HELL - The Place Which Kills The Body ,but not able to kill the soul

                             Hell and Judgment

“If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.” C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

When was the last time you heard a sermon on hell? I think I would not be wrong to state that for many, they have never heard a sermon on hell. Hell, like sin, has pretty dropped off the scope in most churches. Despite neglect of the doctrine, the subject of hell is taught in the Scriptures. I would venture that most people, if asked who spoke the most about hell, would name the apostle Paul. But they would be wrong. It is not a prominent subject for Paul. In fact, Paul never mentions hell. Hell is, however, a prominent subject for–and this is initially rather shocking–our Lord. Jesus taught more about hell and judgment than anyone in Scripture. This fact is less shocking when one recognizes that the Bible teaches that hell is a real place and that Jesus himself as Judge sends people there (John 5.22-29). Consider Jesus’ words:

“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives live to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5.21-23).

Is this clear? Jesus is the judge of humanity. Hell is a real place. This is the reason Jesus warned men about it. The verses below demonstrate the consistent revelation of the doctrine of hell and judgment throughout Scripture.

Words For “Hell”

In the Old Testament the word for hell is “sheol” (Hebrews שְׁאֹול). It was the world of all the dead but not the permanent abode of the righteous (Psalm 16.10, 49.15; Hosea 13.14). The New Testament has three Greek words for hell: “Hades” (Gk. ᾅδης), ”Gehenna” (Gk. γέεννα) and “Tartaroo” (Gk. ταρταρόω).

The word “hades’ is used for the place of the departed spirits of the lost and is found inMatthew 11.23, 16.18; Luke 10.15, 16.23; Acts 2.27, 31; Revelation 1.18, 6.8, 20.13, 20.14.

The word “gehenna” is the place or state of the lost or condemned and is found inMatthew 5.22, 29, 30, 10.28, 18.9, 23.15, 23.33; Mark 9.43, 45, 47; Luke 12.5; James 3.6.

The word “tartaros” is the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where demigods were punished. The pseudepigraphal book of Enoch mentions it as the place where fallen angels are confined. It is found only once in the Bible and only in its verbal form. Peter appropriated the word to describe God’s incarceration of fallen angels to a netherworld dungeon until the day of final judgment (2 Peter 2.4).

Hell is described in a number of passages: Matthew 13.42; Matthew 25.46; Philippians 3.19;2 Thessalonians 1.9; Hebrews 10.39; 2 Peter 2.17; Jude 1.13; Revelation 2.11; 19.20; 20.6, 10,14; 21.8. According to Revelation 20, hell will be absorbed into a place called the Lake of Fire. Hell is terrifying; it is a place of hopelessness and eternal imprisonment and torment.

The Love of God

God loves every person. He has done everything required to spare each person from hell. He has provided His Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior from sin and death. Jesus went to the cross, died for every sin you have committed or ever will commit, and rose from the dead. He did all the work necessary to prevent you from the penalty of hell. This is the good news! This is thegospel!

Most people believe one goes to hell because one has done bad things, i.e., because of sin. But the Bible teaches that an individual goes to hell because he has rejected God’s love–the Savior and His work on the cross. John recorded what he saw in the Lord’s revelation to him of the final judgment. He wrote:

“And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20.11-15).”

The biblical account of judgment is that only when one’s name is not found in the “book of life” is one judged for his works or deeds. The book of deeds contains a record of the works one did during his life. If one is not found in the book of life, that is, if no record exists of one having believed the gospel that Christ died for them and rose from the dead, then judgment is based upon ones “works”, i.e. one’s deeds–good works and evil works. This is what Jesus meant when he declared in John:

“He said therefore again to them, “I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come” (John 8.21).

and

“I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8.24).

Those at the final judgment, described in Revelation 20, are there because they have rejected Christ and His gift of salvation. As such, they only have their good deeds to depend upon for acceptance by God. But the Scriptures teach that no one has the necessary righteousness to meet the approval of God (Romans 3.20, 28). Paul wrote,

“Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4.1-5).

Paul also wrote about Jesus as the Judge,

“For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Romans 2.14-16).

According to the Scriptures, human works can never satisfy the righteousness of God. A person can do all the good deeds of a Mother Teresa or an Albert Schweitzer and go to the Lake of Fire (Romans 3.20, 28; Galatians 2.16). Consider: if one could make himself acceptable to God by works, why was it necessary for Christ to go to the cross? Does it make sense for God to send his Son to die for something we could do ourselves? It is preciselybecause man cannot save himself that Christ came to die and make an atonement for sin. Jesus warned of this very matter when he said,

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never know you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS’” (Matthew 7.21-23 cf. Luke 13.24-30).

When Christ died on the cross, he died for all. He died for every sin of ever person who will ever live, past, present, or future. He paid the penalty for man’s sin. He was the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29). The Scriptures teach that Christ died for all, not some (Romans 5.7-8; 1 Timothy 4.10; Hebrews 2.9; 1 Peter 3.18; 2 Peter 2.1; 1 John 2.2).

