Systematic Reconciliation
Copyright © 1998 Darroll Evans, All rights
reserved-re-edit 2003
Systematic Reconciliation looks at the
sovereignty of God in a way few are willing to do.
As we begin, let’s establish another fact.
John
14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through
That is an undeniable fact. Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father,
the only way to gain salvation or reconciliation to Him.
In this writing, we will be discussing
situations and methodology. There will
be no deviation from the fact of Jesus’ Lordship!
Some time ago, a person contacted me about my
web site. He asked about a "link" to his page. I wrote to him
inquiring as to whether he was proposing a reciprocal link. To my surprise, the
return e-mail said something I did not expect. The answer came back telling me
that he was not proposing a reciprocal link. The reason was astounding. He said that the teachings on this Web site
were scripturally correct, but unorthodox. I thought that being "scripturally
correct" was the goal of any Bible study.
SR
seeks only to present the Holy Word of God in the light of God's sovereignty,
power, and grace. The basic teaching of
SR is that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes
unto the Father, but by Christ Jesus! (John 14:6)
If you decide not to believe what is written
here, that does not in any way diminish God's love and concern
for you. No matter what your current
thoughts concerning Christ Jesus, He died for you!
At the appointed time, in the appointed
place, you shall bow to God, and by the Holy Spirit, joyfully proclaim,
"Jesus is Lord" (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:11; 1 Corinthians 12:3).
Christ Jesus' scourging and death on the
cross paid the full and complete price for the sins of the world! Some do not now believe that, but they
shall! When we speak of conversion, we
are speaking of a time frame. Not if, but when!
Where is Jesus? It is a simple question that
is very easily answered.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at the right
hand of God the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34). Christ Jesus appropriated our sins, took
responsibility for them and due to that, He died.
In His scourging and death Christ paid the
full and complete price for our sins, and yet Christ Jesus has been restored to
fellowship with the Father. Many cannot
accept this teaching because of hearts filled with a need for vengeance.
Christ Jesus "gave Himself a ransom for
all, to be testified in due time" (1 Timothy 2:6/NKJV). Christ Jesus did not die to achieve
vengeance. He died for our sins to achieve our reconciliation!
In a Synagogue, Jesus read from the Isaiah
scroll. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable
year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19).
Christ Jesus did not fully read that quote
from Isaiah. He stopped when he got to the part that says, "and the day of
vengeance of our God" (Isaiah 61:2).
Christ Jesus was not sent to announce God’s vengeance.
The Church has not been commissioned to
announce God‘s vengeance. And yet, many insist on falsely proclaiming God’s
vengeance.
The fact is that all who do not acknowledge
Christ are lost sinners! Those have been
led to acknowledge Christ as Lord are neither lost nor sinners.
If your sins are forgiven, they are forgiven
completely for all time. Hebrews
13:5b For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake
you." (NKJV)
Chapter 1
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him
that curseth thee: and in thee shall all (Heb. kol)
families of the earth be blessed.
The Hebrew word translated "all"
indicates a whole, not just a portion.
Every family shall be blessed through God’s promise to Abram.
Shall God bless all families by burning most
of them for ever and ever? I don’t think so!
Now, let's look at another promise.
Genesis 22:18 And in your seed [Christ Jesus] all the nations (Heb.
Goyim/Gentiles) of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed
My voice.
The covenant promise was that all Gentiles
would be blessed through Christ Jesus. I
will not try to explain away what appears to be punishment in the lake of fire,
but I will reserve my comments on it for later.
Many people feel the need to strive to gain
salvation. Striving to gain a gift has
always been a mystery to me.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Accepting God’s gift is not striving or
work! It has been equated with reaching
out to accept a physical gift. That comparison gives a false impression. We do not reach out to accept salvation. God
sent our gift to us.
Psalm 46:10 Be still (cease striving), and know that I am God: I
will be exalted among the heathen (Heb. Goyim), I will be exalted in the earth.
