SAY WHAT? (Salvation)

M. A. Nichols 7-28-2013

   Our understanding of fulfilled prophecy directly impacts our entire understanding of the Word of God. If Christ returned in the first century, as He and the Apostles said He would;[1] and He fulfilled all prophecies; then believers have misunderstood their salvation.

   The bible teaches that Christ accomplished the atonement for the sins of all of His elect people (past & future). He died on the Cross and rose again from the grave in victory over death. He ascended into the heavenly Holy of Holies to complete the atonement for our sins.

   The Holy Spirit was then sent to the believers at Pentecost in 30ad (Acts 1:8; 2:4; 2:16-18). Those first century saints were "sealed" with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. This was a down payment for them and them only until His second coming (Eph.4:30; 2 Cor.1:22).

   It was not until Christ came back out of the heavenly Holy of Holies, at His second coming Parousia in 66-70ad, that anyone’s salvation was fully consummated [i.e.: completed] (Heb.9:28). Christians for 2000 years have lived under a false belief about the timing of His second coming.

   Some have taken what the Apostles were telling the first century saints and have incorrectly interpreted that to be instructions written for us today. For example, the message in His fully established New Covenant kingdom has been impeded because of the faulty belief that the Lord is coming soon to complete "the adoption, the redemption of our body" (Rom.8:23).

   Many Christians wrongly try to comfort one another by teaching that He is coming soon to rapture His saints (1 Thess.4:15-18). Others teach that the end of all things will come soon at His second coming in our time (1 Pet.4:7). This ignores all that Christ has accomplished. It has spilled over to impact the way we understand most theological subjects in the Scriptures.[2]

   Christians, who believe in a future second coming of Christ, do not realize that the adoption and redemption have been fulfilled for each believer living after His second coming Parousia in 70ad. Futurism teaches that "redemption draweth nigh" for believers (Luke 21:28). Futurists believe that their completed redemption is near at the "soon" coming of Christ in their lifetimes.

   This was certainly the case for the first century believers, who did not have their redemption fully realized. They were correctly waiting for Christ to return in their generation at which time they would have their salvation fully consummated. This occurred in 66-70ad when Christ returned at His second coming Parousia.

   "So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (His first coming). To those who eagerly wait for Him (first century saints) He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for SALVATION." (Heb. 9:28 written in 63ad). 

   The truth is that after 70ad, our adoption and redemption have been fully realized. It is finished. Our salvation is completed in every aspect. His first coming in 30ad provided atonement for all of His elect throughout human history. His second coming in 66-70ad provided a fully consummated salvation for all of His elect, past and future.

   We born-again Christians now live our spiritual lives after 70ad in the New Covenant spiritual kingdom, with complete security "in Christ". We shall remain alive on this earth until the determined time that we die. At that time we immediately "put on" our new incorruptible, immortal, glorified, visible, spiritual, individual, heavenly bodies and spend eternity in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (1 Cor.15:53-54; 2 Cor.5:1-4).

   The world view that we should rightly have today is to live our lives in the victory of Christ’s finished work in 70ad. Our responsibility is to worship and glorify Christ for what He has already accomplished. We should love one-another; spread the gospel message; continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ; teach the Scriptures truthfully; and actively help to provide freedom for our children and grandchildren to practice their faith going forward in human history.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Matt. 10:23; Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27; Matt. 24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32; Rom. 13:11-12; Rom. 16:20; Phil. 4:5; 1 Thess. 4:15-17; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 8:13; Heb. 10:25; Heb. 10:37; James 5:8; 1 Pet. 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:17; 1 John 2:18; Rev. 1:1, 3; Rev. 3:11; Rev. 22:6-7; 22:10; 22:12.

[2] The following terms taken from "The New Intern’l Dictionary of N.T. Theology", Editor: Colin Brown, Zondervan Pub.

Apology (Gr. apologeomai) – defense of the Christian faith.

Christology (Gr. chrio - anoint; christos - anointed one, Christ) – doctrine of Christ, the Messiah.

Cosmology (Gr. kosmos - world) – pertaining to the universe, including the unseen realm.

Ecclesiology (Gr. ekklesia - assembly, church) – doctrine of the church.

Eschatology (Gr. eschaton - last, end) – doctrine of last things.

Hermeneutics (Gr. hermeneuo - interpret, explain) – the interpretation of written texts.

Pneumatology (Gr. pneuma - breath, spirit) – the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.

Soteriology (Gr. soteria – salvation) – the doctrine of the saving work of Christ.

Theology (Gr. theologeo - God or divine things) – the doctrine of God.

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M.A.Nichols 7-26-2013

   How could Christ’s final judgments in 70ad apply to all of us who hadn’t even lived yet?

   The answer to this question is based upon the nature of God Himself. He is eternal, sovereign, all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere-present, and the Almighty Creator of all things. He is not limited by such a phenomenon as "time". He is not restricted in any way from being eternally and continually present throughout His endless creation.

   He sees the past, the present, and the future all at once. He knows all about us before we are born-again in Christ. He also knows all about us after we are born-again and during our entire lives thereafter on this earth and beyond. He is present at every tick of the clock for eternity since the foundation of the seen and unseen worlds. There is not now nor has there ever been even one atom with its protons, neutrons, and electrons that is outside His sight and control.

   God sovereignly chose the time of His second coming Parousia in the first century generation of His Apostles as the point in all of human history when His final judgments would be adjudicated and carried out for everyone.

   "41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here." (Matt.12:41).

   "36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things (judgments) will come upon this generation." (Matt.23:36).

