 1: 1 - 2: 3.
That is to say:
The heavens and the earth were created, there was a ruin of the material
creation (because of sin), God took six days to restore the ruined creation,
and He rested the seventh day.
Man was created on the sixth day, man fell into a state of ruin (because of
sin), God is presently taking six days (6,000 years) to restore man, and God
will rest the seventh day (the seventh 1,000-year period [cf 2
Peter 1: 15-18;
3: 3-8]).
(For information on the preceding, refer to Chapters I, II
in this book, “On the Third Day, Seventh Day”
and “After Six Days, on the Seventh Day.”)
And the latter restoration, patterned
after the former restoration, is what the whole of Scripture is about.
The whole of Scripture is about the same thing initially
introduced and established in an unchangeable fashion in the opening
thirty-four verses of Genesis (1: 1 - 2: 3).
The whole of Scripture is about the creation of man, his ruin,
his restoration over a six-day period (over a 6,000-year period), followed by a
seventh day of rest (a seventh 1,000-year period - the Sabbath rest awaiting
the people of God [Heb. 4: 9; cf. vv. 3, 4’, the
Messianic Era).
[Page 56]
As previously stated, man would have been expected to
understand this opening section of Scripture after the preceding fashion at the
time it was written. And
subsequent Scripture simply verifies the correctness of the way man would have
been expected to understand it at that time, apart from other revelation.
(Note
one thing about the restoration in Gen. 1: 2b-25 which should be
understood. This restoration could only
have been a complete restoration. No trace
of “the world that then was” [the world
preceding the ruin seen in Gen. 1: 2a], or the
subsequent ruined earth [in Gen. 1: 2a], can be
seen “in the heavens and the earth, which are now” [2 Peter 3:
5-8].
A complete restoration would have removed all traces of anything having to do with “the world that then was” or with that world during
that time when it lay in a ruined state.
That is to say, man today, through science, cannot show evidence of any type pre-existing
creation or a ruin of that pre-existing creation, for a complete restoration - the only type restoration possible through the Divine work seen in Genesis chapter one - would have removed all
traces of a pre-existing creation and ruin.
And, accordingly, man’s different
recognized dating methods, often showing the earth to be much, much older than
6,000 years, can reveal nothing to change the preceding.
The Noachian Flood, 1,656 years beyond the restoration, left
things quite skewed in this respect anyway.
All dating methods are based on conditions
remaining uniform throughout all time. And conditions changed considerably at the time of the
Flood. They are not at all the same
today as they were before the Flood, destroying the foundation upon which
dating methods rest.
Then, did God restore the earth with apparent age? After all, God created man with apparent
age. What is a restored tree or a
restored rock like, etc? Would they show
age if subjected to man’s dating methods?
In this respect, all that exists in the present secular world
of history and science - e.g., the
complete fossil record, the dinosaurs, topographical formations such as the
In short, one MUST
look to the Scriptures for answers to the numerous questions which could be raised
in the preceding respect, not to man’s wisdom or to a realm where man cannot go
[to a world lying in ruins in Gen. 1: 2a, or to a
world existing prior to that time].)
* *
*
[Page 57]
Appendix II
THE SIGN OF THE SABBATH
HISTORICAL BASIS IN GENESIS, ESTABLISHED
AS A SIGN IN EXODUS
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye
shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your
generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.
Ye shall keep
the Sabbath therefore; for it is
holy unto you. Everyone that
defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth
any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord:
whosoever doeth
any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations,
for a perpetual
covenant.
It is a sign
between me and the children of
The Sabbath
was given to
When giving the Sabbath to
[Page 58]
There is a latter work of restoration, followed by rest, which
is based on a former work of restoration, followed by
rest; and the Sabbath was given to the Jewish people to keep this thought ever
before them throughout their generations.
That is, though the sign of the Sabbath concerned a present work and future
rest, it was based on a past work
and rest. God worked six days to restore
a ruined creation in the opening chapter of Genesis;
and on the sixth day, along with the completion of His work of restoration, He
brought man into existence to rule over the restored material creation (Gen. 1: 26-28). Then God rested on the seventh day.
But a ruin ensued once again. Man, an
entirely new creation in the universe, fell; and, as a result, the restored
material creation was brought under a curse (Gen. 3: 17), leaving God with two ruined creations: man, and the material creation.
With that in mind, how did God, in the Genesis account, set about to restore these two ruined
creations? The answer is
not only clearly revealed but it is also very simple.
According to Scripture, God set about to restore the
subsequent ruined creations in exactly the same manner
which He had used to restore the former ruined creation in the opening
chapter of Genesis. God
set about to restore the two subsequent ruined creations over a six-day period
(in keeping with Gen. 1: 2b-25); and, in keeping with Gen.
2: 2, 3, following His restorative work, God would then
rest on the seventh day.
The latter restoration MUST occur in complete keeping with the
former restoration. A Divinely-designed
pattern had been set in the former restoration - a pattern set perfect in the
beginning, which, accordingly, COULD NEVER CHANGE.
Thus, the latter restoration MUST occur over a six-day period. And this six-day period of restorative work MUST,
as the former, be followed by a day of rest.
From a Biblical standpoint, it is NOT POSSIBLE for the matter to occur in any other manner. And the Sabbath, following six days of
work, was given to Israel to keep the thought ever before the Jewish people
that, in accord with the opening verses of Genesis,
God was going to once again rest for one day following six days [Page 59] of work to effect the restoration of
that which is presently in a ruined state (both man and the material creation).
The Sabbath was a “sign,” and a sign in Scripture,
having to do with the Jewish people (Matt. 12: 38-40; 1 Cor. 1: 22), points to something beyond itself. This “sign,” the Sabbath, points to a seventh-day rest which
God will enter into with His people (“the
people of God” in Heb. 4: 9) following
six previous days of restorative work.
Each day in the former restoration and rest was twenty-four
hours in length, but each day in the latter restoration and rest is revealed to
be one thousand years in length (2 Peter 1: 16-18; 3: 3-8; cf. Matt. 16: 28 - 17: 5). Based
on the pattern set forth in Genesis chapters one and two, God is going to work
for six thousand years during the present restoration and then rest the seventh
one-thousand-year period.
(God has given the Sabbath to
God made the covenant with the Jewish people, not only with
the generation during Moses day but with all
generations, before that day and after that day; and God will keep His covenant
with His people.
ALL things portended by the sign of the
Sabbath will, because of God’s unconditional covenant, ultimately be realized by the
Jewish people.)
Scripture begins by laying the foundational basis for this
septenary arrangement of time in the opening verses (Gen.
1: 1 - 2: 3). Then, accordingly, this is something
seen or alluded to throughout Scripture (Ex.
31: 13-17; Num. 19: 12; Hosea 5: 15 - 6: 2; Jonah 1: 17; Matt. 17: 1; Luke 24: 21; John 1: 29, 35, 43; 2: 1; 5: 9; 9: 14; 11: 6, 7; Heb. 4: 4, 9). And
the matter is then brought to a conclusion in Revelation chapter twenty, where
the 1,000-year Messianic Era is mentioned six times (vv.
