twelve god-given truths to understand his word - l. ray smith

TWELVE GOD-GIVEN TRUTHS TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORD

"None of the wicked shall understand; but the Wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10)

In this paper I'm going to briefly outline just twelve truths of Scripture from many that God hasshown me over the years. I try to apply these truths to all subjects that I write about. More than justtruths, I look upon them as spiritual commandments from God, absolutely necessary in rightlydividing the Word of Truth. My hope and my prayer is that God will grace you with a spirit ofwisdom to comprehend these marvelous revelations of Scripture.

I have received countless emails over the years in which my detractors inform me that theScriptures are easy to understand: all one has to do is read them.

That’s not true. Billions of Christians "read" the Scriptures, but have not a clue as to what theymean. And one of the biggest problems in not understanding what they have read is that they donot believe the Scriptures. And why don’t they believe? Because their shepherds have deceivedthem into believing that Christian doctrines take precedent over the Scriptures.

I know of not one Christian doctrine that is completely Scriptural. Not one. And that includes,SDA’s, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, and every other institutionalizedchurch and denomination of manmade creeds. These truths that I am presenting here are "creedbusters." They destroy the doctrines of men. They make the wisdom of religion look incrediblystupid. God’s truths are like treasures hidden in a field. We must buy the field and then diligentlysearch out the treasure. The following twelve truths of Scripture could make you very spirituallywealthy.

TRUTH NUMBER 1

[A] "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the LastAdam [Jesus Christ] was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not firstwhich is spiritual, but that which is NATURAL; and afterward that which isSPIRITUAL" (I Cor. 15:45-46).

[B] "It is sown [first] a NATURAL BODY [a physical body which dies]; it is raised[afterward] a SPIRITUAL BODY [which is made immortal and never dies]…" (I Cor.15:44).

[C] "Who shall change our [first] VILE BODY, that it may be fashioned like untoHis [afterward] GLORIOUS BODY…" (Phil. 3:21).

[D] "If I have told you EARTHLY things [first], and you believe not, how shallyou believe, if I tell you of HEAVENLY [spiritual] things [afterward]?" (John 3:12).

The sequence of God’s plan of salvation for mankind is most important—First is the physical andthen comes the spiritual.

Without the knowledge of this principle of Scripture, it is impossible to understand what man isand what is his destiny. Have you not been taught that the first Adam was indeed a "quickening,

4/22/2010 TWELVE GOD-GIVEN TRUTHS TO UND…

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living, immortal spirit," and that afterward, at the resurrection; his immortal soul will be given anETERNAL PHYSICAL BODY? (Then there is also the ungodly doctrine called the "Law ofCircularity" which teaches that we have always existed as spirits, and are now spirits having aphysical experience—just the opposite of the truth).

It was the natural body of Adam that became a living soul after God breathed into him. Andthat living soul was subject to death (Gen. 2:17 and Ezek. 18:4 & 20). Even this simple, straight-forward truth of Scripture is universally denied.

God said that Adam would "SURELY die" (Gen. 2:17). But most have been taught that Adamwas an immortal, spiritual soul that can NEVER, EVER DIE. I just received a DVD fromInternationally famous, self-styled prophet, Jack Van Impe, in which it is stated: "Once we areborn, WE NEVER DIE." Jack Van Impe parrots that Old Serpent who told the world’s firstrecorded lie, when he said: "you shall NOT SURELY die" (Gen. 3:4)

It is universally taught (and believed) that Adam and Eve were already formed and created in thevery spiritual image of God way back in the garden. This is not, however, how the Hebrewmanuscripts read, as a perfect creature formed in the very spiritual image of God, that not onlydoes not sin, but cannot sin. The reason that Jesus (made unto sinful flesh) did not sin, was notthat He could not sin, but rather His Father WOULD NOT LET HIM SIN. Jesus was born with aphysical body, and therefore that body had to die. But I assure you that Jesus did not possess a"carnal mind" in that body of flesh. He sinned NOT.

Making mankind into God’s own Image is a process that involves a lifetime of trials andtribulations that includes the crucifying and mortifying of the carnal human mind and body. I realizethat from the King James and many modern translations it sounds like it was a "past tense"made in His image at creation, but actually it was not. Gen. 1:26-27 is equivalent to our Englishimperfect. Here is how one Version translates it:

"And saying is God, Make WILL WE [a continuing action] humanity in Ourimage…"

and

"And CREATING [a continuing action] is God humanity in His image" (Gen.1:26a & 27a Concordant Literal Old Testament),

Man is not a "spirit being" having a "physical" experience, but rather man is a "physical andmortal" being having a "spiritual" experience. We are first born mortal [physical], but in theresurrection God gives us immortality (the spiritual). Throw away this marvelous truth of Scripture,and you will be as deceived as Kenneth Copeland when he stated that when Adam was created,he was so shining, so glorious, so spiritual, so GOD-like, that one could not even see his body forthe glorious radiance of his spirituality. Oh really? And is that why he was "naked," although he"…knew not that he was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and NAKED"(Gen. 3: 7 versus Rev. 3:17)?

Just prior to Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, we read that Eve:

"…saw that the tree was good for food [‘the lust of the flesh,’ I John 2:16],



and that it was pleasant to the eyes [‘the lust of the eyes,’ I John 2:16],

and a tree to be desired to make one wise [‘the pride of life,’ I John 2:16],

she did eat… and he did eat" (Gen. 3:6).

It is not just the eating of the fruit that was a sin, but the "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, andpride of life" that went before the eating. And just why were they so filled with sin at their verycreation? Because they were in the "perfect spiritual image of GOD?" Poppycock. They werenatural, physical, carnal, and "…the carnal mind [with which Adam and Eve were created] isenmity [hatred] against God, for it is not subject to the law of God [‘But of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it…’ Gen. 2:17], neither indeed can be" (Rom.8:7).

So, do the Scriptures really teach what the world has been taught—that Adam and Eve weremade into the perfect spiritual "image of God?" Get real.

Here is how GOD says He created Adam and Eve:

"For the creature was made subject to vanity [King James Margin: "futility"], notwillingly, but by reason of Him [God] Who has subjected [Gk: ‘subjects’—aoristtense—subjecting is still going on] the same in hope" (Rom. 8:20).

In Dante’s inferno, "all hope is gone…," but in God’s realm He subjects the entire creation "…inHOPE,"

God willfully, wantingly, knowingly, purposely, and wisely, created mankind "subject to vanity,"subject to failure, but beyond the failure, God also subjects the same in "hope." Once again,contrary to all orthodox doctrine, there is hope for all of God’s carnal-minded, God-hating peopleon planet Earth. God Himself says so, in the same breath: "because the creature itself [thesame creation that God subjects to vanity, futility, failure, and carnal-minded hatred against God]also shall be [ah, did you catch that? ‘shall be’], delivered from the bondage of corruptioninto the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Rom. 8:21). Do you believe the Scriptures?Really—what about this one?

And so God, "made the creature subject to vanity"—failure, but later in mankind’sdevelopment, the creature "shall be"— [future tense]… shall be delivered from the bondageof corruption." Ah yes, God created them in a condition of "bondage" and "corruption," andtherefore not "immortal" as is taught, but rather in "bondage of corruption." But thanks to God,in the resurrection of the dead, ‘…this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortalmust put on immortality’ (I Cor. 15:54).

Yes, of course, first comes the PHYSICAL (death), and then the SPIRITUAL (life). There it is—thehope of all humanity. Corruption and mortality (the physical first) must put on incorruption andimmortality [the afterward spiritual).

TRUTH NUMBER 2



[A] "All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; andwithout a parable spoke He not unto them" (Matt. 13:34).

[B] "But without a PARABLE spoke He not unto them…" (Mark 4:34).

[C] "This PARABLE spoke Jesus unto them: but they understood not whatthings they were which He spoke unto them" (John 10:6).

Jesus taught in parables only, and no one understood His parables, hence Jesus taught in a waythat He knew no one would understand His message. This truth of Scripture is so revolutionary tothe minds of most Christians that many will think it blasphemy, and yet the Scriptures abound withstatements that fully support it.

I heard Matt Crouch (elder son of TBN President, Paul Croach) state on international televisionthat Jesus spoke in parables to make the meaning of His teachings simple and clear andunderstandable to the simple farmers and uneducated people of Judea. My Wycliffe BibleDictionary has a similar explanation: "Purpose of parables. The obvious purpose of Jesus’ useof parables was to make spiritual truth clear and compelling." What a crock.

Is anyone interested in what Jesus Himself had to say about His use of Parables? Good. Here itis:

"And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why do you speak unto them inparables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you toknow the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given"(Matt. 13:10-11).

Now then, does anyone see any similarity between "to make spiritual truth clear and compelling,"and "…but unto them it is not given?" No? Neither do I. What I see is a diametric opposite.What I see is a flat out contradiction between Christian teachers and the Word of God.

"Jesus spoke in parables to make His quaint little stories clear and understandable to theuneducated farmers of Judea," my foot: "and when the chief priests and Pharisees hadheard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them" (Matt. 21:45). The Chief Priestsand Pharisees were generally highly educated people. But even they didn’t know what Jesus’parables really meant, but they on one occasion at least, "perceived" that Jesus was speakingabout them.