Christ’s death on the cross was the fulfillment of hundreds of years of God’s teaching Israel by means of the Levitical sacrifices. The animal sacrifices typified the true and final sacrifice of Christ himself. Those whose names are in the “book of life” are those who have recognized their inability to justify themselves before God and have accepted God’s free gift of salvation by trusting in the work of Christ. Jesus said in his conclusion to the parable of the lost sheep that more joy exists in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety nine who need no repentance (Luke 15.3-7). Those at the judgment of Revelation 20 are the ninety nine–those who refused to repent. They made the decision to reject God’s mercy and rely upon their own goodness.

God requires absolute righteousness because he is holy. Such a standard is impossible for man to achieve. Since we are all sinners (Romans 3.23, 6.23) Jesus Christ is our only hope. No amount of good works one can do can satisfy the righteous demands of God. The only work satisfactory to God is the work on the cross of His Son for us. To believe that Christ has died and was raised from the dead, to trust in him and his work, ensures one that he will never face judgment and hell. Consider the words of Jesus:

“Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life’” (John 5.19-24).

Divine judgment of the human race will be done by Jesus himself. The Scriptures declare that all who believe in Christ will not face that judgment. Paul affirmed this truth when he wrote,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8.1).

Every person in hell is there because of his own choice. He rejected God’s grace and the gift of his Son. God is merciful but will not force himself upon anyone. He has provided a way of escape through the death and resurrection of his Son. This is the good news, the gospel.

Do you wish to avoid the condemnation of God and have eternal life? Will you respond to God’s love for you or will you reject it? The choice is simple. Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead for your sins (1 Corinthians 15.1-5). Will you believe it? If so, God’s word ensures you that you have eternal life and that you will never come before God’s judgment. Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is a gift–because Christ paid the price for you.

An issue that always seems to come up in a discussion of hell is the matter of “those who have never heard”. The objection is, “How can God send anyone to hell, especially those who have never heard.” What about this? The Bible teaches that God is self-evident. Creation declares God’s existence (see Psalm 19.1-6 and Romans 1.18-2.16). God has provided each person with an innate ability to perceive Him. Every person knows God exists but most suppress this knowledge. As such, no one ever goes to hell who has not had a fair chance. God knows each heart and every circumstance. He is smarter, more loving, and more merciful than we. The objection falls flat when one considers the character of God.

C. S. Lewis wrote as clearly as anyone on the matter of hell and judgment. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain that “the doors of hell are locked on the inside.” We are rebels. It is precisely because a person will not lay down his arms and end his rebellion again God that he goes to hell. Jesus will pronounce judgment of the Lake of Fire but it is the individual who has judged himself. Jesus, in a real sense, honors each person’s rebellion and God “loses” because he has made the provision of salvation available to everyone. I also commend to the reader Lewis’ work, The Great Divorce. In this fiction, Lewis attempted to explain the choices individuals make which lead them to hell. In the final analysis, all in hell are there by their own free will. They have rejected God’s love and Christ’s mercy. No reality is more sobering than this.

Below are passages which deal with the reality of hell and God’s judgment. Hell is a real place and God’s judgment is certain.

Matthew 5.21-30, 7.13-23, 10.28, 11.20-24, 13.36-42, 18.5-9,23.29-39; Mark 9.43-48; Luke 12.4-5, 16.19-31; John 5.28-29, 15.6-6; 2 Peter 2.1-11;3.3-7; Jude 5-7; Revelation 1.17-18, 14.9-11, 19.19-21, 20.10-15.

David - Bathsheba- Most Beautiful women 

Names in the Bible   
Bathsheba: Bat 'daughter of', sheba 'abundance'.The Book of Chronicles, written after she died, changed her name to Bathshua, since 'sheba'might link her with the sibitti, the Seven Demons of Babylonian, or with the constellation of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades, shown on the Nebra Disk at right.
This disk dates to 1,600BC and shows the Pleiades stars, whose position at a certain time of year signalled the beginning of harvest. In changing her name to Bathshua, the writer of Chronicles was trying to distance Bathsheba from worship of agricultural gods.
Solomon, Hebrew 'shelomoh', means 'his replacement', perhaps referring to Bathsheba’s first baby who died soon after birth.
Uriah, Bathsheba's first husband, means 'Yahweh is my light'.
David means 'beloved'.   

Main themes in the story

• The legitimacy of King Solomon. Solomon was not the eldest son of his father King David, and had not been elected by popular acclaim. He had taken the throne by force and by political intrigue, and had executed his older brother. It was therefore necessary to provide a story that justified his being king.
• The virtue of King Solomon and his mother Bathsheba. Their stories are part of the royal chronicles of Israel, and show Bathsheba as capable, ambitious, and gifted. She produced a son, Solomon, noted for his wisdom and intellectual brilliance. Her son presided over a court famous for its literature, culture, wealth, architectural achievements, and consolidation of Judah-Israel as a nation-state.
• Bathsheba has special significance for Christians. In the gospel of Matthew, four women are included in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:2-17). Bathsheba is the fourth of these women.

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The story of Bathsheba describes two episodes in Jewish history:

1 Bathsheba and King David (2 Samuel 11:1-26, 12:15-25)Bathsheba was a beautiful, clever and unscrupulous woman. She was seen by King David as she bathed, desired by him, and subsequently became pregnant to him even though married to the soldier Uriah. Uriah was murdered by David, and she then married the King. Her baby died. She had a second son, who was called Solomon.

