Where does the Bible say...

[theefaith]

I wish you God speed in finding it.

mare you saying it does not exist? Or the apostles don’t exist today?

 

[Illuminator]

Are you now saying that there are those of the protestant persuasion who are changing and agreeing with the Catholic interpretation?

I said no such thing. If you bother to actually read my post, I said, "many now agree that the Catholic explanation of the grammar of the text is correct." I said nothing about Catholic interpretation. I gave a list of Protestant scholar's interpretation, with the source, that you didn't see either. You don't like what Protestant scholars are saying, so you react hysterically.

 

[Brakelite]

Four Marks of the True Church founded by Jesus Christ on Peter, the apostles, and their successors!

One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church!

The church is One:

Mt 16:18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

John 17:17-23
that they may be one as we are one.

Romans 12:5
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ.

Rom 15:6

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you... that there be no dissensions among you, but that
you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13
by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

1 Corinthians 12:20
But now are they many members, yet but one body.

Eph 1:10
That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

Ephesians 4:4
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Colossians 3:15
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were
called in the one body.

Philippians 1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Philippians 2:2
be of same the mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of
one mind.


The church is Holy:


The church is Holy because Her founder is God, and Holy is His name.

She is the spotless bride of Christ.

1 Timothy 3:15
know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

Colossians 1:18
And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God... Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Ephesians 2:19-22
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.


The church is Catholic: (universal)

Jn 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Jn 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jn 1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Matt 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Matt 13:38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Matt 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matt 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Mark 16:15-16
And he said to them, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Jn 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Jn 4:42
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Jn 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Jn 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Jn 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Jn 10:36
Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world...

Jn 12:47

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world

Jn 16:12-13
I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them
now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

2 cor 5:18
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us (the whole world) to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

World = Universal = Catholic


The church is Apostolic:


Matthew 16:18-10
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Luke 22:28-30
You [the apostles] are those who have continued with me in my trials; and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

John 15:16
You [the apostles] did not choose me, but I [Jesus] chose you and appointed
you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide...

Matthew 28:16,18-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee... And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.

John 20:21-23
Jesus said to them [the apostles] again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Ephesians 2:19-20
... but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Acts 1:
Matthias replaces Judas who had the ministry of apostle.

Heb 3:11 Acts 1:
Jesus is an apostle, the apostles are already in succession to Him, they in turn would have successors.

You are presenting scripture to a Protestant who believes in scripture. So I am not going to disagree with your scriptures. They say what they say, and there can be no argument. What is debatable is your application of those scriptures to a specific entity that began its emergent into the limelight in the 4th century and beyond. Because what those scriptures do not prove or reveal is that it is your church that is the focus of those scriptures. Any claim as you are making is mere supposition. It is not provable through history, and is certainly not provable by experience. For example. Please answer me this. How come the criteria for the Antichrist entity of scripture matches the Catholic church more accurately and profoundly than the criteria you have presented above? Second question, how can a church whose policy and practice over many centuries was to persecute, torture, and silence those who disagreed with her be possibly described as 'holy', 'apostolic', or 'one'???

 

[farouk]

I love the Reformation.

@ReChoired It marked a real return to Scripture in many ways, and was a great blessing in many ways.

 

[theefaith]

You are presenting scripture to a Protestant who believes in scripture. So I am not going to disagree with your scriptures. They say what they say, and there can be no argument. What is debatable is your application of those scriptures to a specific entity that began its emergent into the limelight in the 4th century and beyond. Because what those scriptures do not prove or reveal is that it is your church that is the focus of those scriptures. Any claim as you are making is mere supposition. It is not provable through history, and is certainly not provable by experience. For example. Please answer me this. How come the criteria for the Antichrist entity of scripture matches the Catholic church more accurately and profoundly than the criteria you have presented above? Second question, how can a church whose policy and practice over many centuries was to persecute, torture, and silence those who disagreed with her be possibly described as 'holy', 'apostolic', or 'one'???

why did Elijah kill the 400 false prophets of Baal?