"Heathen" (Heb. Goyim) are
unbelievers, regardless of race.
I know that I will make some angry, but there
are (percentage wise) just as many goyim among Jews as among other races. Most Jews and Gentiles are unbelievers and
therefore they are goyim!
Psalm 86:9 All nations whom thou hast
made shall come and worship
before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
Hebrew Scriptures declare that all goyim whom
God has made will worship before Him.
The question is, "How many goyim did God make?" The answer is ALL!
Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are
over all his works.
We are God’s works, His creation! Does that sound as if God plans to consign
most of His creation to a burning hell for the rest of eternity? Absolutely
not!
Isaiah 19:22 And the LORD shall smite
Read Isaiah 19:22 carefully. In it God
promises to heal those who are sworn enemies of
Lamentations 3:31-32
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according
to the multitude of his mercies.
James 2:13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath
shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Mercy supersedes
judgment!
God's loving-kindness is not applied
according to our standards or deeds. It is exercised according to the multitude
of His mercies.
Chapter 2
"Behold the Lamb of God, which takes
away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)
Did God cause a nonessential statement to be
placed into Holy Scripture? Or, is it
there to declare the power of Jesus Christ?
If that statement is true, how can Jesus take away the sin of the world,
without taking away the sin of the world?
"And I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me." (John 12:32)
Was Christ Jesus "lifted up?"
Yes! The translators added the word
"men". Your King James Version has it italicized to indicate that it
was added.
Jesus did not say, "I will draw some
to me." Instead, He took the limits off. He said explicitly, "I will
draw ALL to me."
Christ was "Lifted up" (Gr. hupsoothoo-uywqw) on the cross. That is standard, mainstream theology.
"Draw" (Gr. elkusoo-elkusw) means to drag.
The Greek word translated "shall draw" is singular, future,
indicative, active.
Christ SHALL
do it, even if He has to drag us, kicking and screaming, out of harm's
way. The Indicative tense indicates what
the author feels shall happen. While there are various writers, the Author of
the Bible is the Holy Spirit.
Reconciliation is predicated on the fact that
all shall acknowledge Jesus as Lord. No
person may be reconciled to the Father without the acknowledging of the Son,
Jesus, as lord.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every
knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to
God.
Philippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NKJV)
And here is the topper!
Nobody---nobody may call Jesus “Lord” except
through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3b).
Jesus' mission was not only to free mankind
from the effects of sin, and His mission was also to free the universe from the
effects of our sin.
Romans 8:19-21
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of
the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by
reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
That is about as clear as it gets. Creation
is waiting for OUR redemption so that it too may be redeemed.
That is one of the mysteries of the Gospel!
Romans 5:17-19 contrasts the benefits derived
through Adam and through Christ Jesus.
Romans 5:17-19
17 For if by one man's [Adam’s] offence death reigned by one; much more they
which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign
in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Christ Jesus] the free gift
came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's [Adam’s] disobedience {the} many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one [Christ Jesus] shall {the} many be made righteous.
Most Churches teach that Adam had more power
in his fall than Christ did in His resurrection. May God forgive them for their
folly!
Adam's gift was death. Christ's gift is
life. Both gifts have a profound effect
on mankind.
I have included the definite article in
Romans 5:19 to show that "{the} many" is the same group in both
cases.
How many were made sinners? All!
How may will be made righteous? All!
How many is all? All!
Notice how it speaks of Christ's gift. It
says the recipients "shall {the} many be made
righteous." That translation
accurately reflects the translation of the Greek word katastatheesontai-katastaqhsontai.
"Shall" indicates a future imperative. It MUST
happen! There is no way around it!
An imperative tells of something that is
unavoidable and inescapable!
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be
saved. (NKJV)
Jesus is the Son of God! He is the Savior.
However, being the Son and Savior are not the point. We shall acknowledge Jesus
as LORD (Gr. Kurios-KurioV).