2 The struggle for the throne (1 Kings 1:1-37, 2:10-25)
David lost his sexual potency, and therefore his political power, in old age. In a palace coup Bathsheba and her adviser Nathan manoeuvred to secure the throne for Solomon, even though there was an older, more popular brother who was expected to succeed King David. Solomon took the throne, honored his mother, and was advised by her. She took part in court intrigues, occupying the most prestigious position a woman could hold, Queen Mother. She and Solomon organized the death of Solomon's older half-brother who had been the popular choice to succeed King David. 

Bathsheba and King David   (2 Samuel 11:1-26, 12:15-25)

 Bathsheba was the beautiful grand-daughter of Ahitophel, a shrewd military and political counselor of David. She belonged to an elite warrior family, and her husband Uriah was a high-ranking professional soldier, one of the respected warriors called The Thirty. 

Bathsheba was beautiful, young, well-connected.  One evening when her husband was away she  bathed on the flat roof of her house. King David was above, on the castle walls. He saw her, and was mesmerized. He sent for her. She went. They made love. Then she went home. Later she discovered she was pregnant.. Seduction of whom? by whom?

Her father and husband were stationed at Jerusalem, directly under the control of the king. They were David's personal bodyguards, his champions, renowned for their bravery. 

She was thus a member of an elite warrior family, something like the wife of a high-ranking samurai. Since her grandfather, father and husband were close allies of David's, it is safe to assume that she and David had already met before the famous scene where David sees her bathing.

It happened late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king' house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported 'This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite'. So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.'     Read 2 Samuel 11:2-4.

The Seduction

Bathsheba was most probably on the house's flat roof, a tented area often used by the women of the family for a variety of tasks. To get an idea of what this sort of house looked like, see the reconstructions of biblical houses at Bible Architecture: Houses.  

In this case Bathsheba was washing herself after her menstrual period.  The text makes a point of this post-menstrual purification, to show she was not carrying Uriah's child, but was at the stage in her menstrual cycle when she was likely to conceive. 

King David was on the roof terrace of the palace above, looking down. The terrace may or may not have been screened by latticework (the mother of Sisera in Judges 5:28 watched the road through a lattice, and a statue found in the northern city of Ugarit shows a woman at a latticed window).

The text does not tell us whether Bathsheba knew she was being watched. David may have been screened from sight by a lattice, so that she was unaware of his presence. Or she may have been quite aware she was being watched. 

In any case, David saw her young body and desired her. At the time, Bathsheba's husband Uriah was away, fighting with the army - something David knew.

Bathsheba was summoned to the palace. She went. Did she go willingly? Feminist literature likes to think she was a victim taken to the palace against her will, but the text gives a clue that she went willingly. The sentence reads '...David sent messengers to get her, and she went', suggesting that, though young, she was ambitious and strong-willed enough to seize her chance - even though it must have meant ignoring the pleas of the other women of Uriah's household.

While she was at the palace she and David had sexual intercourse. Afterwards, she returned to her home, and we hear no more until a few months later, when she realized she was pregnant.  She sent a message to David to tell him, and David responded by sending for Uriah. When the soldier-husband arrived in Jerusalem and reported to David, the king told him to down to his home and wife. He hoped that Uriah would make love to his wife, and that the child might be passed off as Uriah's.

'But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.'     Read 2 Samuel 11:6-13.

Uriah seems to have known what was going on, and why he was summoned. There were plenty of people to tell him - outraged family members who had seen Bathsheba go to the palace, or soldier-friends who had watched her pass through the guard-house at the entrance of the palace. 

The reconstruction of the gates at Gezer at Bible Archaeology: War  shows the sort of gates Bathsheba had to pass through. Note the compartments at the side of each gate. These provided shelter for guards on duty, and she and David's messenger could not have passed through without the soldiers seeing them. The events of that night would have been known to many people.

But Uriah did not confront David with what he knew. Instead, he took the line of passive resistance. He told David he would not break the rules of soldiers on active service - ancient people believed that sexual intercourse robbed a man of some of his physical strength, so during active service soldiers were required to abstain from sexual intercourse. Uriah would not visit his wife and have intercourse with her, since he was still technically on active service.

  

David Murders Bathsheba's Husband Uriah

Despite every inducement, Uriah stuck to this line of behavior, and David found himself backed into a corner. Enraged, he secretly ordered that Uriah be killed in battle. He gave Uriah a sealed letter addressed to Uriah's commander, ordering him to arrange Uriah's death.

When, soon after Uriah had returned to the army and delivered the letter, he was sent into battle to storm the walls of a city. Following David's instructions, the soldiers around Uriah pulled back and left him alone, so that he was surrounded by the enemy and cut down.
'When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him.'

Did Bathsheba know that David had arranged to have her husband killed? Did she mourn for the death of a good man? Or was her mourning just pretence? It is impossible to tell. The story of Bathsheba's seduction as we have it in the Bible was edited by court story-tellers during the reign of her son Solomon, and doubtless influenced by Bathsheba and her son. 

This is why it is so hard to tell what really happened. We only know two things: what Bathsheba wanted us to know, and what she was forced to acknowledge because it was already public knowledge.

With Uriah now dead, David married Bathsheba and she went to live in the harem of the palace - a relatively small harem, since Israel at the time was only an emerging power. The baby she was expecting died soon after birth, but she had a second son whom she named Solomon, 'his replacement' - a replacement for the baby who died, or for her murdered husband? The choice of name is ambiguous.
 Read 2 Samuel 11:14-27, 12:15-25.