 

[theefaith]

You are presenting scripture to a Protestant who believes in scripture. So I am not going to disagree with your scriptures. They say what they say, and there can be no argument. What is debatable is your application of those scriptures to a specific entity that began its emergent into the limelight in the 4th century and beyond. Because what those scriptures do not prove or reveal is that it is your church that is the focus of those scriptures. Any claim as you are making is mere supposition. It is not provable through history, and is certainly not provable by experience. For example. Please answer me this. How come the criteria for the Antichrist entity of scripture matches the Catholic church more accurately and profoundly than the criteria you have presented above? Second question, how can a church whose policy and practice over many centuries was to persecute, torture, and silence those who disagreed with her be possibly described as 'holy', 'apostolic', or 'one'???

If the rcc only came about after 300 then pray tell what was the one true church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors for the first 300 years, it must be known, physical as well as spiritual knowable by the 4 marks

Matt 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(The church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors!)

 

[Brakelite]

If the rcc only came about after 300 then pray tell what was the one true church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors for the first 300 years, it must be known, physical as well as spiritual knowable by the 4 marks

Matt 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(The church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors!)

The word Peter signifies a stone,—a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded. The gates of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing...That Rock is Himself,—His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail.
KJV Matthew 21:42-44
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

 

[Brakelite]

why did Elijah kill the 400 false prophets of Baal?

Because they were worshipping a false idol and the practices they were carrying out were all abomination to God and a threat to the security of the religion of Israel.

Don't you dare attempt to correlate the work of the prophet with the persecuting work of the Papacy over the tenure of its reign in the dark ages. Those persecuted in the main were not worshipping idols. By far the majority of them were Christians simply worshipping and practicing their faith according to their understanding of scripture. Their only real crime was to refuse to submit to the authority of Rome. And here you are attempting to do the same through this forum. If only you had civil power huh you would continue the same practice that was carried out in former ages. If you would justify what took place then, you would agree with it taking place now.

 

[Brakelite]

why did Elijah kill the 400 false prophets of Baal?

Do you know that we reflect the character of the God we believe in? If you espouse and support and justify a persecuting tyrannical despotic authoritarian church, is because you believe in a persecuting tyrannical despotic authoritarian God. And your church does believe in that kind of God. How do we know that? Because they have set up a series, even a system by which there are hundreds of intermediaries designed to approach God for us because apparently He won't listen to us directly. So we must be afraid of Him. He's way too holy and distant for man to approach so we need a priest, a Bishop, a pope, we need Mary and saints and we need sacrifices and penances and good workst to impress and we need to withdraw graces and merit from the Vatican bank and we need indulgences and rosaries and scapulas and images and holy water and signs of the cross and even then it's not enough because the best we can expect it purgatory because even after all that, and after all the Christ has done, we are still not good enough to approach God... We gotta go through fire and get burnt clean. An entire system built on a complete mischaracterisation of who God is. And the church reflects that mischaracterisation by destroying all who disagree with her because she thinks that is what God would do. It's a lie my friend. Come out of her.

 

[BreadOfLife]

And the new covenant church has always had error and heresy.

WRONG.

The Church cannot teach heresy OR error.
Heresy and error have existed WITHIN the Church in the individuals who have espoused them.

If Jesus equates His very SELF with His Church (Acts 9:4-5, Eph. 1:22-23) - it cannot contain error.

 

[theefaith]

The word Peter signifies a stone,—a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded. The gates of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing...That Rock is Himself,—His own body, for us broken and bruised. Against the church built upon this foundation, the gates of hell shall not prevail.
KJV Matthew 21:42-44
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

you have no answer?

 

[theefaith]

Because they were worshipping a false idol and the practices they were carrying out were all abomination to God and a threat to the security of the religion of Israel.

Don't you dare attempt to correlate the work of the prophet with the persecuting work of the Papacy over the tenure of its reign in the dark ages. Those persecuted in the main were not worshipping idols. By far the majority of them were Christians simply worshipping and practicing their faith according to their understanding of scripture. Their only real crime was to refuse to submit to the authority of Rome. And here you are attempting to do the same through this forum. If only you had civil power huh you would continue the same practice that was carried out in former ages. If you would justify what took place then, you would agree with it taking place now.

they were heretics teaching heresy and it is the state that executed justice

 

[theefaith]

