సాక్ష్యం 5. We became slaves to sin
Hither to Adam and eve loved God and their love was perfect. They obeyed
God with all their hearts and souls and minds and strength. Now they became enemies to God. They could not love God any more instead they became spiritually crippled and became slaves to evil doings. In this context Christ said “
Offsprings from the Tabernacle
I will tell you the truth. Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34)
సాక్ష్యం 6. The whole creation was corrupted
Everything was beautiful, pleasant, peaceful and deathless. And now all those things are overshadowed by sin, changing immortals to mortals. As a result
God said Adam cursed is the ground because of you. It will produce thorns and thistles for you. (Genesis 3:17)
So the scholars advice us not to lose the sight of the seriousness of sin. The corruption of that afflicted of us our bodies, our minds, our emotions, our wills, our souls and even our work. Now we are in utter darkness and chaos.
Results of Sin in nut shell
1)Death entered the world.
2)We are separated from God.
3)We became alienated from each other.
4)We became subject of God’s judgment.
5)We became slaves to Sin.
6)The whole creation was corrupted.
15
REDEMPTION PLAN OF GOD
According to Biblical information Jesus was the descendant of Abraham of the tribe of Judah and the son of David born in Bethlehem. He was also called the king of the kings with Messianic qualification. But the story of Jesus will be more obscure as the story of Israel was more obscure. After Christ was born and grown up. He did not go to any place but only to Jerusalem, the Holy city of Christians, Jews and Muslims. He made disciples around Galilee, preached around Jerusalem. Then He was punished and died on the cross. He was buried and rose again on the third day.
It is mentioned in the book of (Mathew 24:26) that He promised His disciples that He would come back soon to Mount Olives as He ascended to heaven in the same way. After He returns, He would establish His Messianic kingdom, and sit upon the throne of His father David. Then after the end of the age and final judgment, He will create the heaven and the earth, which will be called New Jerusalem to come down from heaven. As said in the scripture Christ will rule the earth. But the Jews still believe in that Messiah would come and would bring the people to the land of Israel.
Actually, we are not the plan of God but we are part of it and that we must understand how much we are related to God’s redemption plan. But the Christians are trying to explain God’s plan and let us examine its unique plan in God’s redemptive plan. We can as Christians worship God with greater appreciation of the plan which was in the mind of God even before He created the universe. The creation included Jews, gentiles and the Messiah who would come and bring with Him salvation to all humanity that believes Him.
As said in (Romans 9:11) it is the clearest, most intentional and complete treatment of God’s redemption plan which is valuable to the believers in scriptures. In order to understand the prophecies let us try to read verse by verse.
In Romans, 9th chapter, it is said about Israel’s past. We can understand through
Offsprings from the Tabernacle this chapter, Israel’s rejection of God and such acts continue in Jewish history also. Then the 11th chapter tells us about Israel’s future reception. It encourages the readers to understand that the rejection is purely temporary.
These above said chapters give us an idea that God does not want to be far away from Israel. He has a master plan to bring His salvation from Jerusalem.
Judah and Samaria to the utter most part of the Earth and back to Israel. God wants to bring all Israel back from their captivity after they repent – rebuild the ruined structures and allow them to inhabit. Then God sent Israel to different
Kings to punish them only because they forgot their own God and became idol worshippers.
In such conditions it became necessary to consider the redemptive plan that was set before Israel and have to find suitable answer to the following questions – 1)What does the Bible say about God’s plan of humanity?
2)What must be the end of our creation?
3)Where is history going?
4)What is God doing?
So, for these questions, let us try to find the answer in the Bible.
Israel’s rejection of Messiah is part of the plan.
It is without doubt part of God’s plan, that the Gospel would be shared – the Gospel would be rejected – and at the end the Gospel would be accepted. In the book of Romans 9 – 11 chapters, Apostle Paul gave a logical thought that clearly explained what God has been doing to Jewish people for the present. We can correctly understand how those three chapters literally fit into Paul’s agreement.