"Lord" indicates that Jesus is the Master, Owner, and
Proprietor of all creation.
Now, back to Philippians 2:11.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Here, "should confess" (Gr.
exomologeesetai- exomologhsetai) is the future indicative spelling. It is my opinion
that it should have come into English as "shall confess." Sooner or later you shall
acknowledge Jesus as Lord!
An indicative speaks of something that the author feels SHALL come to
pass. The writers of the Bible were
human, but The Author is the Holy Spirit.
If the Holy Spirit feels something may come
to pass, it SHALL come to pass.
God is not the servant of time! Time is His
servant. At your personally appointed
time you shall acknowledge Christ Jesus as Lord! Let's look at the main benefit of Christ's Lordship.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive.
How many suffered from sin, and came under
penalty of death because of Adam? All mankind, no exceptions!
How many shall be made alive because of the
righteousness of Jesus Christ? All mankind, no exceptions!
"Shall all be made alive" is one
Greek word, zoo-opoieetheesontai-zwopoihqhsontai.
It is plural, future, indicative, passive voice.
If we had nothing but John 3:16 and 1
Corinthians 15:22, the good news of God's love and planned Reconciliation would
be complete!
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.
1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive.
As our dates with acknowledgment vary, and so
do our resurrections, although each of us will be in a general resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15: 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the
firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
The Greek word translated "every
man" (Gr. ekastos-ekastoV) actually means "each and every."
*Corrected translation--1 Corinthians 15:
23 But each and every in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward
they that are of Christ at His coming.
Let's continue in verse 24.
1 Corinthians 15: 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down
all rule and all authority and power.
Jesus Christ is the first fruit of God's
established order. Next in line are
those who accept Christ Jesus and receive His salvation prior to His Second
Coming (v. 23).
Verse 24 begins by saying, “Then cometh
the end.” The word “cometh” is not in the Greek text. The translators added
it. It does not indicate the “end” of
anything. Instead, the Greek text points to the last group to be resurrected.
The context is a listing. It moves from verse
23 to verse 24 without a natural break. "First Christ, then those who are
His at His coming, then the last to be resurrected."
In which group will you be?
Chapter 3
I don't recall why I began a study of the
beatitudes. Whatever the reason, I found much more than I was looking for.
Why would any thinking person look in the
Beatitudes for proof of the reconciliation of all?
That question is rhetorical!
We begin with "Blessed are the poor in
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
"Poor" comes from the Greek
"ptoochoi-ptwcoi." The translation "poor" is
shallow! "Ptoochoi" has a
deeper meaning. It indicates one who is "indigent."
The Greek takes on the picture of a person
crouching down while working extremely hard.
Imagine a person bent over doing very hard labor.
Have you ever seen migrant farm workers?
They struggle day in and day out to gain only
a survival existence. Poverty would be a step up. Jesus said, "Blessed are the 'indigent'
in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Who are the "indigent in
spirit"? They are not Christians.
Christians cannot be "indigent in spirit."
In speaking of the beggar Lazarus, Luke 16:20
uses a variation on the Greek root word (Gr. ptoochos-ptwcoV) to describe his beggarly condition. Jesus said, "Blessed are the 'indigent'
in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Again, who are the indigent "in
spirit"? Christians can be
financially poor, but not poor "in spirit!"
The first beatitude is meant for those that
we may call lost. Think about it! Jesus
Christ pronounced supreme blessings on the spiritually indigent.
Some commentators teach that the poor in
spirit are those who have accepted Jesus as Christ and have been humbled by
that experience.
Anyone who accepts Christ is humbled by the
experience. That humbling has nothing to
do with being poor in spirit.
Have you accepted Jesus? Do you have the Holy Spirit within? If your answer is, "Yes," then it
is impossible for you to be "poor in spirit." Instead of being poor in spirit, Christians
rejoice because of their salvation.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit
disqualifies you. A multibillionaire cannot be financially indigent. A
Christian cannot be spiritually indigent.