2-7), immediately prior to the eternal ages
which are seen to follow (chs.
21, 22).
Scripture deals with “time,” 7,000 years of time - time
extending from the restoration of the earth and the creation of man to the end of the Messianic Kingdom. Scripture has very little to say about that
which occurred prior to these 7,000 years, and it also has very little to say
about that which will occur following these 7,000 years. Scripture is built
on this septenary arrangement of time, which is based on the openingtwo chapters of Genesis; and this is an evident fact which must be recognized if one would correctly
understand God’s redemptive plans and purposes which He has revealed in His
Word.
* *
*
[Page 61]
Appendix
III
THE COMPLETE PANORAMA OF SALVATION
As Seen in Genesis
1:
1 -
2:
3
The Bible
is a book of redemption; and basic, unchangeable teachings surrounding
redemption are set forth in Scripture, at the very beginning, revealing a
purpose in view.
In the first chapter of Genesis,
God sets forth the unchangeable manner
in which He, in His infinite knowledge and wisdom restores a ruined creation.
There is a restorative work which
follows a specific pattern, and the matter is accomplished entirely through
Divine intervention. And
within this unchangeable pattern set forth at the very beginning, God reveals
how any subsequent ruined creation would, of necessity, have to be
restored. It would have to be restored after a certain order, entirely through Divine
intervention, over a six-day (six-thousand-year) period.
Thus, to establish correct thinking relative to the
fundamentals of salvation, one MUST begin in Genesis. If all those holding erroneous views had
begun in Genesis chapter one and understood and adhered to that which God set forth at the very
beginning concerning how a ruined creation is to be restored, not a
single erroneous view concerning salvation would exist today. Such couldn’t exist.
And, going to more specific thoughts
concerning salvation, the preceding would equally apply not only to the salvation which we presently possess (the salvation of the spirit) but
to the continuing aspect of salvation as well (the [future]* salvation of the soul).
[*
That is, a salvation, for those “who by the power of
God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.” … “receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” See. Acts 2: 27, 34; Rev. 6: 9-11, etc.]
Within the structure of this
foundational framework, the salvation which we presently possess is realized at
the very beginning of the six days;
but the continuing aspect of salvation (a salvation to be realized at the
end of one’s faith, or as the goal of one’s faith [1
Peter 1: 5, 9])
is an on-going process, to be brought to pass during that foreshadowed by God’s
continued activity during the remaining five days of restorative work but
realized only at the end of the full six days, on the seventh day.
[Page 62]
In this respect, the unchangeable basics pertaining to redemption in relation
to the
whole of that which, in
reality, is the man himself (both spirit and soul) have been set forth at the
very beginning of Scripture, in Gen. 1: 1 - 2: 3. And if a person
would understand salvation within its correct perspective, avoiding all error, he MUST begin here.
Here - and ONLY here - can a person see the unchangeable
foundation, setting forth the unchangeable basics, laid down at the very beginning.
Salvation of the Spirit
Hebrews 4: 12 reveals a division
brought to pass between man’s soul and spirit.
And this is a teaching drawn from the very
opening verses of Genesis (as seen earlier
in this same section in Hebrews relative to
the “rest” set before “the people of God” [vv.
4, 9]). The Spirit of God moves in Gen. 1: 2b, and God speaks in Gen.
1: 1 In
relation to man’s salvation, it is at this point (in what would
be referred to as the foundational type) that a division is made between man’s
soul and spirit (in what would be referred to as the antitype).
In the type, the Spirit of God moved, God spoke, and light
came into existence. Genesis 1: 2b, 3 records
the initial act of the Triune Godhead in bringing about the restoration of the ruined
material creation, an act in which the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
each, of necessity, participated - the Spirit moved, God spoke, and then note
that nothing can come into existence apart from the Son (John 1: 3).
In the antitype, within the framework of man’s salvation
experience, the matter is identical. There must be an act of
the Triune Godhead, for this is how God worked to restore a ruined creation in
the Genesis account, establishing an
unchangeable pattern for a
later work. Thus, as in the type, so in
the antitype - the Spirit of God moves, God speaks, and light comes into
existence. And
the light is inseparably associated with God’s Son (John
8: 12), Who is God (John 1: 1, 2, 14), for apart
from Him there is no salvation (Acts 4: 12).
[Page 63]
Everything is
based on the
Son’s finished work at
When the Son cried out from the Cross,
“it is finished [lit.,
‘It has
been finished’]” (John 19: 30;
cf. Luke 23: 46),
He meant exactly what He had said. And when the Word of God reveals that we have a salvation of
Divine origin, based entirely on the Son’s finished work, the Word of God means
exactly that.
When man sinned in the garden, he died spiritually; and when unregenerate man, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph.
2: 1), is
made alive today, he is made alive spiritually. The movement of the Spirit
(Gen. 1: 2b) and God speaking (Gen.
1: 3) in order
to restore the ruined creation are simultaneous events.
It is the Spirit using the God-breathed word to effectually perform a supernatural work in unredeemed
man. It is at this point - through the in-breathing of God - that life is imparted to that which
previously had no life. God breathes into dead man (the Spirit using the
God-breathed Word, based on the finished work of the Son), and man is “quickened [‘made alive’]”
(Eph. 2: 1, 5).
At this point, light shines “out of darkness” (2
Cor. 4: 6), a division is mode between the
light and the darkness (Gen. 1: 4), and the
darkness has no apprehension or comprehension of that which is light (John 1: 5; cf. 1 Cor. 2: 14).
It is at this point in man’s salvation that the spirit is separated from
the soul. The “spirit”
in unsaved man is dead. It is a part of the totally
depraved man, with his “body of
... death,” in which there dwells “no good thing” (Rom. 7: 18, 24). With the movement of the Spirit, using the
God-breathed Word, man’s spirit is made alive and, at the same time, separated from his soul.
The “soul”
remains within the sphere of darkness, which is why “the
natural [Gk., psuchikos, ‘soulical’]
man” cannot understand “the things of the Spirit of
God” (1 Cor. 2: 14). That
which remains in the sphere of darkness can have no apprehension or
comprehension of that which has shined out of darkness. There is a God-established division between
the two which cannot be crossed over (cf. Luke 16:
26).
Salvation of the Soul
The preceding process is the manner which
God uses to deliver the spirit from its fallen state, resulting from Adam’s
sin. And
because the spirit has been delivered, there can once again be communion with
God. Man can now comprehend spiritual
things, and there can now be
a progressive, continued work by the Spirit of God within man so that he con
ultimately be delivered to the place which God has decreed that he occupy at
the end of six days, at the end of six thousand years.
Within the framework of the type in Genesis
chapter one, this is the very first thing which is foreshadowed. This had to be
set forth first, for man has to first be made alive - he has to first pass “from death unto life” - before anything else in the
restorative process can occur.
Thus, this is foreshadowed at the very beginning of the six
days which God, in accordance with the established pattern, would use to bring
about man’s complete restoration - spirit, soul, and body (cf. 1 Thess. 5: 23).
To briefly illustrate how God’s complete restoration of ruined
man is patterned after God’s complete restoration of the ruined material
creation in Genesis chapter
one, note
two things:
1) That which
occurred on each of the six days of restoration.