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The Struggle for the Throne     (1 Kings 1:1-37, 2:10-25)

Years passed, and Bathsheba and King David grew older. We hear nothing about Bathsheba's life during these long years, and know only that she lived in the royal harem and produced a number of children to David.

Eventually, concerns arose about the king's continuing virility - in ancient Middle Eastern societies the sexual potency of the king was closely linked with the state of the nation. If the king was no longer able to have sexual relations, it was a bad omen for the well-being of the country.
'So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found  Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful.'Read 1 Kings 1:1-37.

When, despite her beauty, the king could not have sexual relations with Abishag, it was considered time for a co-regency. This meant that someone would rule alongside David, to help him. Most people took it for granted that this co-regent would be the next  king. David's oldest surviving son was Adonijah, a young man impatient for power. Not waiting for David to die, he proclaimed himself king and was accepted as such by many people. The text implies this was done without David's knowledge. It was a palace coup.

Bathsheba and Solomon did not support him, because if Adonijah became king they would almost certainly be killed. Solomon must also have been seen as a contender for the throne, and in this particular grab for power, the loser would die. But Bathsheba was not going to give in without a struggle.

'So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. She bowed and did obeisance to the king, and the king said "What do you wish?" She said to him "My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying: Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne. But now suddenly Adonijah has become king, though you, my lord the king, do not know it"'
Read 1 Kings 1:15-40.

Working with her chief adviser Nathan, Bathsheba warned David what was happening behind his back. In a brilliant speech, she made him suspicious of Adonijah by describing the young man's support among the army. She told him that almost alone among his children, Solomon remained loyal. She appealed to his protective nature by telling him she feared for her own life. And she astutely reminded David that he, not Adonijah, was king.

David roused himself from senility and swore to her that her son Solomon would rule as king. He ordered this to be announced to all the people. 

With the authority of a royal command and the backing of David's well-disciplined mercenary troops, Bathsheba outmanoeuvred Adonijah in his attempted coup d'etat and secured the throne for her own son.

After David's death Solomon became king and Bathsheba accepted the title of Queen Mother - the most powerful position a woman could hold and the first woman in the history of Israel to hold this title. 

Solomon's hold on the throne was not initially strong enough for him to kill his half-brother outright, though this would have to be done if Solomon was to have a firm grasp on power. So after he ascended the throne, Solomon allowed his half-brother Adonijah to live - for the time being. But the situation had to be resolved, and no-one knew this better than Bathsheba. The text at this stage contains an episode that is, at the very least, hard to believe.

Adonijah approached Bathsheba with an odd request: to help him get Abishag as his wife.

On the surface, this seems a harmless thing to ask. But  Abishag was considered one of David's wives, and marriage to a widow of the previous king was a way of making a claim on the throne. It is hard to believe Adonijah would have made such a request, to Bathsheba of all people. She knew only too well that Adonijah was very dangerous and could never marry Abishag.

The whole episode seems to be an invented pretext to execute Adonijah. Solomon may have been reluctant to do this (or have wished to appear so) and it may have taken a public accusation of treason, made by Bathsheba, to give him a reason for killing his half-brother.

'The throne room in Solomon's palace was probably similar, in size if not in decoration, to the throne room at Knossos'. King Solomon's Palace

'So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. He rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right.' 
Read 1 Kings 2:10-25.

Prodded into action by his mother, Solomon snuffed out the threat posed by his half-brother by ordering his death. There was no trial, just a swift execution. 

This is the last we hear of Bathsheba. Her son was secure on the throne and her own position was safe. She could rest on her laurels.

   

The Most Bitter Man!

Bitterness is one of life’s issues that everyone has to come face to face with at some given point in time unless you are reading this from the moon. The fact of the matter is that it is one of the most dangerous issues of life if it is not dealt with, with wisdom.

I have come across many bitter people but who could possibly be the most bitter man to ever walk the face of the earth? When someone goes through circumstances like betrayal, rejection or hurt and holds on to it, it then turns into bitter feelings within them.

The most hurtful rejections in history are the rejections that were faced by the Son of the Living God. He was first rejected by His own creation and then rejected by His own Father on the cross. How much more humiliating could it be for the glorious Creator to be limited in a perishable body. He left His throne to save the very people that would reject Him, rip His flesh off and then pierce Him again as He lay dying.

If Jesus was not the Son of God, then the bitter most man in this world would be JESUS! But He said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do!”That very forgiveness ripped apart the heavenly places destroying demonic strongholds and the very roots of bitterness!

Yet sadly, today we allow the enemy to sow seeds of bitterness in our life, defiling our walk with God.

Product of Circumstance

The question we must ask ourselves is, are we molded by our circumstances? I know of a pastor who continued doubting every believer in Church because of one past hurtful experience from another believer. Soon, the church became a field for the enemy to sow doubt and mistrust.

When I was 14 years old, after a conference, I was told that I would not be able to preach at the next conference as the other senior pastor was insecure with my preaching. As a teenager, I could not understand why the man that I looked up to then would behave that way. I remember calling my mother and weeping over the phone.

I still remember what my mom said, “Son, go and serve that man of God and pray that God will use him in the next meeting” Well, that was the beginning of burning the bitter roots.

