The Binding Of Isaac And The Rapture

Each autumn during the High Holy Days, synagogues all over the world remember the Akeidah (Hebrew term referring to “the binding of Isaac” as described in Genesis 22:1-19). The preeminent symbol of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah is the ram’s-horn trumpet. The rabbis see a significant connection between it and the substitution ram that was provided by God when Abraham offered up his only son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In type it stands for the fact that in these last days prior to the rapture when we as the body of Christ will hear the Ram's horn once again our redemption will be completed that was started by the work of Christ on Calvary. The message of the cross is the central theme of all scripture - even end-time theology. Any doctrine or movement that teaches anything else is "another gospel," birthed by "another spirit," pointing one to "another Jesus." It is a continued sign of the last days in that the apostasy will take the church further and further away from the cross. The TRUE body however, will remain faithful until the trump of God sounds and we which are alive will be gathered together with them in the grave to meet the Lord in the air forever and forever. Titus called it "the blessed hope."

Rosh Hashanah Message 2002

By Chris McDonald

John 3:35-36 - The Father loves the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. [36] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

Genesis 21:1-5
And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken. [2] For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. [3] And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. [4] And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. [5] And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

In about 3 weeks, we will enter what is known in the Messianic community as the "High Holy Days," or Fall feasts of the Lord. Rosh HaShana will begin these feasts on sundown September 26th, 2002. For those who study their Bibles, we know that each of the feasts of the Lord is a picture, a foreshadowing, a type of the Lord's plan for man and His completed redemptive program in Christ's work at the cross. The Spring Feasts - consisting of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost - reflect the Lord's past and present work on Planet Earth. Each three point to three major events already taken place in the past and ongoing now - the death of Christ (Passover), the burial and resurrection of Yeshua (Firstfruits, Unleavened Bread) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost). The Holy Spirit's work is a PRESENT work right now as we live prophetically speaking in the time between Pentecost and the first Fall Feast - the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah. 

Rosh Hashanah, we believe, is a type of the rapture of the church. Called the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 10), it holds tremendous prophetic parallels to the event Paul spoke of in his writings in 1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians known as the "rapture of the church." The word "rapture" is not actually found in English terms in scripture but the original Greek meanings of Paul's exhortation to us in these last days are clear that there is coming a time when the Trump of God will sound, the dead in Christ will rise FIRST, then we which are alive and remain shall be "CAUGHT UP," <Harpazoo> together with them in the air to meet the Lord forever and forever."

Neighbor, that event is on the horizon sooner than we'd probably care to understand. I know as I'm writing this that sadly this doctrine has divided the Body into many camps. There are some who do not believe in the rapture of the church at all. Others teach that the rapture will take place, but only after the church has gone through much of the Great Tribulation period and suffered at the hands of the Antichrist. Some teach the writings of Paul refer to the final trump of the Great Tribulation which will end that period and usher in the Millennium Kingdom of Christ and the "gathering together" of the saints unto Christ is actually us meeting Him in Jerusalem where He will return after the Tribulation period. This journal is not about those divisions even though we plan to write an upcoming journal on the rapture itself very soon. This journal is about the days we live in prior to the rapture and the Spirit's preparation of our hearts in these days of apostasy.

Each autumn during the High Holy Days, synagogues all over the world remember the Akeidah (Hebrew term referring to “the binding of Isaac” as described in Genesis 22:1-19). The preeminent symbol of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah is the ram’s-horn trumpet. The rabbis see a significant connection between it and the substitution ram that was provided by God when Abraham offered up his only son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah.  In many synagogues, the Akeidah (the binding of Isaac) is read every weekday of the year as a memorial, but from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur it is particularly emphasized. In the process, many rabbis teach that when Abraham offered up Isaac on Mount Moriah (the eventual site of the Temple Mount), Isaac actually died and was resurrected!

A book titled Rosh Hashanah: Its Significance, Laws, And Prayers states, “A reading of the Talmudic sources makes clear that God thinks of Isaac as if he had actually been sacrificed and his remains burned on the altar” (p.31). One story claims that Isaac was so terrified that he died of fright, but at the sound of the voice of the Angel of the Lord he came to life again. If we read the biblical account in Genesis 22:1-19, we do not find any indication that Isaac died or that his body was burned or resurrected. We do learn, however, some provocative similarities between Isaac and another Son who, according to New Testament witnesses, was offered as a human sacrifice by a loving Father.

