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Berean Searchlight – September 2016
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Yearly Archives: 2016
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New Wine and the Dispensation of Grace
“Is the new wine in Mark 2:22 the dispensation of grace?”
No, the dispensation of grace was a mystery that was not revealed until Paul (Eph. 3:1-3). That means it cannot be found hidden in the Lord’s parables, for it was still “hid in God” at that time (Eph. 3:1-9).
Wine is a type of the Holy Spirit, for both are associated with joy (Zech. 10:7; I Thes. 1:6), and new wine is a type of the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. You’ll remember that when the apostles were “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4), men thought that they were “full of new wine” (2:13).
With the parable of the bottles, the Lord was saying that the new wine of the Holy Ghost could not be put into the “old bottles” of Israel’s religious leaders; it must rather be put in the “new bottles” of His “little flock” (Luke 12:32).
New wine is first mentioned in the Bible when Israel was gathered back into her land after her captivity (Neh. 10:39; 13:5,12), a type of Israel’s future gathering back into her land for the kingdom, and so it is associated with the kingdom that was taken from Israel’s apostate leaders and given to the little flock (Matt. 21:43). New wine was withheld from Israel when she rebelled against God (Isa. 24:7; Hos. 9:2; Joel 1:5,10; Hag. 1:11) and was given when she was obedient (Prov. 3:5-10), and so it will be given in the kingdom (Joel 3:18; Zech. 9:17; Matt. 26:29) when God’s Spirit will “cause” them to walk in His ways (Ezek. 36:27).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
Another Back to the Future Day – 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Summary:
“Deceived” means to mislead someone down the wrong path, Satan’s MO since the beginning (ITim.2:14). He deceived Eve when God told her one thing and Satan told her another (Gen.2:17; 3:4). He deceived the Thessalonians when God told them they wouldn’t go through the Day of the Lord, Daniel’s 70th week, and Satan used false teachers to tell them another (IIThes.2:1,2).
After listing the means by which Satan had fooled them (2:2), Paul told them not to let him deceive them “by any means” (2:3). He revealed “a falling away” had to come before the Day of the Lord. Many good pastors say this is the Rapture, arguing the Greek word just means departure. But the Greek word is apostasia, from which we get apostasy, a departure from the truth. The only other place the Greek word is used bears this out (Acts 21:21). That’s the meaning here as well. “Falling away” in the Bible means to depart from the truth (Heb.6:4-6 cf. Jer. 37:13,14)
There is no need for Paul to introduce the Rapture at this point in his argument. He already begged them on the basis of the rapture not to let anyone deceive them, knowing it must come before the Day of the Lord. He’s already made that argument, now he is arguing that something else must come first, an apostasy. But there are two coming, one before the Rapture (ITim.4:1) and one after. Since this passage started by talking about the Rapture, this is speaking about an apostasy that will come after the Rapture
The Lord said at this apostasy “many” would be “deceived” (Mt.24:5), and when they do they will “fall away” (Lu.8: 13) at the “falling away”! This explains the warnings in the Tribulation epistles not to fall away (Heb.4:11; IIPe.3:17). Antichrist can’t be revealed until after the Rapture and this falling away. That means when you hear men say the president is the antichrist or the pope, this cannot be, for they are revealed before the Rapture.
When the man of sin confirms the covenant (Dan.9:26,27) with Israel, the only people made covenants with (Eph.2:12), it will reveal that he is the antichrist. The Abrahamic Covenant he’ll confirm will give them a much greater piece of land than apostate Israel has now, and a promise to protect Israel by cursing those that curse her (Gen.12:3).
Since Paul says he’ll be “revealed” then, some wonder if he’s already born, and maybe grown, and the stage is being set for the Tribulation. But there will be a gap of time after the Rapture, before the 70th week, of up to a generation in length. Daniel was told there’d be 490 years till the kingdom (9:24), the first 483 till Messiah (2:25,26). Then he was told Messiah would be “cut off” from the living (Isa.53:8) “after” the 69th week (Dan.9:26), before the 70th week (9:27). He died in a gap in the 70 weeks prophecy.