To the Ministers of God

If you are a minister and have been hurt, do not go on through life perceiving everyone to be as Judas who may betray you in the future. Not only will you hurt the sheep that you have been called to lead but you will grow deeper into your insecurities, destroying the future of the call of God on your life. Let us allow Christ to live His life through us.

Truth is, my friend, that as long as you are on this planet, there is going to be that someone who may hurt you, intentionally or unintentionally. A special problem with bitterness is that it causes more trouble than it began with and defiles relationship. Those with this spirit will be seen frequently grumbling or complaining over seemingly small matters because of this spirit’s foothold that has not been dealt with.

Here’s What the Bible Says

Ephesians 4:31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Matthew 6:14, 15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Symptoms of Bitterness

Some of the symptoms of bitterness are, resentment (continuous hard feelings against someone.), racism, intense hatred, revengeful, continual grumbling, presumptuousness (over-assumption, doubting, taking everything in a negative manner leading to slander or even character assaulting).

Dealing With Bitterness

Hebrews 12: 15, says, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” As long as we are tied down to bitterness in our hearts, we will not be able to move in the true calling that God has for us.

As you read this, I encourage you to try and find out the areas that have caused you to become bitter and pursue those areas with the love of Christ. Romans 5: 5says, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Ask the Holy Spirit to pour out His love into those areas that you are struggling because He desires to see you grow into Christ who is our head.

The Rapture

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1 Corinthians 15.51-52).

Introduction

Great controversy and confusion exists in Christendom regarding the doctrine of the Rapture. This unfortunate state is a result of not understanding Pauline theology–a failure of both biblical neophytes and theological professionals. Much failure is a result of refusal to simply believe the straightforward message of the Scripture. This study will examine the Pauline texts with the goal to end the confusion and turn unbelief to faith.

The Word “Rapture” (ἁρπάζω)

The word “rapture” does not occur in our English Bibles. We get the word by way of St. Jerome (c. 347-420). In his work of revising the Latin New Testament from the Greek New Testament, he translated the Greek word ἁρπάζω into the Latin “rapiemur.” The Latin verb form is “rapio” and means to be “caught up” or “taken away.” From these Latin words come our English word “rapture.” While Paul used the word ἁρπάζω only once (1 Thessalonians 4.17), he taught the doctrine of the Rapture in several other places using other expressions. The Greek word ἁρπάζω means to “seize” or “snatch away.” It is used 13 times in the following verses: Matthew 11.12, 13.19; John 6.15, 10.12, 28-29; Acts 8.39,23.10; 2 Corinthians 12.2, 12.4; 1 Thessalonians 4.17; Jude 1.23; Revelation 12.5.

What is the Rapture?

To begin to understand the Rapture we must first define it. The Rapture is the resurrection of the Church, the body of Christ. It is part of the great biblical doctrine of resurrection in which all who have put their trust in the God of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ, will receive resurrection bodies and be with the Lord forever. The resurrection of the Church occurs when Christ returns to earth in the clouds for His Church. It comprises the largest ingathering of believers in the resurrections unto life. For Paul, the Rapture IS the return of Christ.

The Key to Understanding the Rapture

Some have stated that the Rapture is wholly Paul and that Jesus never predicted such an event.¹  This is correct. The Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist knew nothing of it. Jesus, in His earthly ministry taught nothing about it. Nor did the Twelve. The  resurrected, glorified Lord revealed this truth to Paul alone.

Paul provides us with the key to understand the Rapture in 1 Corinthians 15.51. He wrote the Corinthians,

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed (1 Corinthians 15.51).

Paul wrote that the Rapture was a “mystery” (Gk. μυστήριον). This is the key to understanding the Rapture: it was a mystery, a secret. The Greek text is “ἰδοὺ μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω.” Expanding the translation a bit we translate, “Look!, Pay attention!, Observe!, I am telling (λέγω, present active indicative) you a secret!” Paul worded his sentence emphatically to get his readers’ attention. He wanted them to understand that he was revealing something new and important.

A μυστήριον is something hidden, a secret. If something is a secret, what does that mean? It means that it is unknown, hidden, and previously unrevealed. What Paul revealed to his audience was an event God had kept hidden. He did not reveal it to or through His Old Testament prophets, Jesus did not disclose it in His earthly ministry, and the Twelve knew nothing about it. God revealed this secret to Paul alone.² Had God revealed the resurrection? Yes. Job knew about it (Job 19.26), Jesus taught it (John 5.24-25, 28-29, 11.23), and the common people during Jesus’ time knew about it (John 11.24). The Pharisees taught it (Acts 23.6,8) and the Sadducees rejected it (Matthew 22.23). Paul was not revealing something new when he wrote about resurrection. But the  revelation of the Rapture was new, a secret part of the resurrection.

The Order of Resurrections

Paul liked the resurrection to a harvest based upon what he wrote in1 Corinthians 15.20-23. According to Leviticus 23.9-10, 19.9-10, Israel had three harvests: the first fruits, the main harvest, and the harvest of the gleanings and corners of a field left for the poor. Jesus was the first fruits along with some Jewish saints buried around Jerusalem (Matthew 27.5-53). The main harvest is the body of Christ. Last is the harvest of the Old Testament believers and Tribulation believers. All these resurrections are part of what Jesus called the resurrection unto life (John 5.28-29). The resurrection unto death occurs at the end of the Messianic Kingdom at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20.11-15). At that judgment, Jesus will judge all who have rejected Him and His salvation. Below is an outline of the resurrections.