2) Where the
whole of the restorative process was leading - a seventh day of rest.
Within a type-antitype framework - pertaining to man’s
salvation in the antitype - that which occurred in the type on day one
foreshadows God’s work as it pertains to
the salvation of man’s spirit, and that which occurred in the type on
days two through six foreshadows God’s work as it pertains to the
salvation of man’s soul.
The salvation of the spirit is an instantaneous event
where one passes “from death unto life,”
but not so with the salvation of the soul.
It is a progressive event. It
is an event which begins at the point one is made
alive spiritually, and it will not be completed and realized until the end of
that foreshadowed by the six days of restorative work - 6,000 years [Page 65] of restorative work.
(The issues of the judgment seat of Christ at the end of the
present dispensation - which will occur at the end of the six days, at the end
of the 6,000 years - will have to do with issues surrounding the salvation [or
loss] of the soul/ life. It will be at
the judgment seat - not before - that man will realize [or fail to realize] the
salvation of his soul / life.)
Since the salvation of the spirit cannot occur apart from an exact
duplication in the antitype of that which occurred in the type during day one
of the restoration in Genesis, it should be evident that the salvation of the soul and its relationship to that which
occurred on days two through six must be looked upon the same way. The
latter must follow the pattern to the same degree as the former. There can be no difference in this
respect.
And since this can only be the case, note
that which occurred on days two through six in the restoration of the ruined
material creation in Genesis. Then, to see the overall picture of that
which must be done to bring about the salvation of
redeemed man’s soul, these same events can be viewed in relation to God’s
present continuing restoration of man, a subsequent ruined creation.
Events on days two and three (as events on the first day) have
to do with divisions. On the second day God established a
division between the waters (vv. 6-8), and on the third day He established a
division between the dry land (with its vegetation) and the waters (vv. 9-13).
Then events on days four through six belong together as
another unit, depicting things beyond the divisions previously
established. On the fourth day God
placed lights in the heavens to give light upon the earth (vv. 14-19), on
the fifth day He created birds that could soar above the earth and marine life
that could move throughout the depths of the sea (vv.
20-23), and on the sixth day He created the
land animals, which included great creatures capable of roaming the earth (vv. 24, 25).
And, as previously noted, the whole of God’s restorative work relative to the material creation in Genesis foreshadows the whole of God’s restorative work relative to
man today. After man has “passed from death unto life,” wherein the spirit is separated [Page 66] from the soul - wrought entirely
through Divine intervention - redeemed man finds himself in a position and
condition where a continued Divine work not only can occur but MUST occur. And only through
this continued Divine work can the whole of God’s restorative work, as it pertains to man, be realized.
(Man, as the material creation, must be completely passive in relation to the salvation of the
spirit [he is dead, rendering him
incapable of acting]; and man, as the material creation [“And the earth brought forth...”] must be active in relation to the salvation of the
soul [he now has spiritual life, allowing
him to
act in the spiritual realm]. But, as in the
restoration of the material creation, the entire salvation process [spirit and soul, and ultimately the
body] is a Divine work. “Salvation is of the Lord” [Jonah
2: 9].)
Events occurring during the first three days in Genesis chapter one would point to elementary
things or the basics in one’s spiritual life and growth. Events occurring during day one would point
to a division between the soul and the spirit, having to do with the
importation of life. Then events
occurring during days two and three would point to divisions and distinctions
as one begins to progressively grow within the
framework of the new life brought into existence on the first day. One would learn to distinguish between the
soulical and spiritual, spiritual and carnal (fleshly), Jew, Gentile, and
Christian, the dispensations, etc.
Only when one learns the divisions and distinctions depicted
by that which was brought to pass on days two and three is he in a position to
move on into the things depicted by that which was
brought to pass on days four through six.
On these three days, light was restored to the sun and moon (day four, vv. 14-19); sea life and the birds of the air were
created (day five, vv. 20-23); and
then God created all the living creatures that roam the earth, followed by His
creation of man (day six, vv. 24-27).
That depicted by the work of the Triune Godhead during these
three days points to things beyond elementary truths in the antitype. After one has passed “from death unto life” and has been instructed in the
elementary truths (days one through three) - after [Page 67] he has been “born from above” and has grown to a degree in his Christian life - he can
then begin to view with understanding deeper spiritual truths of the Word. He can then begin to view with understanding
those things in the Word depicted by events on days four through six of Genesis chapter one.
An individual in this position can begin to sink deep shafts
into the Word and mine its treasures. He
can look into the Word and understand that depicted by the lights in the
heavens. He can, in the
true sense of the Word, “mount up with
wings as eagles ... run, and not be weary
... walk, and not faint”
(Isa. 40: 31), as he
scales the heights; or he can scale the depths of the Word, as the sea
creatures plunge to the depths of the sea; or he can roam through the Word, as
the land creatures roam the earth.
Christian maturity and spiritual victory - bringing
to pass the salvation of the soul - go hand-in-hand. And the entire
process of God’s restoration work throughout the six days is with a view to
that which lies beyond, on the seventh day.
It is with a view to the Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God.
(For continuing, related material, refer to Appendix IV in this book, “The
Preaching of the Cross,” which, as the opening thirty-four verses of Genesis, relates to both the saved and the
unsaved.)
* *
*
[Page 68
blank: Page 69]
Appendix IV
THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS
Messages for Both the Saved and the
Unsaved
(Material in this part
of the appendix is inherent within and commentary on the salvation message
initially introduced and unchangeably
established in Gen. 1:
1 - 2: 3.)
PART I
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
[lit., ‘that are perishing’] foolishness; but unto us which are saved [lit., ‘which are being saved’] it is the power of God...
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency
of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified...
That your
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Howbeit we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of
this world, that come to nought:
But we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our
glory:
Which none of
the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”
(1 Cor. 1: 18; 2: 1, 2, 5-8).
In
Scripture, there is a preaching of the cross to the saved, and there is a
preaching of the cross to the unsaved. And
the former is dealt with far more extensively in Scripture than
the latter.
Salvation by grace through faith, having to do with the
preaching of the cross to the unsaved, as seen for example in Eph. 2: 8, 9, is NOT the main message of Scripture:
[Page 70]
“For by grace are ye saved [lit., ‘you
have been saved’] through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man
should boast” (vv. 8, 9).
Rather, the main message of Scripture is
seen in what salvation by grace through faith allows and where it takes an
individual. Salvation by grace through faith, as seen
in Eph. 2:
8, 9 - a
passing “from
death unto life” (John 5: 24; Eph. 2: 1, 5) - takes
an individual to that seen in Eph. 2: 10, which is
another way of expressing the preaching of the cross to the saved:
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”
(v. 10).
Twofold Nature of the
Preaching of the Cross
No single book in Scripture deals
principally with salvation by grace through faith, NOT John’s gospel (as thought by many), NOT any of the Pauline epistles, Hebrews,
the general epistles, or any other book in Scripture, both Old and New
Testaments.
Again, salvation by grace through faith, though usually dealt
with extensively by man, is simply NOT the main message of Scripture.