The first beatitude would be better
understood if it was interpreted rather than just translated. "The
indigent in spirit shall experience great happiness because theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
The second Beatitude is "Blessed are
they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4). "Mourn"(Gr. penthountes-penqounteV) means to lament, to grieve.
Who are those who lament?
As children of God we look forward to
Christ's return, and to the judgment to follow.
God's judgment will result in our vindication. Therefore, we do not
lament. We will experience the joy of salvation.
Comforted (Gr. parakleetheesontai-paraklhqhsontai) means "they shall persuaded, cheered and/or consoled."
According to the prevailing thought, most of
those who see Christ shall be ashamed, remorseful, roasted, toasted, and bound
for Eternal Torment or Annihilation.
That falls far short of being comforted, cheered, or consoled.
Does the Bible speak of great lamentation?
The Bible says, "Behold, He is coming
with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen." (Revelation
1:7/NKJV)
The Greek word translated "mourn"
(Revelation 1:7) means to greatly lament. Those who see Christ at His coming
and understand that they have been found lacking shall mourn because of their
folly. Christians are not among the
“tribes of the earth.” Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
Matthew
5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for
they shall be comforted.
This Beatitude is a description of
reconciliation. It begins with mourning, but ends in comfort! The Liberty Commentary says, "those who
mourn for the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion of
God" (page 20). God’s compassion
shall dispel all grief.
Those that follow Buddha, Mohammed, the Hindu
gods, or Spiritualism shall come to Christ in deep, sincere repentance for the
extreme spiritual evil they committed in the name of false gods.
Chapter 4
The teaching of Reconciliation is based on
the total and absolute sovereignty of God. The awesome power of the sovereign God is
something not many are willing to acknowledge. God has the power to create, and
to recreate.
Look at two verses.
Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself:
it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him
that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
The sovereignty of God was more apparent to
those who wrote the Bible than it is to those who read it today. Some go so far as to say that man can thwart
the will of God.
Many Christians do not understand the plan of
God. Since we are finite and God is infinite that is to be expected. Among my friends, you will find those that do
not agree with me concerning God's plan. Nevertheless, they are beloved by God.
The hand does not do things the same way the
foot does. Yet, they both are parts of the Body. Your relationship with me will
not save you. Your relationship with Jesus Christ shall.
Another reason some Christians do not
understand the plan of God is that they do not see the plan in action. The bricklayer need not fully understand the
carpenter’s work in order to do his work properly. Both contribute to the building of the house.
Have you ever seen the plans for a house?
Everything is laid out in the correct dimensions. Placing of the concrete, wall studs, spots
for the electrical outlets, locations of windows are not just given in a
general outline. They are drawn up in an exact blueprint.
If you saw it during the first phases of
construction, you might wonder what is going on. However, as the house gets
closer to completion it begins to look as if it might actually be livable. The building and all the materials used in it
must follow exact specifications. All of that is done before the first day's
work on the house.
Are we to believe that God started the
universe without a master plan?
I don't think so!
If you were to build a two-story building,
you would need a plan that includes a second story. It is not advisable to
build a one-story building and then try to put a second story on it.
Before God said, "Let there be
light," He had decided what that Light would do.
Nothing happens by accident. We may not understand why something happens,
but it all follows a Master plan.
Jeremiah 10:23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself:
it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
A few years ago, I talked to a professor at
the Presbyterian Seminary in
Most people do not understand predestination.
Many feel that predestination is actually embarrassing. God's predestined plan
will result in what I call the Systematic Reconciliation (of all things).
Acts 3:21 speaks openly about the restitution
or restoration of all things. When did God institute the plan of restoration?
We are in the midst of the greatest object
lesson ever devised.
If God planned to deal with sin from the
"foundation of the world," He also planned for restoration from the
"foundation of the world."
