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Friday, 27 June 2014
6 QUESTIONS YOUR PASTOR WON''T LIKE
All seven points of what you are about to read are never taught in
churches and are, in fact, suppressed from general understanding. Your minister,
and most experienced Bible students, know of these truths, but choose to explain
them away. While the Bible is a long and complex Book, the seven teachings
described in this article can be easily proven.
The book of Isaiah describes God’s Word as a coded Book, with teachings found “here a little, and there a little” (28:10).
Most religious leaders have chosen to ignore what the Bible teaches—and seemingly fear to tell the truth! They also fear other things: admitting they have been deceived, and thus having deceived others; local deacons or members firing them for teaching biblical truth; their congregants leaving the fold. In all cases, they fear what men may say or do, and give little or no thought to the fact that they are teaching against what God states in His Word!
What follows is simple, and the verses quoted are not open to human interpretation. They are seven basic questions your minister does not want you to ask this Sunday—but after they are revealed, it will be hard not to do so!
First, some background.
Blame for deception cannot be solely laid at the feet of those who claim to be ministers of Jesus Christ. There is another source, which drives the thinking of such religious leaders—and is key to understanding why basic truths of the Bible remain hidden. Notice: “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:4).
The true God of the Bible does not deceive. Rather, He is using His servants to announce the gospel to the world—the good news of the soon-coming kingdom of God—the central message His faithful servants have announced since “righteous Abel.”
Who is the “god of this world” who blinds—deceives—men? Allow God’s Word to explain: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).
As the one who deceives those of all nations, including their ministers, it is ultimately Satan who is responsible. However, God also holds people accountable—especially those who know they are teaching falsehoods, but continue to teach them, anyway.
(Yet, it must also be understood that there are those who truly believe what they teach. They may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.)
Of course, a minister would never come out and say he is teaching doctrines “of Satan.” The devil’s deception is well-planned and extremely subtle. Just as he portrays himself as the God of the Bible, he portrays his ministers as ones teaching from the Bible: “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11:14-15). Ministers will always appear to be of God.
God’s view of such religious leaders is found in Ezekiel 22, verses 23 to 31 (as well as many other chapters of Ezekiel). While it is too long to quote in its entirety, it is critical to understand the language and tone God uses to describe deceitful ministers; terms such as “defiled,” “guilty,” “roaring lions ravening the prey” who have “devoured souls,” having “put no difference between the holy and profane,” and acting as “wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls.”
Strong words!
However, what angers God the most? “…her prophets [ministers]…divining lies unto them [the people], saying, Thus says the Lord God, when the Lord has not spoken” (vs. 28).
You must have knowledge of what God has spoken. Only then will you be able to discern when a man preaches something “the Lord has not spoken.”
Here then are seven questions your pastor hopes desperately you will not ask.
One of the central points of the Bible is the difference between what God approves, and what He does not. There have been endless dissertations about the definition of sin—what is and is not sin. Yet the Bible defines sin with surprising simplicity: “Whosever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). When someone transgresses or breaks “the law,” he is sinning.
When one breaks man’s laws, he earns a penalty, such as a fine, jail time or even (depending on the seriousness of the crime) death. Likewise, when we violate the laws of God, we earn a penalty: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Wages are something you earn as a payment for what you have done. If you sin—break God’s Law—you will die (Ezek. 18:4, 20).
Suddenly, knowing what constitutes “the law” is of extreme importance! Again, we must allow God to explain what He means through His Word—not the reasoning or opinions of men.
What should be an easy answer to the above question has been so twisted and mangled it needs more than a one or two scripture response. Greater “churchianity” has blurred the concept of what sin is and, by extension, has also butchered the definition of what constitutes God’s Law.
However, this need not be complicated. One can spot through the Old and New Testaments and examine many scriptures in which the “law” or “commandments” are described. The first is Genesis 26, where both words are found: “And I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven…Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (vs. 4-5).
Direct blessings come from keeping the commandments and laws of God. Throughout the Old Testament you will see that ancient Israel was told to keep God’s Law.
Much confusion stems from differences between the laws of Moses—the civil laws of the nation—and the commandments of God—the Ten Commandments.
Jesus Christ had much to say about the Ten Commandments. Notice Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill…not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (vs. 17-18, NASB).
The word “fulfill” (pleroo in the original Greek) means to “verify, fully preach, perfect, fill to the full.” In other words, Christ came to verify and perfect the Ten Commandments, expanding their meaning. The same chapter is filled with examples of how the Ten Commandments are even more binding today. For instance, “…it was said of them of old time, You shall not kill…but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (vs. 21-22). Instead of abolishing the Sixth Commandment, Christ magnified it.
Much more could be said about how all Ten Commandments, including obedience of the seventh-day Sabbath, are found throughout the New Testament. (To look at these verses in more detail, read our article “Does the New Testament Teach All Ten Commandments?”)
The primary verse your minister will use to dismiss the scriptures above is found in Colossians 2. Let’s read: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (vs. 14).
No doubt, you have heard that the Ten Commandments were “done away” or “nailed to the cross.” This is the verse used to support that claim. Examining the original Greek words that were translated into English removes all mystery about the subject of this verse. The word “ordinances” comes from the Greek word dogma, which means “a law (civil or ceremonial); public decrees; the rules and requirements of the law of Moses.” This verse speaks of ordinances of men—“the handwriting of ordinances that was against us…contrary to us.” This is not speaking of the Law of God, which Psalm 19 describes as “perfect,” “sure,” “right” and “pure,” (vs. 7-8) and Paul states is “holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). It was the ordinances of men—along with the death penalty we earned through sin—that were “nailed to the cross.”
Your minister knows—or should know!—the meaning of that Greek word.
Are you beginning to see why God is angry with those who teach contrary to His Word? Multiple verses state that those who do not obey God and keep His laws do not have godly love (John 14:15) and are liars (I John 2:4).
Some assert that keeping the Ten Commandments is being “legalistic,” stating that salvation is by grace. Does obeying the Law have anything to do with salvation? Remember, we have already seen that disobeying the Law results in death! How does grace and obeying the Ten Commandments connect to salvation? And does obeying the law—your works—mean you are trying to earn salvation?
Most assume that grace and works are mutually exclusive. The Bible says no such thing. In fact, you may be surprised that God’s Word demonstrates both are required.
Think of it this way. When one is born in the United States, he is an American citizen. It does not matter the national origin of his parents, how much money he has, or any other factor; the process is automatic. However, what one does with that citizenship is up to him. How hard he will work in school and how diligent he will be in the workforce will determine how successful he will be. It simply comes down to his works!
Grace and works are similar. Christians are saved by grace. There is nothing any person can do to earn salvation. It is wholly and completely a gift from God. No amount of commandment-keeping can make up for or atone for violating the Law. Only Jesus Christ’s blood can do this.
However, your reward (John 14:2-3) in God’s kingdom, after receiving salvation, is determined by your works. The commandments are ten laws that describe personal responsibility. That part you must do. Yet it is not you doing this, but Christ in you; and Christ in you will keep the same commandments He kept when He was in the flesh almost 2,000 years ago!
Again, do not believe any reasoning of man, but look directly into the pages of your Bible. Tying two passages together makes this clear:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:4-10).
Clearly, Christians are not saved by works—but works are required: “Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone…You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works…But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?…See you how faith wrought [worked] with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (Jms. 2:17-18, 20, 22).