ALL Scripture, after one fashion or another,
deals principally with the preaching of the cross to the saved, not to the unsaved. ALL Scripture is in line with the manner in which the matter was originally
set forth in the opening thirty-four verses of Genesis
(1: 1 - 2: 3) - showing
the
manner and time which God uses to restore a ruined creation (six days time,
with a view to a subsequent seventh day rest, foreshadowing 6,000 years of
restorative work, followed by 1, 000 years of rest).
The first day’s restorative work can only
foreshadow God’s beginning restorative activity for ruined man (salvation by
grace through faith). And
God’s
continued restorative work during the subsequent five days can only foreshadow a continued
restorative activity for man (things beyond salvation by grace through
faith). And ALL is with a view to a seventh-day rest.
[Page 71]
The preceding is not to undermine, in any way, the importance
of the preaching of the cross to the unsaved, for a person can’t get to the
preaching of the cross to the saved apart from beginning with the preaching of
the cross to the unsaved. Rather,
attention is simply being called to the manner in
which God has structured His Word relative to these two aspects of the
preaching of the cross.
To illustrate from Genesis
chapters one and two, it is to say that a person CAN’T begin with activity foreshadowed by day
two in Genesis chapter one. He has to FIRST go through that foreshadowed by
activity on day one. This is where he MUST
begin, but he is NOT to remain in that
foreshadowed by activity on day one.
Rather, he is to
Note relative to the preceding that Jude sought to write an
epistle dealing with salvation by grace through faith - “the common salvation”
(v. 3a). But the Spirit of
God would not allow him to write an epistle of this nature. Rather Jude was moved
to write on things beyond salvation by grace through faith. Jude
was moved to write an epistle exhorting believers to “earnestly
contend for the faith” (v.
3b). And “the faith”
is an
expression peculiarly related to the Word of the Kingdom, part and parcel with
the preaching of the cross to the saved (1
Tim. 5: 11-16; 2 Tim. 4: 7, 8).
And this same thing can be seen in any
other New Testament epistle, or any book throughout both Testaments. The message of salvation by grace through
faith can be found in practically any epistle or book,
but it is NEVER seen as the main message.
The Preaching in View in 1 Corinthians 1: 18; 2: 1-8
1 Corinthians 1: 18
refers to the preaching of the cross in relation to two classes of individuals
- those who are perishing, and
those
who are being saved (see
textual translation changes in brackets at the beginning of this part of the
appendix).
The writer, Paul, places himself among those presently being saved. He, and those
referenced with him, had been saved (past [Gen.
1: 2b-5; Eph. 2: 8, 9]), they were being saved (present [Gen. [Page 72] 1: 6ff;
Eph. 2: 10]), and
this was with a view to salvation, a seventh day rest (future [Gen. 2: 1-3; Heb. 4: 4-9]).
They had been saved through the
simple preaching of the gospel of grace; they were now being saved through the preaching of the gospel of glory. And both have to do
with the preaching of the cross, with a view to salvation being realized on
the seventh day, in the Messianic Era.
Contextually, those perishing in the first
part of the verse CANNOT possibly be a
reference to unsaved individuals. The
subject at hand is the preaching of the cross to the saved, NOT to the
unsaved. Those perishing can only refer to [regenerate] Christians who are not moving beyond
that foreshadowed by activity on day one in Genesis
chapter one into that foreshadowed by activity on days two through six, or
beyond that seen in Eph. 2: 8, 9 into
that seen in Eph. 2:
10.
Then, that seen in 1 Cor. 2: 1ff simply
continues from chapter one, though from the wording and a statement in 1 Cor. 15: 3, 4, a broader coverage of the preaching of the
gospel is evidently now seen.
“For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15: 3, 4).
When Paul first went to
Then 1 Cor.
15: 4 carries matters beyond that seen in
verse three, moving into a continued preaching of the cross, a preaching of the
cross to the saved, to those having “passed from death unto life” through the previous preaching of
the cross to the unsaved.
Note the basic, overall type beginning in Exodus chapter twelve and ending at the conclusion
of the book, in chapter forty, or, in another respect, continuing to and ending
in the Book of Joshua.
[Page 73]
Death and shed blood occurred while the Israelites were still
in
This foreshadows Christ’s death and shed blood at
This would be one aspect of that seen in 1 Cor. 2: 3, the
initial part of the preaching of the cross.
But, as seen from verse eighteen in the
previous chapter, or from the initial framework set forth at the beginning of
Scripture, or in numerous places in Scripture which could be referenced, an
individual is NOT to remain at this
initial point. And
this is succinctly stated in the continuing verse in 1
Cor. 15: 4, pointing
to
burial, then resurrection.
Note the type once again in Exodus,
moving beyond the thought of death, shed blood, and a proper application of the
blood while still in
All of this is fraught with typical significance and meaning.
In one respect it has
to do with the unsaved during present time, and with Christians during both present and future time, taking Christians
into the Messianic [and Millennial] Era.
In another respect, it has to do with
Whether for the saved or the unsaved, matters begin at the
cross, with crucifixion and death.
For the unsaved, activity surrounding the cross is the
only thing in view. There is a vicarious death, allowing the
unsaved person, once saved, to be seen in two respects ‑ as both “dead” and as having “passed from death unto life”
(Eph. 2: 5-7; Col. 2: 20; 3: 1-10).
And from the preceding point, with the
person now a Christian and seen as dead (vicariously), a burial is to occur. And this burial is with a view to resurrection, both during the present time and on [Page 74] the third day, the third 1,000-year
period, yet future.
Note the type in Exodus. A vicarious death occurred while in
At this point they were out of
The theocracy can be seen brought
into existence at the end of the Book of Exodus;
and the Israelites’ entrance into the land, in possession of the theocracy, can
be seen realized in the Book of Joshua.
ALL of this, typical of
And ALL of this, exactly as in the type, is with a view to a removal from
the world, walking in newness of life, and a kingdom out ahead to be realized
in another land (a heavenly land rather than an earthly land, as with
ALL of this has to do with the preaching of the cross. And one can easily see that matters
DON'T move very far in Scripture if this preaching DOESN’T move beyond a preaching
of the cross to the unsaved.
-------
[Page 75]
PART II
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
[lit., ‘that are
perishing’] foolishness; but unto us which are saved [lit., ‘which are being
saved’] it is the power of God...
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency
of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified...
That your faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Howbeit we
speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of
this world, that come to nought:
But we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, even the
hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of
the princes of this world knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”
(1 Cor. 1: 18; 2: 1, 2, 5-8).
Commentators
invariably associate that seen in 1 Cor. 2: 1-8 with the preaching of the gospel of grace to the
unsaved. And,
undoubtedly, the main thing facilitating this type understanding of these
verses is a failure to see any continuing aspect to the gospel message, i.e., a
preaching of the cross to the saved as well.
Among most Christians today (years past as well), if the
gospel message is mentioned - proclaiming the gospel ‑ only one
message invariably comes to mind,
which has to do with a message proclaimed to the unsaved, not to the saved.