Another thing that is not apparent in the
English is that the restoration is achieved through the efforts of only one
side. It is not a case of both sides agreeing to be reconciled or restored.
In Acts 3:21, the Greek word translated
"restitution of all things" (apokatastaseoos- apokatastasewV) indicates a restoration through the power of only
one side.
Nothing can be added to Christ's work (life,
death, and resurrection) to make His salvation more real and more
effective. The Bible says, "God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away." (Rev. 21:4)
Isaiah 25:8 is more specific. It tells us that the Lord will defeat death and wipe away tears
for ALL faces.
He shall wipe away ALL tears. There shall be NO MORE death, sorrow, crying, or pain. If there is no more death, crying, or pain
there can be no tormented, horrible screaming coming from the pits of hell for
all eternity, and Eternal Torment cannot exist!
When life is taken away, the result is
death. And, when death is taken away,
the result is life.
When Christ claimed you by taking
responsibility for your sins. He gave you life.
Since Christ died for the sins of the world, He claimed the lives of the
world and took our death. The extent of
His victory over death shall be understood and seen in due time (1 Timothy
2:6). The human physical reality of that
time-frame is another matter. Any
universal adoption at the time of the death and resurrection is based on
misunderstanding the PLAN!
Chapter 5
Far too many Christians
have never heard of God's Suffering Servant in the manner we are about to
see. This section contains the most eloquent description of
God's love found in the Bible.
Isaiah 52:13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be
exalted and extolled, and be very high.
The Hebrew indicates that the suffering
servant will rule wisely. His fame among men will be extreme. The fame of Christ Jesus is so great that the
world calendar for international business revolves around His supposed birth
year. Historians of all religious
persuasions use Jesus' supposed birth year as the international dividing point,
BC-AD.
Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so
marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Notice the tenses used here. The verse says,
"many WERE
astonied." Isaiah uses past tense to describe a future event.
"Astonied" is an archaic word meaning astonished.
"His visage," Christ's appearance
on the cross was horribly disfigured due to the scourging by the Roman
soldiers. Again, we find the past tense
referring to a future event. It is an obvious reference to the Lamb of God
slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).
Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall
shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see;
and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
Christ has sprinkled His blood (shed His
blood) for many nations. In fact, He
shed His blood for all (1 Timothy 2:6).
In the Hebrew of Isaiah 52:15, the word
"nations" is "goyim." It's the Hebrew word for
Gentiles. Christ Jesus shed His blood
for the Gentiles! That is fully accepted theology.
Every Christmas, when choirs sing Handel's
Messiah, audiences stand at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. That tradition began when the King of England
was so impressed by the majesty of that song to Christ that he stood during the
performance. When the King stood, all in attendance were required to stand.
The King stood in silence listening to the
beauty of the song. Now leaders of all
nations, Christian or not, stand and are silent in honor of a song to Christ
Jesus.
Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm
of the LORD revealed?
Who has believed our declaration of Good News
in Christ? Those to whom the Good News
of Christ Jesus has been revealed now believe!
Christ is the strong right arm of God the
Father. Only those who have been chosen
are able to believe the report of Christ's complete victory over sin. It is to
them that the "arm of the LORD," Christ Jesus is revealed.
Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant,
and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we
shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Christ Jesus grew up to be meek before God
the Father. In Isaiah's day the water of
the Spirit was not plenteous. Israel was then, and is now spiritually dry.
Jesus was not the handsome person. We see in
the handsome "head of Christ" paintings, but He was a very homely
looking Jewish boy and man. Those who followed Jesus did not do so because of
His outward appearance. They followed Him because they were chosen to follow.
Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows,
and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was
despised, and we esteemed him not.
Jewish leaders despised Christ. He was
rejected by His own nation. That
rejection was according to the plan of God.
The reality of that rejection was planned and placed within a specific
time-frame. The resultant adoption of
many Gentiles was also place within specific a time-frame.