The wonderful message of 1-3 chapters of Roman’s is that we all stand condemned before the Holy God. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unreligiousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Roman 1:13-15). And also in (Romans 3:23) we read, “For all have sinned and fall short of glory of God”.
Paul in first three chapters argued that all people miss the mark of God’s perfection and stand without excuse. In the Romans 1st chapter the pagans are condemned. In the second chapter the moral persons are condemned. And in the third chapter Paul zooms on his ultimate target – Even God fearing people, who
Redemption Plan of God know God’s law will fail to know it. Fortunately Paul did not leave us with hopeless news. According chapters 4th and 5th the main issue is “justification”.
And a number of accounting terms are said in those chapters. And God prepared a solution to our condemnation and wipe out our sin and to added to our righteousness of Messiah in our position column. Then only we are declared righteous – we are justified.
This plan represents a legal change on god’s records books. It is the solution to our condemnation before God. He declares us as righteous people in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who provided Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
The reaction of Paul’s readers
The reaction of Paul’s readers is really most wonderful in the book of Romans. It is almost nine chapters where in Paul’s arguments continued and some of them were in the churches of Rome which surprised all. But there is nothing in this material world that can separate us from the love of God as we are His children.
The letter written by Paul to the church in Rome was properly received by some Jewish people who were living in the “Diaspora” (a term used describing the Jews who were living outside of Israel) and some became the followers of Jesus later. We all certainly wonder at the faith of the Jews of “Diaspora” and also about the promises of God. They believed in the promises made by God.
They believed in the promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those Jewish people lived a peculiar life by hearing about the prophecies only, but they did not have the experienced life of God’s blessings and salvation.
These Jews were disappointed in their lives because of the absence of God.
They said they were not feeling about God and they were condemned. At that time they were under the reign of Romans and they were not in the control of their heavenly father and living in the Promised Land. Under such circumstances
Israel became a vassal kingdom during the dictatorship of the Romans. And the same Romans finally destroyed the city of Jerusalem city and the Temple of God in 70 A.D. Paul happened to answer the questions put by different people. We must believe that he addressed this issue in chapter 9 saying that he assured the readers as God’s promises were made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob long time ago and to their desendents. Whatever may be the opinion of different people God’s promises would become true because His promises will be kept always for His children.
Offsprings from the Tabernacle
It is said in the 9th chapter of the book, God’s righteous reputation is always stable and Paul tried his best to defend it. People whoever read that book must have found some promise made by God at the end of 8th chapter “nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God”. Again if we look into the chapter
12:1, "I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
This reference may be quite suitable to the occasion. Many people in fact even some theological system has not prepared plan for God to deal with the Jewish people ever again and the election of Israel by God it seems even some theological system, preferred that only. In other words, it is an explanation of God’s plan for Israel and the church. Both the common people and theologians have spoken of here and there and there is a distinction between each of them fits into God's redemptive plan. The term “dispensation” means something like “household management” or a period of “stewardship” that is entrusted to human beings at a certain time to live according to the instructions that God gave to follow.
Going back to the beginning of the creation God gave some instruction to both Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden, especially regarding the eating of the fruit from that garden. But the instructions God gave to the people outside the garden were completely different. The instructions God gave to Noah were different in the same way to Abraham, to Israel on the Mount Senai and to the church and what God gave through the Apostles also different. Finally the instructions God will give to the people during the reign of Messiah on the earth are also different in His thousand year millennial kingdom as mentioned in (Revelation 20:1-6).
The above mentioned different periods of God’s instructions we are accountable to live by them. The instructions God gave were primarily to Israel.
And they were suitable in all generations. As they could not follow to the expectation of God, they were sent as captives to different places as punishment.
As a matter of fact, those allotted time periods of divine stewardship were that they explain how mankind was to obey God at any given point throughout the redemptive history.