The entire chapter goes into detail about how works and faith work together to perfect Christians. Christians demonstrate their faith in God by keeping His Law, yet it requires faith in Christ’s power at work in the person for him to succeed.
Perhaps the most universally misunderstood truth about the Bible is in regard to what happens when one dies, whether he goes to heaven or hell for eternity. Countless millions believe—and hear their ministers preach—that we must “believe in Jesus” so we can “enter heaven” or be “saved in the rapture.”
Conversely, it is said that all who do not “know Jesus in their hearts” will be, at death, instantly sent to hell, where they will suffer torment for eternity.
Is this concept biblical? Ask your minister to show you any passage that says you will go to heaven. If he attempts to twist or force Old Testament scriptures to say that Moses and Elijah are in heaven, then ask him why Jesus Christ so clearly stated, “And no man has ascended up to heaven” (John 3:13). Ask: Was Christ confused? Did Jesus Christ, as He worked with the Father, just never happen to bump into Moses and Elijah in heaven? Of course, this is ridiculous!
Then what does happen when you die? Examine how it is described in the book of Psalms: “His [man’s] breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (146:4). Yes, when man dies, he stops breathing. His body returns to the earth. He has no thoughts—he knows absolutely nothing (Ecc. 9:5)!
To die means to be dead—the opposite of life. You have no thoughts, no concept of time; you are dead. Do not allow your minister to explain away these verses by simply saying that being in hell means being “cut off from God.” The book of Isaiah shows that sin, of which we are all guilty (Rom. 3:23), already cuts us off from God while we are alive (Isa. 59:2).
In God’s eyes, human beings simply fall asleep when they die. However, like Christ, true Christians who die will be resurrected: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [died in Christ] will God bring with Him [at His Second Coming]” (I Thes. 4:14). At Christ’s Return, the saints will be raised from the dead and receive their reward. Until then, they are waiting to be resurrected.
The oft-quoted “beatitudes” describe this reward: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). This is quoted from Psalm 37:11. Space does not permit listing all the passages that explain a Christian’s reward.
A loving, merciful God has a plan to offer salvation to all people who ever lived, but according to His timetable (Rev. 20:11-13). The true God wants everyone to make it into His kingdom. He is a caring God, who wants the best for mankind.
God is not some “cruel monster” who sends people to an eternally burning hell for being ignorant of Him and His Way. What kind of God would say He is described as love (I John 4:8), and then horribly torture billions because they had never heard of Him or the name of Christ through no fault of their own—in essence, refusing to give the masses a chance at salvation?
You should question the concept of the brutal god you hear described each week at church services—the one referred to as a trinity, a mystery that you cannot—and should not try to—understand!
Perhaps the easiest of the seven questions to prove is the identity of the God of the Old Testament. You may be surprised to find the answer in the New Testament. So, without doubt, your preacher is familiar with it.
Regarding ancient Israel, the apostle Paul wrote, “And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:3-4).
How plain! Jesus Christ is the God of both the Old and New Testaments.
In both New and Old Testaments, Christ is described as the God who never changes (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). Given what you have read thus far, this makes perfect sense. The New Testament teachings reflect the Old. The Law of God—the Ten Commandments—is still binding on Christians today. What happens when we die, what sin is and so many more doctrines are in complete agreement when compared to the Old Testament.
Again ask: Why have you been deceived? What causes your minister to hide these easily provable truths?
(Incredibly, the Bible speaks of “another Jesus.” To learn more, read our article “A Counterfeit ‘Jesus’?”, published in this issue.)
If these truths were taught, they would point to the true God of the Bible and, in turn, would point to the primary purpose of the New Testament—the establishment and building of Christ’s Church.
Every major metropolis, city, village or one-stoplight town has something in common. They all have churches sprinkled throughout. Thousands of disagreeing and competing organizations seemingly cannot agree on anything.
Is Jesus part of the mass confusion that is professing Christianity? In the book of Amos, Christ, the God of the Old Testament, stated, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
In Matthew 16, Jesus stated, “I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (vs. 18). Christ said He would build His Church—singular! Not thousands of fighting and competing churches. Jesus further stated His Church would never disappear.
Your “job,” as one striving to be a Christian, is to seek out and find that Church! It is only from that Church you will receive true spiritual nourishment, which will allow you to develop and grow in perfect godly character.
Again, ask yourself: Why are you reading these seven truths here—in this magazine?
Christ built one—and only one—Church to carry out the commissions He set forth. There is only one Church that fulfills all the requirements found throughout the New Testament. It is that Church from which you are learning these and many more Bible truths.
Finally, ask yourself why you are following ministers who are deceiving you—when you can learn God’s Way, complete and unabridged?
In a court of law, one’s complicity in a matter is summarized in three questions: What did you know? When did you know it? And what did you do about it when you found out?
The same can be asked of you. The purpose for your existence is much greater than any supposed eternity spent in heaven playing a harp. God has purposed in you a potential far beyond what you now dream.
Describing these last days, Paul wrote to Timothy, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13). No longer do you have to be “deceived” by those doing the “deceiving.” But like a court of law, Christ will ask you what you did with the knowledge He gave you.
By this point, you will likely want to ask your minister about what you have read. Beware of clever rebuttals. Do not believe cunning arguments meant to twist the clear, unambiguous scriptures covered herein.
Your minister should know the answers to these questions. The prophet Ezekiel makes it clear what God thinks of those who have knowledge and willingly ignore it: “You dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not [a choice is made!]; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezek. 12:2).
Will you be the same?
Why have you never been taught these things? How can such amazing truths—so obvious from the pages of your Bible—remain hidden for so long?
Your eyes have been opened to just seven teachings. You are left to decide whether you will return to deception—or find out why you have been misled for so many years. The right choice means you can begin to learn many more marvelous truths from God’s Instruction Manual for mankind—the Holy Bible
The book of Isaiah describes God’s Word as a coded Book, with teachings found “here a little, and there a little” (28:10).
Most religious leaders have chosen to ignore what the Bible teaches—and seemingly fear to tell the truth! They also fear other things: admitting they have been deceived, and thus having deceived others; local deacons or members firing them for teaching biblical truth; their congregants leaving the fold. In all cases, they fear what men may say or do, and give little or no thought to the fact that they are teaching against what God states in His Word!
What follows is simple, and the verses quoted are not open to human interpretation. They are seven basic questions your minister does not want you to ask this Sunday—but after they are revealed, it will be hard not to do so!
First, some background.
Satan—A Being of Light?
Blame for deception cannot be solely laid at the feet of those who claim to be ministers of Jesus Christ. There is another source, which drives the thinking of such religious leaders—and is key to understanding why basic truths of the Bible remain hidden. Notice: “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Cor. 4:4).
The true God of the Bible does not deceive. Rather, He is using His servants to announce the gospel to the world—the good news of the soon-coming kingdom of God—the central message His faithful servants have announced since “righteous Abel.”
Who is the “god of this world” who blinds—deceives—men? Allow God’s Word to explain: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).
As the one who deceives those of all nations, including their ministers, it is ultimately Satan who is responsible. However, God also holds people accountable—especially those who know they are teaching falsehoods, but continue to teach them, anyway.
(Yet, it must also be understood that there are those who truly believe what they teach. They may be sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.)
