Miracles and Wonders
- Two super beings are performing supernatural acts: God and Satan!
- How many people can distinguish miracles from wonders?
Sep 10, 2002
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- Who are not contented with the current knowledge about God?
- All religions have this notion that we hear supplications and praises to God.
- This is also the state of mind in all Christian sects and denominations.
Every person has a description of God, the Creator, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and immutable. His magnificence and splendor are recognized by all people. However, we have yet to hear of His clear identification.
Many people are simply contented with the identity Jesus Christ. That He is the Messiah prophesied in the book of Isaiah and Daniel. The child of Virgin Mary born in Bethlehem who grew in Nazareth, preached in the different places of Israel, performed many miracles, hated by the religious leaders, and eventually crucified on the cross. Who is not familiar with Jesus uttering the following as He lay on the cross?
But perhaps only a few people professing to know Jesus are aware of His sharp rebuke.
Joh 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
When this shortcoming is brought to the attention of sect leaders, as if to discourage further scrutiny, we hear the following pretext:
“It is impossible with the finite mind of man to identify the infinite Father God. If we do, then we would be like Him. Let us just believe in the Trinity. To comprehend its mystery, we will lose our mind; but to deny it we will lose our soul. Let us not give up our faith in God.”
The truth is it is never the intention of God to hide His identity from His chosen people. Ever since, we read this in the Sacred Scriptures. That is why all other commandments are preceded by the need to KNOW Him. In the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God (Exo 31:18) on two tables of stone, the first is God’s presentation of Himself.
Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
“I am the Lord thy God” indicates the need to IDENTIFY Him. Failure to do so led God to His rebuke:
Jer 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding…
During the time of Christ, a humble Scribe inquired about the first of all the commandments:
Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came…and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Jesus replied, repeating what God told His chosen people in the Old Testament:
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
To many people this is not even a commandment. They overlooked that this commandment requires the need to IDENTIFY God before loving Him. That is why our Lord followed it with:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Again, Jesus was just repeating what was required of God’s chosen from the beginning:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
In His time, Jesus rebuked the Jews for not knowing the God they professed to worship. He expected them to IDENTIFY Him, for to them the words of God are entrusted where they could trace His identity:
Joh 8:54 …it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him…
This truth is being replayed in our time as we hear people and religious leaders trying to avoid the question raised by our Lord Jesus in John 8:19. For emphasis, here is His rebuke:
Joh 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Many are contented thanking, praising and lifting up the Lord Jesus. Unwittingly the “chosen” are distinguished from the “called.”
Heb 8:11 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.
To those who want to be exempt from the rebuke in John 8:19 and Jeremiah 4:22, God gave the Cross the symbol for salvation, where His identity is clearly revealed. To be emphasized, the “chosen” are distinguished from the “called” with their clear identification of God. Christ’s Apostles/Disciples are exempt from the rebuke in John 8:54-55 and 8:19 that is directed to the Jews under the leadership of the Scribes and Pharisees.
A. ON THE CROSS
Here, Jesus confirms He suffers thirst that indeed He is a man.
Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. (Joh 19:28)
In the following, the truth that Jesus is a man and His role for salvation are confirmed.
1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Jesus asserts that He is the Son of Father God:
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…
What follows, Jesus maintains He has God like His Apostles/Disciples. He expressed His deep sentiment as if being uncared for by Father God. In truth however, He expressed His powerlessness that He had to put His complete trust and total dependence on the Father.
Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
At His resurrection while Mary Magdalene was looking for Him in the tomb:
Joh 20:15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus validated His being the Son of God and having God like Magdalene when she tried to touch Him:
Joh 20:16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. 17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Who would question the foregoing revelations regarding the description of Jesus being a man, a Son of God, His affirmation of having God, and His total reliance on the Father?
Joh 5:19 …Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Luk 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
God confirms all these that Jesus takes the role of SON of God:
Rom 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.
No wonder some people recognize Jesus as a man like us and could never be God. Many people however recognize Him as both man and God since He has supernatural power. This provoked diverse recognition of Him, and the identity of FATHER God remains a great mystery.