So surely, if Jesus’ parables were "clear and compelling" to the uneducated farmers of Judea,then they would be even more so to His own disciples, not?

"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and Hisdisciples came unto Him, saying, Declare [expound, define, explain] unto us theparable of the tares of the field" (Matt. 13:36).

Even Jesus’ Own disciples had to have these parables explained to them. And just how didJesus "declare" these parables to His Own disciples? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Youwouldn’t believe me if I showed you. Okay, here’s how Jesus explained His parable. Heexplained His parable to His disciples by telling them ANOTHER PARABLE! I told you that you



wouldn’t believe me. More on this later.

This is another one of those marvelous spiritual truths of Scripture, which you will never hearexplained in the Church. Just what do they teach all these future clergymen in seminary? The factis, Jesus did not want the people to understand Him and Jesus did not want them to repent andJesus did not want to spiritually heal or save them. He clearly said so. But why? Because Godhas a plan that involves calling MANY, but choosing out only a FEW.

"For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have moreabundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even thathe has" (Matt. 13:12).

Does anyone understand what Jesus just said here? Probably not too many, for this too, is aparable explaining a parable—and no one understood either. I wish they would let me teach afew classes at seminary.

"Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, see not; andhearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled theprophecy of Isaiah… for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears aredull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they shouldsee with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with theirheart, and should BE CONVERTED, AND I SHOULD HEAL [SAVE] THEM"(Verses 13-15).

Wow! Jesus didn’t want them to understand and He didn’t want to convert them and He didn’twant to save them. How could Isaiah’s prophecy be true if Jesus were to contradict it by teachingthem plainly so that they could understand and repent? Now, that’s what Jesus said, and that’swhat Isaiah said, but there’s a problem:

"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah said, Lord, who hasbelieved our report?" (Rom. 10:16).

Yes, who? Have you believed this report I have just given you? It is almost frightening how fewtruly believe God’s Scriptural reports. Hence, precious few believe and understand theScriptures, and fewer yet, obey them.

There is good news, however, concerning the Parables, which virtually no one understands, and itis this:

"And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked ofHim the parable. And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know themystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all thesethings are done in parables." (Mark 4:10-11).

I have never met a Christian in my life that believes this verse. Not one. They all have told me thatJesus spoke many times, in fact most of the time, in plain language to the multitudes and thepeople, and not in parables only.

Hey, I’m glad that it is they who are contradicting Jesus and not I. Add to this denial the heresy



that anyone can at any time, accept Jesus and believe, and then be saved. Jesus says they can’t;the Church says regardless of what Jesus says, they can. Who ya gonna believe?

Continuing:

"That seeing they may see, and not perceive: and hearing they may hear, andnot understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sinsshould be forgiven them. And He said unto them. Know ye not this parable?And how then will you know all parables?" (Verse 12-13).

Say, did you get that? If you would know but one parable, you would know all parables! This isbecause all parables are speaking of the same subject, just presented from differentperspectives. Wouldn’t you just love to know just one parable so that you could know allparables?

What is so utterly amazing is that not only does the Church not understand all of the parables ofJesus, but, they do not even understand the parables which Jesus explained. I assure you that Iam as serious as I could ever be when I say that. In a future paper I will explain what all theparables mean. But for now, just understand, that Jesus’ entire ministry was preached in such away that no one would understand Him, except those very few to whom it was later (much later—see Truth Number 3) given to understand. Pray that God will grant you spiritual understanding ofHis parables, or you too, will "…understand not."

TRUTH NUMBER 3

[A] "Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing SEE NOT:and hearing they HEAR NOT, NEITHER DO THEY UNDERSTAND" (Matt.13:13).

[B] "How is it that you [disciples] DO NOT UNDERSTAND…" (Matt. 16:11).

[C] "But they [the disciples] UNDERSTOOD NOT this saying, and it was HIDfrom them…" (Luke 9:45).

What was it that Christ’s disciples and apostles understood not? Surely they understood Hisspiritual teachings, did they not? What is it that they "…understood NOT" about Jesus’sayings? Truth number 3 will reveal this shocking truth to us.

That Jesus hid the meaning of his teachings from the masses, we have clearly been told alreadyin Truth #2. But now I am going to show you something even more profound. Most in fact, will notbelieve the Scriptures before their own eyes.

The King James "parables" to the masses and the "proverbs" to the Apostles is translated fromthe very same Greek word:

Both "parable" and "proverb" are translated from the Greek— G3850 parabole par-ab-ol-ay'From G3846; a similitude ("parable"), that is, (symbolically) fictitious narrative (of common lifeconveying a moral), apoth gm or adage: - comparison, figure, parable, proverb.



This is really childish that I should even have to explain to Christians that a "parabolay" really is a"FICTITIOUS narrative, and therefore is not a literal story at all. Oh what religion has done tootherwise perfectly sane minds.

Just for the record, here are just a few of the definitions of "fictitious" from my dictionary:"fictitious, adj, artificial, feigned, fiction, imaginary, syn, false, fabrication, deception, incredible[unbelievable], impossibility, nonexistent, invented, distortion of historical facts" etc., etc., etc.From: Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, page 465.

How many reading this paper will now believe and concede that parables are not literally truestories? Virtually none. As I have said for a long time now: "Christendom is a religion ofcontradictions and square circles." And they love to have it so.

That Jesus taught the multitudes including the Scribes and Pharisees in "parables" [parabolay]which means: "FICTITIOUS narratives," is stated numerous times in the Scriptures. And clearlythe multitudes along with the Scribes and Pharisees did not understand any of it.

Actually the Bible as a whole is one giant parable. Tis true, but I don’t have time to go into thatright now.

And now for the shocker of shockers: Ask any Christian and he will tell you: "Jesus taught Hisdisciples in "plain, literal, simple language." Maybe the multitudes, the masses, the Scribes andthe Pharisees, didn’t understand Christ’s teachings, but surely the Apostles understood Histeachings. Oh really? And do we have chapter and verse on that? Do we have two witnesses onthat? No we don’t because it isn’t true.

Here’s how Jesus taught His own disciples, even in private:

"These things have I spoken unto you in PROVERBS: but the time comes[not yet, but in the future] when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but Ishall show you PLAINLY of the Father" (John 16:25).

By Jesus’ own admission, He didn’t teach or speak to even His Own apostles "plainly."

Now for a little humor: After Jesus spoke these words to His apostles He explains how He cameout from the Father into the world and that He would again leave this world and that He would thenplainly make known to them the Father. Not wanting to admit to their total ignorance of whatJesus was saying:

"His disciples said unto Him, Lo NOW SPEAK YOU PLAINLY, AND SPEAKNO PROVERB. Now ARE WE SURE THAT You know all things, and need notthat any man should ask You: by this we believe that You came forth fromGod" (John 16:29-30).

Jesus responded: "Oh really?" Well, those are not His exact words (that is what I would havesaid). Jesus responded: "DO you NOW believe?" (Verse 31). Of course they didn’t. They hadnot a clue as to what Jesus was spiritually saying.

The word for "plainly" is taken from the Greek—G3954 a parrhe�sia par-rhay-see'-ah From



G3956 and a derivative of G4483; all out spokenness, that is, frankness, bluntness, publicity; byimplication assurance: - bold (X -ly, -ness, -ness of speech), confidence, X freely, X openly, Xplainly (-ness).

So Jesus promised that at some time in the future He would speak to them no longer in proverbs,but "plainly"—frankness, bluntness, assurance, confidently, feely, openly. Hence His "proverbs"were NOT, frank, blunt, assured, confident, free, open, and plain! No wonder the disciples andeven the Apostles "understood not" the teachings of Jesus Christ. Do we have any"witnesses" or "spiritual matches" to that effect? Many:

"And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked ofHim [and why did they ‘ask Him?’ because they did not know or understand Hisparables] the parable… And he said unto them, Know you NOT this parable?[Why of course they did not know this parable] and how then will ye know allparables?" (Mark 4:10 & 13).

To know "all parables," they needed to know "this parable." But since they clearly andadmittedly did not know "this parable," neither did they know any of the parables. The Apostlesof Jesus Christ followed Jesus for three and one half years, and never understood the parables,even though they understood certain principles contained in a few parables.

The multitudes did not understand Jesus’ parables; the Scribes and Pharisees did notunderstand Jesus’ parables; the hundreds of disciples did not understand Jesus’ parables, andas unbelievable as it may sound, not even the APOSTLES understood Jesus’ parables. Now getready for another shock:

Not only did none of the above including the Apostles themselves, understand any of Jesus’parables, but they did not understand the parables after Jesus EXPLAINED the parables! Andhow is such a thing even possible? Well, get ready for an even greater shock:

The reason they didn’t understand the parables even after Jesus explained them, is becauseJesus explained His parables WITH ANOTHER PARABLE! That’s right, Jesus explained theparables that the Apostles themselves didn’t understand, by another parable, which they also didnot understand.

In Matt. 13:10, we read, "And the disciples came, and said unto Him, Why speak you untothem in parables?" In verse 11 Jesus said it is given to His disciples to understand (but Hedidn’t say WHEN it was given for them to understand), and then in verse 12 Jesus says:

"For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have moreabundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even thathe has."

In other words, another parable. Jesus explained the first parable that they didn’t understand withanother parable, which they did not understand.