Of course, a minister would never come out and say he is teaching doctrines “of Satan.” The devil’s deception is well-planned and extremely subtle. Just as he portrays himself as the God of the Bible, he portrays his ministers as ones teaching from the Bible: “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (II Cor. 11:14-15). Ministers will always appear to be of God.
God’s view of such religious leaders is found in Ezekiel 22, verses 23 to 31 (as well as many other chapters of Ezekiel). While it is too long to quote in its entirety, it is critical to understand the language and tone God uses to describe deceitful ministers; terms such as “defiled,” “guilty,” “roaring lions ravening the prey” who have “devoured souls,” having “put no difference between the holy and profane,” and acting as “wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls.”
Strong words!
However, what angers God the most? “…her prophets [ministers]…divining lies unto them [the people], saying, Thus says the Lord God, when the Lord has not spoken” (vs. 28).
You must have knowledge of what God has spoken. Only then will you be able to discern when a man preaches something “the Lord has not spoken.”
Here then are seven questions your pastor hopes desperately you will not ask.
(1) “What is the Bible’s Definition of Sin?”
One of the central points of the Bible is the difference between what God approves, and what He does not. There have been endless dissertations about the definition of sin—what is and is not sin. Yet the Bible defines sin with surprising simplicity: “Whosever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). When someone transgresses or breaks “the law,” he is sinning.
When one breaks man’s laws, he earns a penalty, such as a fine, jail time or even (depending on the seriousness of the crime) death. Likewise, when we violate the laws of God, we earn a penalty: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Wages are something you earn as a payment for what you have done. If you sin—break God’s Law—you will die (Ezek. 18:4, 20).
Suddenly, knowing what constitutes “the law” is of extreme importance! Again, we must allow God to explain what He means through His Word—not the reasoning or opinions of men.
(2) “What is God’s Law?”
What should be an easy answer to the above question has been so twisted and mangled it needs more than a one or two scripture response. Greater “churchianity” has blurred the concept of what sin is and, by extension, has also butchered the definition of what constitutes God’s Law.
However, this need not be complicated. One can spot through the Old and New Testaments and examine many scriptures in which the “law” or “commandments” are described. The first is Genesis 26, where both words are found: “And I will make your seed to multiply as the stars of heaven…Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (vs. 4-5).
Direct blessings come from keeping the commandments and laws of God. Throughout the Old Testament you will see that ancient Israel was told to keep God’s Law.
Much confusion stems from differences between the laws of Moses—the civil laws of the nation—and the commandments of God—the Ten Commandments.
Jesus Christ had much to say about the Ten Commandments. Notice Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5: “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill…not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (vs. 17-18, NASB).
The word “fulfill” (pleroo in the original Greek) means to “verify, fully preach, perfect, fill to the full.” In other words, Christ came to verify and perfect the Ten Commandments, expanding their meaning. The same chapter is filled with examples of how the Ten Commandments are even more binding today. For instance, “…it was said of them of old time, You shall not kill…but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (vs. 21-22). Instead of abolishing the Sixth Commandment, Christ magnified it.
Much more could be said about how all Ten Commandments, including obedience of the seventh-day Sabbath, are found throughout the New Testament. (To look at these verses in more detail, read our article “Does the New Testament Teach All Ten Commandments?”)
The primary verse your minister will use to dismiss the scriptures above is found in Colossians 2. Let’s read: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (vs. 14).
No doubt, you have heard that the Ten Commandments were “done away” or “nailed to the cross.” This is the verse used to support that claim. Examining the original Greek words that were translated into English removes all mystery about the subject of this verse. The word “ordinances” comes from the Greek word dogma, which means “a law (civil or ceremonial); public decrees; the rules and requirements of the law of Moses.” This verse speaks of ordinances of men—“the handwriting of ordinances that was against us…contrary to us.” This is not speaking of the Law of God, which Psalm 19 describes as “perfect,” “sure,” “right” and “pure,” (vs. 7-8) and Paul states is “holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). It was the ordinances of men—along with the death penalty we earned through sin—that were “nailed to the cross.”
Your minister knows—or should know!—the meaning of that Greek word.
Are you beginning to see why God is angry with those who teach contrary to His Word? Multiple verses state that those who do not obey God and keep His laws do not have godly love (John 14:15) and are liars (I John 2:4).
Some assert that keeping the Ten Commandments is being “legalistic,” stating that salvation is by grace. Does obeying the Law have anything to do with salvation? Remember, we have already seen that disobeying the Law results in death! How does grace and obeying the Ten Commandments connect to salvation? And does obeying the law—your works—mean you are trying to earn salvation?
(3) “Are We Saved by Just Grace —or Are Works Involved?”
Most assume that grace and works are mutually exclusive. The Bible says no such thing. In fact, you may be surprised that God’s Word demonstrates both are required.
Think of it this way. When one is born in the United States, he is an American citizen. It does not matter the national origin of his parents, how much money he has, or any other factor; the process is automatic. However, what one does with that citizenship is up to him. How hard he will work in school and how diligent he will be in the workforce will determine how successful he will be. It simply comes down to his works!
Grace and works are similar. Christians are saved by grace. There is nothing any person can do to earn salvation. It is wholly and completely a gift from God. No amount of commandment-keeping can make up for or atone for violating the Law. Only Jesus Christ’s blood can do this.
However, your reward (John 14:2-3) in God’s kingdom, after receiving salvation, is determined by your works. The commandments are ten laws that describe personal responsibility. That part you must do. Yet it is not you doing this, but Christ in you; and Christ in you will keep the same commandments He kept when He was in the flesh almost 2,000 years ago!
Again, do not believe any reasoning of man, but look directly into the pages of your Bible. Tying two passages together makes this clear:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:4-10).
Clearly, Christians are not saved by works—but works are required: “Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being alone…You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works…But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?…See you how faith wrought [worked] with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (Jms. 2:17-18, 20, 22).
The entire chapter goes into detail about how works and faith work together to perfect Christians. Christians demonstrate their faith in God by keeping His Law, yet it requires faith in Christ’s power at work in the person for him to succeed.
(4) “Where Does It Say People Go to Heaven When They Die?”
Perhaps the most universally misunderstood truth about the Bible is in regard to what happens when one dies, whether he goes to heaven or hell for eternity. Countless millions believe—and hear their ministers preach—that we must “believe in Jesus” so we can “enter heaven” or be “saved in the rapture.”
Conversely, it is said that all who do not “know Jesus in their hearts” will be, at death, instantly sent to hell, where they will suffer torment for eternity.
Is this concept biblical? Ask your minister to show you any passage that says you will go to heaven. If he attempts to twist or force Old Testament scriptures to say that Moses and Elijah are in heaven, then ask him why Jesus Christ so clearly stated, “And no man has ascended up to heaven” (John 3:13). Ask: Was Christ confused? Did Jesus Christ, as He worked with the Father, just never happen to bump into Moses and Elijah in heaven? Of course, this is ridiculous!
Then what does happen when you die? Examine how it is described in the book of Psalms: “His [man’s] breath goes forth, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish” (146:4). Yes, when man dies, he stops breathing. His body returns to the earth. He has no thoughts—he knows absolutely nothing (Ecc. 9:5)!
To die means to be dead—the opposite of life. You have no thoughts, no concept of time; you are dead. Do not allow your minister to explain away these verses by simply saying that being in hell means being “cut off from God.” The book of Isaiah shows that sin, of which we are all guilty (Rom. 3:23), already cuts us off from God while we are alive (Isa. 59:2).