Do you know that we reflect the character of the God we believe in? If you espouse and support and justify a persecuting tyrannical despotic authoritarian church, is because you believe in a persecuting tyrannical despotic authoritarian God. And your church does believe in that kind of God. How do we know that? Because they have set up a series, even a system by which there are hundreds of intermediaries designed to approach God for us because apparently He won't listen to us directly. So we must be afraid of Him. He's way too holy and distant for man to approach so we need a priest, a Bishop, a pope, we need Mary and saints and we need sacrifices and penances and good workst to impress and we need to withdraw graces and merit from the Vatican bank and we need indulgences and rosaries and scapulas and images and holy water and signs of the cross and even then it's not enough because the best we can expect it purgatory because even after all that, and after all the Christ has done, we are still not good enough to approach God... We gotta go through fire and get burnt clean. An entire system built on a complete mischaracterisation of who God is. And the church reflects that mischaracterisation by destroying all who disagree with her because she thinks that is what God would do. It's a lie my friend. Come out of her.

The true church is authoritative kingdom not a democracy

 

[Brakelite]

The true church is authoritative kingdom not a democracy

Your church is, certainly. Good description. Pity about the king. A socialist evolutionist who supports gay rights.

 

[Marymog]

Mary, I am quite aware of the history of Protestantism. And you are correct in that the reformers certainly disagreed with one another even to the point of persecuting. But let me remind you of a couple of important points about this history lesson you have chosen to present to me.

First, every major reformer was at first Catholic. Many were priests, professors in Catholic universities, holding positions of respect and honor within Catholic institutions. Their teachings, as @BarnyFife previously said, were progressive. None of them had set down a full theology devoid of Catholic error. There was a learning curve as they extricated themselves from the system of religion that they grew up with, were educated by, and were led to believe was "truth". However, as they studied their Bibles, they discovered that what they had been taught and what they themselves were teaching, were wrong. But they didn't find everything at once. What Luther found Calvin built on. But unfortunately the Lutherans didn't like the new teachings of Calvin. And the Calvinists didn't like the new teachings of those that came after, and so it went.
Secondly, the spirit of persecution that all of them expressed even to the time of the Puritans in the new world... Where did that come from? The scriptures? No. That was the way they were brought up and raised and taught within Catholicism. That spirit of persecution was one of the very last errors of the old religion to be cast aside, John Williams being a leading light in that matter.

Thirdly. There is one thing that all the reformers agreed on. Which was the point I was making in the beginning when I said that they discovered this through Bible study. They all agreed that either the Pope, the office of the Pope, or the papal system itself, was the Antichrist of scripture. This was the prime belief of the reformation, and though very few of them wanted to start up new churches but sought to reform Rome, (hence the name, reformers) it was in the providence and purposes of God that they come out of her as the case is even today. There is nothing in Catholicism that isn't tainted with error. It's too late and to far gone now to reform. Many Protestants believe that the Catholic Church at least has the basics right, but this is not so. Deeper study of scripture reveals that the Catholicism not often discussed in meetings and councils with reform churches today (such as with Lutherans and Presbyterians and Anglicans etc) and the agreements they make astutely avoid many discrepancies and disagreements for the sake of "unity". But it's a unity based on lies and a false hope that Catholicism has changed. Not so. The leopard still sports her spots and is proud of them. She still is a predator, and is a persecuting church.

Hey backlit,

First: Your theory is that the reformers finally "studied their Bibles" instead of listening to their Catholic teachers and when they did this they all "discovered that what they had been taught and what they themselves were teaching, were wrong". What they were led by their Catholic teachers to believe was "truth" was actually a false teaching by the Antichrist papal system. Calvin and Lutheran came to their own truths because their was a "learning curve". Calvin learned from the mistakes of Luther. Sooooooo putting your theory into practice God is slowly trickling out the Truth thru a learning curve to different men over time so that hopefully someday all Christians will see the Truth and "come out of her"????

Thirdly: Your theory is that all the reformers agreed that The Church was "the Antichrist of scripture" and that "there is nothing in Catholicism that isn't tainted with error" and "it was in the providence and purposes of God that they come out of her". If your theory were true then why did the reformers hold to some of the biggest Catholic doctrines; perpetual virginity, real presence, etc if God guided them out of The Church??? Was God waiting to teach men in the future that those doctrines are of the Antichrist???....Your learning curve theory put to use in it's finest form???