Consider the comparison between Isaac and the Yeshua of the New Covenant. Both were sons of promise. Their comings were heralded by angelic beings. Both came into the world by means of a miraculous birth. Through both men the entire world was to be blessed. Both were beloved sons of their fathers. They were blameless—neither one deserving capital punishment. Both had to carry the wood of their judgment on their shoulders. Many believe that both Jesus and Isaac were in their early to mid-thirties at the time of their trials. Both were brought to a mount for their sacrifice. Both went willingly to the slaughter, without saying a word in their defense; yet both lived to see their heirs. These are just a few parallels of the many we can find between the Hebrew Scriptures and the Gospels of the New Covenant.

If we add to our comparison the Orthodox Jewish view that Isaac was sacrificed, died, and was resurrected, we find even more striking parallels. Some of the rabbis even teach: “Isaac’s ashes are before [God] always a living reminder of Isaac’s covenant—because an ascent to such spiritual heights as the Akeidah never dies. Therefore, too, Isaac’s life after the Akeidah was of a different order than any other. He was a living sacrifice, sanctified, and spiritual” (Rosh Hoshanah—Its Significance, Laws, & Prayers, p.31).

While we don't ascribe to all what the Jewish rabbis believe (even though it is profound in many ways and quite possible), it is I believe of tremendous prophetic significance and importance that the trumpet, or ram's horn is tied directly into this sacrifice. It speaks to us today of the fact that when the trump of God sounds - it will be the completion if you will of our redemption that was paid for through the sacrifice of Yeshua, God's only Son. (Romans 8:36-48). Let's look at this progression.

       
The Slain Lamb

The theme of the Bible and the end times is the LAMB. John the apostle when writing the last book of the New Covenant which many view as a summary of Christ's full revelation to man as well as of the events soon to take place in the future on Planet Earth John always comes back to the thought that all the judgments, all the harvest, all the events taking place before our eyes in the pages of scripture center around THE LAMB.

The phrase in Revelation 5:5, "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb," presents Jesus as the "Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:29), and which denotes the sacrifice of Himself as it regards the Atonement. In this same passage, John heard Jesus introduced as a "Lion," but when John sees Him, He sees "a Lamb."
As well, the Lamb is presented as "standing" in the very midst of all the greatness of the Throne. He is the center of attention. It doesn't say that He is sitting on the Throne, but rather that He is standing in the midst of it.
And yet it states in the last Chapter of Revelation that the Throne is "of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1, 3).
 

In the last Chapter of Revelation, which pictures the perfect age to come, the New Jerusalem will have been brought down from God out of Heaven, with Earth now being His Headquarters. Consequently, at that time, there is no more sin, Satan, or rebellion. All of that has been put down by what Jesus did at the Cross. In Chapter 5 of our study, even though the Cross is history, still, all the effects of the Cross have not yet been realized. So Jesus is pictured as standing instead of sitting. The posture of standing represents work yet to do, with the posture of sitting representing work that is finished and done. His work is finished, His work continues today in the hearts of those who believe in Him.

The phrase, "As it had been slain," represents the Crucifixion and Resurrection. This Lamb had been slain, but this Lamb is now alive, even though it bears on its body the marks of the Crucifixion. Incidentally, Jesus being in the "midst of the Elders," portrays the Church raptured and Glorified. Isaac was a type of Christ. He was offered up to death but was saved through the intervention of God and in type became a picture of the resurrection. We as believers await the same glorification process we will talk about more in a minute as it relates to the rapture of the church. Christ experienced this. Isaac experienced this. WE WILL EXPERIENCE IT if we are ready for the rapture of the church.

In Revelation 1:13 and 2:1, the Lord Jesus is in the midst of the candlesticks, which represents the Church before the Rapture, and thereby, still on Earth. The representation of Christ as a Lamb, and above all, "as it had been slain," and especially considering that this is seen at the Throne of God, tells us many things.

First and foremost, it tells us of the vast significance of what Christ did at the Cross. This is the key on which the entirety of the Plan of God turns. This tells us unequivocally that everything revolves around the Cross. That's why Paul was so adamant in telling us to "preach the Cross" (I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2, 5). If Jesus is pictured thusly at the Throne of God, He must as well be pictured accordingly in the Church. We must preach the Cross, sing the Cross, proclaim the Cross, witness the Cross, and above all, place our Faith totally and completely in the Cross. Do not allow this great truth to be lost upon you and pushed aside in these last days.