   "34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (Matt.24:34).

     All of His elect believers throughout history have their names written in the Book of Life and are awarded eternal life in the presence of Christ in the New Jerusalem forever.

   "27 But there shall by no means enter it (New Jerusalem) anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." (Rev.21:27).

   This is the case for all born-again Christians, who are all in the body of Christ; in a spiritual, positional, and relational sense now while living as humans on earth; and it is realized in its fullest sense when believers die in this life. All reprobate non-believers throughout human history do not have their names written in the Book of Life. When they die, they are sentenced to eternal condemnation in the Lake of Fire in the unseen realm.

   "15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev.20:15).

     God has shown us historical examples when His judgments have been established for everyone, including those who had not yet even lived. Example: The first man, Adam, sinned and sin passed to all men throughout human history.

   "12 Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." (Rom.5:12).

   Example: The Lord was crucified, buried, rose again, and ascended into the heavenly holy of holies, all in 30ad. He provided an eternal atonement for the sins of all of His elect (past, present, and future).

   "24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Heb.9:24).

   "but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb.9:26b). 

   Example: Christ’s second coming Parousia in 66-70ad brought consummation of salvation for all of His elect (past, present, and future).

   "28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those (first century saints) who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Heb.9:28).

   The first tabernacle had to be destroyed in order for His elect to finally be able to actually enter the Holiest of All presence of God in heaven. Christ accomplished this as part of His final judgments with the total destruction of the temple in His outpouring of wrath against non-believing Israel by the Roman armies in 70ad.

   "8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing." (Heb.9:8).

     In summary, we see that Christ’s judgments for all mankind were finished in the first century generation of His Apostles in 70ad. At that time the Lord said that the final determination of the eternal status of "unjust and filthy" or "righteous and holy" for everyone was established.

   "10 And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.’" (Rev.22:10-11).

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Say What?

SAY WHAT? (Judgment)

SAY WHAT? (Scoffers)

M. A. Nichols 7-23-2013

   The Apostles advised the first century saints to have faith in the fact that Christ was coming soon as He had promised in order to consummate their salvation and complete His judgments.

   "But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of FAITH and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thess.5:8) -- "and may YOUR whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess.5:23b). – "The Lord is at hand." (Phil.4:5b).—"The coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:8b).

   The disciples had asked Jesus in 30ad to tell them when He would come again and the Jewish age would end (Matt.24:3; Mark 13:3-4; Luke 21:7). The Lord told them about the signs and events of His coming. He said: "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (Matt.24:34; Mark 13:30; Luke 21:32).

   The believers in the first century were living in the last days of the Jewish age. They eagerly waited for Him to return; and were continually told that the Lord was coming soon in their generation to bring salvation for them.

   "So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Heb.9:28).

     Apostle Peter wrote in 63ad that the first century saints were kept by the power of God through faith. They were looking for salvation that was ready to be revealed at Christ’s second coming in their generation. This was at the time that the Jewish age was coming to an end. For a little while they were experiencing great trials and persecutions from the unbelieving Jews and Romans. Their genuine faith that was being tested was precious to God. The result for them was the full salvation of their souls, which occurred at Christ’s Parousia in 66-70ad. (1 Pet.1:5-9).

   "37 For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." (Heb.10:37-38).

     In this case, faith that pleases Him is not based on His future coming (2000 years after these words were written), but it is faith that is based on His promise to come in the first century generation of His Apostles. It is a promise that Christ fulfilled as He said He would. The unbelieving Jewish "SCOFFERS" in those days did not believe His promise and mocked Him.

   "knowing this first: that scoffers [1]will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation [2].’" (2 Pet.3:3-4).

   [1] "SCOFFER" – Strong’s #1703 – Gr. "empaiktes" – a false teacher, mocker, scoffer.

   [2] NOTE: This "creation" referred to the beginning of the Jewish nation with "fathers" such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, etc. It is not referring to the creation of the physical planet earth and men like Adam or Noah, who were Gentiles.

   The "SCOFFERS" in the last days of the Jewish age during the time of Peter’s epistles did not believe Christ when He said: "Behold I am coming quickly." (Rev.3:11; Rev.22:7; 12; & 20). The "SCOFFERS" also did not believe Christ when He said that He would return in their generation.

 "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, YOU will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes." (Matt.10:23).  

 "Assuredly, I say to YOU, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till THEY see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." (Matt.16:28).

 "Assuredly, I say to YOU, all these things will come upon this generation." (Matt.23:36).

     We Christians today should not be like those "SCOFFERS" who doubted Christ’s words. We should have faith that what He said is true. A "wake up call" for mistakenly believing that Christ did not return in the first century is a belief that is actually giving more credibility to the first century "SCOFFERS" than to our Lord.

     The "SCOFFERS" did not believe that He would return in their generation as He had promised. Believers today, after 70ad, who doubt His return in the first century, are unknowingly supporting those "SCOFFERS" by teaching that they were right and Jesus was wrong regarding the timing of His second coming!

     The issue for all doubters of Christ’s first century Parousia is a choice between the credibility of Christ; OR the credibility of the "SCOFFERS". We must approach our study of Preterism and all biblical doctrines with faith that Christ’s promises are fulfilled when, where, and how He says they were to be fulfilled. The Word of God is infallible, sufficient, and authoritative in all matters of faith and practice. It is the inspired basis for all doctrine. All other creeds, confessions, paradigms, and interpretations, must develop and spread from that absolute foundation. (2 Tim.3:16-17).