In God’s eyes, human beings simply fall asleep when they die. However, like Christ, true Christians who die will be resurrected: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus [died in Christ] will God bring with Him [at His Second Coming]” (I Thes. 4:14). At Christ’s Return, the saints will be raised from the dead and receive their reward. Until then, they are waiting to be resurrected.
The oft-quoted “beatitudes” describe this reward: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). This is quoted from Psalm 37:11. Space does not permit listing all the passages that explain a Christian’s reward.
A loving, merciful God has a plan to offer salvation to all people who ever lived, but according to His timetable (Rev. 20:11-13). The true God wants everyone to make it into His kingdom. He is a caring God, who wants the best for mankind.
God is not some “cruel monster” who sends people to an eternally burning hell for being ignorant of Him and His Way. What kind of God would say He is described as love (I John 4:8), and then horribly torture billions because they had never heard of Him or the name of Christ through no fault of their own—in essence, refusing to give the masses a chance at salvation?
You should question the concept of the brutal god you hear described each week at church services—the one referred to as a trinity, a mystery that you cannot—and should not try to—understand!
(5) “Who is the God of the Old Testament?”
Perhaps the easiest of the seven questions to prove is the identity of the God of the Old Testament. You may be surprised to find the answer in the New Testament. So, without doubt, your preacher is familiar with it.
Regarding ancient Israel, the apostle Paul wrote, “And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:3-4).
How plain! Jesus Christ is the God of both the Old and New Testaments.
In both New and Old Testaments, Christ is described as the God who never changes (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). Given what you have read thus far, this makes perfect sense. The New Testament teachings reflect the Old. The Law of God—the Ten Commandments—is still binding on Christians today. What happens when we die, what sin is and so many more doctrines are in complete agreement when compared to the Old Testament.
Again ask: Why have you been deceived? What causes your minister to hide these easily provable truths?
(Incredibly, the Bible speaks of “another Jesus.” To learn more, read our article “A Counterfeit ‘Jesus’?”, published in this issue.)
If these truths were taught, they would point to the true God of the Bible and, in turn, would point to the primary purpose of the New Testament—the establishment and building of Christ’s Church.
(6) “What is the Church Christ Built?”
Every major metropolis, city, village or one-stoplight town has something in common. They all have churches sprinkled throughout. Thousands of disagreeing and competing organizations seemingly cannot agree on anything.
Is Jesus part of the mass confusion that is professing Christianity? In the book of Amos, Christ, the God of the Old Testament, stated, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
In Matthew 16, Jesus stated, “I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (vs. 18). Christ said He would build His Church—singular! Not thousands of fighting and competing churches. Jesus further stated His Church would never disappear.
Your “job,” as one striving to be a Christian, is to seek out and find that Church! It is only from that Church you will receive true spiritual nourishment, which will allow you to develop and grow in perfect godly character.
Again, ask yourself: Why are you reading these seven truths here—in this magazine?
Christ built one—and only one—Church to carry out the commissions He set forth. There is only one Church that fulfills all the requirements found throughout the New Testament. It is that Church from which you are learning these and many more Bible truths.
Finally, ask yourself why you are following ministers who are deceiving you—when you can learn God’s Way, complete and unabridged?
You Must Act!
In a court of law, one’s complicity in a matter is summarized in three questions: What did you know? When did you know it? And what did you do about it when you found out?
The same can be asked of you. The purpose for your existence is much greater than any supposed eternity spent in heaven playing a harp. God has purposed in you a potential far beyond what you now dream.
Describing these last days, Paul wrote to Timothy, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim. 3:13). No longer do you have to be “deceived” by those doing the “deceiving.” But like a court of law, Christ will ask you what you did with the knowledge He gave you.
By this point, you will likely want to ask your minister about what you have read. Beware of clever rebuttals. Do not believe cunning arguments meant to twist the clear, unambiguous scriptures covered herein.
Your minister should know the answers to these questions. The prophet Ezekiel makes it clear what God thinks of those who have knowledge and willingly ignore it: “You dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not [a choice is made!]; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezek. 12:2).
Will you be the same?
Why have you never been taught these things? How can such amazing truths—so obvious from the pages of your Bible—remain hidden for so long?
Your eyes have been opened to just seven teachings. You are left to decide whether you will return to deception—or find out why you have been misled for so many years. The right choice means you can begin to learn many more marvelous truths from God’s Instruction Manual for mankind—the Holy Bible
DISCOVER THE TRUTH
The Remnant Church
Is it one Church or many groups?
Who is the remnant Church?
Which Christian Church is the right one?
The book of Revelation speaks of the end times and the true people of God, a Remnant Church which Satan will make war against. Satan will come against the remnant Church with everything and anyone he can use. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon [Satan] was wroth with the woman [Church], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” It grieves me to say that Satan has used even Christians to do this and has been so successful over the centuries that we find that what is popular is not always truth and what is truth is not always popular.Revelation also speaks of the reward awaiting the remnant. Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” This verse tells us clearly that if we are around at the end of time, then if we want to be saved, we must be part of this remnant. The questions then are, what is a remnant, how do you become part of it, how do we identify who the remnant Church is or which Churches are part of the remnant if it is not just one particular denomination?
What is a remnant?
A remnant is a small piece of something left over from the original. It is identical to the original, but in a smaller proportion. When someone is sewing and makes clothes out of a large piece of cloth, the small left over material is called the remnant.When the Bible speaks of the remnant Church, it likewise is referring to a small proportion of God’s people at the end of time who have clung to the unadulterated belief system, faith and doctrines of the early Christian Church. This Church will be comprised of people who have not have allowed pagan ideas, days or idols to have been introduced into their belief system as it has unbeknown to many Churches.
Is this remnant Church many groups?
Perhaps the best place to start to define what the remnant is, would be to look at the original Church of Acts while the faith was still pure and untainted, then compare it with the Churches and doctrines that we see today, and then find a contemporary Church or group of believers who most closely resemble the early believers of the original Church in their actions, beliefs and lifestyles.The birth of the Christian Church.
During His lifetime Jesus had many faithful followers. After His resurrection we read of the account where 120 of His followers were meeting together in the upper room, joined in one accord in prayer.- “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”
- “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The Bible also describes the outward changes that had occurred to the apostles. Once they were baptized with the Holy Spirit they were given boldness to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
- “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
In the early Church we saw the transition spoken of by Jesus, of those ordained to be called God’s chosen people. Whereas the Jews had previously been given the privilege of being God’s representative nation on earth, many of them failed in their duty of recognizing the Messiah whom God sent to them. Even though the coming of Jesus was spelt out in so many Old Testament scriptures and prophecies, the majority of the Jewish nation, and specifically the Jewish leaders, rejected Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and hence lost the right to be called God’s chosen people. Instead this privilege was given to anyone who chose to follow Jesus.
This next scripture shows clearly that of all the children of Israel only a remnant would be true to God and be saved. Only those who chose to follow God and His son, when Israel as a nation officially rejected Him, just before the stoning of Stephan, retained the right to be called God’s people.
Romans 9:26-27 “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”
Jesus had prophesied about this transition. At the beginning of His ministry Jesus had referred to the temple as ‘My fathers house’, but just before His death He spoke of it as their (the Jews) house, which would be left desolate. Mathew 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Jesus also made it clear that the kingdom would be given to those who demonstrated the true fruits of the Spirit and believed in Him. Matthew 21:42-46 “Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.” Daniel’s Prophecy of weeks explains how and when this occurred.