A little later:

"Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house, and His



disciples came unto Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares ofthe field. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is theSon of man: the field is the world…,"

Etc., etc., which is nothing more than yet another parable to explain a previous parable.

Jesus does not explain "the children of the kingdom," "the children of the wicked one,""the devil," "the reaper angels," "the end of the world," "The Son of man," "furnace offire," "the kingdom of their Father," anymore than He explained what the first version of theparable was, and therefore, He had to add this to the end of His explanation: "Who has ears tohear, let him hear." But none there had "ears to ear," as we shall now see conclusively proven.

After several more parables:

"Jesus said unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say untohim, YEA, Lord" (Matt. 13:51).

They understood nothing.

In chapter 15 we read:

"And He called the multitude, and said unto them, hear, and understand"(Matt. 15:10).

And He gives them another parable. Then Peter questions this parable,

"Then answered Peter and said unto Him, Declare unto US this parable. AndJesus said, Are ye ALSO yet without understanding? Do NOT ye yetunderstand…?" (Verses 15, 16, 17a).

Yes, the multitudes and the disciples "also" were without understanding.

In the next chapter we read this:

"Then Jesus said unto them [His disciples], Take heed and beware of theleaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned amongthemselves, Saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which whenJesus perceived, He said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye amongyourselves because he have brought no bread? Do ye NOT YETUNDERSTAND; How is it that you DO NOT UNDERSTAND?" (Matt. 16:6-9a &11).

Then in verse 11 it says they understood that Jesus meant the "doctrines" of the Pharisees, butthey still didn’t know what the doctrines of the Pharisees were.

"And He [Jesus] said unto them [His disciples], How is it that YE DO NOTUNDERSTAND?" (Mark 8:21).

"But THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT that saying, and were afraid to ask Him"



(Mark 9:32).

Jesus said unto His disciples:

"Let these sayings sink down into your ears… But THEY UNDERSTOODNOT this saying, and it was HID from them, that they perceived it NOT; andthey feared to ask Him of that saying" (Luke 9:44-45).

"These things UNDERSTOOD NOT His disciples at the first: but when Jesuswas glorified [after His resurrection] then remembered they that these thingswere written of Him…" (John 12:16).

Three and one half years Jesus taught His disciples. Three and one half years they heard Himteach in the synagogues hundreds of times. Yet, how much did they truly understand?

"Then He took unto Him the twelve, and said unto them. Behold we go up toJerusalem, and ALL THINGS that are written by the prophets concerning theSon of man shall be accomplished… and THEY UNDERSTOOD NONE ofthese things: and this saying was HID from them, NEITHER KNEW they thethings which were spoken" (Luke 18:31-34).

How many things written in the prophets concerning the life, ministry, death and resurrection ofJesus did the disciples understand? "NONE."

At Jesus’ last meeting after His resurrection with His apostles we read:

"And He said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you while Iwas yet with you [words which they never understood] that all things must befulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses in the prophets, and in thePsalms, concerning Me [in other words, the entire Hebrew Scriptures]. Then[When? ‘THEN.’ Not during their three and one half years of learning at His feet? NO,‘then’] opened He their understanding, that they might understand theScriptures [ALL of the Scriptures]" (Luke 24:44-45).

Why did Jesus reveal His message, His gospel, His kingdom, His word to so very few people?Christ’s answer is much harder for most to believe than the parables themselves:

"And the disciples came, and said unto Him, WHY speak You unto them inparables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you toknow the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven [not at that precise time, buteventually, after His resurrection] but to them it is not given [not then OR later]. Forwhosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has[another parable answers the reason for parables]. Therefore speak I to them inparables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither dothey understand [here Jesus gives us a parable within a riddle].

"And in them [and in all future generations down through the centuries, save a very



small elect few] is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing youshall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see, and shall notperceive: For this people’s heart [the people’s heart in Isaiah’s day, Christ’s day,through the generations, and in our day] is waxed gross, and their ears are dull ofhearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should seewith their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with theirheart, and should be converted, and I should HEAL them [SAVE them].

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Forverily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men [all the patriarchsof the Old Testament] have desired to see those things which you see, andhave NOT seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and haveNOT heard them" (Matt. 13:10-17).

I doubt that many of my readers are comprehending the marvelous truths contained in the abovepassages. The prophets THEMSELVES (even Isaiah himself), desired to see these things,but did NOT see them. All of the Apostles and New Testament writers understood that thepatriarchs of old including the prophets themselves, did not understand their own prophesies,therefore they were not converted, and they are not saved. These things are for those who comeafter Christ, not before:

"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, whoprophesied of the grace that should come unto YOU [not unto them!]:Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was inthem did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ, and theglory that should follow [not come BEFORE, in their day and time].

"Unto whom it was revealed, that NOT unto themselves, but unto US they did minister[‘for OUR admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come, I Cor. 10:11] the things,which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you withthe Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the gracethat is to be brought unto YOU at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:10-13).

Therefore I repeat once more:

"And these all [all the saints and all the prophets, Ver. 32], having obtained agood report through faith, received NOT the promise: God having providedsome better thing FOR US, that they without US should NOT be made perfect[be saved]" (Heb. 11:39-40).

These and many more Scriptures prove the Church’s teaching that people who die unsaved willnever be saved, is a damnable heresy. Until you concede in your heart that neither the parablesnor the interpretation of the parables are literal, you will know no more of the plan of God and theGospel of Jesus Christ than the Apostles did before they were converted and had God’s HolySpirit.

TRUTH NUMBER 4



[A] "Inasmuch as ye [all you] have done it unto one of the least of these MyBRETHREN, ye have done it unto ME… Inasmuch as ye did it not to one ofthe least of these [My brethren], ye did it not to ME" (Matt. 25:40b & 45b).

[B] "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto themin all the Scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF" (Luke 24:27).

[C] "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am notcome to destroy, but to FULFILL" (Matt. 5:17).

[D] "I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took Me not: but theScriptures MUST BE FULFILLED" (mark 14:49).

[E] "After this, Jesus knowing that ALL THINGS were now accomplished, thatthe Scripture might be FULFILLED, said, I thirst" (John 19:28).

[F] "Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into DEATH: that like asChrist was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so WEalso should walk in newness of life… I am crucified with Christ: neverthelessI live; yet not I, but Christ LIVES IN ME: and the life which I now live in theflesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself forme" (Rom. 6:4 & Gal. 2:20).

[G] "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater thanhis lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you; if they have keptmy saying, they will keep yours also… Herein is our love made perfect, thatwe may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He [Jesus] IS, SOARE WE IN THE WORLD…" (John 15:20 & I John 4:17).

Contained in these few Scriptures is the reason why the Church has not a clue as to what the planand purpose of God is, or how the Scriptures are applied to the working out of that purpose. Howdid Jesus "fulfill" the Scriptures? By fulfilling the 44 Scriptures listed in the back of Strong’sConcordance concerning the coming Messiah? Forty-four Scriptures only? Those 44 Scripturesare truly, not even the tip of the iceberg.

What Christ did could not be put into books—the whole [kosmos] could not contain it.

Jesus did not fulfill the sacrificed sin offering only. Jesus was not merely one offering, but themany offerings, burnt offerings, the meat offering, the peace offerings, the trespass offering, andthe sin offering. Jesus also prefigured the priest doing the offering, the meaning of each offering,the compartments and furniture of the tabernacle, the bread, the candles, the curtain, the ark ofthe covenant, the tabernacle itself, and the whole nation of Israel—Jesus prefigures all andFULFILLED ALL.

No one could comprehend every verse in the Old Testament Scriptures that represented Jesus,but they could learn the PRINCIPLE by which Jesus fulfilled all the law and all the prophets. Andthat is how the apostles and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus had their understanding ofthe Scriptures opened in just a very short time. When the Scriptures speak of Israel they speak of



Jesus, and when they speak of Jesus they speak of us, for "…as Jesus is, so are we in theworld" (I John 4:17).

And that is the simple explanation of this marvelous truth. The Scriptures speak of far more thanjust the prophesies of Jesus coming as the Messiah.

We are all in Adam. We do all that Adam did. We believe in the Spirit what Israel lived in theflesh. All Israel was baptized in the Red Sea. We are all baptized into Christ’s death. And now thelast Adam (Christ) lives His life in us (Gal. 2:20), but not until we repent of the first Adam of theflesh living his life in us.

"Then opened He their UNDERSTANDING, that they might UNDERSTANDthe Scriptures" (Luke 24:45);

"Consider what I say: and the Lord give you UNDERSTANDING in all things"(II Tim. 2:7).

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us anUNDERSTANDING, that we may know Him that is True…" (I John 5:20).

"And you shall know [Gk: ‘sure understanding’—but future] the truth, and thetruth shall make [future] you free" (John 8:32)

For three and one-half years Jesus promised that some day His apostles would know the truth.But clear to the end of three and one-half years of learning at the feet of Jesus, the Apostles didnot yet understand His teaching, purpose or plan. One day they were blind to these truths, and thenext they understood. How is that possible?

We have clearly seen that Jesus kept the real meaning and truths of His teaching from themasses, the church leaders, His disciples and even His apostles. Late in Christ’s ministry, weare told that:

"And they understood NONE OF THESE THINGS: and this saying was hidfrom them, neither knew they the THINGS WHICH WERE SPOKEN" (Luke18:34).