The Order of the Resurrections is Likened to a Harvest
I. The Resurrection of Life  (ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς), i.e., the resurrection of all who have put their trust in Christ (John 5.28-29) occurs in 3 separate “harvests.”
A. Harvest of First Fruits (Leviticus 23.9-10)	The resurrection of Christ, the first of the “first fruits” (Psalm 16.10; 1 Corinthians 15.20-23). The resurrection of additional “first fruits”, i.e., Jewish saints buried around Jerusalem (Matthew 27.51-53).
B. Main Harvest	The resurrection of the Church, the Body of Christ, a.k.a. the Rapture and the Day of Christ (1 Corinthians 15.23, 52-53;1 Thessalonians 4.14-17; 2 Thessalonians 1.1-6).
C. Harvest of Gleanings and CornersLeviticus 19.9-10)	The resurrection of Old Testament believers (Job 19.25-26;Daniel 12.1-2, 11-13; Isaiah 26.19-21). The resurrection of Tribulation believers (Revelation 20.4-5).
II. The Resurrection of Condemnation (ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως) is for all who have rejected Christ and His salvation (John 5.28-29) and follows the 1000 year Messianic reign of Christ (Revelation 20.11-15).

The Rapture Texts

Paul taught the doctrine of the Rapture in several texts. They include the following: 1 Corinthians 15.51-52, 1 Thessalonians 1.9-10, 4.13-18, 5.1-5,5.9-11, 2 Thessalonians 1.6-10, 2.1-12, Philippians 3.8-11.

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 15 is the great resurrection chapter of the Bible. Paul teaches more about the resurrection in this passage than all other  biblical  texts combined. Paul made the following points in the passage.

1. The death and resurrection of Christ is the gospel. Believing it is how one becomes a Christian, that is, how one is saved (1 Corinthians 15.1-4, 5-11).
2. If no resurrection exists, Christ Himself has not been raised. If this is so, no forgiveness of sin exists (1 Corinthians 15.12-19).
3. The resurrection occurs in a sequence. Christ was the “first fruits” as in a harvest. All “in Christ” will be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15.20-34).
4. Two different kinds of bodies exist: earthly and heavenly. A resurrection body is heavenly and eternal (1 Corinthians 35-50).
5. Not all believers will experience physical death. Some members of the body of Christ will receive resurrection bodies while they remain alive. Their earthly bodies will be transformed into heavenly, eternal bodies. This was a SECRET (1 Corinthians 15.51-52).
6. The resurrection of the believer’s body is his ultimate victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15.53-58) and constitutes the final phase of salvation.

1 Corinthians 15.51-52

⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵²in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

From the passage above we learn the following about the Rapture.

1. The Rapture was a mystery (Gk. μυστήριον) or a secret.
2. All members of the body of Christ (the Church) will not sleep (Paul’s euphemism for death) but all will be changed (Gk. ἀλλάσσω–to change from one thing to another). Paul used this word in Romans 1.23 and Galatians 4.20.
3. The transformation will occur instantaneously, in a “moment” (Gk. ἄτομος–”that which cannot be divided” from which we get our word “atom” and in the “twinkling of an eye” (Gk. ῥιπή–a throw, stroke, beat, a moment of time).
4. The event will occur at the last trumpet.³
5. Just as the resurrection has an order, the Rapture also occurs in a sequence. The dead will be raised first and given resurrection bodies. Then, those who are alive will exchange their earthly bodies for resurrection bodies. Paul’s use of “we” in verse 52 indicated that he expected the event to occur in his lifetime.

With regard to the sequence (5 above) Paul wrote the following in 1 Corinthians 15.22-25:

²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming.

A universal truth that exists for the human race is that all “in Adam” die and all “in Christ” will be made alive. No hope exists for mankind outside of Christ. All that awaits men and women apart from Christ is death (eternal separation from God). We inherit death from Adam (Gen. 2.17). We obtain life from Christ. In verse 23, Paul explained that the resurrection has an order (Gk. τάγμα). The word means something that has been set in a particular arrangement and was used of a body of soldiers. Christ was the first fruits of the resurrection order. Second in order is the body of Christ, the Church. These are those who have believed Paul’s gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4), “those who are Christ’s at His coming”. When Paul spoke of the Lord’s coming he meant the Rapture (Titus 2.13).

1 Thessalonians 1.9-10

⁹For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Most theologians regard Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians as the first letter he wrote. In this letter, Paul revealed that he had taught the Thessalonians about the Rapture even though he was with them a brief time (Acts 17.1-2). The “wrath” to which Paul referred was future, the prophesied Day of the Lord in which God will pour out His wrath upon a Christ-rejecting world. Believers will not go through this horrific period for God will remove, i.e., rescue (ῥύομαι) them from it. Paul had much more to say about this rescue, the Rapture in the following passages.

1 Thessalonians 4.13-18

¹³But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. ¹⁵For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.