The Cross is not merely a doctrine, but rather the foundation of all Doctrine. I'm certain that what Jesus suffered at the Cross would not be explained by Him as a mere doctrine. The Cross is the under girding factor of all the Plan of God. On that one foundation rests the entirety of the Promises of God. And why is that so difficult to understand

 The entirety of the Bible is the story of the Cross. In fact, unless one understands the Cross, one cannot understand the Bible. This means that the understanding of the Word is to be undertaken by first of all Faith being exhibited in the Finished Work of Christ. When Faith is thereby extended, and maintained we might quickly add, the understanding of the Word begins to be made clear. Unfortunately, far too many Believers attempt to understand the Word without first exhibiting Faith in the Cross. It cannot be done that way! This is proven by John 3:16. When the believing sinner expresses Faith in Christ, which includes "Christ crucified," he is beginning in the correct manner. If his Faith remains in Christ, and what Christ did at the Cross, the Word of God will be easily understood. That is the case, because the story of the Bible is the story of Redemption, which is the story of the Cross.

And as God unfolded this story to humanity, many times He used pictures and foreshadows in the Old Covenant to portray to us this message. Isaac was the first picture of what the Lord would do some 4,000 years later on the same spot where Abraham stood with the knife raised to the sky. The second picture in the Old Covenant is Moses and the rock which we will deal with in a later journal. This picture of Isaac on the altar is more powerful when we think about the substitutionary method God used to spare Isaac - the ram's horn. The ram's horn is the same horn used to usher in the Jewish New Year at Rosh Hashanah, known as the Feast of Trumpets in Numbers 10. It ushers in the new year just as the resurrection of Christ ushers in a new life for the sinner. Oh, praise God. We once was lost in sin, but JESUS took us in and then a little light from heaven filled our soul. It bathed our hearts in love and wrote our names above and just a little talk with Jesus makes me whole. When the ram's horn blow today - many Jewish people understand the horn's sound is calling into remembrance the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham. MANY do not know however that another ram's horn is soon to blow soon which will call into remembrance the sacrifice of another of Abraham's sons - the Lord Jesus Christ who sprang from Abraham's lineage (Matthew 1:1).

Neighbor, when the trump sounds and the dead in Christ shall rise first and we which are alive and remain are caught up together to meet Him in the clouds, the first thing we will see will be the nail prints in His hands that paid the way for us to be raptured. The first thing we will see is the side that was pierced by the Roman soldier from which flowed blood and water, a type of the cleansing Blood of Christ and the living Word of God upon which all eternity hangs. No wonder we sing it  - "Oh, what a Saviour." No wonder we sing it "what can wash away my sins? NOTHING but the Blood of Jesus." No wonder we sing "What a wonderful, wonderful Saviour, who would die on the cross for me, freely shedding His life's blood, so the sinner may one day go free."

The Power Of His Resurrection

Genesis 22:1-4
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. [2] And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.  [3] And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. [4] Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.


Philip. 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

The Bible tells us that Abraham saw the place where God had called him to sacrifice Isaac on the third day. The third day speaks to us of the resurrection for we know that is was after THREE DAYS our Lord Jesus rose from the dead victorious over sin, self and the Devil. Three always speaks of resurrection and/or the Trinity.  Paul picked up these theme of the resurrection in his writings to the Philippians when he cried to the Lord to KNOW HIM and the POWER of HIS RESURRECTION. But while all certainly want "the Power of His Resurrection," the next two phrases, "the fellowship of His sufferings," and "being made conformable unto His Death," leave most Christians cold. They just read over that very hurriedly, because most people don’t desire to suffer, and that’s what they think it means. It doesn’t!

Paul wants to know experientially the Power of Christ’s Resurrection. He is not thinking only of the Divine Power that raised Christ from the dead, but of the Power of the Resurrected Christ now operating in the Believer’s life. This Power enables Believers to "live a new life" (Rom. 6:4) because we have been "raised with Christ" (Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 3:1). Just as the ram's horns heralds in a new year as we stated before, the power of the resurrection of Christ heralds in a new life for the believer. Most don't live in that new life today. Most do not know what it really means to live the abundant life Jesus spoke of in John 10.