Paul as God’s Messenger
Redemption Plan of God
In this topic we are discussing and examining the arguments and defense of Paul in Romans 9th chapter. Here he defended himself as a Messenger of God. I tell the truth in (Messiah) I am not lying. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself accused from (Messiah) for my brethren my countrymen according to flesh who are Israelites (9:1-4). Paul spoke about his concern for Israel in verse (v.1-3) and later moves to the privileges connected to Israel in 4th and 5th verses.
According to those verses, we find how sincere Paul was in desiring to provide salvation for his people. His own ethnicity, kinsmen according to the flesh. The Jewish people had a special relationship with God because they were His people chosen by Himself. God adopted them as His sons. The term “glory” mentioned in the 4th verse refers to the “shekinah glory” or divine presence that honored before the tribe of Israel during their wandering in the wilderness. At that time it remained with the Tabernacle and finally in the temple – the glory of God.
As per the Biblical information God made many promises to Israel. Then His covenant, His giving of the law – ‘Israel had a divinity’ chosen relationship to the ‘Torah’ itself. The Jewish community used to discuss commonly whether
Israel kept or followed Torah throughout history. The rabbis often answered in a funny manner “No but the Torah has kept the Israel throughout”. It is also said that Jewish people were often called the people of the book. No other nation has God’s presence, dwelling place among Israel within the Holy of Holies, or the sacrificial system – the service of God – while other nations had sacrifices and sacrificial system. God did not accept it but gave special promises to Israel – the Jewish people.
Are Israelites spiritual?
To whom God gave these promises? If we look into (Romans 9:5) of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh (Messiah) come who is over all the eternally blessed God – the patriarch’s Abraham Isaac and Jacob received the promises of God. In this context Paul is defending the righteousness of God and then he defended himself. So, he said he was no doubt the messenger of God.
At the same time he was more concerned about the salvation for Jewish people.
And finally he said he would give his own salvation in exchange for the salvation of his brethern.
Offsprings from the Tabernacle
Apostle Paul was particularly talking about Israel - - the Jewish people but not only church group or any other people. He was talking about Israel that His adoption, glory, the covenants the giving of the law, the Temple service, the promises, the patriarchs and the Messiah’s ancestors. And Paul was speaking in this connection about one group out of eight that is the Jewish people or ethnic
Israel, as opposed to a so called spiritual Israel. As a matter of fact spiritual Israel is a term that some people used to describe the promises of the church like the promises given to Israel by God.
It is real that God’s promises to those two groups are similar – and we will ultimately one big happy family in the New Jerusalem. Then as a group the Jewish people might have rejected the Gospel. So, they did not belong to any church. at the same time there were some Jewish people who accepted the provision of God’s salvation through the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Defending God’s Justice
Paul’s argument was continued as he resumed his verdiction of God’s righteousness by defending His justice (Romans 19:29). "What shall we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not. Immediately when we talk about Gods solution of sin it is natural to wonder about what happens to others.
How could God fail to select some people to be saved? He could have selected them, but He did not. It is not the loving God that we should believe. If we can create the God that we want to believe in, then there would be all kinds of things that are different from God who revealed Himself in the Bible.
Instead of that, we have to ask how God has revealed Himself in the Scripture? What is the Biblical plan of God regarding salvation. Especially in the dealings with Israel. God revealed how it is and if we want to worship God which God wants us to do – God wants us that we must repent, turn from our own evil ways and turn to His ways. God is asking us to go to Him with a plan and He wants to become our God as we want to be. And there is no God who reveals His plan in scripture and calls us to accept it with all humility.
What is said about the five demonstrations of the Religious justice of God?
Pharaoh
God raised Pharaoh up as demonstration of His power. God hardened his
Redemption Plan of God heart. In Exodus we find some references that pharaoh heart became hardened and God at last closed His dealings with Pharaoh. God used Pharaoh as an instrument to serve His purpose against Israel. What are God’s dealings with Pharaoh? And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. He became an instrument in the hands of God. It is said in (Romans 9:17). “For the scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up and I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth”.