This gap is also seen when Israel’s first four feasts, Pass-over, Unleavened Bread, First-fruits and Pentecost, came in the first two months of the year, but her last three feasts, Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles, came months later. The first four have been fulfilled in Christ the Holy Spirit, we’re living in the gap before the last three are fulfilled. This gap is not the mystery, that’s an unprophesied gap, this is a prophesied gap, but God put the unprophesied gap within the prophesied gap. God knew prophecy would be interrupted so put the gap in the 70 weeks prophecy.
But the Lord said His generation would see the Day of the Lord (Mt.24:34), a prophecy that was interrupted a year later (Lu.13:6-9). But that means after the rapture closes the unprophesied gap there is most of a generation left of prophesied gap before the 70th week, plenty of time for Antichrist be born and all the stage setting needed.
“Man of sin” (IITh.2:3) is Antichrist in the first half of the 70th week, but when he dies and rises (Rev.13:1-3) he becomes “the son of perdition.” He’ll be reanimated by Judas, the son of perdition (Jo.17:12) when he who was on the earth before that time, “was not” at that time, but who will rise out of the pit of hell (Rev.17:8). Hey, Elijah’s coming back (Mal.4:5), why not Judas? Psalm 55:12-14 describes Judas, 55:20:21 describes Antichrist, because he dies and rises in between (v.15).
Dining with the King
“…I appoint unto you a kingdom…that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29,30).
As you can see from these words that the Lord spoke to the twelve apostles, dining with the King is associated with reigning with Him. We see this same thought in the Lord’s words to Tribulation Jews who will need to overcome the temptation to take the mark of the beast if they want to reign with Christ in the kingdom of heaven on earth:
“…if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne…” (Rev. 3:20,21).
If you are wondering what connection dining with the king could have to reigning with him, the king’s table was probably a place where the king’s business was discussed. This writer is not a member of the Berean Bible Society Board of Directors, but I have dinner with them when they are in town for a meeting. At these dinners, I’ve noticed that board business is always discussed at the table and, based on these discussions, decisions are made later at the official meeting.
We see this connection between dining and reigning typified in the story of Mephibosheth. If you’ll remember, after David became the king of Israel, he wanted to show kindness to any members of the house of Saul that he could find (II Sam. 9:1). When Mephibosheth was brought to his attention (vv. 2-6), David said to him,
“…I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually” (II Sam. 9:7).
David went on to give Mephibosheth “all that pertained to Saul and to all his house” (v. 9), and remember, Saul had been king of Israel. In other words, Mephibosheth was given a king’s inheritance, and invited to sit at the king’s table and reign with him “as one of the king’s sons” (v. 11). Quite an honor for the grandson of a man who had once been the present king’s enemy.
Some men might take such a tremendous honor for granted, but not Mephibosheth! He later told David:
“…all of my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?” (II Sam. 19:28).
Mephibosheth knew that he had been given such an unbelievably high honor that he felt he had no right ever to ask the king for anything ever again.
Now how about you? May I remind you that what the king did for Mephibosheth is exactly what your King has done for you? God “hath raised us up together” with Christ (Eph. 2:5,6), “and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” we who were once members of the family of God’s “enemies” (Rom. 5:10). Just as the Lord invited kingdom saints to sit and reign with Him in the kingdom of His Father, Paul says that we have been invited to sit and reign with Christ in the kingdom of His Father in the heavenlies—to sit with Him in His throne! Speaking of Christ, Paul says that God “hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church” (Eph. 1:22). Since God “calleth those things which be not as though they were” (Rom. 4:17), you are already seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand, and someday you will reign with Him over the angels (I Cor. 6:3).