I use a term sometime called "miserably saved," and that's what describes most Christian experiences in the modern church today. We go to church because we fell we have to, we pray to a God that we really do not know or have intimacy with, we give grudgingly of our finances to the work of God out of conscience sake more than out of our heart's sake and we just hate being saved. The world pulls at us and pulls at us and while we sometimes may not give into that pull, we want to! We may not go get a beer at the bar on Saturday night but our hearts crave it. The power of the New Birth and the resurrection life of Christ living in us does for us something greater than that! HIS POWER TAKES THE DESIRE AWAY to where all we want to know is HIM and those "pulls" don't have any power over us any longer!!!!!

Paul is saying that we receive the benefits of all the things His suffering provided. If we don’t receive these benefits, whatever they might be, in effect, His suffering is in vain. As well, "being made conformable unto His Death," refers to our complete identification with Him as it regards His Crucifixion and Resurrection, and what these things accomplished. This is the process of Sanctification and is intended to bring the Believer’s present state into ever-increasing conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:29; II Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21).

Romans 8:29
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Cor. 3:18
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Philip. 3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Abraham Built An Altar, Laid The Wood In Order And Bound Isaac His Son

Genesis 22:5-9
And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you, [6] And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. [7] And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  [8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. [9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

In this first picture of the Old Covenant of what God would do for fallen humanity through Christ, we see a beautiful picture of our redemption here. I don't know what had to be going through both Abraham's and Isaac's mind that day on Mt. Moriah but I know all of heaven watched with tears. As they saw this event unfold they knew that one day the Lord Jesus would come to this same place and die alone for all of humanity. Isaac sees the situation and asks his father "where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said "God will provide."

My Lord, my Lord don't you feel that? Neighbor HE HAS PROVIDED A LAMB. That's the gospel message today. It's not God has provided "cars," or "money" or "riches," or "houses." NO!!! A thousand times NO! GOD HAS PROVIDED A LAMB. The story of redemption is not about man becoming better. Man will never become better. Man's only hope for survival is in that LAMB that God has provided and that Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the Lamb of God which takes away the SIN of the world. Notice John didn't say "sins" plural, but "SIN." Why? Because Christ didn't come to just help us overcome cigarettes or alcohol or lust or immorality. He came to destroy the very nature of sin that has gripped fallen humanity since the fall of Adam. He has come to set the captive free. He has come to break the powers of darkness in our lives, the chains and shackles of sin and the bondages that are destroying so many.

What are you saying to me, you may be asking? I'm saying you can be free today! I'm saying you don't have to be "miserably saved," anymore. You can be free from lust, pornography, anger, jealousy, malice, greed, envy, any type of addiction you are bound with today - there is hope - but that hope is not found anywhere else but in the blood stained hands of JESUS! He has come to set you free today in His love. "Where is the Lamb daddy," I can hear Isaac ask. I can feel Abraham's heart I believe not really knowing how but believing GOD WILL PROVIDE. My Lord I want to shout right now. My Lord I want to declare it to the highest mountain. OH WHAT A SAVIOUR! OH OH OH OH WHAT A GLORIOUS REDEEMER we have in our Lord today.

Let me tell you this friend. Preacher, man of God, so-called apostle of faith. This is the message you need to be preaching. This is the cornerstone of ALL doctrine and instruction for the child of God right here. When you go beyond this and teach things that put man in the driver's seat and man in the position of deciding what his fate is - you are preaching new age humanism. PREACH THE CROSS. PREACH THE CROSS. PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED. PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

        As Isaac "died" on that altar and rose again in type so too Christ did the same. As true believers who have come to true faith in Christ, we too have done the same as well.

        Therefore, Paul stated in Philippians that those who died with Him and rose with Him (Col. 2:20; 3:1-3) must exhibit this Truth by a separation from their old life and a continual walking in the Power supplied by Christ’s Resurrection Life. That’s what it means! We are to conform ourselves, to what His Death did on our behalf, and draw the benefits from that Death. Just as Isaac willingly offered himself on that altar unto God so too must the believer offer Himself as well!

Col. 2:20
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Col. 3:1-3
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
 

What a power this Scripture holds, when we understand what Paul is saying.