People
Similarly, the people all times will demonstrate God’s sovereignty you will say to me then why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will? God willed them and if people are saved and they and this is how God willed them who reveal His will. But indeed “O! Man what are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed to say to him who formed it why have you made me like this? In other words people are a demonstration of God’s sovereignty.
Just as an artist, who demonstrates a model or a sculptor who forms an image both are responsible for their own creation. In the same way God is a sovereign over humanity. So, God has a plan to bring His salvation full circle – from Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria and to the utter most poets of the earth and back to Israel.
Pottery - Paul was using the art of pottery to demonstrate God’s right what He wants in election. Does not the potter have the power over the clay from the lump to make one vessel for honour and another for dishonour (Romans 9:21)
Here the potter could make a beautiful vase a trash can – one for honourable use and another for dishonourable use. It is up to the potter to do whatever he likes to do.
According to various and vivied illustrations of God’s righteous choices prove that God is just in what He has done with Israel. He is also the same in whatever He does to the humanity. God is always there and just He as the creator of the universe. He can do whatever He wants to do that is right because He is God the omnipotent (all powerful) the omniscient (knows everything) and omnipresent (seen everywhere). While speaking about His right He has the power over day a demonstration of God’s right.
Patience – Here also Paul continued precious images of a potter and clay by
Offsprings from the Tabernacle introducing vessel of wrath that were made for destruction while keeping in view the illustration of the potter picture. We understand that all humanity has something in common - whether the people are Jews or gentiles. We are all part of the lump (the same) sinful – humanity. We are all doomed rightly under God’s wrath as writer in (Romans 1:3). Inspite of that entire God’s is gracious and merciful. His grace his charm some of us to save. He made some of us as vessels of mercy. It is due to His mercy. We are not separated from God and under His wrath forever.
Prophecy – this was Paul’s final argument of defending God’s righteous justice and the prophecy – a demonstration of God’s plan. In this contact Paul quotes from (Hosea 2:23). As it is said in Hosea “I will call them my people, who were not my people and her beloved who were not beloved”. There is also another famous prophecy from the book of many prophetic judgments against
Israelites who were bending and bowing their heads before false and heathen gods.
Throughout the prophetic and historical books, Moleah, Baal and Asherah were worshipped at the altars of sacred pillars and under the green trees. This is a common prophetic phase. “Every green tree” is a blending of Israelites faith and pagan Canaanite fertility cult worship. They sacrificed their children in fire to those false gods to bring fertility to the earth. But God had preserved a remnant of faith filled Israelites who followed Him like Elijah.
In other words without God preserving the remnant of _ there would be no remnant – the Jewish people would have been wiped out of the face of the earth.
But God has presented the Jewish people in general and He has also preserved a saved remnant whether the Jewish people who turned in faith towards the Jewish
Messiah, Jesus Christ.
16
RESURRECTION AND REUNION
Apostle Paul wrote two letters to the members of Thessalonica church in the year 50 A.D. He was in the Corinth and wrote them for the people. Those two letters came to us today as 1 and 2 Thessalonians". They are included in our Bible. They may be called the inspiring canon of Scripture. They contained a vivid description of salvationl which would be materialised at the second coming of Christ. If two letters are not included in our Scripture our faith and belief on God, and our rejoicing of second coming of Christ, and the gift of salvation would have diminished.
As we see no other new testament book has said anything about the second coming except something is said in the book of Revelation and mostely in these two books of Thessalonians. Every chapter of these two books clearly described and strongly gave reference about the second coming of Christ. While writing these two letters apostle Paul must have kept young generation in his mind.
"For yourselves know perfecting that the day of the Lord which is anoined with His return so cometh as a thief in the night" (1Thess. 5:8) and also "and to you who are troubled rest with is when the Lord Jesus shall be resided from the heavens with many of His angels (2 Thess.1:7). These two letters are really wonderful and unique in their own way. Further these two letters are the earliest inspired letters of Paul. Second from the book of Acts it appears that Paul might have spent a month in Thessalonica.