Christ Jesus was indeed a man who knew sorrow
and grief. That is how He can have empathy. Christ Jesus has first-hand
knowledge of our situation. The Hebrew text says that He was a man of pains and
acquainted with sickness.
Our Lord and Savior hung on the cross. Men chided and mocked Him. They placed no
value on His life.
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
This verse says that Christ took our
sicknesses and carried away our pains. Do you believe that? Sin is an illness of the soul just as Cancer
is an illness of the body. The pain of
the spirit hurts just as much as the pain of the body.
As Jesus hung on the cross, men shouted at
Him, "Save yourself, if you can?"
He chose to save us.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
Again the Hebrew text leads us to Christ
Jesus. Here, it says the He was pierced for our sins or rebellions. The Hebrew text says that the suffering servant
(haMesshiach benYosef/the Messiah son of Joseph) was crushed because of our
depravity.
The phrase, "the chastisement of our
peace was upon him," indicates that Christ was disciplined for our
welfare. "With his stripes we are
healed" indicates that because of the beating Christ received, our
spiritual fellowship with God has been restored.
In 1 Peter 2:24, Peter used the Greek word
iaomia-iaomia (healed), in quoting this verse. That Greek word used
in 1 Peter 2:24 means to spiritually restore from a state of sin and
condemnation.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Who has gone astray? All of us! "We" denotes humanity, not just
Jews, and not just Gentiles. The Hebrew
here states that "Yahweh" placed all of our depravities on His
suffering servant.
Isaiah 53:7 is another sentence written in
past tense, but referring to a future event.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before
her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Christ WAS
oppressed. He WAS afflicted.
He OPENED not his mouth.
Jesus was (Hebrew text) brought as a lamb to the slaughter. Before the shearers
he IS dumb. He OPENED not His mouth. This commentary from Isaiah, on the death of
Christ, was written centuries before the physical event. And yet, it often uses
past tense.
Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment:
and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the
living: for the transgression of my people was
he stricken.
“Was taken” refers to the prison and the
judgment. The first portion of this verse is a narrative on Christ's appearance
before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate. The accuracy of the description is
exceptional.
"Was cut off" refers to a death
that had not yet physically taken place when the verse was written!
Who shall declare His generation? (The Hebrew
is in future tense.)
It is my opinion that a better understanding
may be gained by using a translation in context for the Hebrew word translated
"declare." Without stretching
the Hebrew text, we may translate that question another way, "Who will TEACH His generation?"
That translation is accurate and holds to one
of the purposes of Christ. He came to "teach" us righteousness. The verse ends with a striking announcement
that Christ also died for the Jewish people.
Most Jews have never been told that Jesus is God’s Messiah to the Gentiles and the Jews.
Isaiah wrote plainly, "for the transgression of my people" was He stricken.
Jesus was a Jew. He was beaten, died, and
resurrected for the benefit of all people, Jews included. Many Jews have allowed linguistics to blur
their vision of Messiah. If you insist
on using Greek, Jesus is the Christ. However, if you use Hebrew, Yahshua is
haMesshiach, the Messiah.
Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in
his mouth.
Jesus died between two thieves. He was buried
in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea.
Jesus Christ died on the cross never having benefited from an honest
trial. Christ died in place of Barabbas, who was legally convicted of robbery,
sedition, and murder (Matt. 27:16; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:18; John 18:40).
Christ Jesus gave His life for a man who had
committed terrible crimes. There is a reason why Christ died for Barabbas
personally. We, in our sin-filled sight,
see degrees of sin. God just sees sin as sin.
It is my opinion that God chose to die for Barabbas, because Barabbas
would be considered utterly evil in our sight.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put
him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see
his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper
in his hand.
This verse would take a book by itself to
properly interpret. The concepts contained within the Hebrew are extremely
broad.