To Know HIM

The phrase, "That I may know Him," refers to Paul knowing and understanding, that all things which pertain to life and Godliness, all things which pertain to happiness and fulfillment, all things which really count, which really matter, all the true blessings of Life, everything that one might think, is all found in Christ, and Christ Alone. It may seem somewhat strange that Paul would utter this statement, especially considering that he wrote almost half the New Testament, and was given the great New Covenant, which in effect, made him the Moses of the New Testament. If any man knew Christ, one would certainly think that Paul knew Him. In fact, He did, and perhaps as few men have ever known Him. The idea is this:

Irrespective as to how much Paul might already know Christ, he at the same time knows and understands that Christ cannot be exhausted. In other words, we have only scratched the surface. A trillion years from today, and I exaggerate not, we will still be learning about Christ, finding out things about Him that we did not know which greatly enriches us to the better, in fact, which will continue forever. I’ll say it again, Christ is utterly and absolutely inexhaustible. As well, the Apostle knew and understood that the constant learning of Christ, was, in effect, the learning of more abundant life. This is what Jesus was speaking of when He said, "Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me" (Mat. 11:28-30).

The World's Pull And Allurement

All of this of which we speak, in fact, is relationship with Christ – in fact, a relationship which should never stop growing. The secret is this: The world makes its bid for the Christian. It holds up its enticements and to be sure, they do have a certain allurement about them. Those allurements have trapped many Christians, actually causing many to be lost. So what is the answer to this problem? The Church has attempted to counter this by making up rules and regulations as to what Believers can do and cannot do. That’s the road to disaster! It holds no answers whatsoever, and in fact, if that course is maintained, it will bring about the very opposite result, which means entrapment by the world. Laws will never do this, and that’s what rules and regulations are – laws.

The answer is relationship with Christ. The closer one gets to Christ, the less allurement the world has. It’s somewhat like an old dog that’s holding onto a bone. If that’s all he has, he’ll fight you for that bone even though there’s not a scrap of meat on it. However, you can throw a T-bone steak before him, and he will more than likely let go of the bone in favor of the steak. It’s the same with the Christian. Once we see Christ, we learn Christ, we understand Christ, and as He begins to fill our lives as only He can do, the world simply loses its attraction. That’s the answer, and in fact the only answer to worldliness.

How Do We "KNOW" Him?

Of course, the moment the person comes to Christ, a relationship is then established; however, that relationship must grow, that is if it is to be proper. The sadness is, it does not grow in the hearts and lives of many Christians.

First of all, the Christian has to have a prayer life and as well, must have an habitual study of the Word. These two (prayer and the Word) go hand in hand. How can anyone have a relationship with someone, if they don’t talk to that person! It’s not that we earn something by prayer, not at all! It’s that we talk to the Lord, thereby establishing relationship with Him, which will grow as time goes on. To be frank, Paul used the illustration of a husband and wife as it regards relationship. The marriage bonds and the relationship between a husband and wife are supposed to epitomize the Lord and His Church. To be sure, a husband and wife cannot have any type of relationship if they do not talk to each other. It’s the same with Believers and the Lord. Why not? We are Christians! We serve the Lord! Jesus Christ is our heart and life, so why would we not want to talk to Him? (Eph. 5:22-33).

To have a relationship with Christ, one must work at this, as should be obvious. The desire for that relationship must first of all be paramount in one’s heart and life. And then we must take the necessary steps to ensure such a relationship, and even that it will grow. As stated, this comes about in part by prayer and the study of the Word. But our "working" in this relationship is not based upon works, it's based upon a loving, intimate heart. In other words, I don't study the Word thinking that God is going to be pleased with me today because I did that. No, God is already pleased and loves me before I do that. Studying the Word is not for God, it's for ME! It's for ME to draw closer to Him and gain deeper understanding of His heart. But we do have to make an effort to draw close to God. That is what James tells us - "DRAW NIGH unto God and He will draw nigh unto us." Many misunderstand what we say many times thinking we just "float" through life trusting in the cross. Neighbor I wished it were that easy. You and I have an eternal enemy of our souls. In addition, the greatest enemy we fight is not even Satan it's ourselves. Our own apathy, lethargy and procrastination rob us so many times of the heavenly visitations God so invites us to have with Him on a daily basis. We've just gotten too busy for God in many cases.