But after His resurrection, Luke tells us that:

"THEN opened He their understanding, that they might understand THESCRIPTURES: (Luke 24:45).

Maybe, TODAY, will be the day that God begins to "open your understanding of the Scriptures."

Jesus said to His disciples:

"…ALL THINGS must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses andin the prophets, and in the Psalms, CONCERNING ME. Then opened He theirunderstanding…" (Luke 24:44-45).



In the first section, the Law of Moses, Strong’s Concordance gives four entries of things Jesusfulfilled from these five books:

1. "…her Seed" (Gen. 3:15);

2. "In you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3);

3. "…with him [Isaac] for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants afterhim" (Gen. 17:19);

4. "…a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel…" (Num. 24:17).And that’s it.

Why they don’t even mention the fact that there was to come a Prophet like unto Moses:

"The Lord thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet from the midst of you, ofyour brethren, like unto me [Moses] unto Him ye shall hearken" (Deut. 18:15 &Acts 7:22).

If they missed that one, just imagine how many of hundreds of smaller prophecies regardingChrist they missed.

Understand that what is recorded for us in the gospels is but a very tiny portion of what actuallywas taught and happened in Christ’s life and ministry:

"And with MANY such parables spoke He the word unto them…" (Mark 4:33;Matt. 13:3; Mark 4:2).

"And MANY other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciple, whichare not written in this book" (John 20:30).

"And there were also MANY other things which Jesus did, the which, if theyshould be written everyone, I suppose that even the world itself could notcontain the books that should be written. Amen" (John 21:25).

It wasn’t that Jesus was "holding back" on His disciples, so that they didn’t quite "get it," butrather they just didn’t have the spiritual mind to "get it," until Jesus gave them His very Own mindin the form of His Holy Spirit. Notice Jesus’ words:

"But take heed, behold, I have foretold you ALL things" (Mark 13:23).

Yes, Jesus told them "ALL things," but, "they understood NONE OF THESE THINGS"(Luke 18:34)!

Surely the question will arise: If at the end of Christ’s ministry, "they understood none of thesethings…," of what value were those three and one half years that Jesus taught them? Tis truethat they did not understand Christ’s gospel and message during His ministry, and during thismentoring, but it was not for naught.

Three things were to happen:



[1] "But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, you willREMEMBER that I told you of them" (John 16:4).

This is how the gospel accounts could be written 30-40 years later, because God caused them to"remember" all these things. Remember how I taught in my "Lake of Fire" series, that inRevelation 1:10 & 12 John, "…heard behind" him, a trumpet, and he "turned to see…" Andthat is how we come to understand many things in the spirit. It is only when we turn and lookbehind us that we see what we didn’t see while it was actually taking place.

"These things understood NOT His disciples at that time: but when Jesuswas glorified, then REMEMBERED they that these things were written of Him,and that they had done these things unto Him" (John 12:16).

"Then REMEMBERED I the word of the Lord, how that He said…" (Acts11:16).

[2] "And He said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you,while I was yet with you… Then opened he their understanding, that theymight UNDERSTAND the Scriptures" (Luke 24:44-45).

[3] After three and one half years of personal tutoring and training of His disciples,Jesus told them at the last supper, "I have yet MANY THINGS to say unto you,but ye cannot hear them NOW" (John 16:12).

And so the disciples understood many things [1] after they came to pass, [2] again when Jesusopened their understanding, and [3] many more things as they progressed and grew in their faithand ministry.

Peter learned to not call the Gentiles common or unclean. He preached to them the gospel, andthey received God’s Holy Spirit. Paul learned the truth about being baptized by God’s Spiritrather than by water. The whole Church learned that Circumcision and the Law of Moses was notrequired for salvation at the Acts 15 Jerusalem Conference. And many more such things.

But primarily in this Truth, we are dealing with Christ’s opening of their understanding of theScriptures after His resurrection.

Before Jesus opened their understanding of the Scriptures on the evening of His resurrection, noNew Testament writer could have quoted Scriptures from the Old Testament and applied them toChrist as we find in our Bibles today. And why is that?

Because many times the Scriptures that they quote in reference to Jesus Christ are takencompletely out of their context, where they did not have reference to Jesus at all.

Notice Matt. 1:23,

"Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shallcall his name Emmanuel."



Now go back to Isa. 7:14 and you will see that this verse has nothing to do with Jesus Christ, ifwe insist that it be IN CONTEXT.

In Acts 1:20 we see Peter putting into practice the "Scriptural understanding" that Jesus gavehim the evening of His resurrection. Let’s notice what Peter says:

"For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let His habitation be desolate, and letno man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take."

Peter took half his statement from Psalm 69:25, but changed the word "their" to "his," and theother half of his statement is from Psalm 109:8, and neither Psalm appears to have anything todo with selecting a new Apostle to replace Judas. What is going on?

"Then opened He [Jesus] their [the eleven Apostles] understanding, that theymight understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).

But what was it about the Scriptures that caused them to understand the Scriptures? Just whatdid Jesus teach them that they didn’t already know? Back up a few verses for the answer.

Earlier that same day Jesus met with two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. For the nextseven miles Jesus explained to them the Scriptures.

What did He teach them that in a few hours they were able to understand the Scriptures?

"Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that theprophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, , andto enter into His glory. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, Heexpounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning HIMSELF"(Luke 24:25-27).

Are we to believe that in a few hours Jesus read to them the entire 39 books, 929 chapters,23,145 verses of the Old Testament, with commentary and explanations? No, of course not. Hetaught them a principle, a spiritual truth, whereby they could understand all the Scriptures thatpertained to Him.

The spiritual resurrected Jesus Christ does not represent the physical house of David, or thephysical Tribe of Judah, or the physical nation of Israel. Jesus Christ is Spirit and His words arespirit. "As Jesus is, so are we" means that those who are spiritual (composed of almostexclusively Gentiles in this Church era) are the true Jews—not national Israel and Judah. NationalIsrael and Judah are going into the Great White Throne of Judgment in the second resurrectionduring the period of the Lake of Fire. They will NOT be grafted into Jesus, the Tree of Life, beforethen. Jesus fulfilled all that is written in the Law of Moses and all the prophets—it ALL pertains toJesus, and thus it all pertains to us (‘upon whom the ends of the ages are come,’ I Cor.10:11).

TRUTH NUMBER 5

[A] "It is the spirit that quickens [gives life]; the flesh profits nothing: the wordsthat I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT, and they are life" (John 6:63).



[B] "But this spoke He of the SPIRIT…" (John 7:39).

[C] "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the SPIRIT which ISthe word of God" ( Eph. 6:17).

Everything from Genesis to Revelation pertains to a higher SPIRITUAL meaning than the physicalexamples, parables, metaphors, allegories, stories and symbols in which they are written. "Letus make man in Our Image" (Gen. 1:26) are words of SPIRIT: "…Surely I come quickly…"(Rev. 22:20) are words of SPIRIT. God does not look like a six-foot man or a five-foot woman.Jesus comes quickly to us, not to the world.

John tells us that:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Wordwas God… and the Word was MADE FLESH… grace and truth came byJesus Christ" (John 1:1, 14 & 17).

God is not "flesh." Jesus had to be "made flesh." And then AS flesh, Jesus had to "grow andwax strong" (Luke 2:40). God does not "grow or wax strong," but Jesus "made flesh" had togrow and wax strong. Jesus also had to "overcome" (John 16:33). God does not need toovercome anything. Jesus had to "suffer" and "learn obedience" (Heb. 5:8). God does notsuffer: God does not learn anything, seeing that God is all knowing (Isa. 46:10).

Jesus was "troubled in His soul" (John 12:27). God is never troubled in HIS soul. Jesus got"weary" (John 4 6). God never gets weary (Isa. 40:28). Jesus became "exceeding sorrowful"(Matt. 26:38). God never sorrows. Jesus was famished after fasting for 40 days and nights. Hewas so "hungry" that he was ready to die (Matt. 4:2). God never gets hungry. God can never dieof hunger. Jesus got very "thirsty" (John 19:28). God never gets thirsty. Jesus "wept" (John11:35). God never weeps. Jesus was acquainted with "sickness" (Isa. 53:3). God never getssick.

How sad that many Christians believe that nothing bad ever happened to Jesus before Hiscrucifixion. If it were not for God IN Jesus, Jesus would have been as helpless as a newbornbaby. In fact, Jesus said with all humility and truth: "I can of Mine Own Self do nothing…"(John 5:30).

Jesus Christ is our Example of just how man (mankind) is to "be made into the Image of God."Jesus is our example, our way, and our destiny:

"For whom He did foreknow, [that’s US, and eventually all humanity, I Cor. 15:28],He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that Hemight be the Firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29).

Jesus was made a physical man so that He could show us the way to the spirit God.

And so it was that this Jesus, in the flesh, who became human, became a man of flesh, wasconformed into the spiritual "Image of God," and spoke to us through His "words of spirit." Itis Jesus Who "was the word of God" back in Genesis, Who did the speaking when "…God



[the Word] said, Let there be light" (Gen. 1:3). It was "the word" in Genesis 1:26 Who said:"Make will We humanity in Our Image…" (Concordant Version).