In his letter to the Roman Church Paul further clarified this transition. Romans 9:6-9 “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.” The children of the promise were now those who believed in, and relied upon Jesus as their Saviour and redeemer.
This was made even clearer again in his letter to the Galatian Church. Galatians 3:26-29 “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Paul sheds more light with this verse also. Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Acts 28:28 “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”
Just as only a remnant of the Jewish nation accepted Christ and became part of the true early Church, this same theme is prophesied to occur at the end of time. Even though there will be a vast number of people who profess to be God’s people (Christians), only a remnant – the ones who truly love God and obey His Commandments in the way He ordained, will be saved. Only those who have not let their belief system be influenced and adulterated by the pollution of pagan beliefs will find their place to eat from the tree of life.
God will call His people out of Babylon
At the end of time God will call His faithful people out of Babylon (the apostate Christian Churches) and into His remnant Church. Revelation 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” This shows us clearly that at the present time there are many of God’s true people in the wrong Churches, due to ignorance, which God will illuminate with the truth and draw out in the last days. Specifically Babylon refers to an apostate (non-Biblically based) system, which does not follow all the Commandments of God. Sin is the transgression of the law, and Churches who teach that only eight or nine of the Commandments are relevant are teaching their children to sin. One Christian denomination removed the second Commandment relating to idol worship from their official list of the Commandments, and changed the fourth Commandment to Sunday in favour of the pagan Sun worship day. God commanded that His special Holy day of worship should be the seventh day, which is a SIGN that it is God we worship and in honour of His wondrous works of creating the world in six days. This Christian denomination claims that their authority overrides that of the scriptures and promotes the fact that they changed the Sabbath to Sunday and all the other Churches followed their decree as proof of their power. Many other denominations, which stemmed from protestant revolt against this apostate Church in the dark ages, claim to use the scriptures as their only source of doctrine but still omit to fulfil this belief, as they do not uphold God’s original Holy day of worship, but continue on keeping only nine of the Commandments. Sunday keeping has become such a tradition, that the people in many Churches have blinkers on and are ignorant of the fact that they are breaking one of God’s Holy laws. Bible prophecy tells us that at the end of time, God will shine forth the truth of His word and His Commandments to these Churches and those who love Him enough to keep His Commandments in the way He ordained, will be drawn out of these apostate systems and become part of the remnant Church, the true chosen people of God. Revelation describes the two opposing sides at the end, Babylon (the apostate Church) or in other passages referred to as a harlot woman riding a beast, and the true Church which is depicted as a woman in white. Those in Babylon get the mark of the beast and those in the remnant get the seal of God. There are no other categories, at the end of time everyone on the whole earth will be in one group or the other, which is why it is so important to find out how to become part of the true remnant and avoid the wrath of God.Will the remnant Church be persecuted?
The early Church faced much opposition and persecution. 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the Churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”Revelation shows that the remnant Church will also be persecuted, ostracized and killed for holding firm to their belief in their heavenly father as being the creator of heaven and earth and for obeying His Commandments. Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 20:14 “Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
Revelation also speaks of those who will endure through the persecutions, standing steadfast in their faith and not bowing down to the pressures, torture and some even unto death. Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Revelation 2:7 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
John had previously written advice on how to overcome the world, and it ties in neatly with Revelation. 1 John 5:3-9 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments: and his Commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.” This plainly demonstrates that obeying God’s Commandments and having faith in Jesus as our redeemer, with the knowledge and assurance that He has given us eternal life through His great sacrifice is what will give us the strength to endure through the terrible time of persecution.
What are the characteristics of God’s remnant people?
It is clear from the verses in 1 John and Revelation that the remnant people will be obeying all of the Ten Commandments, just as the early Church did. This includes keeping the seventh day Holy as God ordained, and not the first day which is a man-made tradition. No man or Church has the authority to tamper with and change God’s law, and Jesus made it abundantly clear that not ‘one jot or tittle’ (equivalent to the dotting of an “i” or the crossing of a “t”) would in any way pass from the law. Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”Paul spoke clearly about the type of lifestyle that Christians should be living, fleeing unrighteousness, or in other words obeying the Ten Commandments. He also spoke of how we should look after our earthly bodies, because they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Paul himself would have followed all of the health laws in relation to clean and unclean (healthy and unhealthy) foods which God had given to Moses for the benefit of mankind.
- “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. 14 And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
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“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
If these messages are to be given by God’s remnant Church, then they would also need to have a complete understanding of what the prophetic meaning of Babylon, beasts, the mark of the beast and the other prophetic symbols used in Revelation and Daniel mean. It would have to also interpret Bible prophecy according to the scriptures method of interpretation Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” which is to use the Bible to interpret itself by lining up all of the prophecies which speak of the same things and putting all the jigsaw pieces together to get the complete interpretation, and not by giving private interpretations. 2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” Many Churches have private interpretations of prophecy but this is not needed or allowed. Where does it say that the Mark of the Beast will be a computer chip? It doesn’t. This is a private interpretation. The Church who actively preaches the three angels messages must understand and preach who the beast is, and what their mark is. Select for more information on the mark of the beast or what is the mark of the beast for the origin of 666 also.
The prophecies of Daniel foretell that at the end of time extra light (understanding of prophecies) will be given. Daniel 12:4 “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” This clearly shows that another characteristic of the remnant is that they have a good understanding of Bible prophecy.
What is the Testimony of Jesus?
Revelation shows us that the remnant Church will follow the Ten Commandments and have the testimony of Jesus. What does this mean?It needs to be noted that this says the testimony of Jesus and not the testimony about Jesus. Therefore it is speaking of the words of Jesus and not what people have spoken about Him.
Jesus tells us clearly that He was sent to earth by God. John 8:42 “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” He also made it apparent that He was obeying God’s will John 6:38 “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” and that in the hierarchy of the Godhead He was beneath and subordinate to God the Father. John 13:16 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” He reiterated again that God the Father was greater than Jesus the son. John 14:28 “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”
Also the Bible shows us that the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, which fits perfectly because a prophet is one who speaks on behalf of God, and everything that Jesus spoke revealed His Father to us. Revelation 19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Jesus told us that He was speaking the words that the Father gave Him to speak. John 12:50 “And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
What did Jesus come to tell us?
Jesus came to tell us about the road to salvation. John 3:5-7 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”He came to show us that He was the only way (gate) to the Father. John 3:14-17 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
Jesus also told us that He had not come to destroy the law of God, but rather to show us the perfect example of how to keep it, and not only that, but to also magnify it. Matthew 5:17-19 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
The Old Testament always informs us through the prophets what changes are coming in the future and the following scripture gives us confirmation of this. Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” So what did the prophets say would be done in regards to the Ten Commandments? It was prophesied that Jesus would Magnify the law and make it Honourable. This is certainly quite to the contrary that some are teaching today in that the law has ended. Isaiah 42:21 “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.”
He then went on to give examples of how the law would be magnified according to Isaiah 42:21. Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
This shows plainly that Jesus intended that all who followed Him would keep all of the Ten Commandments of God, which again fits perfectly with the verses in Revelation that show that the remnant Church will follow the Commandments and have the testimony of Jesus.