I’ll use another analogy: One has to work at this for it to grow, but he has to simply do nothing for it to languish and diminish. It is somewhat like one being in a river. If one does nothing, he will simply float downstream. To go upstream, he must work at that effort, as would be obvious. To grow closer to the Lord, we have to specifically make that effort. To lose contact with Him, we simply have to do nothing, and that’s why it’s so easy to become lukewarm. Paul also addressed this by saying, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep" (Rom. 13:11). He was speaking of spiritual apathy, which is just as much a problem now as then. "Sleep" speaks of inactivity, which means that the person sort of drifts with the tide. As stated, to draw closer to the Lord, which means to increase the relationship with Christ, takes some effort on our part, but effort which will be rewarded greatly. To lose what little relationship we do have, we simply have to do nothing, i.e., "sleep."

The Knowledge Of Christ

The words "to know" are again, "to know by experience." The tense causes us to translate, "to come to know by experience." Paul wants to come to know the Lord Jesus in that fullness of experimental knowledge which is only wrought by being like Him. The knowledge of which Paul speaks, is not something which relies on past experience, but that which he desires to grow constantly. As well, the knowledge of which he speaks is not of mere information, though that is included; it refers primarily to a deeper insight, a greater participation in the mind and purpose of the Master.

It is what one might call Paul’s "Christ-mysticism." It recalls the great Verse of Galatians 2:20 – "I am crucified with Christ."

Paul desired nothing less than that Christ might think through his mind, speak through his lips, completely dominate his mode of living, his intellectual life, his volition. All of this of which Paul speaks, is not merely an acquaintance with facts, nor an intellectual conviction of their reality, but an appropriation of this knowledge of Christ (so to speak) as an influencing power into the very being of him who knows them. In order to fully know Him, we must be found in Christ. We must have that Righteousness which is through the Faith of Christ, for we can know Him only by being made like unto Him. All that Paul has found in Christ, has not at all exhausted that knowledge, but rather only opened the door of progress, and brought near the most stirring possibilities. For, indeed, to be found in Christ having that Righteousness, meant that God in Christ was His, and had begun to communicate Himself in Eternal Life. Now this must still reveal itself in further and fuller knowledge of Christ.

According to the Apostle’s conception, that which Christ means to be to us, that which we may attain to be by Christ, opens progressively to the soul, showing us that we have walked through a door into a treasure house which actually has no end. In fact, one could explain this as an eternal quest, with each glorious room in this treasure house only making one desire further exploration. We must not forget, what has more than once been said, that this earthly life of ours in Christ is only the beginning. In fact, one might say that this is where the discipline begins, goes on, with us understanding, that if it is this glorious now, what will it be a thousand years from today?

Capacity for such a life is not something superhuman; it is actually common to man, or at least it should be, because man is made in the Image of God. The problem is, due to the Fall, man seeks this life in all the wrong places, in fact, in places where there is no life. As someone has said, "The soul of man is so large, that only God can fill it up." Let’s say it another way:

The two Books of the Bible, "Ecclesiastes" and the "Song of Solomon," epitomize this of which we speak. In Ecclesiastes, which is the description of man trying to find what his soul longs for outside of God, we find that all is emptiness. In the Song of Solomon which is the very opposite, all is fullness. Christ and the world are contrasted. In the one Book the heart is too large for the portion; in the other, the portion is too large for the heart. The world and all that it has, can never fill the heart of man, but by contrast, Christ is so large, that He can not only fill the heart, but He can keep it overflowing forever and forever. We have been writing a series of journals on Laodicea recently and Laodicea's biggest failure was she traded HIS righteousness for her own. And the church world today has done the same thing. We preach a gospel that puts man under the controls of his own destiny because man is "good" according to most preachers. MAN IS NOT GOOD. MAN IS WICKED and in need of a redeemer not a reformation. And when we come to Christ in faith, that need does not change! WE MUST STILL KNOW HIM! WE MUST KNOW HIM! WE MUST KNOW HIM! Oh Praise God.