But, the manner in which the word “gospel” is used throughout the New Testament
is quite different. Referencing all usages of this word in the New Testament
(the Greek word euaggelion, “gospel,”
“good news,” appears about eighty times), a
person will find that over four-fifths (closer to nine-tenths) of the different
times that [Page 75] this word appears, contextually, the word refers to “good news” OTHER THAN the gospel of grace.
But, despite this, Christians continue to
see the usage of this word only one way in Scripture, having to
do with only one message - a message to the unsaved.
Individuals seeing and understanding things in the preceding manner
can only have major problems with the text from 1 Cor. 2: 1-8,
particularly the last four verses (vv. 5-8), for NOTHING
in any one of these last four verses can have anything to do with the preaching
of the gospel message to the unsaved.
ONLY material pertaining to the saved can be in view throughout, which
can only present major problems when trying to relate these verses to the
gospel of grace.
And, this is no small thing, for individuals
improperly understanding this passage, attempting to proclaim the simple gospel
of grace from these verses, can only corrupt one facet of the gospel
message and destroy the other.
With the preceding in mind, note a number of different things about
1 Cor. 2: 5-8:
A Mystery (v. 7)
That in view in these verses is referred
to as “a mystery,” having to do with God’s
“power” and “wisdom,” seen in verses five through seven: “the power of
God” and “wisdom among
them that are perfect [‘mature’].”
And understanding how the word “mystery” is used in the New Testament will
form a base for a correct understanding of this passage.
1) Usage of “Mystery” in
the New Testament
The word “mystery” is used twenty-seven times in the
New Testament.
It is used one time in each of the three synoptic gospels, for
the same event - the mysteries of the kingdom (Matt.
13: 11; Mark 4: 11; Luke 8: 10).
It is used twenty times in the
Pauline epistles.
Paul used the word numerous times to reference the
gospel [Page 77] which he had been called to proclaim throughout the Gentile world (Rom. 16: 25; Eph. 3: 3, 4, 9; 6: 19; Col. 1: 26-28).
He used the word to reference
And, among several other usages, Paul
used the word to reference the coming resurrection of Christians and
the corresponding removal of the living at the end of the present dispensation (1 Cor. 15: 51ff).
The word is not used in Hebrews or the general epistles, but it is used
four times in the Book of Revelation. It is used of the seven stars (1: 20), of God (10:
7), and
of the
Woman and the Beast (17: 5, 7).
2) Definition of “a Mystery”
“A mystery” in the New
Testament does not have to do with something completely new, something not
dealt with at all or unknown in the Old Testament (a common misconception which is often taught concerning the meaning of the
word). This, of course, couldn’t be true, for there can be NOTHING in the New [Testament] that cannot be found after some form
in the Old [Testament Scriptures].
If there were something in the New that could not be found
after some fashion in the Old, note what this would do relative to perfection
in the Word made flesh (John 1: 1, 2, 14) before a
single word of the New had been penned.
Rather, “a mystery” in the New Testament has to do with an opening up and unveiling of something
previously introduced and dealt within the Old Testament. “A mystery” has to do with additional
revelation, commentary, on that already existing in the Old Testament, allowing
the Old Testament revelation to be fully opened up and revealed (e.g.,
note that a full revelation of the Son
in the Book of Revelation, which is the
announced subject matter of the book in the opening verse [1: 1], allows
the “mystery of God” [Rev. 10: 7] to be
correspondingly fully opened up as well, for Christ is God manifested in the
flesh).
3) Paul’s Gospel
Note in the preceding definition and coverage of the word “mystery” in the New Testament that the word
is used in connection with Paul’s gospel a number of times. And,
comparing [Page
78] Scripture with
Scripture, it is clear that the gospel which Paul had been called to proclaim
had to do with the preaching of the cross to the saved, not to the unsaved (cf. Rom. 2: 16; 16: 25; 2 Cor. 4: 3, 4; Eph. 3: 1-6).
The word “mystery,” associated
with Paul’s gospel, is NEVER used in the New Testament in connection with the gospel of grace, only with
the gospel of glory.
Also, in this respect, note “unto our glory,” and “the Lord of glory” in 1 Cor. 2: 7, 8.
The Princes of this World (vv.
6, 8)
A great deal of controversy exists among commentators over the
identity of “the
princes” referenced in 1
Cor. 2: 6, 8. The Greek word translated “princes” in the passage is archon, used of both men on earth and angels in Satan’s kingdom (Matt.
9: 23, 34; John 3: 1; Eph. 2: 2). This same word was used by the
Septuagint translators (Greek O.T.) in Dan. 10: 13, 20, 21, verses
referring to ruling angels in the heavens.
Then there is the related Greek word arche, meaning “beginning” (e.g.,
John 1: 1),
but sometimes used in the same sense as archon. Both words mean “beginning,” and both words are used relative to
“rulers,” “principalities,” with archon used more so than arche in this
respect.
The way arche is used in both the Books of Ephesians and Colossions though would be an exception to
the preceding. The word is used in Eph. 1: 21; 3: 10; 6: 12 and in Col. 1: 16; 2: 10, 15, principally of angels in Satan’s kingdom in both books (human rulers are
included with angelic rulers in Eph. 1: 21; Col. 1: 16; 2: 10). Then the word is used
relative to rulers among men in Titus 3: 1.
But, how is archon used in 1 Cor. 2: 6, 8? Does the word refer to rulers among men here on earth? Or, does it refer to rulers in Satan’s kingdom in the heavens?
Understanding two things - the subject at hand and what these rulers were failing to
see in 1 Cor. 2: 5-8 - forms
the crux of the matter; and, to properly understand the passage, these
two things MUST be understood.
[Page 79]
As previously seen, the subject at hand has to do with different
things surrounding the preaching of the cross to the saved, not to the unsaved;
and these
rulers had failed to see and understand the full ramifications of Christ’s
crucifixion.
That is to say, they saw no more than most Christians see
today - nothing beyond a simple preaching of the gospel of grace, the preaching
of the cross to the unsaved. Had they
seen what lay beyond the preceding - the preaching of the cross to the saved,
along with the ramifications of this preaching - they would have done
everything in their power to prevent the crucifixion (1 Cor. 2: 8).
Why?
The answer is not only very simple but the answer will also identify “the princes of this world” in verses
six and eight.
Earthly rulers COULDN'T POSSIBLY be in view,
for they
have absolutely NOTHING to do with the subject matter at hand. But Satan and his
angels have EVERYTHING to do with it.
Results of the simple gospel of grace are of no danger to
Satan and his angels. An unsaved person
being saved through the preaching of the cross DOES NOT place that
person in a position to one day replace one of the angels ruling under
Satan. And
these ruling angels would have known, from Old Testament Scripture, the ramifications of Christ’s finished work
at
The text (v. 8) clearly indicates that the preceding was not something which they tried to prevent. In fact, from events which transpired,
Satan’s angels, ruling through the Roman rulers of that day (Dan. 10: 12-21),
evidently either caused or looked favourably on the crucifixion being carried
out by the Romans on behalf of the Jews.
(Angels act under fixed laws in God's kingdom, with their actions becoming the Lord’s
actions [e.g., actions of angels and
the Lord in Gen. 18,
19].
And, within Satan’s kingdom, “angels” form the gods of the nations [cf.