What kind of words were those words, which The Word spoke back there in the garden? Whythey were the words of Jesus, and Jesus plainly tells us that His words "ARE SPIRIT" (John6:63).

"And creating is God humanity in His [spiritual] Image. In the Image of God Hecreates it. Male and female He [spiritually] creates them" Gen. 1:27).

Why of course, that is why Paul teaches us that we are, "…to be conformed to the Image ofHis Son." Jesus now is in the very spiritual image of God, just as He was prior to being emptiedinto human flesh, in the form of a servant:

"And now, O Father, GLORIFY You Me with Thine Own Self with the glorywhich I HAD WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD WAS" (John 17:5).

If mankind is not in the literal, physical image of God, then what, pray tell, does God look like?

"To whom then will you liken Me, or shall I be equal? Says the Holy One… Iam the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me… I form thelight, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do allthese things… I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even Myhands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have Icommanded… To whom will you like Me, and make Me equal, and compareMe, that we may be like?" (Isa. 40:25; 45:5, 7, 12; 46:5)

"God is not a MAN…" (Num. 23:19), regardless of how many millions of theologians want tomake God into the image of sinful man. God is not in our image: neither are we yet in His Image.

Obviously the words that Jesus spoke were "spirit," seeing that His very words came fromGOD, Who IS SPIRIT:

"For He [Jesus] Whom God has sent speaks the WORDS OF God, for Godgives not the SPIRIT by measure unto Him" (John 3:34).

Did Jesus give His Apostles the power to speak words of SPIRIT? Yes, He did:

"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’swisdom, but in the demonstration of the SPIRIT and of power" (I Cor. 2:4).

"The spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was in my tongue" (II Sam.23:2).

"According to the word that I did covenant with you when ye came out ofEgypt, so My spirit remains among you; fear ye not" (Haggai 2:5).

"For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom: to another the word ofknowledge by the same spirit" (I Cor. 12:8).



"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is theword of God" (Eph. 6:17).

And we too are to speak with these same "words of SPIRIT"

"For it is not you that speak, but the spirit of your Father which speaks [wordsof spirit] in you" (Matt. 10:20).

And of course the same thing was true for Christ:

"…the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s [God is spirit] whichsent me" (John 14:24).

Now then, how did Jesus teach the multitudes, ALWAYS? In parables:

"All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitudes in parable; and without aparable spoke He not unto them" (Matt. 13:34; Mark 4:33-34; John 10:6; 16:25).

Parables are "words of spirit."

The day that we fail to believe Jesus when He tells us that His words "are SPIRIT," is the daythat we will fail to understand anything spiritual. The words of Jesus are not to be taken literally,physically, materially, carnally. All of Jesus’ teachings are SPIRITUAL. I will keep this sectionshort, as this principle overlaps with all of the rest of the principles.

TRUTH NUMBER 6

[A] "…that in the mouth of TWO OR THREE WITNESSES every word may beestablished" (Matt. 18:16).

[B] "…In the mouth of TWO OR THREE WITNESSES shall every word beestablished" (II Cor. 13:1).

[C] "And I will give power unto my TWO WITNESSES…" (Rev. 11:3).

This particular law of Scripture is constantly violated. We are to have at least a second witness toestablish a Scriptural truth or doctrine.

Unfortunately, the Church does not follow this truth of God in establishing doctrine. Truth beknown, orthodoxy has not even one witness to support any of their doctrines! Example: TheScriptures tell us that man is "mortal," not "immortal." They teach that man’s soul is immortal.Where do they have a Scripture to support this claim? No Scripture—no witness. Where is theirsecond witness to this claim? No second witness. They will not be encumbered with Scriptures tosupport their damnable heresies and lies.

God told Adam if he ate of the forbidden fruit he would die: "And the Lord God commanded…you shall surely die." (Gen. 2:17). Theologians teach that, "once we are born, we shall NEVERsurely die." Say, doesn’t that sound like the very same thing the lying serpent told Eve? Check itout:



"And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall NOT surely die"

Can we all agree that the phrase: "shall NOT SURELY die" is a contradiction of the phrase"SHALL SURELY die"?

Does the Church teach what God said or what the serpent said? Why would you prefer to believewhat the serpent said rather than what God said? Am I going to fast for anyone?

So do souls actually die, or are they immortal? A "soul" in Hebrew is a "nephesh." Does theChurch have "two witnesses" that souls do not die? They don’t have even one. Well then, do wehave two witnesses that tell us plainly souls do die?

Yes we do:

1. "…the soul [Heb: ‘nephesh’] that sins, it [the soul, the ‘nephesh’] shall die. (Say, isn’t thatexactly what God taught us back in Gen. 2:17? Of course). (Ezek. 18:4). Doesn’t this thencontradict both the lie of Satan and the Church?

2. "The soul that sins, IT SHALL DIE" (Ezek. 18:20).

Jesus tells us in parable of two great witnesses:

"Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto thekingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringsforth out of his treasure, NEW AND OLD" (Matt. 13:52).

What "new and old" treasures do "scribes" preserve for us regarding the "kingdom of heaven?"Why the NEW Covenant Scriptures and the OLD Covenant Scriptures, of course. And both theOld (Deut. 17:6 & 19:15), and the New (II Cor. 13:1 & Matt. 18:16) command that we must havetwo witnesses to establish every Word of God.

I will keep this truth short, as it overlaps with the next spiritual truth # 7 which requires that wecompare and match spiritual with spiritual.

The next time your pastor mentions "immortal souls," "Christians going to heaven," "Jesus beingin hell for three days," "not all men will be saved," "Christian tithing," "consciousness in death,""resurrection of the body," "parables make the teaching clear," "man’s will being free andindependent of God," and dozens of other such nonsense, ask him to give you two Scriptures tosupport each of his unscriptural heresies.

TRUTH NUMBER 7

[A] "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdomteaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; COMPARING [or ‘matching’]SPIRITUAL THINGS WITH SPIRITUAL" (I Cor. 2:13).

[B] "And to this AGREE the words of the prophets; as it is written…" (Acts15:15).



[C] "These [Bereans]… searched the Scriptures daily, whether those thingswere SO [Gk: ‘in this way,’ ‘like’] (Acts 17:11).

[D] "AS You have sent Me into the world, EVEN SO have I sent them into theworld" (John 17:18, and many, many other such comparisons).

The purpose for comparing spiritual with spiritual is to find a spiritual match. There is a spiritualmatch for every symbol in the book of Revelation. This is a powerful truth that will open the wholeBible to us.

In the previous truth we learned the need for two witnesses. In this truth we will learn the need forthose two witnesses to be a "spiritual match." Let’s now "spiritually match" two witnesses andsee the marvelous eye-opening result.

After being introduced to the Great White Throne in Rev. 20:11, we read of the judgment of everyman’s work in fire:

And I saw the dead small and great stand before God, and the books wereopened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and thedead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell deliveredup the dead which were in them, and they were judged every man accordingto their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is thesecond death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life wascast into the lake of fire.

Notice the specifics of these verses:

"Every man’s work is to be judged by fire."

1. EVERY MAN

2. Every man’s WORK

3. Every man’s work is to be JUDGED

4. Every man’s work is to be judged IN FIRE

But we learned that no witness can stand alone. We must have at least TWO WITNESSES toestablish the truth of any doctrine. For the simple fact that orthodoxy absolutely refuses to giveyou a "spiritual match" to these Scriptures, it has enabled them to attach all kinds ofunscriptural, extra-scriptural, anti-scriptural heresies to the above Scripture. Why won’t they giveyou a "second witness," and a "spiritual match" to the above Scripture? Because the onlysecond witness which is a spiritual match to the above Scripture, destroys their whole paganteaching regarding it, that’s why.

Now then, is there a second witness to: Every man’s work is to be judged by fire? Yes, there



is a SECOND witness to this Scripture. But we are looking for more than just a second witness.We have just learned that we are also to "compare [or match] spiritual with spiritual." We arelooking for a second witness which is a SPIRITUAL MATCH to these statements that Everyman’s work is to be judged in fire."

Would you believe that there is ONE and ONLY ONE such spiritual match to this Scripture in theentirety of the Bible? After I give it to you, you will clearly see why orthodoxy will not even concedethat this Scripture IS a second witness and a spiritual match. Here it is:

"Every man’s work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it,because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try [test, examine, judge]every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide that he has builtthereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, heshall suffer loss, BUT HE HIMSELF SHALL BE SAVED; yet so as by fire" (ICor. 3:13-15).

There it is: a perfect spiritual match and a second witness to Rev. 20:13-15):

1. EVERY MAN

2. Every man’s WORK

3. Every man’s work TRIED, TESTED OR JUDGED

4. Every man’s work tried, tested or judged IN FIRE

Why do Christians and theologians hate what I have just shown you? Because when we put thesetwo spiritually matched Scriptures together, we also are given the added knowledge that there isSALVATION in and through this fire which judges us, and the Church doesn’t want all mankind tobe saved. Yes, the most evil people who have ever lived, will also be saved one day, but contraryto what all of my detractors constantly lie about my writings, is that they will not be saved beforethey are purged in "God’s CONSUMING FIRE" of every last vestige of evil and carnality.

But many Christians have written me insisting that these two Scriptures are not spiritual matches,and in fact insist that they are never even a second witness to one another. Be it known to all, thatGod’s CONSUMING SPIRITUAL FIRE will purge every vestige of these carnal and evildeceptions of THE GREAT WHORE CHURCH OF BABYLON.