“Miracle” is needed to IDENTIFY Jesus
It was shown that it is not enough to see and hear Jesus speak to be able to identify Him. The religious leaders stalked, talked, and even argued with Him. But they had to pay Judas Iscariot 30 pieces of silver to identify Him with a kiss. The people at Caesarea Philippi saw and heard Jesus speak but could not identity Him.
Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Today we can sense a repetition of the foregoing where people hear, read, and memorize many things written about Christ and yet this is what we hear:
It was at this instance when Jesus asked His Disciples:
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Simon Peter told Him:
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art… the Son of the living God.
Perhaps the Natural Man (1 Cor 2:14) would shrug this as simple thing and plain common sense. To Jesus however, Simon Peter needed the “revelation of the Father” to recognize Him as such!
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Truly in this role, Jesus is the “Son of the living God.”
B. LAST WORD On the cross
When Jesus was about to die, He uttered:
Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Everybody knows “It is finished” indicates the fulfillment of the plan for SALVATION. That is why, they say, Jesus is called Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, the CHRIST. However according to Jesus, Simon Peter needed the “revelation of the Father” to say this:
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ…
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Perhaps many people would ask, “Why does it need the revelation of the Father for simply declaring Jesus is the CHRIST and the SON of God?” Unknown to them, it is this lack of concern for deeper and more profound things about Jesus transpiring on the cross that brought about this concept of the “mystery of Father God.”
Blessed are the “babes, suckling, children!”
For failing to identify Father God, Jesus called the “wise and the prudent” “blind guides leading the blind.” This is in contrast with the “babes, suckling, and children.”
Luk 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Isa 28:9 (KJV) Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
2 Tim 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
On the cross, Jesus uttering “It is finished” is not a simple statement that many people call fulfillment of salvation. This needs to know God’s plan for salvation.
The Testament or Covenant for salvation
In the beginning, “God created man in His own image” (Gen 1:27) in order to have eternal companions. As everybody knows man fell into sin in the Garden of Eden. Thereafter, man no longer was in the image of God.
Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psa 14:2 The LORD looked …upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Therefore Father God had to devise means to restore man’s original image to be worthy with Him in eternity. There are two measures in the plan of FATHER God:
First - God had to make a Testament for salvation
Second - God has to show the way by example for man to follow. No human being can have this role having lost the “image of God at creation.”
As an initial step, in several verses in the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Holy Bible, God indicated His plan by making a covenant with Abraham that foretells the plan for salvation.
Gen 17:7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
This testament was meant for Abraham and his offspring to become chosen of God. God emphasized to them that He is the only one to know and to love.
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Only one Creator:
Neh 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein… and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
Isa 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.
Often read but overlooking its significance is what is written about the need for the fulfillment of a testament – the death of the maker or testator:
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Many Bible versions changed “I am he” to “I am that I am,” or “I am that I claim to be” in the following verses. This blurred what Father God meant to imply in reference to Jesus’ warning to His listeners:
Isa 43:10 (FATHER God speaking) Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Joh 8:24 KJV (Jesus Christ speaking) I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Frequently read but ignored is that God speaks in parables or spiritual things.
Eze 20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
Psa 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
Consequently it was revealed that this promise of salvation was not exclusive to the Jews but to all people “belonging to Christ.”
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek…for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Therefore to belong to Christ is the sole condition for becoming a beneficiary to the testament. However to belong to Christ a person needs to IDENTIFY Him by divine revelation. This can only be obtained by heeding the following prohibitions:
1. Never trust any man but God.
Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
2. Trust God and never to lean unto thy own understanding.
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
3. Never to be deceived by feeling.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Many of the Jews forfeited this benefit for refusing to observe the foregoing warning and therefore did not recognize our Lord Jesus Christ:
Joh 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
Luk 22:66 …the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, Luk 22:67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto, If I tell you, ye will not believe.
The Jews for their hardheartedness, it is written:
Rom 11:10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always.