2 Chron. 32:
13-15; Ps. 96: 5], with rulers in the Gentile nations conducting
affairs under them [under their gods]. And
it is evident from 1 Cor.
2: 8 that
a
form of this same fixed-law government exists in Satan’s kingdom between
angelic rulers in the heavens and human rulers on the earth.
[Page 80]
The manner in which the government of the earth has been
established - patterned after God’s government of the universe - would leave both
heavenly and earthly rulers EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE for the actions of earthly
rulers, occupying positions of power under the heavenly rulers, as seen in 1 Cor. 2: 8.)
What Satan and his angels didn’t see and understand, which
they would have tried to prevent at all costs had they known, was the
same thing which angels outside of Satan’s kingdom also didn’t know, inquiring
about the matter as seen in 1 Peter 1: 12 (the saving of the soul [vv. 9-12]).
What they didn’t know had to do
with a present and future salvation, having to do with the preaching of the cross to the saved. This present aspect of salvation had to do with bringing
man into a position where he could replace angels ruling under Satan,
and the future salvation -[for
those who are presently saved by God’s “grace”]- had to do with this present salvation
being realized [during the
Millennial Reign of the Christ Jesus yet to come].*
[* That is,
when His “glories” and “knowledge”
shall be manifested throughout the whole earth. (1
Peter 1: 11ff.
cf.
Isaiah 12: 9ff.; Habakkuk
2: 14, etc. R.V.).]
And it is plain to see how this would
affect these angels and why they would have done everything within their
power to prevent Christ’s crucifixion had they known these things.
The opening up of these things from the Old Testament, to both
men and angels (Eph. 3: 1-11), awaited the Apostle Paul, with this revelation given
through him. And
it
was this message that he carried throughout the Gentile world (Col. 1: 20-23).
-------
[Page 81]
PART III
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever
will save his life [‘soul’] shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life [‘soul’] for my sake shall
find it.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16: 24-26).
In the preceding verses, the word “life” appears twice in verse twenty-five and the word “soul” appears twice in verse twenty-six.
Both words are translations of the Greek word psuche, meaning either “soul” or “life.” But, to avoid confusion, psuche should be translated and understood in a
consistent manner in both verses,
as either “soul” or “life.”
Within man’s triune being (body, soul, and spirit [1 Thess. 5: 23]), the
eternal salvation which he either already has or can have through faith
in Christ has to do, during present time, with his “spirit” alone, not with his “soul” or “body” (John 3: 6).
Salvation in Scripture is seen inseparably associated with the
complete gospel message, the complete preaching of the cross, the complete man
(spirit, soul, and body) comprising past, present, and future aspects of
all.
We have been saved (past, having to do with [the time of regeneration and] “the spirit”), we are being saved (present, having to do with “the soul”), and we are about to be saved (future,
having to do with the realization of the salvation
of “the soul,” along with “the body” [at
the time of Resurrection]*).
[* For the future salvation of the “soul” see Acts 2:
27, 34ff.
and compare Luke 16: 23ff. with Acts 7: 5 and 2 Tim. 2: 18; Rev. 6: 9-11, R.V. etc.]
(For additional information on this subject, refer to the
author’s book. “Salvation of the
Soul.”)
Note that the text (Matt. 16: 24-26) can
only be dealing with saved individuals. The unsaved CANNOT possibly be in view. Spiritual
values are involved, and spiritually the unsaved are dead [Page 82] (Eph. 2: 1, 5). “Life” MUST first be
imparted. They MUST first pass “from death unto life” (John 5:
24).
No unsaved [or unregenerate] person could ever be
told to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ.
He could do the first part (deny self), though doing this could
only have to do with the natural man, the man of flesh, and could NEVER result
in spiritual values, his salvation, etc. But
he couldn’t possibly do the second part (take up his cross), for he has no
cross to take up. He, apart from Christ,
is alienated
from the cross. And he couldn’t
do the third part either (follow Christ), for the spiritual part of the man is
dead, separated from Christ.
On the other hand, this verse relates EXACTLY what a saved [or
regenerate (i.e., ‘born again’)] person is supposed to do - MUST DO, IF... - with the next two verses providing
commentary on the matter.
He is to deny himself, which has to do with the soul (the seat of the person’s emotions,
feelings, desires). He is to deny the
fleshly impulses of the soul, keep them in check, in
subjection to the man of spirit (cf. Gen. 16: 9; 21: 9, 10; Gal. 4: 22-31; 5: 17-21).
Then he is to take up his cross. Saved
man, unlike unsaved man, has a cross, for he has been “crucified with Christ.” The cross is the instrument of death, and saved man taking up his cross can
only be seen as synonymous with dying to self, then living unto God in resurrection
power (pertaining to the third day, the third thousandth year) as he follows
Christ (Gal. 2: 20; 5: 24).
And, relative to the preceding, the [regenerate] Christian can only go in ONE
OF TWO DIRECTIONS, as seen in
verse
twenty-five. He can do as
commanded in verse
twenty-four and realize present and future aspects of the
salvation of his soul; or, he
can fail to do as commanded in verse twenty-four and fail to realize present and
future aspects of the salvation of his soul.
There is NO MIDDLE GROUND on the preceding, and there are NO EXCEPTIONS. ALL CHRISTIANS are included; NONE are excluded.
Now, note the context on both sides of Matt. 16: 24-26 to see how the whole of the matter has to do
with not only the preaching of the cross to the saved but where this takes
Christians in the end who follow or do not follow the Lord's instructions.
[Page 83]
Context, Preceding Matthew 16:
24-26
“He [Jesus] saith unto them [His disciples], But whom say ye
that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ
[or ‘the Messiah’], the Son of the living God.
And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto
thee, but my Father which is in heaven...
From that time
forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto
Then Peter
took him, and began to rebuke
him, saying,
Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be
of men” (Matt. 16: 15-17, 21-23).
There are two contrasting scenes in the preceding verses, both
having to do with Peter.
In the first (vv. 15-17), Peter, responding to the Lord’s
question, was blessed, with his response associated with information received from
the Father in heaven.
In the second (vv. 21-23), exactly the opposite occurred. Peter’s response was associated with Satanic activity
here on earth. And, because it was so far removed from
God’s plans and purposes for man, Jesus told Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan”
(lit., “Get
opposite me, Satan,” i.e., “Get away
from me, for your opposition to the work that I am about to perform is of
Satan, not of the Father” [cf. John 8:
28-47]).
1) Blessed
Art Thou, Simon Barjona
When Jesus and His disciples came into the coasts of Caesarea
Philippi, Jesus asked them, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matt.
16: 13). They
responded with different names and thoughts, ranging from the ancient Prophets to
John the Baptist (v. 14). Then Jesus, re-asking the question, made
it very personal: “But whom say ye
that I am?” (v. 15).
[Page 84]
Then Simon Peter spoke up and gave the best response possible:
“Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v.
16). And Jesus acknowledged the veracity and completeness of
Peter’s response by saying, “Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (v.
17).
Simon Peter, with that succinct statement, spoke volumes. Everything was there regarding the proper identity of both Jesus on earth and
the Father in heaven.
Jesus was declared to be “the Christ,” the One Who would
rule and reign, “the Son of the living God.”