In verse 13, Paul comforted his readers regarding believers who had died (are asleep). Sleep was the language Paul used to describe believers who had died. Paul reiterated the gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) and the hope members of the body of Christ have, that God will bring with Him (Christ) all who have died (verse 14). In verses 15 through 17, Paul gave the sequence of the Rapture. Paul wrote that his information came by direct revelation from the ascended Christ, “by the word of the Lord” (verse 15). The sequence of events was the following:

1. Those who are alive when the Lord returns will not precede those who have died. Those who are “asleep” will be raised (given resurrection bodies) first.
2. The Lord will vacate heaven with a shout (Gk. κέλευσμα). The Greek word translated “shout” is a galvanizing command, e.g., “Now!” Concomitant to the Lord’s shout will be the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God. These commands  signal the rising of the dead in Christ (the body of Christ).
3. Second in resurrection sequence are believers who are alive. They will be transformed (earthly bodies will be exchanged for heavenly bodies). Both groups will be “caught up”, “seized” “snatched away” (Gk. ἁρπάζω) to be forever with the Lord.

Paul told the Thessalonians to comfort one another with these words. The word ”comfort” is παρακαλεῖτε, the present, active, imperative of παρακαλέω. Thus, it was an ongoing command. We are commanded to comfort one another with the doctrine of the Rapture. Those who reject the Rapture obviously cannot obey the Lord’s orders.

1 Thessalonians 5.1-5

¹Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. ²For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. ³While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. ⁴But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; ⁵for you are all sons of light and sons of day: we are not of night nor of darkness;

Paul had apparently given the Thessalonians a full course on end-time events so that he could write them that they needed no more instruction. Some ask why study or teach prophecy or end-time events. One answer is that Paul did. Another reason is that prophecy comprises about one fourth of the Word of God and “all Scripture is God breathed and profitable” (2 Timothy 3.16). Lastly, prophecy provides the believer with the  assurance that God knows the end from the beginning and that all is under His control.

You and Them

The Thessalonians knew from Paul about the Day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1.1-18) and that it would come like “a thief in the night.” That day will come unexpectedly. Pay attention to Paul’s words. When he spoke about believers he used the 2nd person pronoun “you.” When he spoke about unbelievers he shifted to the third person pronouns “they,” “them,” e.g., “destruction will come upon them,” “they will not escape.” He then returned to the 2nd person, “but you” to tell his readers that the Day of the Lord would not overtake them as a thief, etc. Paul indicated that, not only did the Thessalonians know about these events, but they would not experience them. The reason they would not experience them was that they were members of the body of Christ. They would be removed from the earth when the Lord returned in the air. This is as clear a teaching as anything Paul wrote. Members of the body of Christ will not go through the Tribulation. This one passage eliminates all possibility of a mid-Tribulation or post-Tribulation Rapture. How anyone can miss this point in light of this text is hard to understand.

1 Thessalonians 5.9-11

⁹For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. ¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

Paul reiterated that believers will not go through the horrors of the Tribulation, He wrote, “God has not destined us for wrath.” The wrath to which he referred was not hell. The context of the passage is the Day of the Lord (Zephaniah 1.1-18), not salvation from sin, death, and hell. Paul taught that believers would not experience the Day of the Lord in which God will pour out his wrath upon the earth. The “salvation” to which Paul referred was salvation from the Day of the Lord. In verse 10, Paul declared that because Christ  died for us, whether we are awake or asleep (alive or dead), we will live together with Him.

2 Thessalonians 1.6-10

⁶For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, ⁷and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, ⁸dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

In the passage above, Paul encouraged the Thessalonians believers who were undergoing persecution as a result of their faith. He indicated that God would afflict those who were persecuting them and “give relief (ἄνεσις) to you who are afflicted.” Paul clearly believed the Lord would return soon–hopefully in his lifetime. When that occurred, the Lord would rescue them from the persecution they were undergoing. After this event, God would initiate the Day of the Lord. During this period He will punish all who “do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

2 Thessalonians 2.1-12

¹Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, ²that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. ⁵Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2 Thessalonians 2.1-5)

These words follow up Paul’s earlier teaching in 1 Thessalonians. Apparently, false teachers had frightened the Thessalonians by telling them that the persecution they were experiencing was the Day of the Lord. These were the first preterists. Paul was quick to crush this teaching. He wrote them to “not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the Day of the Lord has come.” The Day of the Lord was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Jesus referred to it as the Tribulation (Matthew 24.21-22). Paul admonished them that no matter what they heard or from whom, from a spirit (angel), or some other “message” (λόγος) or letter purportedly from Paul to pay no attention to it. They were to stick with Paul’s teaching. That teaching was that when the Lord comes, He will gather (ἐπισυναγωγή) them to Himself. They would not go through the Tribulation, the Day of the Lord.

In verse 3, Paul provided more information about the coming Day of the Lord. He warned them not to let anyone deceive them. Paul wrote that the Day of the Lord would not come unless (ἐὰν μή) “the apostasy” (ἡ ἀποστασία) came first. The word “apostasy” is a “falling away” or a “forsaking” (cf. Acts 21.21). This falling away will be identified by the coming of the “man of lawlessness,” the “son of destruction.” Paul used these terms for the man John revealed as the Antichrist and the Beast of Revelation. This individual “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” Obviously, such action presupposed the Jewish Temple having been rebuilt.

Paul then reminded his readers that he had already taught them these things (verse 5).