It was the Father’s plan that Jesus should
die for the sins of the world. Jesus
gave His life as the only acceptable offering for our sin! In His scourging, death, burial and resurrection,
Jesus saw the plan of the Father prosper and become fulfilled.
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be
satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he
shall bear their iniquities.
Here, Isaiah looks forward to the completed
work of Christ Jesus. It says, "He shall...and
shall...by his knowledge shall, and he shall."
The word "shall" is a future
imperative. It is used to express something that is predetermined. The repetitive use of "shall"
indicates that the actions must take place. In the ancient languages repetition
was a means of emphasis. Here, the repetition of "shall"
indicates GREAT emphasis.
Let's look at the first part of this verse,
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall
be satisfied." That's very poetic, but
what does it mean? The word
"travail" indicates a weary or burdensome work. Christ
"carried" our sicknesses. The
section starts by declaring a worrisome task, but it ends in a declaration of
victory.
Now to the second half of Isaiah 53:11,
"by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities."
That was the work of the cross. In the Hebrew, the word translated
"knowledge" indicates perception or understanding. Jesus was human, He understands the conflicts
within man.
The Scripture says, "shall
my righteous servant justify many." Yet, the majority of theologians are
telling us that only a remnant will be saved.
What is wrong with this picture? Something is
out of balance!
Let me ask, "Whose iniquities did Christ
bear?" God laid on Him the
“iniquity of us ALL!” (Isaiah 53:6)
We have the opportunity to believe scripture
or tradition. Which will you
believe? "We" are the object
of Christ's work on the cross.
Did Christ suffer the indignity of the cross
only to lose His reward?
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his
soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the
sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Notice that the "bare" in verse 12
is not the same "bear" in verse 11. Christ Jesus did "bear"
(carry) our iniquities. And, He did "bare" (forgive) our
sins. Christ Jesus died as a substitute
for you. Acknowledge Him as Lord!
Chapter 6
Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
(KJV)
Perhaps you have heard of the
"unpardonable" sin. What is
the unpardonable sin? Many will say that
it is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Those that tell you that blaspheming the Holy
Spirit is unpardonable will also quote the above verse to prove their point. On
the surface it seems to say that.
However, there is NO unpardonable sin! Such a sin is not
scriptural!
Surely all those preachers and theologians
cannot be wrong? Yes they can---and they
are!
How in the world did I reach the conclusion
that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not the unpardonable sin?
I simply read the same verse all those
theologians read! Why don't we do the
same thing?
Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man,
it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it
shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
(KJV)
In the opening of this verse we find that if
somebody speaks against Christ Jesus, he/she shall be forgiven. That is
very good news for lots of folks.
"Shall be forgiven" (Gr.
aphetheesetai-afeqhsetai) is correct. Forgiveness shall
be granted to all those that have spoken against Christ Jesus after they
acknowledge Him as Lord.
But, what about speaking against the Holy
Spirit? “Shall not be forgiven” (Gr. ouk aphetheesetai-ouk afeqhsetai) is also completely accurate…when properly understood.
The key to understanding is not found in the verb or tense of the
negative statement that says that the sin shall not be forgiven.
The key to understanding is found in the
timeline. Most folks don't bother to read the timeline contained within
the verse.
Matthew 12:32 does say that whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven. However, a
qualifying statement is added.
The Bible says bluntly that whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, "neither in this
world (age), neither in the world (age) to come." The phrase, "in this world (age)---in
the world (age) to come" is a qualifying phrase. The period of
unforgiveness is limited.
To understand what Jesus was telling us, we
must first put it into the proper time frame.
Many Bible teachers do not understand the need for a time frame. The time frame puts Jesus' statement into the
proper context.
Speaking against the Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven "in this age." What
age? Jesus was speaking about the age in
which He lived. Read this carefully.
Jesus lived on this earth during the
Age of the Law. The Church Age
did not begin until after Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Many
Christians do not know that.
Now, let's continue our study of Jesus'
statement.