Dr Luke wrote about Paul in the following manner. "And Paul in his manner was went unto them and three Sabbath days reasoned with the congregation our of scriptures. Christ had suffered and rose again, and Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ (Acts 17:2-3). Paul reached Thessalonica three or four days earlier and stayed a few days more, after the Sabbath. Some Bible teachers suggested that Paul remembered these a little longer than the estimated period.
Paul taught the people at homes after he was expelled from Synagogues. But
Offsprings from the Tabernacle all those things happened in a very short period. But after the return of Christ dominated these two letters and a good number of people attened his teachings. It is really wonderful and conspicuous that aposle Paul, reviewed the prophetic word which made the believers to assertain the second coming of Christ was believed and accepted. True faith and belief are necessary for the believers of Jesus Christ.
The second coming of Jesus Christ is a blessed hope of all the believers and all churches and Christians too. At the same time none can forget the significance of His first coming, the death, the burial and the resurrection and finally the ascension of the man of God. If there is no second coming all the unforgetable incidents that Christ showed to people and the steps He has taken in His life till the end and the salvation whoud be incomplete.
The historical background helped Paul to write the two letters to the Thessalonian Church. they had their own significance to their correct understanding when Paul went to Asia Minor which is called at present "Modern
Turkey". During his second missionary journey there came an opposition for his preaching. From then, God blessed the churches. They were well established and people saved. And Dr Luke, informed us about the blessings God showered on Asia Minor in the following words and so were the churches established in faith and increased in number daily (Acts 16:5).
The blessings in the churches increased from time to time. All of a sudden in the middst of blessings the doors of ministry were on a verge of closing. This was not done by the opposition like the Jews or gentiles, who did some mischief previously, but it was the plan of the Holy Spirit of God Himself who was providing cleansing of ministry opportunities. Dr Luke, the beloved physician recorded their important events in the Book of Acts. When they went throughout
Phrygia and the area of "Galatia". They were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Word of God in Asia.
When they went to Mysia, they were asked to go to "Bithynia" They passed through Mysia and came down to Trous. They preached at each point in their travel. Their ministry opportunities, suffered and they were unwillingly led to the whores of Hagean sea,. One can understand that Paul and his followers Silas and Timothy were not at all dismayed. That does not mean the heavens were silent.
No doubt God was leading them. But the blessing approval is to be ill-coneived
Resurrection and Reunion and ill-logical. What made God to close the doors of faithful ministry? Sometimes
God leaving His servants from a pleasant blessing, with some great purpose. So we cannot understand the wisdom and greatness of God correctly and also what he has in His mind. Just at that time Paul had a vision in which he saw a man from Macedonia who invited Paul to go to Macedonia and preach the Word of God.
With the command of God Paul chose the North Eastern corner of Aegian sea, that is he left Asia and entered Europe.
The result was Paul moved from one continent to another and then from one
Roman province to another. Then from Westward to Eastward the gospel moved.
Leon Morris a commentator, gave his comments about Ephesus in this manner. In response to the vision of the man of missionary zeal to preach (in Europe) Paul turned his eyes on Asia Minor and came as the the first known Christian missionary to preach in Europe. This seemed to be to Paul momentous because he moved from one province to another of the Roman empire.
Paul went to Phillipi after he reached Europe. It happened to be most influential city on that part of Macedonia and there was also a Roman colony with a previlege of self rule. But Phillippe had no synagogue except a few Jews along with other citizens. Paul was really succesfull in his missionary work to some extent. Then in the meantime there was some opposition. And this opposition went to the extent of beating both Paul and Silas and both were put in prison. The jailor happened to be a God fearing man. So he believed in the testimony of both of them and released them from prison. Finally both were asked to leave the country.