Jesus also showed us that it is not what we say, but rather what we do, our fruits, that matter, because if we really love and honour Him we will be obedient to Him. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” These are sobering verses, because Jesus is talking about Christians. Some will proclaim Him as their Lord, and even claim to do miracles in His name, but because they don’t love Him enough to obey Him and follow His Commandments, they will not be saved.
The remnant Church will not only believe wholeheartedly in the truths of the words that Jesus spoke, but will also be endowed with members who will also prophesy and speak for God. Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”
In Old Testament times we see many examples of where God sent a prophet to His people to try to get them back on track just before a major event. Noah prophesied for 120 years before God sent the flood. Jonah prophesied to Nineveh, which successfully turned their hearts back to God and prevented their eminent destruction. John the Baptist prophesied in the wilderness about the coming Messiah and at the end of time the remnant will prophesy to all the world in an effort to get people back on track in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.” The testimony of Jesus Christ is the words that he spoke and the message He gave us from the Father that will always exist to guide His people to eternal life.
What other doctrines will the remnant follow?
Just as the early Church based their doctrines solely on the Word of God and the teachings of Jesus, so too will the remnant Church rely upon these sources to test all doctrine against, to make sure it is correct.Many Christians are oblivious to the fact that some of the belief system in modern Christian Churches actually stems from pagan traditions and beliefs rather than from the Word of God. Following are some examples of what the original Christian Church knew to be correct from their understanding of the Old Testament and from the teachings of Jesus. Many of these truths have been lost in modern Churches, but when God calls His people out of Babylon (apostasy) they will again grasp hold of these lost truths and follow God’s Word earnestly.
1. The early believers knew that when they died, they would sleep until the resurrection to life at the second coming of Jesus.
The idea that when we die people go either straight to heaven or straight to Hell is not biblically founded. Take note of what Jesus said about his friend Lazarus who had died? John 11:11-14 “These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
Jesus clearly demonstrated that the dead sleep. If Lazarus had gone straight to heaven Jesus would have told the disciples that he was in heaven with the Father. After Jesus raised Lazarus, nobody asked Lazarus “What was it like in heaven? Tell us about it.” No one needed to, because it was the common belief of the day that when someone died they slept until the resurrection at the last day.
This is illustrated in the Old Testament in Psalms where we are told that when we die our thoughts perish Psalms 146:4 “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
Job also made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
The scriptures also show that we will not rise again until Jesus returns when (the heavens are no more) Job 14:12 “So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.”
Paul reinforced and clarified that this was his understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
The common misconception of many Christians today is that when they die they go directly to heaven, even though the Day of Judgment has not even occurred yet. They visualize the dead Christians in heaven with the angels praising God, but the Bible makes it clear that the dead cannot praise God, their thoughts have perished and they are asleep. Psalms 115:17 “The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
It is clear that the Bible writers all understood that the state of the dead is like being asleep only to be awakened seemingly the moment after they closed their eyes at the final trumpet when Jesus returns on the day of redemption. 1 Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Job made it clear that we return to dust and are no more until the resurrection Job 7:21 “And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
Some disregard all the other scriptures showing the state of the dead in favour of a mispunctuated verse. When Jesus was dying on the cross the crucified thief right next to Him said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” The interpretation of Jesus’ response depends upon where you place a tiny particle called a comma. The fact is, commas are not inspired, but were added over a thousand years later, along with chapters and verses. Did Jesus Christ say, “I say to you, to day you will be with Me in paradise” or, “I say to you today, you will be with Me in paradise” Firstly, Jesus didn’t go to Paradise that day. He went to the tomb. Also, crucifixion is very cruel and it normally takes several days to die and so the thief did not die that day which is why they broke his legs. When they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Right after His resurrection on Sunday morning, Jesus said to Mary, “I have not yet ascended to My Father.” John 20:17. Thus on Sunday, Jesus had not yet ascended to Paradise. Paradise is in heaven where God and the tree of life are. Jesus would not contradict Himself or the rest of the Bible. He said previously that believers go to Heaven “on the last day” when He “comes again.”
The remnant Church will have this Bible truth revealed to them, and will choose to believe the Word of God, over the ‘traditional teachings’ of modern Churches. Select for more detailed information on what happens when you die.
2. Hell-fire is an event and not a place. The Bible writers believed that the wicked would be raised at the second resurrection, also known as the resurrection to damnation, which occurs 1000 years after the resurrection to life (at the second coming). They believed that the wicked would receive their judgment and then be destroyed by hellfire.
Many Christians today believe that this Hell Fire will last forever and that the wicked will be eternally tormented in pain and anguish, but this is not what the early believers knew to be the case.
There have been some misunderstood verses which have led people to this conclusion, so the only way to determine the correct meaning is to check all the relevant verses and line up the fence posts. The Bible does not contradict itself, so if the verses don’t all seem to be in agreement, then we must look to see what the majority say clearly, to check which ones we have misunderstood.
Jesus said Matthew 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” He also said John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” One verse seems to be saying that the wicked will live forever in everlasting fire and yet the other verse tells us that only those who belong to Jesus will get everlasting life. If only the true followers live forever then this means that wicked will perish.
The logical conclusion then is that the everlasting fire is not actually fire that is burning forever, but rather fire which consumes with everlasting consequences. It can also be called unquenched fire, which means it will be allowed to burn until it is all burnt out.
There are over 50 other places in the Bible where it uses the word forever, but the event mentioned has finished. Just as today we often loosely use the word forever, such as “It took forever to get out of the shop” or “that lecture went on forever”, these similar types of expressions were also used in the Bible for events that lasted a long time, but not actually eternally and also for events that had everlasting consequences. For example the Bible describes the fire that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah as eternal fire. Jude 1:7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.” This fire is not still burning today. It had eternal consequences as the cities were forever destroyed and the fire was not extinguished or quenched by anyone. This fire was allowed to burn until it had consumed everything away and then it went out.
This is the same type of fire that “death and hell” (the Greek word used here for hell translates literally into ‘grave’) will be thrown into and the same type of Fire from Heaven that will consume the wicked after the judgment. The duration of their suffering will depend on their sentence. They will be either consumed quickly with little pain, or else have to suffer longer for more severe sins. The Bible clearly shows that they will not live forever burning in Hell, because we are told that they will be as ashes under our feet. Malachi 4:3 “And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”
Many Christians think that Satan will be thrown into eternally burning hell fire and life forever and ever, but the Bible shows that he too will be consumed and will be no more. Ezekiel 28:18-19 “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.”
Yet another fence post to line up is this. Malachi 4:1 “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”
Our awesome and loving God who abounds in mercy is not going to torture and torment the wicked forever and ever in the agony of an eternally burning Hell. He will deal justly with them and they will perish for their sins. For the Wages of Sin is death (not eternal life in torment).
The ideas of a devil in a red suit with a pitchfork in the fiery bowels of the earth who will torment people for all time, again stemmed out of some ancient pagan myths, and not from the Holy Word of God. Also logically, if the devil where to live forever tormenting the wicked in hell, what sort of punishment would that be for him? He would enjoy seeing the wicked suffer.
The early Church understood that the wicked would perish, and so shall the remnant Church also be given this understanding. This is a very difficult subject so for more detailed information on this very hot topic, select the truth about Hades and hell fire.
3. As already discussed the Bible makes it crystal clear that the remnant people will be following all of the Ten Commandments, which includes keeping the Biblical seventh day Sabbath Holy as all of God’s people in the Old Testament, and Jesus and all of His disciples did. See the Sabbath day or God's Sabbath Truth for detailed information. See also how the Sabbath was changed to Sunday through paganism and the Papal Church.