Isaac's Binding And The Rapture

Genesis 22:10-14
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. [11] And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. [12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. [13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. [14] And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
 

John 10:17
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

We see no struggle from Isaac in this entire ordeal. Just as Isaac didn't resist, neither did Yeshua. Both willingly offered themselves up to obey the will of God. This is an example of the doctrine of substitution. As the ram was substituted for Isaac, so Christ became a substitute for all men, dying for them that they might go free from eternal death in hell—if they accept Him as their sacrifice (Isaiah 53; Matthew 20:28; John 6:51; John 10:11-18; John 11:50-52; John 15:13; Romans 4:25; Romans 5:6-8; Romans 14:15; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Galatians 1:4; Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 2:9-18; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 9:15-28; Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:1). The Old Testament animal sacrifices portrayed Christ paying the sin penalty in our stead. That the experience of Abraham with Isaac and the ram prefigured the work of Christ is clear from Hebrews 11:17-19. As a result we have the blessed hope today of the rapture of the church for all those who have placed their faith in this substitutionary sacrifice.

Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, [18] Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: [19] Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

The ram substituted for Isaac speaks to us this high holiday season of the ram's horn. Rosh Hashanah is a time of blowing trumpets to commemorate the sacrifice of Isaac - to "complete" it if you will. One day soon and very soon neighbor another trumpet is soon to sound!

The rapture of the church is necessary to complete the great salvation process.

1 Cor. 6:10-13
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 

Romans 8:17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

1 Cor 15:51-53 -  51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on Incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on Incorruption, and this mortal has put on Immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that Is written: "death is swallowed up In victory."
 

In these 3 passages we see a beautiful picture of the salvation experience. First we were washed at salvation - the day we were born again Jesus washed us in His blood. Then we were sanctified, in other words, set free from the power of the sin nature. This sanctification process though complete in Christ is not final. We are daily  being sanctified by His life and presence through the power and work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. We are at that point justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. In other words -our record of past sin and failure is wiped out! The word "justified," is a legal term which means "to declare not guilty." The only difference though is in modern legal circles if you are declared "not guilty," your record still shows where you were accused of the crime. If you were found guilt y and later pardoned your record still has the event of the crime recorded. In heaven's eyes, the sinner is not only declared "not guilty," but HIS RECORD IS PURGED FOR ALL ETERNITY! My Lord that is good stuff! Praise God. There is not one thing written down in heaven against you neighbor if you have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus.

But as grand and glorious as all that is - it is not the final work of our redemption. The final work of redemption will take place at the rapture when we as Paul wrote in Romans and John wrote in his epistle - "we shall be glorified together."  John said, "When He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2). This is a promise to all who see Him by Faith, which is the only way it can be done, are in a measure being transformed into the same Image. We were changed into the image at salvation, we are daily being transformed into that image NOW and in the future at the rapture we will receive the COMPLETE and FINAL revelation of that transformation when He appears. That is why the rapture is more than just a doctrine that has divided the body - it's the culmination of our salvation experience in Christ!

Glorified Together

As we stated just a few moments ago, when the Rapture takes place, every believer will be glorified.. What does that really mean? Paul said it this way: Being glorified together has two meanings:

1. This corruptible must put on Incorruption.

        This means that the sin nature, which every Christian still has and which causes all of us great difficulties in the flesh, will be taken away. (1 John 1:8). In other words, there will no longer be a sin nature. Once the saint of God is glorified, which will happen in the First Resurrection, not only will be inclination to sin no longer be· there but, it will be impossible to sin. The "corruptible’ at that time will put on "incorruption."

2. This mortal must put on immortality. This speaks of the new body. (1 Cor. 15:38).

1 Cor. 15:38
But God gives it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

What will this new body be like? John wrote in 1 John 3:2:

1 John 3:2 -  Beloved, now we are the children of God: and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is 

From this, we know that the glorified body which Jesus had when He was resurrected is an example of what we will have. It was a body that had no blood, but it did have flesh and bone, as you see me have (Luke 24:39). The blood is the life of the old body; the Holy Spirit is the life of the new body (John 6:63). As well, Christ could appear and disappear at will. (Luke 24:36-37). The prospect of being transformed into the likeness of Christ should motivate we as believers to live righteously in these last days before judgment.

1 John 3:3 - And everyone who has this hope in Him, purifies himself, just as He is PURE

When Jesus comes back our nature will be revealed for what it is. Those who are LIKE HIM will be taken in the rapture. Those who are not will be left behind to face the Tribulation. If we have the hope of the rapture in us, we are purifying ourselves through the blood of Christ to be sure we will be pure as HE IS PURE.   Again not to sound redundant, we have BEEN saved, we are BEING saved daily and one day we will be completely SAVED in the future.