⁶And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. ⁷For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ⁸Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; ⁹that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, ¹⁰and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. ¹¹For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, ¹²in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. ¹³But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. ¹⁴It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. ¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, ¹⁷comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word (2 Thessalonians 2.6-17).

In the above verses, Paul declared that this “mystery (secret) of lawlessness” had already begun. As it was at work during Paul’s day it is still now. What did he mean? He meant that Satan, as the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4.4) has a plan to insert his man to rule the world. Satan is not beyond time and his knowledge of the future is limited. He may have someone ready to fulfill his plan in each generation. The one who restrains (ὁ κατέχων) this evil  is God the Holy Spirit. The revelation of Satan’s man cannot occur until the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way” (Gk. ἐκ μέσου γένηται). Literally, this phrase reads, “he becomes out of the middle.” Standing in the middle, between Satan’s plan to establish his man into the world and our present world, is God the Holy Spirit. God will remove His restraint when He comes for the body of Christ (the Church) since God the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. When this occurs, Satan will recognize his opportunity and move to promote his man. After seven years, when God’s wrath has run its course, at the end of the Tribulation, the Lord will return (Luke 13.35) and destroy him (Revelation 19.20, 20.10).

In verses 9-16 Paul revealed that this man empowered by Satan, the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4.3-4), will display Satan’s power by supernatural wonders and deceive the world. The world will be deceived “because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” God is fair and allows each person to choose for or against Him. Paul explained that they will not believe the truth because they “took pleasure in wickedness.” Paul ended this passage by reminding them of their salvation and encouraged them to hold to the teachings he had taught them.

Philippians 3.8-11

⁸More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, ⁹and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a record of Paul’s joy and celebration of his life in Christ. Written from prison (Philippians 1.7), Paul declared that what he had lost for the sake of Christ was but refuse or garbage (σκύβαλον) compared to his life in Christ. In verse 10, Paul desired to know Christ, the power of His resurrection (ἀνάστασις) and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Romans 6.3-8). In verse 11, he declared he wished to attain to the resurrection (ἐξανάστασις) from the dead. What did Paul mean by these statements?

Paul had no doubt he would be resurrected. Even before he put his faith in Jesus he believed in the resurrection: he was a Pharisee. In verse 10, he expressed his desire to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection. By this, Paul meant the power to overcome sin daily and live a Christ-empowered (resurrection empowered) life (Romans 6.3-8, 8.10-23). Now, in verse 11, we find something different. He changed from using ἀνάστασις (anastasis) to ἐξανάστασις (exanastasis). This latter is a hapax legomenon (transliteration of ἅπαξ λεγόμενον). It is used only here in the Bible. Paul coined this word to express the hope he held dear. Literally, the word means “out resurrection.” Paul formed the word by combining the Greek preposition ἐκ (out) with ἀνάστασις (resurrection). What was the “out resurrection?” The “out resurrection” was that resurrection in which believers who are alive will be taken from the earth to meet the Lord in the air to receive a resurrection body. The “out resurrection” is the Rapture–the “blessed hope” (Titus 2.13).

Conclusion

1. The Rapture was a mystery, i.e., a secret God kept hidden until He revealed it to Paul (1 Corinthians 15.51).
2. Paul coined a new word for the Rapture, ἐξανάστασις “out-resurrection” (Philippians 3.11, the “blessed hope” (Titus 2.13).
3. The Rapture is a part of the great doctrine of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.20-24,35-58, 51-53).
4. The Rapture occurs according to a sequence (1 Corinthians 15.20, 22-23, 51-52;1 Thessalonians 4.13-18)
5. Believers who are alive will not experience God’s wrath, the Day of the Lord, i.e., the Tribulation,  but will be delivered from it. When the body of Christ is complete God will remove His Church and refocus His work upon Israel to fulfill His covenants (Romans 5.9; 1 Thessalonians 5.9-10; 2 Thessalonians 2.1-2;Romans 11.25-26).
6. We are commanded to proclaim the Rapture to comfort one another until the Lord comes (1 Thessalonians 4.18).
7. The Rapture is a separate event from the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ to the earth (2 Thessalonians 2.2, 10-12, 12; 1 Thessalonians 4.17; Zechariah 14.1-4;Acts 1.11-12). See the author’s study on The Day of Christ.

¹See Farewell to the Rapture by N. T. Wright. Ignorant of Pauline doctrine, the Bishop of Durham and others who reject the Rapture may be likened to Apollos (Acts 18.24-26 cf.Galatians 1.11-12, 2.7-9). They require Pauline instruction as Apollos received from  Aquila and Priscilla.

²The ascended, glorified Lord revealed many truths to Paul that He had not revealed previously. Paul named these revelations “mysteries.” God most likely revealed some of these new truths to Paul after his conversion when he was three years in Arabia (Galatians 1.15-17). Later, Paul most likely received other revelations. Without an understanding of Paul’s “mysteries” one cannot understand his theology. Indeed, without this understanding one cannot understand the New Testament. See the author’s study onPaul’s Mystery.

³This “last trumpet” has nothing to do with the trumpets of the book of Revelation. The trumpets in Revelation signal God’s judgments upon the earth. No hint of judgment exists in Paul’s passage. Indeed, we find just the opposite. Paul’s passage deals with the believer’s victory over sin and death and the receipt of a sinless and eternal body. The “last trumpet” signals Christ coming to claim his Church, the body of Christ.