Rom 11:11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Therefore salvation was opened to the Gentiles and the claim of exclusivity for the Jews is refuted and put to naught.
Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
People having the word are “in the dark”
God entrusted His words to the Jews in the beginning, and now to people belonging to the Christian religion. Unwittingly this religion as evidenced by its division into sects and denominations has followed the path of the Jews. Here is where we hear from our Lord the classification people:
Mat 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
The offspring of Abraham for not recognizing Jesus formed the religion of Judaism. People believing in the Holy Bible call their religion Christianity. For ignoring the taboos, if Jesus during His time found only two sects, the Pharisees and Sadducees; today Christianity is divided into 1001 sects and denominations each claiming the truth.
The enigmatic Messiah
The Jews were waiting for the promised Messiah. The Messiah came. They did not recognize Him; but worst, they crucified Him (Mark 15:12-14). Today, Christianity preaches Jesus is the Messiah, but look how He is identified. If salvation is on Christ, how could the Christian religion preach several Christs? To note, the doctrines all were launched two centuries after the birth of Christ.
Truly the word of God is alive. What happened at Caesarea Philippi is being replayed in our time. The people there saw and heard Jesus speak. But look!
Mat 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets
Warning
Jesus warned that several “Christs” would be preached by false prophets, showing great signs and wonders.
Mat 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
A similar warning was sounded of by the Apostles.
2 Cor 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Jesus said:
Mat 24:25 Behold, I have told you before.
“Miracle” is needed to recognize Jesus
Who is the True Christ, the Savior, Messiah, or Redeemer? Overlooked is that divine revelation is required to identify Jesus in relation to Father God!
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…
So also is the revelation of the Son Jesus needed to identify the Father:
Mat 11:27 …no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Thus, only a few are exempted from Jesus’ rebuke for professing to know Him:
Joh 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Further, it needs the revelation of the Holy Ghost to declare, “Jesus is the Lord!”
1 Cor 12:3 …no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
It is written there is only One God and One Lord!
1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father…and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Jesus Himself stated knowing the “Lord” is the “first of all the commandments.” This came about when a humble Scribe asked Him:
Mar 12:28 And one of the scribes came…and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Many people did not even realize the following is a commandment:
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.
And how many people are aware that to know “The Lord our God is one Lord” is a prerequisite to loving God? Unknown to many people, Jesus is calling the attention of Israel or the Jews, and now Christendom, to whom the word of God is entrusted, for not knowing the God they claim to worship. Let us hear Jesus’ rebuke:
Joh 8:54 Jesus answered…it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him…
Joh 8:19 …Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Yet both Judaism and Christianity now claim loving God without first having satisfied the prerequisite thereof.
In the Old Testament:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
In our time:
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
The chosen or Apostles/Disciples
When the people who saw and talked to Jesus could not recognize Him, then He asked His Disciples:
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
“Thou art the SON of the living God”
Peter, by declaring Jesus is the “Son of the living God,” clearly recognized Him in His role as model to the chosen, the Apostles/Disciples:
Rom 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.
In this role, Jesus shows the Way (John 14:6) by example:
1 Pet 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
That is why we read in the four gospels how Jesus humbled and completely submitted Himself to the Father, among them are the following:
Joh 5:19 …Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do…
Joh 14:28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angles of heaven, but my Father only.
Luk 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
The foregoing are some of the verses that gave rise to the Arian and Jehovah doctrines and, surprisingly, have not seen following role of Jesus.
“Thou art the CHRIST”
Peter, by declaring Jesus is the “CHRIST,” clearly recognized Him in His role as FATHER God, the testator, who made the testament of salvation. It is written, a testament can only be fulfilled by the death of the maker.
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
This therefore necessitated God manifesting Himself in the flesh! Sad to state no longer can the phrase “God was manifest in the flesh” found in many Bible versions probably because translators cannot imagine the truth being unveiled before our eyes.