He goes on to say that it shall not be
forgiven in the age to come. Again, the time of punishment is
limited. What constitutes
"the age to come?" At the time
Jesus spoke those words, "the age to come" was the Church Age. Let me reframe the verse so you can plainly understand.
Matthew 12:32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of
Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the
Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age
(of the law) or in the (Church) Age to come.
The Age of the Law is now past. Most Christians believe that the Church Age
is shortly coming to a conclusion. When
shall those that speak against the Holy Spirit be forgiven? I do not have a date in mind! But, they shall
be forgiven. There is no sin that is unpardonable!
Chapter 7
The words "eternal torment" do not appear in the Bible. There is what appears to be punishment, but
all godly punishment is limited and remedial.
Let’s look at the best example of what God is
doing:
Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)
First, the words "everlasting" and
"eternal" both come from exactly the same Greek word, aioonion-aiwnion. Why is there a different translation for the same
word appearing twice in the same verse?
The people that translated it originally died
centuries ago. But, to this day most translators follow the pattern. That Greek
word indicates an age or limited period of time. It does not speak of eternity!
The Greek word translated punishment (Gr.
kolasin-kolasin) is an agricultural term meaning to prune. Matthew 25:46 does not speak of everlasting punishment, but of an age of
pruning. Why do we prune plants? We do
it to help them grow.
Every proof text that supposedly teaches
Eternal Torment fades when properly translated.
But, is there a
Is the
I have no doubt that those there will be
tormented, but the torment shall produce cleansing.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire. (NKJV)
Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous
God. (NKJV)
What will God consume? He shall consume sin!
The Greek text tells us that the
If you have and infection, your doctor may
prescribe sulfa drugs. They contain sulfur.
Does your Doctor prescribe that medicine to
torment you or to help heal you?
Christ Jesus is the Great Physician and the
Jesus told those who could hear, "You are already clean because of the word,
which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3/NKJV).
For those who have ears to hear, Christ’s
word is enough. For other’s another method may be used.
Epilogue
During this study, I asked if Christ Jesus
had paid the full and complete price for the sins of the world. Many will argue that point, but the biblical
answer is, “YES!”
Let us suppose that you had enough money to
pay cash for any car in the world, with all the bells and whistles. You may like to drive yourself, not wanting a
chauffeur to have the fun of shifting gears.
You would go to an auto show room and pick out the car you want after
the test drive to make sure it does all you want it to do. You sign all the papers to legally make that
car yours. Then you may write a check, put it on the card or pay cash---you are
rich---you have a choice.
After that the salesman came out rolling one
tire, declaring, “She’s a beauty!”
Would you take just the tire, or would you
ask, "What is wrong with this picture?"
Christianity is a relationship of expectancy! Because, Christ paid the price for the entire
world and He expects to get want He paid for.
Far too many Christians have a one-tire concept of Christianity.
Your reconciliation to God through Christ
depends on your appointed time. At this very moment Christ is systematically
reconciling the world to God the Father.
1 Corinthians 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then
shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him,
that God may be all in all. (KJV)
Do you understand the sheer power that makes
that statement possible?
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
(KJV)
Let me repeat as we began. John
14:6---Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)
None of us may go to the Father except
through acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as lord!
Let me summarize the teaching of Systematic
Reconciliation.
Systematic Reconciliation is not
Universalism.
The fact is that all are not now, nor will
all be saved. That teaching is
biblically incorrect.
Some will be saved in this age, and lifetime,
while eventually others will be reconciled to God through Christ and His mercy.
That reconciliation will not happen due to
any human works of any kind. It will be
entirely due to the mercy and love of God.
That reconciliation is in no way similar to
the Roman Catholic Purgatory.
Now, should all preach or teach Systematic
Reconciliation?
No!
Each minister of God should speak the message
God has given concerning Christ, and not alter that message!
All ministers of God glorify His Son Yahshua
haMesshiach, Jesus the Christ.