In response, you can grumble and complain about your position in life, or you can rejoice in your position in heaven, and join Mephibosheth in wondering about your right ever to ask anything more of God beyond what He has already done in giving you a King’s inheritance (Eph. 1:11) and seating you at the King’s table “as one of the king’s sons” (cf. Gal. 4:4-7). I’m sure David would have given Mephibosheth anything he asked for, but his heart was so filled with thanksgiving that he felt he didn’t dare ask for more. While we have a clear command from God through Paul to “let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6), before asking God for anything, it might be good to run a “Mephibosheth check” on the level of your gratitude. After all, if God never did anything else for you other than what He has already done for you in Christ, He’s done enough.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
Objects in the Mirror…
…are closer than they appear.” That’s the warning you see on the passenger-side mirror of your car. The convexity of the mirror gives you a more panoramic rear view, but it also makes the cars behind you look smaller, and further away than they actually are. This can give the illusion that there is room to change lanes, when the truth is that the driver in the adjacent lane may have to hit the brakes if you do—and the horn!
This mirror warning always reminds me of God’s words to Ezekiel:
“Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off” (Ezek. 12:27).
You’ll notice that the problem wasn’t that God’s people doubted that Ezekiel’s prophecies would come true; they just didn’t think they would come true for a long time. And you know, God’s people today are no different. When we read Paul’s predictions about the Rapture (I Thes. 4:13-18) and the Judgment Seat of Christ that will follow (Rom. 14:10), we believe these things will happen, but we tend to think they are a long way off. This can lead to complacency in serving the Lord, just as it did in Ezekiel’s day. Thus we would do well to read God’s response:
“Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of My words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done…” (Ezek. 12:28).
While we cannot say that the Rapture will be prolonged no longer, we can say with equal assurance that the word which God has spoken to us shall be done. The panoramic view that the mirror of God’s Word affords us (James 1:22-24) allows us to see everything that is ahead of us, and these things are closer than they appear! If you are not living for the Lord, “boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1). The Rapture may come today, and you may find yourself standing before your Lord and Judge this evening. Why not heed Paul’s admonition,
“…knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13:11,12).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
The Limiting of a Limitless God
How many times have you heard it? You tell someone that God is no longer giving men the power to speak in tongues or heal the sick, and you hear the response: “You’re limiting God. God can do whatever He wants.” If you’re not sure how to reply to this accusation, here’s an approach you may find helpful:
God limits Himself. He limits Himself in a couple of ways. First, He is limited by His holiness. God can do anything He wants, but He cannot sin (cf. Tit. 1:2). The righteousness of His holy nature prevents Him from doing anything that even remotely approaches unrighteousness. Thus our limitless God is limited by His own holy nature.
But God also limits Himself by His Word. While He can do anything He wants, He cannot flood the world again because He has given His Word that He won’t. Remember the promise He made to Noah?
“…I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:11).
After three thousand years passed with no additional worldwide flood, God compared His faithfulness to this promise to His faithfulness to Israel:
“For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee…” (Isaiah 54:9,10).
All those who teach that God washed His hands of Israel after they murdered His Son, and will never have anything further to do with her, and took all her promises and gave them to us, are guilty of charging Him with breaking this most solemn vow (Cf. Isa. 49:15; Jer. 31:35-37). God can do anything He likes, but He cannot forsake Israel, for He has given His Word that He won’t, and someday they will once again be His people (Hosea 1:9-11 cf. Rom. 9:25,26).
And He cannot give anyone spiritual gifts, such as prophecy and tongues, after vowing that these gifts would “cease” and “vanish away” in the present dispensation once the Bible was complete (I Cor. 13:8-10). So don’t let anyone tell you that you are limiting God when you insist that these gifts, which are conspicuously absent in this dispensation anyway, are gone. In so saying, we are simply acknowledging a dispensational limit that God has placed on Himself.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
A Famous Forgery – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2
Summary:
Someone forged a letter from Paul to convince the Thessalonians “the day of Christ” was at hand. That phrase is used of the Judgment Seat of Christ (Phil.2:14-16), but that can’t be what “troubled” the Thessalonians, for that’s a day of rejoicing (IICor.1:14). Since words and phrases have different meanings in different contexts, here it is the day of the Lord (Isa.13:6), the Tribulation, “the Lord’s day” (Rev.1: 10). It is called by both names, just as the Judgment Seat of Christ is called by both names (IICor.1:14; Phil.2:16).