Looking forward to clarification on your theories......Mary

 

[Brakelite]

Hey backlit,

First: Your theory is that the reformers finally "studied their Bibles" instead of listening to their Catholic teachers and when they did this they all "discovered that what they had been taught and what they themselves were teaching, were wrong". What they were led by their Catholic teachers to believe was "truth" was actually a false teaching by the Antichrist papal system. Calvin and Lutheran came to their own truths because their was a "learning curve". Calvin learned from the mistakes of Luther. Sooooooo putting your theory into practice God is slowly trickling out the Truth thru a learning curve to different men over time so that hopefully someday all Christians will see the Truth and "come out of her"????

Thirdly: Your theory is that all the reformers agreed that The Church was "the Antichrist of scripture" and that "there is nothing in Catholicism that isn't tainted with error" and "it was in the providence and purposes of God that they come out of her". If your theory were true then why did the reformers hold to some of the biggest Catholic doctrines; perpetual virginity, real presence, etc if God guided them out of The Church??? Was God waiting to teach men in the future that those doctrines are of the Antichrist???....Your learning curve theory put to use in it's finest form???


Looking forward to clarification on your theories......Mary

First. What happened to 'secondly'? Never mind, been there, done that lol.
Second. How serious are you in looking forward to my clarification...on learning why and how I arrived at my "theories". I am happy to explain, but it isn't something I can do so briefly. I do have a full and comprehensive presentation 'Bible Study Mary' so, how serious are you in wanting to discover something new, something toactually make you think?

 

[Marymog]

First. What happened to 'secondly'? Never mind, been there, done that lol.
Second. How serious are you in looking forward to my clarification...on learning why and how I arrived at my "theories". I am happy to explain, but it isn't something I can do so briefly. I do have a full and comprehensive presentation 'Bible Study Mary' so, how serious are you in wanting to discover something new, something toactually make you think?

Good Morning Backlit,

I counted 4 questions in my response to you. You didn't answer any of them.

 

[Brakelite]

Good Morning Backlit,

I counted 4 questions in my response to you. You didn't answer any of them.

You're sad. So, I guess you really do want an answer. Okay, here goes.

The sanctuary is God’s plan or blueprint or model by which man may be brought back into the presence of God. Man was lost. The sanctuary was a map for man that he may find his way home. It is God’s Plan of Salvation, His GPS if you like to re-establish man as God’s law-abiding citizens of the kingdom of God.
Compare the following scriptures, and we can see how very important the sanctuary is.

Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
Matt. 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

The sanctuary contained the very real presence of God.

When Jesus spoke of Himself as being the Door, the Light, the Bread of Life, what do you think He was referring to? Where was He getting these expressions from?

John 1:1 ¶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

What door is Jesus speaking of? It is the door to the sanctuary. Jesus walked through that door as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world to present Himself a sacrifice, holy and without blemish. We are to follow Him into the sanctuary, after His pattern. “I am the Way” He declared. “Thy Way is in the sanctuary” David said….Jesus is in the sanctuary…if we are to find our way to the Father, we must follow Jesus into the sanctuary where He is now, interceding on our behalf.
I am sure most reading this recognize Jesus in the sanctuary, however, just as a refresher, I will go over again where Jesus is. beginning from the outer court, we know that Jesus came from heaven, was born into the tribe of Judah, who were camped immediately outside the door to the outer court, and thus….

• As mentioned, He is the Door. John 10:1,2

• Jesus is the sacrifice. Matt. 5:17

• It is in Him we are to be baptized. John 4:10

• Jesus is the Bread of Life. John 6:35

• He is the Light of the world.John 8:12

• He is our Mediator. Eph. 5:2

• And He is the law personified. Matt. 5:17

Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage (a type of the Christian deliverance from sin) in the very same pattern.

• Passover Lamb……..sacrifice……..1 Cor.5:7…..Exodus 12:1-6

• Red Sea……..baptism…….1 Cor.10:2……Exod.14:16

• Manna….Bread…..John 6:58…..Exodus 16:4

• Israel chosen as a special nation to be a light to the Gentiles….Exodus 9:5,6.