Then their next destination was Thessalonica, which ws about 100 miles from the Roman city and they has to go on foot and it took for them about four days. That city has more Jewish population and there was also a synagogue blessed with furtile land, to sow more seeds of gospel and get goo harvest. Its so happened both Jews and converted gentiles were more familiar with the Old
Testament. Where in many prophecies were said about the coming of Messiah who was destined to suffer and die in order to provide redemption and also would establish Golden age in this world.
Though the conditions were not in his favour, Paul continued the preaching of Jesus Christ as the fullfulment of the Messianic prophesies of Jewish scripture.
In Thessalonan synagogue Paul dealt with the problem tactfully regarding the Old
Offsprings from the Tabernacle
Testament. Messiah who was no other than Jesus Christ, who would fullfull everything on earth, Paul explained this point clearly to the congregation of Thessalonica.
Paul as his manner went unto them and three Sabbath days he reasoned with them out of Scripture opening and he alleging that "Christ must needs suffering and raisen from the dead and that Jesus whom I preached unto you is Christ". Paul could change some Jews and gentiles as true beleivers which was the result of his perfect preaching. But some other Jews who has no belief in Paul's preaching made false accusations against both Paul and Silas by saying that they were misleading the truth.
The actual message given by Paul to the congregation of Thessalonica was that Christ is coming again. He would rule as a king and at a kingdom of righteousness, justice and peace. But there was no connection between their accusations and the preaching of Paul and finally they were forced to flee overnight to Beria city. In that city they feared that there were more Jews.
At that time a delegation came from Thessalonica against Paul to disturb him in Berea also. So, again from that place, they had to flee to Athens city. It was the capital of Greece. Paul continued his preaching and a single man in Athens leaving Silas and Timothy at Macedonia. He adjusted himself well with the Jews in Synagogues and with the Greeks in the market place and on Mars hill. Some people desired to hear the word of God and some others when they hear about resurrection they mocked at him and went away. In this place Paul was not at all disturbed.
Then from Athens Paul left for Corinth city as single man. But to his bad luch it was a wicked city. In is clearly said Corinth was a synonyme to vileness and debauchery. Paul as a preacher with magnetic power attracted congretation and became a champion of faith. He created history and bowed down his head and greatly discouraged. After he preached in Asia Minor, Phillippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, he came to Corinth in fear and trembling.
Apostle Paul could have to his credit some philosophical discourses with the Stoics and Epicurians in Athens on Mars hills. he said in this context, "And my speech and my preachings were not with enticing words of man's wisome bu in demonstration of the Spirit and the power..." (1Cor 2:4). Within a few days of Pauls preachings, Timothy came from Thessalonica, with an encouraing message
Resurrection and Reunion that people were becoming strong believers and following the gospel from the roots. This news made Paul happy. Timothy also brought with him some problems with the young and some struggling church matters.
When Paul was with the Thessalonians for a brief period, he could not explain all matters connected to theology. One point was about Christ's returning.
It is because some had already done. It became a problem and Apostle paul realised that the urgent and suitable answer to the problem was recorded in 1
Thess 4:13 5:11. Paul had taken the gospel to the cities like Ephesus, Galatia, Phillippe, Thessalonica and Corinth. But he never visited Rome the uncontested capital city of the world of the day.
Some people in Rome thought Paul was afraid of entering the city because there were Senators, Generals, Philosophers, Educationists and leaders of many neighbouring regions.
Paul said, those people thought wrongly about him regarding why he was not visiting Rome. The fact was that God led him to other places to preach the gospel even though he planned to go to Rome. Paul was telling about church in Rome wherever majority of the members were gentiles who thought wrongly about Jews because they rejected Jesus Christ. They thought their loved ones had mistakenly missed the blessed hope of associating themselves with the second coming of Jesus. As a matter of fact, they were also sorrowingly noteven as others, which have no hope.
To be in sorrow at the death of a beloved character is not improper.