“At hand” means something about to happen (Gen. 27:41), sometimes “immediately” (Mark 14:42,43). The Thessalonians were troubled because they thought the Tribulation was coming upon them immediately, so Paul begged them not to believe it! And when Paul begs us to do something, it is for our own good. He begs us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) because we won’t be happy till we do. Birds are created to fly and are not happy caged, and you are a new creature (IICor.5:17) that was created to do good works (Eph.2:10) and won’t be happy till you do. Paul also begged us to follow him (ICor. 4:16) because we won’t be happy following James 5:14,15 when our prayers don’t heal the sick. And he begs us not to think we’ll be here for the Tribulation or we’ll lose hope.
Even though the Tribulation was only found in Jewish Scriptures, the Thessalonians knew how bad it would be, for they hung around the synagogue even before they were saved (Acts 17:1-4). So they knew “perfectly” how bad it will be (IThes.5:1,2), knowing verses like Deuteronomy 28:65-67; Luke 21:26,etc. No wonder they were troubled!
Words and phrases have different meanings. The “coming” of the Lord (IIThes.2:1) can refer to the Rapture, as it does there, or to the Second Coming (Mt.24:27-29). Matthew 24 can’t be the rapture, for it speaks of the gathering of the “eagles” (v.28) for Armageddon (Rev.19:17-19). The “gathering” of Matthew 24:31 can’t be the “gathering” of our text for there the Lord sends angels to gather the elect in Israel, while “the Lord Himself” comes for us (ITh.4:16).
Paul didn’t always speak to them as “brethren” (2:1). He spoke as a father to a son (ITh.2:11,12) in regard to walking worthy of the Lord, for he’d led them to Christ and that’s what all spiritual fathers want for their sons. But when suffering persecution you want a brother like Paul who himself was suffering persecution but wasn’t moved by them (Acts 20:22-24). He wasn’t moved because God told him he’d suffer trouble (Acts 9:16). You listen when a brother like that tells you that you’ll suffer trouble too, and you follow his example not to be moved by it (IThes3:3,4).
And you listen when he tells you that you’re not heading for the “wrath” of the Tribulation (IThes.5:9). Notice that’s talking about obtaining the future “salvation” of the Rapture (Rom.13:11), salvation from the wrath of the Tribulation. You need to settle the truth of the pre-trib rapture now before things get bad in this country, just as you need to settle the truth that God loves you before you have any personal troubles. If you think God only loves you enough to keep you healthy if you are good (Deut.7:12-15), you’ll think He doesn’t love you if you get sick. And if you settle the doctrine of the pre-trib rapture in your mind before troubles start, you won’t doubt it later.
In those days there was a “spirit” (2:2) causing them to doubt the pre-trib rapture, so they had to “try” or test the spirits (IJo.4:1) of the prophets (ICor.14:32). False prophets had Satan’s spirit causing men to doubt. The spirits of prophets were to be tested to see if their words matched the Word (Deut.13:1-3).We are to test their words by the Word of God through Paul that the Rapture will come before the Tribulation (ITh.4:15—5:2). The “word” (2:1) of men who weren’t prophets was also causing them to doubt, such as the “word” that the rapture was past (IITim.2:17,18), a dispensational error (cf.2:15). You have to know where you stand in the program of God. Daniel knew where he stood from Jeremiah (Daniel 9:1,2), the Lord knew from Isaiah (Lu. 4:14-24), Peter knew from Joel (Acts 2:16), but you can only know where you stand in relation to the Tribulation from Paul. Since they also forged letters from Paul, the apostle signed every epistle with his own unique signature (IIThes.3:17).
Peter and the Heavenly Inheritance
“How could Peter say to the Jews that their inheritance is reserved for them in heaven (I Pet. 1:4) if their hope is earthly?”
When the disciples thought “that the kingdom of God should immediately appear (Luke 19:11), the Lord told a parable. The “certain nobleman” (v. 12) represents the Lord Himself, who went to the “far country” of heaven at His ascension (Acts 1:9) “to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” This means that the kingdom that will eventually be established for Israel on earth was reserved for them in heaven at that time.
