The Strait and Narrow

Archive for the ‘Resurrections’ Category

• Body:

1 Cor.15:44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Romans 8:10 1And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Eph.2:14-16 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

• Dead:

1 Cor. 15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

Romans 11:1515For if the casting away of them [natural branch] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Ephesians 2:1,51And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)

 

• Awake:

1 Cor.15:34, 45 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [man] was made a quickening spirit.

Ephesians 2:1, 6 & 5:14 1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

14Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Romans 13:11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed

This is only a few parallel scriptures that Paul has related the transformation of the ‘natural’ branch of Israel becoming into the new man the gathering together of both Jews and Gentiles [Ephraim] so that all of Israel shall be saved.

Paul answering the questions of How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come? He addresses that by using the seed analogy which is the same one that Jesus spoke of as the parable of the soil. In conclusion Paul reveals a mystery that wasn’t known to them [Eph. 3:5)that not all shall sleep. As you can see from the passages above sleep has to do with the lack of knowledge or being blind, being in darkness as Paul also told the saints not to be of the night, but be sober.

1 Thess. 5:4-8
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

This is a way that God plan for the olive tree to be grafted in with wild branches [Gentiles/Ephraim] that which was onces cut off to also the grafted into the olive tree again, so that all those that sleep might be awaken to the truth in Christ. Both Romans and Ephesians reveal this mystery and I would conclude that 1 Corinthians is as well.

So in the analogy of the Harvest of the seed’s of men, we have the very first bundle of ripen fruit of the field. Which is those that have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as described as the 144,000

Revelation 7:1-17
2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:

Which is told to the Ephesians that they of the first century was sealed after they believed and that they were the first in Chirst.

Ephesians 1:12,13
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Continuing with the harvest of the First Fruits we are again told of the 144,000 as virgins which have not been defiled by the woman “Whore” of chapter 17. They are found without fault and not deceit is found in their mouth. These are an select group just as the analogy of the First Fruits indicate, they are the first to receive salvation and sealed with the Spirit.

In chapter 7 again we can fine that John is asked who was these and where did they come from, John didn’t know, so the angel told them that these are those that came out of great tribulation. These are an select group of the First Fruits redeemed to God from the earth.

So then when we read chapter 14 concerning these 144,000 as an virgin
described as the bride. These are called the first fruits, then notice that Babylon the woman that these remain without fault has fallen that great city is fallen and the smoke of that city ascendeth up for ever. Then John looked, and behold the Whole Harvest of the seed of men those that have become ripe of the earth.

Revelation 14:14-16
14And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

Then another Harvest of the earth.

 18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Another term that is used to describe those First Fruits as those first in Christ is depicted as the First Resurrection spoken in Revelation 20:4

Revelation 20:4,5
 4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection

One can see here that those martyred for refusing to receive the mark or worship the beast would be refered to as the First to be redeemed or resurrected. These are an select group that came out of the great tribulation having been the first to receive salvation as the first fruits of the harvest.

But then later in the season [thousand years] when all of the seeds of men become ripe then they also like the first fruits of the same harvest will live again but after the thousand years reign of the first fruits.

Do that make sence?

I know this topic of First fruits has been discussed many times before, but I feel that many still may over look this aspect of the reference to the gathering of the faithful (Harvest). Revelation 14:1-5

In the vision under consideration the 144,000 are said to “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.” They are given the great privilege of following Christ throughout all eternity because they chose to follow Him on earth, even in the face of persecution and death. This high honor is evidently not accorded all the redeemed, not all the redeemed will learn the song that they would be singing.

The 144,000 are declared to be “the first fruits unto God and the Lamb,” or “the first to be reaped for God and the Lamb.” The language indicates that this special company have been “selected” or “gathered” from “among” others for a special purpose, and are the first fruits of the harvest. The first fruits of the harvest are that part of it which matures first, and are always only a small part of the whole. The first fruits must be distinguished from the reaping of the harvest. The 144,000 are declared to be “the first fruits,” not the reaping of the full harvest.