However, sorrow over the unsaved who have no hope beyond the grace is to deny the resurrection and the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. That honour would be revealed at His second coming. Therefore, there should not be any unconsiderable wailing of weeping over the death of a believer. Paul wanted to say, "for if you believed that Jesus died and rose again so for them also which slept (died) in Jesus will God bring with Him".
Then at the time of the Lord's second coming, those who have died in Christ through the ages will be prophetically resurrected and meet the Lord in the clouds.
They will not miss out on the blessings at the time of Christ's Millenial reign.
The teachings of Paul about the resurrection of Jesus were not regarded by himself for the people but he wrote so in Thessalonians, "for this we say unto you,
Offsprings from the Tabernacle by the word of the Lord that we which are along and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself not descent from heaven with a shout with a noice of the trumpet and with the trump of God. And the dead shall raise first. The expression of Paul here, ie., "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord" is pregnant with significance. As Paul said, "by the word of the Lord, does not mean he got the message during the time, when he was in the Arabian desert after his conversion! (Gal.1:17-18). Again, by the word of the Lord, does not mean he got the message through a vision in the night, like the Macedonian call.
What Paul actually wanted to say here? "By the word of the Lord he got the message from the Lord Himself thought what he was doing ministry during the time of His second coming. Paul had in his mind that the word of the Lord was spoken when Christ participated in ....... discourse when the Lord comes, there will be shout, then the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. These three phrases were familiar to Jews, and gentile converts to Judaism because they had their origin in the Old Testament.
What must be the inference of the word "shout" in this context? As explained it is the traditional shout at the victor in the battle, a shout of confidence, and the day of the Lord when Jesus Christ going to the battle at the end of the age as the prophet foretold.
The voice of the archangel is perhaps a reference to the archangel Michael who had special relationship with Israel. Gabriel is also a high class angel perhaps an archangel. The Jews seemed to have two kinds of trumpets. One of them was Ram's horn "shoper" and the other is long seamless silver trumpet. The reference here must be the second one . the long silver trumpet was used by Moses in the wilderness. At that time Mose said let those be two trumpets of silver of a spice shalt thou make them that thou mayest call them for the calling of the assembly and for the journying of the camps. And when they shall blow with them all the assembly shall assemble at the door of the Tabernacle, at the congregation.
The main purpose of the trumpet is to blow when the Lord was leading the people into war. it was also blown when the Lord wanted to call His people into His presence. This trumpet has been kept in the Tabernacle by the Israel in their wilderness wanderings. The Lord had his trumpet in view in His trumps on the mount of olives. he taught, "And He shall send His angels with great sound of
Resurrection and Reunion trumpets and they shall gather together His elect from the four wings from the end of heaven to the other! (Matt. 24:31). The reference from "one end of the heavens" means "from the ends of the earth".
When Paul spoke about the last trumpet he was referring to the final time when God would go to war in the age, it is refered to again and again both in the New and Old Testaments as the day of the Lord. The reference that God will go to war would be "cosmic" disturbance which occurs at the opening of the "sixth scroll" as said in the book of Revelation. Concerning this even, the beloved apostle John wrote the opinion of Paul that the resurrection of the dead and rapture of the living will happen immediately prior to the commencement of "the day of the Lord" or the last trumpet of the opening of the "seventh seal"
As Paul said, no church can escape from the difficulties associated with the emergence of Anti Christ. But the church may escape the outpouring of God's wrath by return of the last trumpet because Paul said, "God hath not appointed us to wrath. Paul clearly explained to the Thessalonian congregation that the Lord would obscond from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel and with the triumph of God, and Christ would raise first and the living would remain in rapture and so shall we ever be with the Lord." This is the real blessed hope of all
Christians and the churches.
The conclusion is that the child of God must not forget that no matter how long the journey, how dark the night, or how tense the obstructions, he or she has a blessed hope - resurrection or rapture to be forever with the Almighty.
Offsprings from the Tabernacle