Before leaving, the nobleman charged his servants with conducting his business while he was gone (v. 13), a picture of how the Lord left His disciples in charge of His ministry after He left. But after the “citizens” of Israel killed the Lord, they “sent a message after Him” (v. 14) by killing Stephen, a message that said, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”
When the nobleman “was returned, having received the kingdom” (v. 15), he gathered his servants to reward them according to their faithfulness (vv. 15-27). This speaks of how, when the Lord returns to the earth, He will return with the kingdom that is currently “reserved in heaven” for Israel, and He will award positions in the government of the kingdom to faithful Jews at that time.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
The Source of Destruction – 2 Thessalonians 1:9-12
Summary:
The destruction at the Second Coming of Christ will come “from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (v.9). It is called “everlasting” destruction because after the flames destroy the Lord’s enemies they will ignite the lake of fire (Deut.32:22). Hell is in the center of the earth (Mt.12:40), and the Lord went to the comfort side when He died, known as paradise (Lu.16:19-31 cf. 23:43). But after the Lord paid for the sins of the people in paradise it was moved to heaven (IICor.12:4) and the torment side of hell is the only place left in the heart of the earth. The flames of the Second Coming will make it an open pit as the fire rises to the bottoms of the mountains (Deut.32:22).
We know Deuteronomy 32:22 is about the Second Coming because the previous verse predicts how God would use the foolish nation of the little flock to provoke Israel to jealous-y (v.21 cf. Mt.23:43 cf. Lu.12:32; IPe.2:9,10). It worked (Mt.27:17,18), but God hoped it would provoke them to re-pent and believe, not crucify the Lord. But God knew they wouldn’t, so He predicted the fire of the Second Coming would come next (Deut.32:22). The lake of fire was “prepared” for “the king” (Isa.30:33), i.e., the devil (Mt.25:41).
When the Lord comes in flaming fire God will advise the unsaved to hide “for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty” (Isa.2:10,19,21). Doesn’t that sound like Paul’s description of the destruction that will come “from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power”? The lost will see Him come “with power and great glory” (Mt.24:30).
The unsaved will be “afraid” but also “surprised” (Isa.33: 14), especially unsaved Jewish “brethren” who’ll think the Lord is “glorified” in them during the Tribulation (Isa.66:5) But the Lord will “come to be glorified in His saints” (IIThes.1:10). When He judges the lost and spares the saved He’ll be glorified in His saints “in Israel” (Isa.44:23).
But Paul says He’ll also be “admired in all them that believe” in that day because his testimony “was believed” (IITh.1:10). This is where we come in! When God spares us the fire of the Second Coming with the pre-trib Rapture the Lord will be glorified in us too. Remember how Paul worked us into Israel’s promise of vengeance (Isa.49:25 cf. IITh.1:5,6)? Here he works us into God’s promise to be glorified in His saints in Israel.
Paul prays God will count us worthy of being spared this wrath (IITh.1:11). In his first letter he begged the Thessalonians to walk worthy of this calling (2:11,12), which is what grace is all about. The Colossians had the Lord, Paul exhorted them to walk worthy of Him (Col.1:9,10), the Thessalonians had the hope of the pre-trib rapture, Paul prayed they’d walk worthy of it. But in his second epistle he prayed God would count them worthy of it by rapturing them before the Tribulation.
But if the pre-trib rapture was a sure thing, why’d Paul pray for it? He was praying according to the revealed will of God, as he did in IThessalonians 5:23,24. Hezekiah did too (IIKi.20:1-5), reminding God of His promise in IKings 2:4 that he couldn’t die childless since he’d been good. God hadn’t forgotten the promise, He wanted to see if Hezekiah would remember it and pray for it. He delights when we pray according to His will, and that’s what Paul is doing in praying God will count them worthy of the pre-trib rapture.
This will “fulfill all the good pleasure of His will” (IIThes. 1:11). His “good pleasure” for Israel concerned Jerusalem (Ps. 51:18) in the kingdom (Lu.12:32). The Lord taught the Jews to pray for this (Mt.6:10). His good pleasure for us is the pre-trib rapture, and Paul prayed for it. He also prayed God would fulfill “the work of faith with power, i.e., the work of His faithfulness(cf.Col.2:12) in rapturing us with power.