Only “Sons”
can rule in God’s kingdom. But Jesus was declared to be a particular, specific Son. He
was declared to be “the Son” of the One true and “living God,” completely separate from sonship and/ or rulership associated with “the gods of the [Gentile] nations” (2 Chron.
32: 13-15; Ps. 96: 5).
Matthew 16: 15-17 presents the positive side of the matter, and seeing why, of
course, is evident. Now, note the
negative side of the matter
in the continuing verses in Matthew’s gospel.
2) Get Thee Behind Me, Satan
Following Peter’s statement concerning Jesus’ true identity
and Jesus’ response regarding this statement, Peter, evidently because of the
nature of that which he had stated about Jesus’ identity, remained foremost
among the disciples when Jesus called attention to building His “Church” and “the keys of the kingdom of the heavens” (vv.
18, 19).
(For information on Matt. 16: 19, refer
to the author’s pamphlet, “Keys of the Kingdom.”)
Then, Jesus seemingly moved in a direction away from
Peter’s previous statement by charging His disciples “that they should tell no man
that he was Jesus the Christ” (v. 20). But this charge was not directing them away from that which
Peter had just stated at all. Rather,
this charge had to do with directing their attention to that which He must now do in order to fully achieve the goal seen in Peter’s previous
statement (v. 21).
[Page 85]
Though the offer of the kingdom of the heavens remained open
to Israel, as previously seen regarding something similar (Matt. 12, 13), matters moved centrally away from this
offer to statements concerning Calvary and the Church. And the events
of
Note that far more exists concerning the events of
This is why, according to Heb. 12: 2, that
Christ, “for
the joy that was set before him [the day when He would rule and reign (Matt. 25:
21, 23)]
endured the cross, despising
the shame,” which
is EXACTLY what Christians MUST DO as well if they are to have a part with
Christ in that coming day (cf. John 12:
24; 2 Tim. 2: 4-12).
This is what Peter, opposing Christ’s impending work at
Context, Following Matthew 16: 24-26
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father,
with his angels,
and then he
shall reward every man according to his works.
Verily I say
unto you. There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son
of man coming in his kingdom.
And after six
days Jesus taketh Peter, James,
and John his
brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured
before them...” (Matt. 16: 27 - 17: 2a).
Then, following Matt. 16: 24-26, the
direction toward which all things in Scripture move is dealt
with. The continuing text
takes one to the time of Christ’s return.
And, for Christians, “rewards” will
be forthcoming at this time, something which will have previously been
determined at the judgment seat (v. 27).
(The Greek word translated “reward”
is misthos, and translating this word as “reward”
could leave a wrong understanding of what is in view. Misthos has to do with payment or wages for services
rendered,,[Page 86] one
completely commensurate with the other.
Thus, there could be both positive and negative
ramifications to the matter - much work, much payment; little work, little
payment; no work, no payment.)
And, continuing with the text, “rewards,” payment for services rendered, is
then seen to have to do with the coming [millennial] kingdom.
Jesus declared that some of the individuals present, listening
to Him, would not die until they had seen “the Son of man coming in his kingdom”
(v. 28).
And
this is EXACTLY what three of them saw six days later, foreshadowing
6,000 years, when Jesus took Peter,
James, and John “up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them...” (Matt. 17: 1 ff).
They didn’t see something like the
Son of man coming in His kingdom (i.e., a
foreview of that coming day). They were moved ahead in
time, 2,000 years, and saw EXACTLY what the text states.
As well, note that Moses and Elijah appeared [will appear]
with Christ in His “glory,” talking with
Him, speaking of “his decease which he should accomplish [or future, ‘did accomplish’] at
(For additional information on Moses and Elijah accompanying Christ
at the time of His return, “with his mighty angels” [2 Thess. 1: 7], refer to
the author’s book, “Coming in His Kingdom.”)
And that’s what the dual aspect of the
preaching of the cross is about, necessitating Christ’s finished work at
The initial part of the message has to do with “the unsaved,” bringing a person into
a
position where he can realize that which lies beyond.
And the continuing part of the message, having
to do with “the saved,” has to do with man ultimately
realizing the reason, purpose for his salvation.
And ALL has to do with the coming [messianic] kingdom.
-------
PART IV
“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are
at
For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is
the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek [i.e., ‘Gentile,’
cf. vv. 13,
14].
For therein is
the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by
faith [Hab.
2: 4]” (Rom. 1: 15-17).
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
[lit. ‘that are perishing’] foolishness; but unto us which are saved [lit., ‘which
are being saved’] it is the power of God”
(1 Cor. 1: 18).
The
gospel which Paul desired to proclaim to the Christians in
“The gospel of Christ”
in this passage is a reference to the same message Paul called “my gospel” (Rom.
2: 16; 16: 25), which
he had been called to proclaim to Christians throughout the Gentile world (Eph. 3: 1-6; Col. 1: 20-23). And
calling attention to this message, regardless of the terminology used, is
simply another way of referring to “the preaching of the cross” in 1 Cor. 1: 18.
Two Types of Christians in Romans
The first chapter of Romans divides
itself into two fairly equal parts, dealing with two
types of [regenerate] Christians, in relation to one central subject.
The first half of the chapter (vv.
1-17) has
to do with faithful [and obedient] Christians
in relation to the gospel message, the good news -
though not that facet of the good news pertaining to the grace of God, but that
facet of the good news pertaining to the coming Glory of Christ.
[Page 88]
And the last half of the chapter (vv. 18-32) has
to do with unfaithful [i.e., compromising and disobedient] Christians in relation to the same gospel
message, the
same good news.
1) The Type Christians Seen in Verses 1-17
The Christians described in the
opening part of the chapter are, as Paul described himself, “not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ”; or, using an
explanation of that being referenced in the words “gospel” and “Christ” in the verse, a person could say that Christians of this
nature are “not
ashamed of the good news of the One Who will rule and reign.”
There is really nothing about salvation
by grace through faith in these first
seventeen verses. The verses, among related issues, have to do with “the seed of David” (v. 3), declared to be “the Son of God with power [‘sonship’
has to do with rulership]” (v. 4), with “obedience
to the
faith [‘the faith,’ an expression peculiarly related to ‘the Word of the Kingdom’]” (v. 5), with the faith of Christians in Rome
being “spoken of throughout the whole
world” (v. 8),
and with Paul’s expressed desire to go to and proclaim this good news to the Christians in Rome, for a stated purpose
- “that I might
have some fruit among you also, even as
among other Gentiles” (vv. 10, 13; cf. vv. 15, 16).
2) The Type Christians Seen in Verses 18-32
Then, with verse seventeen as a closing statement for the opening
part of the chapter, the other type Christians are presented. And the type
Christians presented in this section, rather
than exercising faith and looking forward to the salvation in view in verse
sixteen, had, instead, through their unfaithfulness,
been led into various types of disobedience and will suffer “the wrath of God.”*
[* See Num.
14: 26-37; 1 Cor. 5: 1-5; 9: 24-10: 11; Heb. 10: 30-39; 12: 25; and compare Heb.
9: 27-28, R.V.]