• Moses made an intermediary (a type of Christ)….Exodus 19:9-11

• Israel given the law. ….Exodus 20

Do you recognize the pattern? Are you following the Way through the sanctuary?

• The life of Christ was in similar vein and pattern…..

• Born in a stable among animals…born a living sacrifice…born to die..Luke2:7

• Baptized at age 30…Matt.3:16

• Led into the wilderness to be tempted which consisted of three elements

1. Change the stone to bread
2. presumptuous prayer
3. Bow in exchange for glory Matt.4:1-11

• Goes on to preach and teach the law of God coupled with the grace and the mercy of God. John 14:15. Matt.9:13

Christ’s life follows the pattern even in reverse….

• Descended from heaven….John 6:38

• Lived by the word….John 4:34

• Let His light shine….John 1:9

• Lived a life of prayer….Luke 6:12

• Was baptized…Matt.3:16

• Was crucified….Matt.27:35

And from His sacrifice and ascension into the heavenly sanctuary….

• Was sacrificed

• Was resurrected and purified

• Gave manna…. John 6:58

• Ascended in order to intercede….Hebrews 7:25

• Ministers among the candlesticks….Revel. 1:11-13

• Judgement to begin in Most Holy Place….Revel. 11,18,19.

The New Testament follows the same pattern….

• The Gospels are the story of our redemption through the shed blood of Christ

• Acts give us the baptism of the Holy Spirit

• From Romans to Jude we are taught the essentials of the Christian faith

1. The word of God
2. Prayer/intercession
3. witnessing

• Revelation gives us insight into the throne room of God.

I do hope you get the picture, and are beginning to appreciate how important it is to understand how the sanctuary is our blueprint for salvation, for how we get to our pathway to the Father. Remember, “Thy way O God is in the sanctuary”. So what is the way to salvation? What is the full gospel? What does the sanctuary teach us as being the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life to our ultimate salvation?

• We are to accept Christ’s sacrifice …..Romans 10:9

• We are to be baptized….John 3:3-5

• We are to eat the word….Matt. 4:4

• We are to Pray….Luke 18:1

• We are to let our light shine….Matt. 5:16

• We are to keep God’s commandments….John 14:15

Note that our salvation does not begin and end at the cross as many today teach. Step one is not enough in order to reach the Father. The cross is only the beginning, the first step on a pathway to eternal life.

The OT prophet Daniel tells of a power that would cast the sanctuary and the truths that it taught to the ground.

 

[Brakelite]

Continued....
Daniel 8:11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
13 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Most are familiar with the parable of the wicked husbandmen found in Matthew 21. Jesus Himself declared that the responsibilities of the kingdom, that is to be a light and witness to the world, would be taken away from Israel because they rejected Him, and given to another nation who would bear the fruits. That new nation was the church.

Matt.21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The responsibilities of being a light and witness were taken up by the apostolic church. After his success in destroying Israel, Satan then focused his attention upon the church. Persecution didn’t work, because persecution brought strength and growth, but deception did. The nation of Israel, for so long Satan’s prime focus because it was the nation, or more specifically the tribe of Judah and even more specifically the family of David, that was to be the vehicle for the birth of the Messiah. Throughout the OT we see Satan’s attempts to wipe out the root, that the fruit could not result. Particularly we see this in his targeting of the family of David, and his constant temptations to false worship, knowing that God’s wrath and discipline would result in their destruction. The story of Solomon’s idolatry, the dividing of the nation, and the ensuing war between Rehoboam and Jereboam, are a glowing example. Yet God in His mercy preserved a remnant. There has always been a remnant that has been the recipients and keepers of the truth. Israel though, after rejecting Christ, were themselves rejected as God’s “chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15) Paul, among others, were now the chosen vessels. God’s people were no longer recognized as a nation, but as a church.
So take a look at history. Was Satan aware of this change in paradigm? Absolutely! He knew very well who his most dangerous foe now was. It was those who now knew the truth of God’s love as revealed in the gospels. His attacks were directed against first, God’s people, and second, against God’s word. The former religious elite of the nation of Israel were Satan’s first agents in his attacks against the church. Then pagan Rome became his chief weapon, and after the failure of violence to quell the growth of the church, raised up a false Christian edifice, began to attack the scriptures and the peoples’ access to them, and introduced a raft of false doctrines, creeds, and superstitions that had a huge effect upon the church, and literally tens of thousands were seduced and beguiled by the sophistries of the Roman clergy that inherited the thrones of the Caesars.
Among the lies and falsehoods were some that specifically replaced the very truths that marked the Way through the sanctuary…the Roman church set up another sanctuary (their own) in place of the true, and re-erected the veil which effectively cut off access to God.