4. The Bible writer Luke makes it clear to us that He knew the Biblical timeline which went back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. When quoting the genealogy of Jesus, Luke cited the names of all of the forefathers of Jesus, going all the way back to Adam. Luke 3:23-38
This uninterrupted genealogy represents approximately 4000 years, allowing for the average age of each generation. We also know that Jesus and the early Church believed in the six day creation of the world, and God put in place the seventh day Sabbath as an eternal reminder of this. It is safe to say then that no one in the early Church had any trouble in believing that their world was about 4000 years old. No one doubted the ability of our awesome creator God to create our world in six days.
It is a sad fact today that many Christians prefer to believe the doctored claims of scientists, who use fallible scientific formulas, relying on factors being constants, which other scientists have proved are variables to carbon date objects to millions of years, rather than believing in God’s Word as being true and accurate. The theory of evolution is just a ‘theory’ and yet even many Christians give more credence to it than they do to the Bible account of creation. Scientists are at a loss to explain away the many co-dependent relationships in nature, such as the Vanilla orchid, which is germinated by a specific bee that instinctively removes a little cap from within the inside of the flower to allow germination. When explorers took the plant overseas, it always died off, as no other insect knew how to germinate it. Evolutionists cannot explain away how this flower could have existed for hundreds or thousands of years, until this particular bee worked out what it must do. It would have died off in one generation. God in His wisdom created this flower and this bee to coexist.
The Bible writers and the early Church believed in the seven day literal creation and the young age of the earth, and so too will the remnant Church believe in the infallibility of the Word of God.
5. The early Church believed that Jesus was our only mediator and our High Priest who intercedes for us in the heavenly temple. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” Unfortunately some in the Christian faith have sought to exalt Mary to the position of co-mediator, which is totally contrary to what the scriptures teach us. The remnant people will accept that Jesus is the only one who can mediate for them.
6. The early Church understood that only Jesus could forgive our sins, as He is the son of God. Today some portions of the Christian Church have appointed earthly men as priests and teach that they have the power to forgive sins, and that God will go along with them, whether they choose to forgive or not to forgive. This is a totally unbiblical doctrine, and in fact matches the Bible’s definition of blasphemy. When Jesus purported that He could forgive sins, the Jewish leaders (not knowing that He really was the son of God, and therefore did have the authority to do so) said that Jesus was committing blasphemy. Mark 2:7 “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?”
7. Idols. The early Church held strictly to the Ten Commandments and had nothing whatsoever to do with idols or idol worship. Unfortunately there are certain areas within the Christian Church today who teach that it is okay to bow before and pray to statues (calling them the representations of saints). The foot of the statue of St Peter been kissed off and replaced six times. What many people do not know is that the statue of Peter in Rome is older that Peter himself. It was formerly the statue of the pagan god Jupiter from an old pagan temple, which was renamed to St. Peter and moved to Rome. The true remnant will abhor idol worship and have nothing at all to do with it.
8. Baptism by immersion. The early Church followed the example of Jesus by getting baptised by full immersion in water. They understood that this act was their public display to show that they had repented of their sins and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It was only undertaken by people who had made a personal choice. There were never any instances of infant baptism or sprinkling in the Bible. The remnant Church will base their understanding of the act of baptism on the scriptures, and will personally choose to go through the waters of baptism by immersion to symbolise their death to the old life, having their sins washed away and the rebirth into the new life with Christ and His Holy Spirit as their guide. The Greek word “baptizo” for baptize actually means to “to immerse, to submerge” that is to be fully placed under the water.
9. Stewardship. The early Church acknowledged God's ownership of this world and everything in it by faithfully returning tithes and giving offerings for the proclamation of His gospel and the support and growth of His Church. At the very birth of the Church many members actually sold everything they had and pooled their money to fund the spreading of the gospel. The true remnant will likewise be faithful in returning 1/10 of their earnings plus offerings as the Lord leads them, to God for the advancement of His kingdom.
10. Marriage. Marriage was divinely established by God in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman in a loving relationship. The early Church held fast to the belief that a marriage commitment was to God as well as their spouse, and was to be between two people with the common faith. Jesus taught that the person who divorces a spouse, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery. We can expect the remnant Church therefore to be comprised of people who have not remarried for unjust causes, as well as those who are single and have remained celibate, and those who have just married once and been faithful to their marriage vows. It is unfortunate that the institution of marriage among many Christians has failed to be viewed with the same significance that God gave it when He instituted it. Many have been swayed by the views of the world, where swapping partners is common practice, and the question of adultery is considered insignificant. But committing adultery, even with a new husband or wife, still constitutes the breaking of one of God’s Commandments, and we have previously seen that the true remnant will KEEP the Commandments of God.
The Remnant in Prophecy
The book of Revelation which speaks of the Remnant Church begins by saying Revelation 1:1-3 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” This book holds the words of Jesus, speaking to His people and telling them what to expect and what to look out for in the end times. The remnant Church will diligently study this book, and the other prophetic books of the Bible, and will seek to share their understanding of these prophecies with the world, to encourage them to return to the pure faith of our early forefathers.When will the remnant Church arise?
The prophet Daniel gave us a 2300-year prophecy that spanned up to the year 1844, depicting start of the end times. Daniel 12:9-10 “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” See Daniel Bible Prophecy Study for more info.This prophecy was in two parts. The first was seventy weeks (prophetically 490 years) and then the remaining 1810 years.
- “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
The seventy week prophecy is split into three sections, Seven weeks (49 years, which is the time taken to rebuild the temple), 62 weeks (434 years) till the Messiah would come. This takes us to the year the year A.D. 27, which is the year that Jesus was "anointed" with the Holy Spirit after His baptism and began His ministry, and finally there is another week, 7 years.
It says that in the midst of the final seven years the Messiah will be “cut off, but not for himself” (depicting how Jesus would die 3 1/2 years into His ministry) and would cause the “sacrifice and oblation to cease.” Jesus' one time perfect sacrifice on Calvary forever nullified the need for animal sacrificial system of the Jewish temple and the whole ceremonial law that included several ceremonial sabbaths such as Passover.
What happened in the final 3 1/2 years of this prophecy? The gospel message was still preached exclusively to only the Jews, but at the end of this period, Stephen gave his final speech to the Jewish leaders telling them that Jesus was the Messiah predicted by the scriptures, but they stopped their ears, and officially rejected Jesus Christ, then they stoned Stephen. From this time on the gospel was taken to the Gentiles.
This prophecy also predicted the destruction of the temple “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” which occurred in A.D. 70, and marked the final “desolation” that Jesus Himself had predicted. The destruction of both the first and the second temple were as a direct result of the people’s rejection of and disobedience to God.
Daniel’s 2300 year Prophecy
The seventy week prophecy was cut out of the 2300 day prophecy, so the 2300 day prophecy has the same starting date of 457 B.C.- “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. 17 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. 18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright. 19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. 20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. (speaking of the Medo-Persian power that would rule after Babylon) 21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. (speaking of Alexander the Great who would defeat Medo-Persia) 22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. (speaking of the four generals of Alexander who took over power after he died) 23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. (speaking of the Roman empire and the Caesars) 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (speaking of the antichrist power who arises after pagan Rome and who would seek to take the place on Earth of Christ, would persecute God’s people) 26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days. 27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.”