Exactly the opposite of that seen in the previous section is seen in this section.
And that becomes increasingly evident as one
continues studying this section.
First of all, note the subject matter at
hand. The gospel of grace (having to do
with the unsaved and one’s eternal salvation) is not the message Paul called
attention to various ways in the opening seventeen [Page 89] verses. This has already been shown
but will become more evident through the remainder of this material.
Then, to further illustrate that [regenerate] Christians alone can be in view throughout
chapter one, note the words “knowledge” and “knowing” in verses twenty-eight and
thirty-two.
Both of these words are translations of the Greek word epignosis (the verb form of this word is used in v. 32 [epiginosko],
meaning the same as the noun form in v. 28).
In the Greek text there is the regular word for knowledge (gnosis);
and there is an intensified form of gnosis, formed through the preposition epi (meaning, “upon”)
being prefixed to the word (epi-gnosis, which has to do with a knowledge of
something beyond a regular knowledge, i.e.,
some facet of a mature knowledge concerning the matter at hand).
And, according to 1 Cor. 2:
14, the
natural [or unregenerate] man (which
is all that the unsaved person possesses) can’t even come into possession of a
type knowledge described by gnosis (the Greek word used in this verse). The reason, of course, is because he is spiritually dead. He
simply cannot understand spiritual things.*
[*
Similarly, all disobedient and regenerate believers, are unable to accept and understand the true meaning of what God says
can be lost, - because of their
continued disobedience and disbelief in His accountability truths and
conditional promises! See Matt. 5: 20; 7: 21; Lk.
9: 62;
But the individuals in the latter part of
Romans chapter one came into possession of a
knowledge of that in view described by epignosis. How did they do this if
unsaved? They didn’t, for, according to 1 Cor. 2: 14, if unsaved, they couldn’t have even
come into possession of a type knowledge of that in view described by the word gnosis, much less epignosis.
And, aside from the preceding, it
wouldn’t make any sense whatsoever to see the first seventeen verses correctly
(a message [vv. 15,
16] having to do with faith [vv. 8, 16, 17], in relation to fruit-bearing [v. 13]), and
then attempt to see the latter part of the chapter (vv.
18-32) dealing with the unsaved. Scripture is simply not
structured in such a fashion.
(Note that not every unfaithful
Christian would fit into the category of those committing the sins mentioned in
vv. 18-32, though
many would [an ever-increasing
number in the world today].
The division between these two types of [regenerate]
Christians is on the basis of an exercise of
faith. One exercises faith,
the
other does not.
[Page 90]
And, there is no middle ground in this realm. Christians
either find themselves among those described in the
first part of the chapter or among those described in the latter part of the
chapter, regardless of whether or not they are guilty of the sins named in the
chapter.
“He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad”
[Matt. 12:
30; cf. Luke 11:
23])
The Power of God unto Salvation
“The gospel of Christ”
in Rom. 1:
16 and “the preaching of the cross” in 1 Cor. 1: 18 - again, two ways of saying the same thing -
are associated with GOD’S POWER in relation to salvation. As clearly stated in both verses, quoting from Rom. 1: 16, this
message is “the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth.”
Apart from “the gospel of Christ,”
“the preaching of the cross,” NOTHING
ELSE has anything to do with,
or can effect in any way, [eternal] salvation
for fallen man. Christ’s
finished work on the cross ALONE allows God to exercise His power in this respect.
And this exercise of power could only extend to any facet of
the overall gospel message, connected with any part of God’s work regarding
man’s salvation, initially foreshadowed in Scripture by His restorative work
throughout all six days in Genesis chapter
one.
In Matt. 28: 18-20, prefacing a command to go into all the world and
make disciples in all the nations, baptizing
and teaching them (vv. 19, 20),
Christ stated, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (v.
18).
The complete statement (vv.
18-20),
contrary to the manner in which it is usually handled, has to do with the some
message seen in Rom. 1: 16 and 1 Cor. 1: 18. And this would be in
complete keeping with the manner in which the overall salvation message is
presented throughout Scripture.
(As previously seen in this material,
the overall salvation message presented throughout Scripture is centrally a
message to the saved rather than to the unsaved [ref. Part II, with the preaching of the cross
covering both [messages to both the
saved and the unsaved], though the emphasis in Scripture ALWAYS centers on the preaching of the
cross as it relates to the saved rather
than to the unsaved.)
[Page 91]
“ALL POWER” given to Christ in
Matt. 28:
18 can only have to do with a proclamation
of THE
COMPLETE GOSPEL MESSAGE surrounding “the cross,” messages to both the
saved and the unsaved. Christ is the Saviour, the One through Whom God effects salvation,
regardless of where a person begins with the message, whether
to the saved or to the unsaved.
Christ is the One Who performed a finished work on the cross,
a work having to do with both the saved and the unsaved. He is the One in possession of “all power,” seen in connection with the
preaching of the cross to the saved in Matt.
28: 18-20, which could only, as well, be seen in a
broader respect - a prior preaching of the cross to the unsaved, effecting a passing “from death unto life,” allowing a continued preaching of the cross.
There is simply NO SUCH THING as [eternal] salvation being effected at any point in
ruined man’s restoration - whether to the saved or to the unsaved - apart from the finished work of the Son on
the cross and the power which He possesses, associated with this finished work.
This is seen as “the power of God” in Rom. 1: 16 and 1 Cor. 1: 18,
but note the identity of the Son in relation to God. The
Son is God manifested in the flesh.
Thus, the Son’s power and His finished work on the cross is, as well,
God’s power and His finished work on the cross.
One simply cannot be separated from the Other, as the written Word cannot be separated
from the Word made flesh, or from God (John
1: 1,
2,
14).
God’s actions are ALWAYS in connection with His power, which are ALWAYS incomplete accord with His revealed Word. God simply WILL NOT act, exercise His power, in a
manner contrary to that which He has revealed in His Word.
The Spirit of God, performing a restorative work in ruined man
- whether saved or unsaved man - does this work ON ONE BASIS ALONE THROUGH ONE
POWER ALONE. The Spirit of God does this work on the basis of Christ’s finished work on the cross, the
One in possession of “all power.”
This is the why of verses such as Acts 4: 12:
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” [Acts 4: 12.]
There is NO SALVATION outside of Christ, for there is
NO WORK of the cross OR POWER outside of Christ. ANY AND ALL work
regarding salvation CAN ONLY have to do with Christ, His finished work on the
cross, and His power.
And the Spirit of God, effecting a work
in man regarding salvation - whether saved or unsaved man - does that work SOLELY
in connection with the finished work of God’s Son on the cross, exercising the
Son’s power.
If an unsaved person thinks that he con circumnavigate Christ’s finished work and His power regarding salvation,
that person had better think again.
Or, if a saved person thinks that he can
circumnavigate Christ’s finished work and His power regarding an on-going work
of salvation, that person had better think again as well.
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NOTE
For writings by A. L. Chitwood, Robert
Govett, David Baron, Erich Sauer, David W. Dyer, G. H. Lang
and many others contact:
ICM Books
Lurgan.
Craigavon BT 66 7AR
Tel. 02838321488
Web. www.icmbooks.co.uk