1 Tim 3:16 (KJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels…
The same verse in many versions has the following familiar translation:
1 Tim 3:16 (NIV) Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels…
Therefore as Jesus was laid on the CROSS, He was to fulfill the testament of the Father when He said “IT IS FINISHED!” Hence many people would be surprised to hear it is FATHER God who is actually the MESSIAH, SAVIOR, or REDEEMER. Let us listen to FATHER God confirming this by saying:
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Beside indicates place of arrangement that, with this statement of FATHER God, the general belief Jesus is “sitting at His right hand” and taken literally is clearly refuted. This truth was revealed to Apostle John:
1 Joh 3:16 (KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…
This recognition of Peter of Jesus’ role as FATHER God, the Messiah, is revealed to Paul as the Creator also! Jesus in His role as Son of God, a created being, cannot be the Creator!
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible…
And also to John:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Only the body dies in death
Many people cannot believe this truth about Father God dying on the cross, saying, “If Jesus is also FATHER God, at His death where was God at that time?” God answers this by demonstration. When Lazarus the beggar died, his “body returned to dust” (Gen 3:19). His soul was alive and “carried in Paradise in the bosom of Abraham” (Luk 16:22). And Lazarus being a chosen of God in his lifetime had the Spirit of God. At his death, the Spirit of God is also alive!
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Therefore the skepticism seeing the death of God in Jesus in His role as FATHER is completely cleared up. Only the hardness of the heart prevents many people from believing the truth about the real identity of Jesus in His two roles. These roles of Jesus fulfill the two requisites for salvation:
The “letter” of the word
Taking the “letter” of the word or the literal meaning caused all this confusion on the identity of Jesus and God. The “letter” without the revelation of the Holy Spirit for the spiritual meaning was revealed to Paul in:
2 Cor 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Not only is the haziness of Jesus’ identity, but also the intended message for the word is shrouded with the literal understanding of the word. Many people are not even aware of the following taboos, and are therefore further alienated from the truth in the word.
Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
For ignoring the foregoing, founders and leaders of Christian sects and denominations claim authority to interpret the word of God. They cannot accept that God is speaking in parables and only He can expound on them:
Eze 20:49 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?
Psa 78:2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.
How many people ever asked these questions?
1. Did Jesus speak except in parables?
Mar 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
2. Were Peter, John, James, Paul or any of Christ’s other Apostles/Disciples authorized to expound on the words of our Lord?
Mar 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
Classic examples of parables from the “letter” of the word:
Temple:
Jesus said:
Joh 2:19 … Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Joh 2:20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
Mat 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Joh 2:21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
“Son standing/sitting at the right hand of God”
Stephen before he died “saw” Jesus in this position:
Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Jesus Himself saying:
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mar 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Many people believe that Jesus, the Son of God, is positioned and to be seen at the right side of God in heaven.
Exo 15:6 Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father…
Luk 22:69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
1 Joh 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Therefore there is only One God in the person of Jesus Christ revealed in three manifestations. This will be unveiled at the White Throne Judgment when Jesus will visibly assume the role of the Father, but too late for the “called” to repent.
On the CROSS therefore, the two roles of JESUS are clearly established as the eternal sign for the TRUTH.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
Now “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” a sin without forgiveness, must be underscored.
Mat 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mat 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
The Holy Spirit is the Teacher (1 Joh 2:27) who reveals the TRUTH from the “letter” of the word. Without Him there is no way for any man to understand the intended message of God from His words. Man tried to reconcile seemingly contradictory verses in the Holy Bible leading to omission and addition in many of Bible versions. Thus we find in the following verse the omission or substitution for the phrase, “I am he,” with “I am that I am,” or “I am the one I claim to be,” to go well with human interpretation. It is clearly a subterfuge avoiding Jesus to point to Father God.