What happened in 1844?
Many amazing things happened around the year 1844. This was when Christians all over the world began to take notice of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These prophecies began to be opened up to their understanding, but not fully. There was a world wide movement involving Christians from all denominations, who misinterpreted the “cleansing of the Sanctuary” to mean the return or “Advent” of Christ. Thousands of people from all denominations all over the world turned their eyes and hearts to God and prepared themselves for the imminent return of Christ. History called this message “SWEET” as one would call the expected return of Christ an exceptionally “sweet” message. However, Christ did not return and they soon realized that the prophecy spoke of the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary and not the Earthly Sanctuary. This very “SWEET” message soon turned into what history called the “BITTER” disappointment.This was a terrible bitter disappointment as they realized that they had misunderstood one small but crucial part of the prophecy. Some were so disillusioned that they left their Churches. Others though went back to diligently searching the scriptures and the prophecies, and gradually more light was given to them. The man initially responsible for understanding this 2300 day Prophecy was William Miller who was an Adventist which is a term that applies to anyone who believes in the Second Advent of Christ. Many people today wrongly call him a “Seventh-day Adventist,” but this is incorrect as he was in fact a Baptist Pastor. He was an Adventist like all the others, but was not a Seventh-day Adventist. A Seventh-day Adventist is part of a denomination that believes in the Second Advent of Christ but also keeps the Seventh Day Sabbath, hence the name.
This historical event that involved Christians from all denominations was on such a grand World Wide scale, and was so significant, that we find Jesus describes this event in Bible Prophecy in Revelation chapter 10.
- “And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: [Book of Daniel] … 8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” Parenthesis are added.
- The book is mentioned as being little. Daniel is only comprised of 12 chapters.
- Each time the book is mentioned it is said that it is “open.” This indicates that it was closed or sealed at some prior stage. The book of Daniel was to be sealed until the time of the end, Daniel 12:4, 9.
- This is the only book spoken of as being sealed in the Bible.
- Since the book of Daniel is sealed until the time of the end, it would be reasonable to expect that at the time of the events surrounding the time of the end, the opening of this book would be mentioned.
- There is no account of the book of Daniel being opened unless this verse in Revelation is accepted. Hence the book of Daniel would be a closed book forever.
- The little book in Revelation 10 is concerned with time, “time no longer.” The only other book of the Bible that specializes in time is the book of Daniel.
- Daniel did not understand the oath in Daniel 12:8 but was reassured in verse 9 that the understanding would be given after the time of the end. Revelation 10 is a fulfilment of this promise.
- The person that made the oath in Daniel 12:7 is described in Daniel 10:5-6 but is also the same person that makes the oath in Revelation 10. This person is Jesus Christ according to the description given in Revelation 1:13-17. This shows the closeness of Daniel 12 and Revelation 10.
- With the book being open and the message being proclaimed from it shows that the message is proclaimed this side of the time of the end in 1798.
- Daniel 11:35 gives a brief explanation of the papal persecution during its reign in the dark ages. According to this verse the persecution was to cease at the time of the end, which was the end of the 1260 years of papal supremacy. This ended in 1798 and thus we see that the time of the end began 1798. So from 1798 onwards the book of Daniel has been open.
Several years later as a result of their continued careful search, God revealed the importance of returning to the faith of the early Church. He revealed to them through the testimony of Jesus (Spirit of Prophecy) the significance of keeping all of His Commandments and basing their whole doctrine on the Word alone. It was discovered by many of them that an apostate Church had changed one of the Ten Commandments of God and that this Commandment was kept by the early Church and so they as the true remnant should be also.
It was noted that Paul and the early Church kept the Commandment from the following scriptures. Acts 17:1-2 “When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,” The Jews and Pharisees which Paul was, have always kept Saturday as the Sabbath. And this was Paul’s custom since childhood. Acts 26:4-5 “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.” In reference to the future destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Christ states in Matthew 24:20, “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” Why would Jesus say pray that you don’t have to flee on the Sabbath if we are not keeping it anymore? He wouldn’t! The gospel of Luke states in Luke 23:56 that when the body of Christ was being prepared by His followers, “they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandment.” Luke’s gospel was written 30-50 years after the cross and there is no way he would make a statement like this without telling us of a change. There was no scripture found that spoke of a change to this Commandment and Jesus said that not even a stroke of the pen will pass from the law till heaven and earth pass. The Bible makes it clear that the true Church will hold fast to the scriptures and the law of God, and that Churches who do not do this are deceived. Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” See also New Testament Sabbath keeping.
There were also many false religions which developed around this time, which promoted extra-biblical and non-biblical teachings. So as God was giving light to some of His people and birthing a remnant Church, Satan was hard at work deceiving as many as he could to lead them away from the truth of the Word of God.
Jesus reinforced this. Matthew 5:17-19 NIRV “Do not think I have come to get rid of what is written in the Law or in the Prophets. I have not come to do that. Instead, I have come to give full meaning to what is written. 18 What I'm about to tell you is true. Heaven and earth will disappear before the smallest letter disappears from the Law. Not even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is completed. 19 "Do not break even one of the least important Commandments. And do not teach others to break them. If you do, you will be called the least important person in the kingdom of heaven. Instead, practice and teach these commands. Then you will be called important in the kingdom of heaven.” So we can determine which are true and false Churches by checking which ones follow and teach obedience to all of the Ten Commandments of God, including keeping His Seventh day Sabbath Holy.
Who is the Remnant Church Summary
To determine who is the remnant Church and whether it be one or more denominations, you will need to find a Church who have people displaying the following attributes. They must:- Be a minority, that is, a remnant.
- Keep all the Ten Commandments of God including the fourth.
- Be Apostolic in nature, similar teaching and belief of the apostles.
- Arise after the 1260 years of Papal supremacy which is after 1798.
- Arise in America, the earth that helped the woman. See verse by verse study on Revelation 12.
- Have the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the Spirit of Prophecy or the Gift of Prophecy manifest through a prophet or prophets, Revelation 19:10; 22:9.
- Be expecting the Second coming of Christ being the last.
- Understand Bible prophecy and 666 and the Mark of the Beast issue.
- Be filled with the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim the gospel message.
- Believe in the Bible as the only source of doctrine.
- Believe in the once only atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
- Abstain from cigarettes, drugs or unhealthy eating that damages their bodies, which are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
- Understand that the dead sleep until the resurrection to life or resurrection to damnation.
- Know that hell-fire is an event and that the wicked do not get eternal life and do perish.
- Believe in the young age of the earth, and that God created the world in six days.
- Believe in Baptism by full immersion of people who have repented and made their own decision to follow Jesus and partake in it.
- Believe in the sanctity of marriage.
- Believe that Jesus is our only mediator and that only He can forgive sins.
- Believe the truth on the Godhead. (Note: The word trinity is not found in the Bible and originated from Tertullian and was established by the Roman Catholic Church in the council of Nicea in 325 AD.)
- Believe in being faithful stewards through tithing and offerings.
- Be prepared to endure persecution for their faith.
- Be a Church that Satan is making war with, that is, incur the wrath of the dragon, eg: Many websites & people attacking it with false rumours.
- Be a world wide movement. The Gospel is to be preached in all the world, Matthew 24:14; Revelation 14:6-12, so it must be a world wide movement.
- “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; … 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. … 18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”
Scripture
Revelation 12:17 “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the Commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
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