When the Lord keeps His promise to rapture us before the Tribulation, He will be glorified in us (IITh.1:12). God is always glorified when he keeps His promises! He will be glorified in Israel when He keeps His promises to her, but He’ll also be glorified in us when He keeps His promises to us.
Everybody Thinks They’re Innocent – 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
Summary:
When the Lord comes “in flaming fire” (v.8) He will take vengeance “on them that know not God” (v.9). Plenty of people know about God but don’t know Him. Eli’s sons didn’t know the Lord (ISam.2:12), even though the sons of a priest surely knew about Him. What’s that mean?
Well, the generation that came after Joshua surely knew about the Lord and what He’d done for Israel, so how can God say they didn’t know Him or His works (Judges 2:8-10)? They’d heard about the Red Sea crossing and the fall of Jericho’s walls but didn’t believe them, and so didn’t believe in the God who performed those great works. If the generation after the Holocaust can doubt it happened, the generation after the Red Sea crossing can doubt it too. “The priests…that handle the Law” surely knew about the Lord (Jer.2:8), but God says they “knew Me not.” The only conclusion we can make is that when the Lord comes to take vengeance “on them that know not God” it means on them who are not saved because they didn’t obey the gospel.
People that don’t know God tend to persecute those who do (Ps.79:6,7), and now that we’re part of His people, the Lord will one day avenge us too, as well as answer this prayer.
No matter what dispensation you are in, the gospel has to be obeyed. Under the kingdom program for the Jews the gospel was faith plus works, and even some priests were “obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7), the faith of Acts 2:38, the work being baptism. But that was the faith that had to be obeyed in the nation Israel. God then raised up Paul “for obedience to the faith among all nations” (Ro.1:5), with a message of faith without works that had to be obeyed “from the heart” (Ro.6:17). When told to bring a sacrifice Abel obeyed from his hands, and when told to go to the promised land Abram obeyed from his feet. But when the message is faith without works, “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Ro.10:10) and are saved without works.
After the flaming fire of the Second Coming ends the lives of the unsaved the “everlasting destruction” begins (1:9). Since Paul never mentions “hell” some grace believers are Universalists, but he mentions eternal punishment here. If you reject the sacrifice of Christ for your sins you must become a “sacrifice” to pay for your sins (Mark 9:47-49). It starts when God sacrifices men at the Second Coming (Zeph.1:7,8) for His guests, the birds (Rev.19:17-19).
Besides Universalists who say all will be saved, some say the unsaved will be punished in Hell but just for a while and then released. But if “everlasting” doesn’t mean ever lasting then God is not everlasting (Gen.21:33; Rom.16:26), and neither is your everlasting life (Jo.5:24).
Annihilationists say men will be punished by being snuffed out of existence. But the Bible doesn’t say the effects of the destruction are everlasting, it says that the destruction is everlasting. The destruction is hell (Pr.27: 20).When an un-saved man dies at the Second Coming (or any time for that matter) he goes to Hell (Lu.16:22,23) until Hell is emptied into the Lake of Fire (Rev.20:14). We know they aren’t annihilated by this fire because a thousand years after the beast and false prophet are thrown in they “are” still there (Rev.19:20;20:7-10). Annihilationists say the beast doesn’t burn up because he is not a mere mortal, but God calls him a “man” (IIThes.2:3; Ezek.28:2), and if we say False Prophet is more than a man because he will work miracles, we have to say the apostles were also more than men
The lost must stay in hell eternally because they can never finish paying for a sin against an eternal God (Mt.5:22,26; 18:34,35), so their smoke must go up “forever”(Rev.14: 11) Annihilationists argue the smoke is the memorial of when they were snuffed out, but it says “the smoke of their torment ascendedeth up forever.” An annihilated man can’t be said to have “no rest,” that only makes sense if they have no rest from their torment. How can an annihilated man suffer everlasting contempt (Dan.12:2)? If all the lost cease to exist equally, how can there be degrees of punishment (Mt.11:24; Lu.12:47)? If suffering in captivity is worst than being snuffed out (Lam.4:6), why would God give the unsaved the lesser punishment for committing the greatest sin, sin against their Creator?