Jesus warned His listeners:
Joh 8:24 (KJV) I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Father God speaking:
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
Isa 43:13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand…
Isa 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Isa 51:12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you…
In the following, Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are referring to each other:
Father God speaking in the Old Testament:
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Jesus Christ speaking in the book of Revelation:
Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
As revealed to Paul referring to the Holy Spirit:
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
It is incomprehensible with human wisdom (the use of the intellect, senses, and feeling) for the child born in Bethlehem to be Father God Himself. However the Holy Spirit as Teacher reveals the identity of the One True God from the “letter” of the word. How many people have thought of identifying God as a prerequisite to loving Him? Jesus declared this as “The first of all the commandments?”
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.
Ignoring the prerequisite, many people jumped to the following commandments thinking this is all that is needed for salvation:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Without knowing the identity of God who reveals the great message of His words, many people depend on people and what they get from them is just their opinion. Thus seeing Jesus solely as Son of God as the Messiah, Savior, or Redeemer, that clearly constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!
The chosen of God, like Simon Peter, recognize Jesus by the “revelation of the Father and not from flesh and blood.” Among them are the following:
Nathanael:
Joh 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King (Father God) of Israel.
Martha:
Joh 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ (Father God), the Son of God, which should come into the world.
John the Baptist:
Joh 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.
Andrew, the brother of Peter:
Joh 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
The Samaritan woman:
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
To the chosen, the two roles of Jesus are clearly discernible, thus avoiding the error of recognizing Jesus the Son of God as the Messiah or Savior. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is spurning Him as the Teacher!
The Church
It was after Simon Peter recognized JESUS that our Lord established His church on him.
Mat 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.
There are two references for CHURCH:
1. Church in the broader sense refers to the assembly or congregation of real believers. Example:
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as be saved.
1 Cor 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you…
2. Church in the narrower sense refers to the sanctuary of God, also called Temple. This is profusely mentioned in the Old Testament after Solomon built the temple for God.
1 Kings 8:13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
2 Chro 7:16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
It is in this narrower sense that our Lord referred to Simon Peter becoming the sanctuary or temple of God, as all the chosen recognizing Jesus by divine revelation.
1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The Temple or Church cannot be a literal edifice, as it is written:
Act 7:47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Rather, it is the chosen that are the real temples of God!
1 Cor 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Analogy
Jesus was a carpenter building houses.
Mar 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
As carpenter, Jesus in His role as FATHER God was building His sanctuaries in the person of His chosen.
Paul, by sharing the truth, was a “tent maker” making temporary shelters:
Act 18:3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.
Only Jesus in His role as Father God constructed “houses” or permanent structures for His sanctuaries. Paul only built “temporary structures” by sharing the truth to the “poor in spirit” (Mat 5:3), the spiritual “little children” (Mat 18:3). This is what the chosen of God do, who cannot help but share what they found about Jesus, as the Samaritan woman did to men she met (Joh 4:28-29). The chosen therefore act as “evangelists” in the eyes of God spreading the gospel of truth.
The “house of the Lord”
Substituting now physical edifices with real believers, from them the TRUTH is heard and learned:
Mic 4:2 …Come, and let us go up to …the house of God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths…
People taking the “letter” of the word build chapels, churches, and cathedrals as “dwelling places of God.” Nowhere in the Bible can we find Jesus and His Apostles/Disciples considered doing this as we see Christian sects and denominations exerting much effort today.
Act 7:47 But Solomon built him an house. 48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
The foundation of the Church
Mat 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.
The chosen’s attribute as “church” or “temple” of God is founded “on the rock.” The rock is God the Lord.
Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
1 Cor 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
It is only now that the “only God” and the “only Lord” is clearly identified!
1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Now what Jesus told His listeners is obvious and unmistakable:
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
Joh 10:3 … the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4 … he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Clearly the “chosen” are distinguished and separated from the “called” by the “First of all the commandments.” This refers to their clear identification of the One True God.
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Therefore only they are mandated to follow the following commandments:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour (distinguished from fellowmen) as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Jesus further said:
Joh 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.
Clearly Jesus is referring to the Old Testament saints who heard God the same words that Jesus told the humble Scribe in Mark 12:29:
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
“Gates of hell shall not prevail”
After Simon Peter recognized the true CHRIST, Jesus told him:
Mat 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.