Among the ancient Israelites the first fruits were the choice fruits of the harvest that first come to maturity, and these were carefully selected, marked gathered, and dedicated to a sacred purpose. The 144,000 are therefore selected from among other saints and dedicated for the special service of “God and the Lamb,” not only in this world, but also in the world to come. This seems to imply that the 144,000 do not represent the whole company of the Elect, but a specially sanctified number from among them. This seems to mean that the 144,000 represent not the whole, but only a portion of the great harvest to come, not only the first installment, but those marked by high spiritual service to God and the Lamb.

The offering of ‘first fruits’ under the Jewish law, in which the first portion of the harvest was dedicated to God, in token that the whole belonged to Him, and was recognized as His. Hence it always implies that something of the same kind will follow it , and in this sense it is often used in the New Testament. If ‘the first fruits is holy, so is the lump.’ . . . In like manner the mention of the hundred and forty and four thousand as ‘first fruits’ suggests the thought of something to follow.

 

Abel’s blood, not Abel himself, cried out to the Lord. Clearly this did not happen in a literal sense. Abel’s shed blood cried out from the ground to the Lord symbolically, for justice to be done, for his blood to be avenged, just like in Revelation 6:10.

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

It is the Hebrew word nephesh that gives us the key:

Leviticus 17:11

Leviticus 17:11

Leviticus 17:11

Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the blood of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Now verses 9 and 10 are coherent. It is the shed blood of the martyrs that is seen “under the altar”, not immortal bodiless souls. Just as Abel’s blood cries out symbolically for justice to the Lord, so does the blood of the martyrs “under the altar”. So, just what does “under the altar” mean, and where is this altar.

Now again, we have determined that Revelation 6:9 refers to the blood of Christian martyrs as being “under the altar”. This expression “under the altar” is explained by how sacrificial blood was used in the sanctuary. And knowing that there are two altars the altar of burnt offerings in the outer court, and the altar of incense in the first apartment of the sanctuary, or holy place.

Leviticus 4:7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

So how then would we interpret Revelation 20:4?

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Would it not be correct to translate “souls” as blood and would read as:

“souls of the beheaded”

4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the blood of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Would that then change our view of those that were slain for their witness of Jesus that John saw their blood, that in of itself can’t refer to all christains from all generations, can it?

 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it (Leviticus 23:10-11)

Also these that rose after Jesus is from the Barley harvest and would be among the “Sheaf” of firstfruits. Jesus himself spoke of the next harvest of souls. Although he uses this in a spiritual sence it also would refer to the bodily resurrection. These would be refered to as the overcomers [overcomers of persecution]known as the Barley crop. Each of the seven churches is told to be overcomers.(Rev 2)These that Jesus spoke of would be those of the First Full havrest of the Barley which would be considered to the the First Resurrection. This is the first of “three times in the year” when all the males were to appear before God in Jerusalem (Ex. 34:23). [First Century Martyrs]

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10)

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:13-14)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Rev 20:4)

Then we come to the second harvest which would be at Pentecost the time of the Wheat harvest the second Resurrection. This time between the Barley harvest and unto the Wheat harvest is known as “Counting the Omer” The counting is intended to remind us of the link between Passover, [Our Lord the Passover Lamb] which commemorates the Exodus, and Shavu’ot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah.[ new covenant] It reminds us that the redemption from slavery was not complete until we received the Torah. [new covenant] This wheat harvest is pictured in these scriptures.[Righteous/Church]

  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn

them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matt.13:30)

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.(Rev 20:5)

Take note that the reference to the first resurrection is to those that have been martyed of the first century.

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Rev 14:15-16)

The third harvest would be at the Feast of Tabernacles and of the Grape harvest which would be the third Resurrection. [Unrighteous]

And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Rev 14:18,19)

The winepress with the treading of the grapes in the winepresses, depicts God’s wrath, judgment, and the lake of fire. The purpose of the grain harvests of spring (barley and wheat) is to provide bread for God’s great communion table. “The purpose of the feast of Tabernacles with its celebration of the winepress is to provide the wine for God’s table. Without this wine, His communion table would have only bread and would be incomplete. God will have His wine, but it must come by means of the winepress, which speaks of the judgments of God.