They (like we) will first be "ground to POWDER" (Luke 20:18), and then (like we) subjected to"refiners FIRE and fuller’s SOAP" (Malachi 3:2) of Almighty God. The process for them will bethe same process as with us, albeit at a later date, and in many cases with greater intensity, andremember that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the LIVING GOD" (Heb. 10:31).But it is not a never-ending fear in eternal torture.

Question: As the world of Christendom predominantly believes that the Bible is to be takenliterally, how pray tell is it even within the realm of possibility for them to compare ANYTHING"spiritual with spiritual" from the Scriptures?

TRUTH NUMBER 8



[A] "Now ALL these things happened unto them for examples: and they arewritten for OUR ADMONITION [to reprove, caution, warn, remind of obligation orduty, etc.], upon whom the ends of the world [‘eons—ages’] are come" (I Cor.10:11).

[B] "Now these things were OUR EXAMPLES, to the intent we should not lustafter evil things, as they also lusted" (I Cor. 10:6).

[C] "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for OURLEARNING…" (Rom. 15:4).

It is essential that we study the Old Testament Scriptures, for they are often the only key to theNew Testament Scriptures. Paul used the Hebrew Scriptures to teach the foolish Galatians theNew Covenant promises. Here’s but one great example:

"Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not HEAR the law? For itis written [in Old Covenant Scriptures] that Abraham had two sons, the one by abondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwomanwas born after the FLESH; but he of the freewoman was by PROMISE. Whichthings are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from themount Sinai, which genders [gives birth] to bondage, which is Agar. For thisAgar IS mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, andis in bondage with her children.

"But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which IS the mother of us all.

For it is written, ‘Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, youthat travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she which hasan husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Butas then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born afterthe Spirit, even so it is now.

"Nevertheless what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and herson: for the son of the bondwoman SHALL NOT be heir with the son of thefreewoman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman,but of the free." (Gal. 4:21-31).

This is not only an allegory, but it is an allegory containing many metaphors as well. An allegory iswhen characters or events (such as Sarah and Agar and their children) represent abstract orspiritual ideas or principles. A metaphor is when one thing is said to be something else. (such asAgar actually being mount Sinai, which then represents or corresponds to Jerusalem inbondage). It may seem a little complicated at first, but once one sees all of the aspects of theallegory explained, this principle is quite easy to understand. Nevertheless, it does require theSpirit of God to believe it. It is this very fact (that the Church does not understand or believe thisallegory) that the Church continues to believe that God’s true chosen people are STILL, "thechildren of the bondwoman"—"Jerusalem which NOW IS" over there in the State of Israel.Unbelievable.



This dear reader, is how the Old Covenant was written for "OUR admonition…"

Does anyone believe that this is the ONLY "allegory" in the Old Testament which is written forOUR admonition. Hardly—the Old Testament is FILLED with such allegories, but who has"ears to hear and eyes to see?" And "who will believe our report?" The whole book ofRevelation is explained in the Old Testament Scriptures, but the theologians of this world donot and cannot discern it. They all teach that Revelation is a book of end-time, end-of-the-worldeschatology. They have not a clue.

Paul constantly referred to the Old Testament Scriptures in his epistles, and he taught the wholeplan of salvation from the Old Testament Scriptures, as they were the only Scriptures availableduring his ministry.

"And that from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able tomake you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim.3:15).

These same Scriptures were now able to make Timothy wise unto salvation, but not until he firstlearned about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures. These were the Scriptures thatJesus caused His apostles to understand after His resurrection:

What Jesus taught from the Old Testament Scriptures during His ministry was not even the tip ofthe iceberg.

The Truth of God, "thou shall surely die," and the lie of the Devil, "you shall NOT surely die,"is for "our admonition." The story of Cain and Able is for "our admonition." The story of theflood is for "our admonition." The story of Babel is for "our admonition." The promises toAbraham and the meaning of faith are for "our admonition." The entire story in every singledetail of Joseph and his brothers is for "our admonition." Do you wear your "coat of manycolors," or do you hide it in the closet? You say: "What coat of many colors?"

Forget it—ask you pastor why he has never taught you how to wear your coat of many colors?

If you cannot identify yourself, personally, with all the stories and accounts in the Old Testament,then you have not even begun to overcome all the carnality that you are.

TRUTH NUMBER 9

[A] "Knowing this first, that no prophecy [inspired writing or speaking] of theScripture is of any private [Gk: ‘its OWN’] interpretation" (II Pet. 1:20).

[B] "To understand a proverb, AND THE INTERPRETATION [or ‘puzzle’—theproverb itself is not also the interpretation]…" (Prov. 1:6).

[C] "Are you able to make known unto me THE DREAM which I have seen,AND THE INTERPRETATION thereof [the dream does not interpret itself]?" (Dan.2:26).

"Own" is a little closer to the Greek in this verse than is the word "private." A few examples of



how the Greek word, idios, is used in other Scriptures will show this more clearly. In a few casesit should be translated "private," as in, "…the disciples came unto Him privately" (Matt. 24:3).But more than 70 times it is translated "own" as in:

Matt. 9:1 "…and came into his own city [Gk: idios—not ‘private’ city]."

John 4:44 "…has honor in his own country [Gk: idios—not "private’ country]."

I Pet. 3:5 "…unto their own husbands [Gk: idios—not their ‘private’ husbands]."

Why is no Scripture its OWN interpretation, we might ask? To protect the integrity of theScriptures, for one thing. ALL twelve of these spiritual principles are to be used together inexplaining the Scriptures. If every Scripture or even any Scripture can be its "own interpretation,"then we wouldn’t need the other eleven principles. How can a Scripture be its own interpretationwhen we are told to "compare or MATCH spiritual with spiritual?" One standing alonecannot at the same time be a match to something else. Why then the need for "TWOwitnesses" if each Scripture fully interprets itself? No, every one of the principles that I ampresenting is of paramount importance.

In our last example on the judgments by fire (I Cor. 3 and Rev. 20), it was absolutely necessary tohave not only two witnesses, but to match one spiritual teaching with another spiritual teaching inorder to arrive at the truth. You see, neither Scripture by itself, fully explains God’s "judgments byfire." From I Cor. 3 orthodoxy will concede that the fire is figurative, spiritual, symbolic, and thatthe believers that go through this fire WILL BE SAVED BY IT. But this same orthodoxy (becausethey refuse to obey this commandment of God’s Scripture) conclude that the lake of fire of Rev.20, is not symbolic, even though the whole book is "signified" (Rev. 1:1), which is "symbolized."They say that this fire is literal, and that those that go through it will never be saved.

Now then, does it say that those thrown into the lake of fire are NEVER SAVED? NO. Does it saythat this is LITERAL fire? NO. Does it say that it will last for all ETERNITY? NO (See my paper: "IsEVERLASTING Scriptural" for proof of this. "For ever and ever" is not a translation of Rev. 20:10."aions of the aions" does not translate into "ever and ever."

King James turns the NOUN "aions" into an ADJECTIVE "ever."

King James changes a PLURAL "aionS" into a SINGULAR "ever."

King James drops the GENITIVE "of." (Taking FROM the word of God).

King James inserts the CONJUNCTIVE "and." (Adding TO the word of God).

They again change the PLURAL NOUN "aions" into a SINGULAR ADJECTIVE "ever"

They break FIVE LAWS OF GRAMMAR IN JUST THREE WORDS! And Christendom then callsthis verse "INERRANT." Unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE!

Theologians and preachers despise this simple and unassailable Scriptural logic and truth.

Here is a simple example as to why no Scripture is its OWN interpretation. I am asked aboutonce a week the following question: If dead people are really dead as you say (actually, I quote



once a week the following question: If dead people are really dead as you say (actually, I quoteSCRIPTURE when I say that, so it is really GOD saying it, not I), then how was it that Moses andElijah appeared alive with Christ on the mount? Let’s read it:

"And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, andbrings them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured beforethem: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as thelight. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking withHim" (Matt. 17:1-3).

Now then, since most theologians refuse to follow the commandments of God, they do concludethat this verse is its OWN interpretation, and therefore what you see is what you get—Elijah andMoses are still alive in heaven, or some place. To them this Scripture is its OWN interpretation;they don’t need a SECOND witness; they don’t need to compare SPIRITUAL WITH SPIRITUAL;they don’t need to be sure this Scripture MATCHES other Scriptures. Hence, break thecommandments of God and they teach heresy.

The preachers and theologians of Christendom ARE the Scribes and Pharisees, Elders, theChief priests of today’s Church. And what was their attitude back then with regards to followingthe commandments of God with regard to having more than one witness, etc.?

"And as soon as it was day, the ELDERS, of the people and the CHIEFPRIESTS and the SCRIBES came together and led Him into their council…Then said they all, ‘Are You then the Son of God?’ And He said unto them,‘You say that I am.’ And they said, WHAT NEED WE ANY FURTHERWITNESS?…" (Luke 22:66, 70-71).

Yes, indeed, "What NEED have we of any further witness?" Here’s why we need to followthe commandments of God. Just one additional Scripture witness will solve this Christian heresythat dead people are still alive. Here it is:

"And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying,Tell the VISION [the vision they just had in verses 1-3 of Elijah and Moses appearingas if they were alive] to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from thedead " (Matt. 17:9).