That veil was Rome’s man-made theories and superstitions which removed Christ as the sole Mediator between God and man and replaced Him with a system of semi-pagan lies and false doctrines.

• Indulgences replaced Christ’s sacrifice.

• Sprinkling was introduced without confession or repentance.

• The word of God was replaced by traditions.

• Prayer and Christ’s mediation were replaced by the confessional. Did you know that the confessional is a box divided by a curtain, just like in the OT sanctuary??

• Persecution, the use of force and state legislation replaced the light of the gospel.

• The law of God was cast down. The 2nd commandment was removed, the 10th commandment divided to make up the ten, the 4th commandment of the Sabbath changed to Sunday.

 

[Brakelite]

Continued...
However, there is good news. The gospel was to be restored. Daniel 8:14 says…
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

The sanctuary was to be restored. God would not allow his arch-enemy to have his way in his endeavor to destroy His witness without a fight. So God raised up loyal men of God who would declare the truth with courage and conviction, despite great opposition. The truths were to be restored, the Way opened up once again, the full gospel to be restored to the world.

One by one, the truths were re-established in God’s church, and those truths broadcast and taught throughout the world.

• In the 1300s John Wycliffe, ‘The Morning Star of the Reformation’, translated the scriptures into the common tongue. His followers and supporters were called the Lollards. In their day, they were considered a cult, and were persecuted relentlessly by the established church.

• In the 1400s Martin Luther restored the truth of salvation by faith only. He restores the sacrifice of grace. Luther and his followers, the Lutherans, were considered a cult by those of his day, and were persecuted.

• In the 1500s John Calvin, the founder of the Presbyterians, has a great burden for prayer. He railed against the rote prayers of the established church… In the day, Presbyterians were considered a cult; they were also persecuted, by the Lutherans.

• In the 1600s God raised up a man by the name of John Smith. Smith restored the truth of baptism by immersion. His followers were known as Baptists…in their day they were considered a cult, and were persecuted by the Lutherans and the Presbyterians.

• In the 1700s John Wesley founded the Methodists. John Wesley had a great burden for evangelism: for letting the light of the gospel to shine…he preached from one end of the country to another, and even to the United States. The Methodists were considered a cult and were persecuted by the Lutherans, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists.

So all the articles of furniture were restored by the beginning of the 19th century, except for one. The law of God. Daniel 8:14 said that at the end of the 2300 days and the sanctuary was to be cleansed. There are two other major time prophecies in scripture. The 70 weeks of Daniel 9, and the 1260 days/42 months/times,time, and half a time of Daniel 7:25;12:7; Revel. 11:2,3; 12:6,14; 13:5.

The time for Israel’s probation closed after the 70 weeks, or 490 years. From 457 till the stoning of Stephen in 34ad was exactly 490 years. The papal apostacy in its first phase ran from 538 till 1798 when the French revolutionary army under Napoleon’s general Berthier entered Rome and took the pope captive. The papal states were confiscated and the cardinals disbanded. Rome had raised up the veil in the sanctuary cutting off access to God. The reformation, by the close of the 2300 days, had torn it down again. The law of God however remained trodden underfoot.

• The Seventh Day Adventists arrived in the early to mid 1800s. Their burden was the law of God, and they were made up of Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and even Catholics. Today, they are considered by many to be a cult.

The sanctuary has been cleansed. All the truths have been restored, the full gospel is now being preached and taught throughout the world. (Revelation 14:6-12). The Way of the sanctuary is now being laid before the people to follow.

Matthew 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Perhaps now you are gaining a better appreciation for the meaning of the promised new covenant as described in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews.

8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

God is now preparing a people to serve Him as law-abiding citizens in His kingdom. Witnesses in the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan, who, in agreement with all the angels in heaven, will….

Re 15:3 ……sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.