It was all a VISION! It never "literally" happened anymore than your dreams are literal. TheScripture says "two or THREE witnesses," so lets throw in a third just to put this whole issue outof the reach of the heretics. Are Elijah and Moses still alive? Did they receive their promises andgo to heaven. Are they now in heaven?

Turn to Hebrews 11. Although Elijah is not mentioned by name in this chapter, he is, nonetheless,included, as he certainly was "…OF the PROPHETS" (Verse 32). What do the Scriptures sayregarding the present condition of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,Moses, and the prophets, of whom Elijah was one? Are they alive today? Did they receive thepromises. Are they in heaven? Hold on, cause I’m about to knock your socks off:

"These ALL DIED IN FAITH, NOT HAVING RECEIVED THE PROMISES… Forthey that say such things declare plainly that they SEEK a country… they



DESIRE a better country, that is a HEAVENLY… And ALL THESE, havingobtained a good report through faith, [here comes the second witness that theyare dead and not in heaven]… RECEIVED NOT THE PROMISE: God havingprovided some better thing FOR US, that THEY without US should NOT BEMADE [future tense, not past tense—it hasn’t happened YET] perfect" (Verses 13-14, 16, 39-40).

WOW!

I would venture to say that not a thousand people alive on earth today have ever seen or had theabove Scripture explained to them. Yet this Scripture is in perfect harmony with ALL otherScripture, but TOTALLY CONTRADICTS ALL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE.

ALL of the men and women of faith, the fathers, the patriarchs, and prophets are DEAD.

ALL of them died "looking for a country & home afar off," which they never received.

ALL these received a "good report," but they received NO PROMISES.

ALL these "desired a heavenly" home, but they NEVER RECEIVED IT.

ALL these will remain dead until WE are given OUR promises.

OUR promise is better: "God having provided some BETTER THING FOR US."

WE are to become "perfect" Col. 4:12; Eph. 4:13; Gal. 3:3; Phil. 3:15; Col. 1:28; etc,

WE are to become "perfect" BEFORE the saints of old; BEFORE Moses & Elijah.

THEY are not only made perfect AFTER us, but are made perfect THROUGH US!

Not even John the Baptist is as great as the very least in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 11:11).

Grace was not given to save the saints of old. Grace came by JESUS CHRIST, not by Moses,neither to nor for Moses (John 1:17). Hebrews 11, speaking of ALL the saints that were before usclearly declares that, " for they without [Gk: ‘apart from’] US should NOT be made perfect [or‘complete’].

Hebrews was written at least a whole generation after the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord,and at that time the saints of old had not yet received their promises, so guess what? They are allstill dead in their graves awaiting the Second Resurrection, as they cannot be made perfect orcomplete except through those who come up in the First resurrection. And no one is ever made"complete" except through Jesus Christ (Col. 2:10).

Have you not read:

"Unto whom it was revealed, that NOT unto themselves, but unto US [‘NowALL these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for OURadmonition, upon whom the ends of the eons are come’ I Cor. 10:11] they didminister the things, which are now reported unto YOU by them that have



preached the gospel unto YOU with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven;which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins ofYOUR mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the GRACE that is to bebrought unto YOU [not ‘them’—they DIED not receiving the promises made tothem] at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:12-13).

Jesus Christ is the "wave sheaf" and the "firstfruit," but the saints and patriarchs of old werenot "firstfruits" at all. Jesus, not they, was the FIRST of the firstfruits" (I Cor. 15:20& 23), andWE, not they, are also "firstfruits" (James 1:18 & Rev. 14:4). When will we believe theScriptures? The FIRST to be called will be the LAST TO BE SAVED, and the LAST to be calledwill be the FIRST TO BE SAVED (Matt. 19:30 and 20:16). My, what we can learn when we beginto obey the commandments of GOD.

All Scripture is inspired, and all Scripture is true, but no one Scripture fully explains and interpretsitself. Remember that should someone want to show you from "a" single Scripture that there is noend to the lake of fire, for example.

TRUTH NUMBER 10

[A] "ALL is of God…" (II Cor. 5:18). The word "things" is not in the manuscripts.

[B] "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things…" [Greek: ‘For outof Him, and through Him, and for Him, is ALL’—there is no word ‘things’]" (Rom.11:36).

[C] "For it became Him, for Whom are ALL things, and by Whom are ALLthings… [Greek: ‘For it became Him, because of Whom ALL is and through WhomALL is…’—no ‘things’]" (Heb. 2:10).

[D] "For by Him were ALL things created… ALL things were created by Himand for Him: and He is before ALL things AND BY Him, ALL things consist[Gk: ‘hold together’]" (Col. 1:16).

[E] "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being [Gk: ‘exist’—that’s ourALL]" (Acts 17:28).

[F] "…the purpose of Him Who works ALL things after the counsel of HisOwn will" (Eph. 1:11).

Few Christians indeed believe this Truth. First they will insist that I took that phrase out of context.Let us see if that is true:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things arepassed away; behold, ALL THINGS are become new. And ALL things are ofGod, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to usthe ministry of reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:17-18).

Is it only in reference to the "new creatures" in Christ, that "All things are of God?" No, let’s



read the next verse:

"To wit [Gk: ‘that is’], that God was in Christ, RECONCILING THE WORLDUNTO HIMSELF, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and hascommitted unto us the word of reconciliation" (Verse 19).

Now we can clearly see that the "ALL things are of God" includes not only those now beingmade into new creatures, but also "the WORLD." Where does God ever limit Himself when itcomes to saving His people:

"And He is the propitiation for our sins, and NOT FOR OURS ONLY, but alsofor the sins of THE WHOLE WORLD (I John 2;2).

What is true is that God is not trying to save everyone now in this church age. But all of mankindare the offspring of God:

"And has made of one blood all nations of men…though He is not far fromevery one of us [the ‘us’ including every sinning pagan Athenian—Ver. 21].

For IN HIM we live, and move, and have our being… for we ARE ALSO Hisoffspring" (Acts 17:26-28).

The most evil of people who have ever lived, did not live unto themselves, by themselves,independent of God, but rather, "in HIM they live, and move, and have their being."

For even the life of the criminal is sustained by God: or they would just fall apart and cease toexist:

"And He [Jesus] is before all things, and by Him ALL THINGS CONSIST [Gk:‘hold together’]" (Col. 1:17).

Why is it that God tells us that "all is of God," but as many read their Bibles, they do not believethat all they are reading is "ALL of God?"

God gave Joseph a dream that he would be in a position of great power and that even hisbrothers and his father and mother would be bowing down to him. His brothers especially hatedhim for what they considered a haughty attitude toward them. They hated him so, that they weregoing to kill him, but Reuben saved him and they rather sold him into slavery down to Egypt. InEgypt Joseph went through his 13 years of trial and testing. Later his brothers were forced toseek food from Joseph, and they feared for their lives. They thought that Joseph was as evil asthey. Joseph, however, had compassion on them and made the following marvelous statement ofrevelation concerning the workings of God:

"And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But asfor you, ye thought EVIL AGAINST ME, but God MEANT IT UNTO GOOD, tobring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen. 50:19-20).

Notice that God did not "change" what they planned, or "turn" the evil that they planned intosomething good. No, God "meant IT," it being the whole scenario from start to finish, for good.



God didn’t change anything or turn anything, rather God planned it to happen just as it happenedFROM THE BEGINNING. God has never ever made a mid-stream correction in His original plan.God always knows the end of everything in the beginning: "Declaring the END from theBEGINNING…" (Isa. 46:10). But "Who will believe our report?"

A few months ago while visiting in someone’s home, I was introduced to a Jehovah’s Witnessminister. During a discussion around the kitchen table, something was said that prompted me tostate that God knows all things, and He knows all things before they ever happen. To which theJW minister took great exception and gave an example of something that God did not know, andthat this was clearly stated so in the Scriptures. When He quoted the Scripture I nearly fell out ofmy chair. Here is the Scripture he quoted to prove that God does not always know everything:

"…Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord Godamong the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and saidunto him, Where art thou?" (Gen. 3:8a-9).

He insisted for the rest of the evening that there are things that God doesn’t know, and if Godwere to ask a question to something He already knew, then the Scripture would be showing Godto be a liar by asking. I asked him if the fact of God asking a question is proof that God does notknow the answer to the question, and he said, "YES." I later asked him if Jesus was the onlystupid person present when He asked whose image was on the coin? I asked him if everyuneducated person present knew that it was Caesar’s image with the exception of Jesus? Hereplied: "That was different." Oh really?

How the name of God is blasphemed by such demeaning foolishness. Yet most professingChristians refuse to understand these simple truths of Scripture. They refuse to believe that all isof God. They rather think that all evil is of Satan. They refuse to believe that even Satan "is ofGOD." God created Satan, God controls Satan, and God calls all the shots with Satan. Satancannot move without God’s permission:

"And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold he is in your hand; but save his life.So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord…" Job 2:6-7).

If even Jesus Christ, the SON OF GOD, could not do ANYTHING of Himself without the Father,then why oh why do Christians believe that everyone else in the universe can do whatever theywant independent of God? Jesus said:

"I can of Mine Own Self DO NOTHING…" (John 5:30).

Jesus also said:

"…For without Me YE CAN DO NOTHING…" (John 15:5).

So Jesus can do nothing of and by Himself; the Apostles could do nothing of and by themselves;we can of ourselves do nothing, but Satan and sinners can do whatever their fabled free willswant to do, is that correct? That is foolish and unscriptural blasphemy. Truly "ALL is of God."

What then of all the supposed contradictions in Scripture? Below are a few examples of whatmany would call contradictions in the Scriptures:



THE RELATIVE: THE ABSOLUTE:

" ...seek, and ye shall find... " (Mat. 7:7) "Not one is seeking out God" (Rom. 3:11)

"God changed His mind" (Ex. 32:14) "God is not a man Who changes Hismind" (I Sam. 15:29)

" ...CHOOSE you this day whom ye willserve." (Josh. 24:15)

"Ye have NOT CHOSEN me, but I have chosen you... " (Jn. 15:16)

" ...whosoever doeth not righteousness isNOT of God... " (I Jn. 3:10)

"ALL is of God" (II Cor. 5:18)

"Zechariah was righteous before God"(Luke 1:5-6).

"Come unto Me…" (Matt. 11:28)

"There is none righteous" (Rom. 3:10)

"None CAN come to Me…" (John 6:44 &65)

To the carnal mind, the above Scriptures are contradictions, and therefore proof that the Word ofGod is not consistently true.

Even the greatest theologians in the world deny this truth that "All is of God," because they cannotdistinguish the relative from man’s doings from the absolute which is God’s doing.

In the first example man is told to seek but is also told that no man seeks. Which is it? They areboth true. No man does seek God except and until God brings about circumstances wherein hedoes seek God. But He only does seek God because "All is of God" who brings about thecircumstances whereby someone who would not seek God, now does seek God.

In the second example we are told that God changes His mind [repents], but are also told thatGod is not a man who repents or changes His mind. The answers are all the same. Where itappears to many that God felt sorry for ever having created mankind, He is in reality doing onlythat which He had determined to do from the beginning. It is only from man’s perspective thatGod repented or changed His mind. God always knows the "end from the beginning," andtherefore is never surprised or never thwarted or frustrated requiring a change in course or achange of plans.

A few years ago someone tried to trip me up with this verse:

"They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire forburnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it neither cameit into My mind" (Jer. 19:5).

Here, I was told, is absolute proof that God learns new things that He didn’t know before.Nonsense.

This is a simple problem of translating. The word translated "mind" in this verse is the Hebrew



word leb, and it means the "heart with its feelings," not the mind. The King James very oftenconfuses heart with mind and mind with soul, as if they were one and the same thing even thoughthere are different words for each.

God’s plan and purpose for humanity consists of many, many things which are not after God’sown heart, but that are, nonetheless, absolutely essential for the completion of His plan:

"Say unto them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the deathof the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn yefrom your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11).

This is God’s HEART speaking in this verse. But in the MIND of God, the death of the wickedwas absolutely necessary, and a prophesied fact that could not be avoided:

"For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shallcease, and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall passthrough" (Ver. 28).

This is but another of countless examples in Scripture that show God’s mind and His heart. Godtakes no pleasure or delight in His heart over the horrible things that continually happen tohumanity, but nonetheless, these things are absolutely essential to the fulfillment of the plan thatGod has devised in His mind.

It is absolute blasphemy to think or teach that God is the Creator of all that is, but then takes zeroresponsibility for all the evils of that creation—ALL is of God.

TRUTH NUMBER 11

"Grace be into you, and peace, from Him which IS and which WAS, andwhich IS TO COME…" (Rev. 1:4).

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, says the Lord, whichIS, and which WAS, and which IS TO COME, THE almighty" (Rev. 1:8).

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME"(Rev. 4:8).

"Jesus Christ the same YESTERDAY, and TODAY, and FOR EVER" (Hebrews13:8).

When God wants to emphasis something, He repeats it. When He really wants to emphasizesomething, He repeats it again. When He really, really, really wants to emphasize something, Herepeats it multiple times. Let’s count the times God uses this phrase:

1. "Him which IS, and which WAS, and which IS TO COME" Rev. 1:4).

2. "I AM alpha and Omega, the BEGINNING and the ENDING, which IS, and whichWAS, and which IS TO COME" (Rev. 1:8).



3. "I am Alpha and Omega, the FIRST and the LAST" (Rev. 21:6).

4. "I am the FIRST and the LAST" (Rev. 1:17).

5. "I am He that LIVES, and WAS DEAD; and, behold, I AM ALIVE" "Rev. 1:18).

6. "the FIRST and the LAST, which was DEAD, and is ALIVE" (Rev. 2:8).

7. "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME" (Rev.4:8).

8. "Oh Lord God Almighty, which ART, and WAS, and ARE TO COME" (Rev. 11:17).

9. "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which ARE, and WAS, and SHALL BE" (Rev. 16:5).

10. "I am Alpha and Omega, the BEGINNING and the END" (Rev. 22:13).

Let’s try reading a few verses together with this spiritual understanding of what is "spiritual," andwhat still, "is, was, and will be." A couple of years ago I presented the following in one of my Lakeof Fire Installments:

"The [spiritual] Revelation [that is, was, and will be] of [spiritual] Jesus Christ [whois, was, and will be], which God gave unto Him, to show unto His [spiritual]servants [which are were and will be] [spiritual] things [which are, were, and will be]which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and [spiritually] signified [whatis, was, and will be] by His [spiritual] angel [which is, was, and will be] unto His[spiritual] servant [which is, was, and will be] John.

Who bare [spiritual] record of [what is, was, and will be] of the [spiritual] word[which is, was, and will be] of [spiritual] God [who is, was, and will be], and of the[spiritual] testimony [which is, was, and will be] of [spiritual] Jesus Christ [Wholives, was dead, and am alive; Who is, was, and will be; the Alpha and the Omega;the beginning and the end; Who is, was, and is to come], and of all [spiritual]things [which are, were, and will be], that he [spiritually] saw [things that are, andwere, and will be].

[Spiritually] Blessed is he [who is, was, and will be] that [spiritually] reads [what is,was, and will be], and they that [spiritually] hear [what is, was, and will be] the[spiritual] words of this [spiritual] prophecy [which is, was, and will be], and[spiritually] keep those things [which are, were, and will be] which are [spiritually]



written therein: for the [spiritual] time [that is, was, and will be] is [spiritually] athand" (Rev. 1:1-3).

If anyone thinks this is funny, he is laughing at God, not at me. Once one thoroughly understandsthis spiritual truth of what is, was, and will be, it is not necessary to read the entire Book in theway I have stated it above. Neither is it necessary to repeat the words of James when he instructsus to always be aware of the fact that "If the Lord will, we shall do this, or that" (James 4:15).

The testimony of Jesus Christ does not change, and Christ Himself does not change, andtherefore His dealings with humanity do not change, other than that there is coming aconsummation of sin and death. Christ is not changed, but WE WILL BE CHANGED to conformto the Image of Jesus Christ.

TRUTH NUMBER 12

"If any man will DO His will, he shall KNOW of [concerning] the doctrine,whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself" (John 7:17).

"But he that does truth [Gk: ‘is DOING the truth’] comes to the light, that hisdeeds may be made manifest, that they [his ‘doings’] are wrought in God"(John 3:21).

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray foryou, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in allwisdom and spiritual understanding: That you might walk worthy of the Lordunto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in theknowledge of God" (Col. 1:9-10).

"My son, if you will receive my words, and hide [‘treasure’] Mycommandments with you… Then shall you understand the fear of the Lord,and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouthcomes knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:1, 5-6).

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us anunderstanding, that we may know Him that is True, even in His Son JesusChrist. This is the True God, and eternal [eonian] life. Little children, keepyourselves from idols" (I John 5:20-21).

"And he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word,and understands it, which also bears fruit…" (Matt. 13:23).

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding haveall they that do his commandments: his praise endures for ever [the eon]"(Psalm 111:10).

I have thus far presented you with hundreds of Scriptures. Do you agree with them? Do youbelieve them? Are you willing to DO THEM? Whenever God and our Saviour speak to us, we areto BELIEVE AND OBEY. All who have ever attempted to circumvent these spiritual truths learned



were not taught of God,

"…but vain were they made in their reasonings and darkened is theirunintelligent heart. Alleging themselves to be wise, they are made stupid…"(Rom. 1:21-22, Concordant Literal New Testament).

Every single person I know that has stopped growing, spiritually, begins to go backwards, loosingwhat light they may have possessed because they are no longer faithful to the Word andcommandments of Almighty God.

They all possess one or more "idols of the heart," that they will not give up or repent of. Sadly,in most cases, (even when backed into an indefensible corner with the Scriptures), it is extremelyrare that such ones will acknowledge their sin and repent of their error. Over time such individualsusually become bitter, after which it is only a matter of time before Satan has them for lunch!

These twelve spiritual truths are not just helpful in understanding God’s word; they are essential.Without them, you cannot understand anything spiritual in the Scriptures. To the degree that youdeny or leave off one or more of them is the degree that your spiritual understanding diminishes.Apply them all, always, and you will see spiritual revelation like you never even thought possible.

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twelve god-given truths to understand his word - l. ray smith

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