Some sects interpret “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” to mean continuous expansion of membership in spite of religious, social, and political adversities.
The belief of persons to whom the true identity of Jesus is revealed is “founded on the rock.” No amount of deceptions could prevail upon them. Jesus demonstrated this to His Apostles/Disciples in contrast with many of the Jews who succumbed to smooth talk and charm of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Jesus gave “hell” a different connotation to illustrate how His chosen are freed thereof, thereby rescued from spiritual “death.” Jesus said in His role as FATHER God.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Of all people, our Lord portrayed the religious leaders, never before heard Him called the murderers, adulterers, thieves, and other felons, the following:
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
The word of God does not pass away and the characteristics of the Scribes and Pharisees could be seen all the time:
Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
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Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Psa 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
Mat 23:24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
2 Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Religious hypocrisy
Jerusalem was supposed to be a symbol for godliness. How could Jesus Christ be crucified in this “holy place?” True to what our Lord saw is just religiosity, not spirituality, in the religious leaders that they reviled the TRUTH. Thus, His lamentation:
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus Christ is the TRUTH
How many notice the Jews shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him,” as people’s aversion to the truth in our time? Who would believe this?
Isa 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
On Sunday, and to others Saturday, people are crowding Chapels, Churches, Cathedrals, and religious rallies in different places. If the truth about Jesus is to be preached in the pulpits, what do we expect people to shout? Praise or down with the TRUTH?
The “chosen” of God
The Apostles and Disciples of our Lord, like Simon Peter all recognized Jesus “by the revelation of the Father.” Nathanael declared Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel (Joh 1:48-49). Martha realized Jesus is the Christ, the Son God (Joh 11:26-27). Recognizing the True Christ requires “a miracle.” It is God that gives His chosen the “heart to know Him” because they come to Him with their whole heart:
Jer 24:7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Hence it is only the chosen who could obey “The first of all the commandments.”
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
This is the clear identification of who the One True God and One Lord is:
1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
And because to them the two roles of Jesus are clearly revealed, only they are expected to keep the following commandments:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
The “called”
To the Jews, and now to Christianity, is the word of God entrusted. But God’s rebuke remains because of hardheartedness:
Jer 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Joh 8:54 Jesus answered…it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him…
Joh 8:19 …Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
The Samaritans as beneficiaries to the Testament
The Samaritans belong to the Northern tribes of Israel whose forebears intermarried with the Jews. The Jews therefore looked down on them that they were not even allowed to talk to them. The Jews hated these people that they call our Lord a Samaritan when He said:
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Look how the Jews hated the TRUTH!
Joh 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?
Read Joh 4:4-24 and see how a Samaritan woman met our Lord by the well of Jacob. She recognized Jesus as Simon Peter did.
Joh 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The woman was so excited that she began telling her fellow Samaritans about Jesus, the Messiah.
Joh 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
As a result many of them recognized the CHRIST; the most popular is the one who showed sympathy to the victim of thieves in Luk 10:25-35.
Joh 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman…. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them…41 And many more believed because of his own word; 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.
After God’s revelation who the Messiah is, we could imagine the chosen how excited they are as the Samaritan woman meeting FATHER God in the person of JESUS. Feeling the same and full of enthusiasm, the chosen tell the people about their “great find.” This is evangelism, and many of them therefore become evangelists in the eyes of our Lord.
Recapitulate the plan for salvation
Salvation was planned by Father God after the Fall of man. We read this in several verses in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. God made a testament or promise for the redemption of mankind to carry out His plan of having eternal companions. It is written His Testament calls for the death of the maker or testator:
Heb 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Therefore Father God, the testator, in order to fulfill His testament had to manifest Himself in the flesh! We can no longer find the following verse worded as it is because translators of many modern versions of the Bible cannot see Father God as one of the roles of Jesus.
1 Tim 3:16 (KJV) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…
It is this “mysterious role” of Jesus that Simon Peter declared “Thou art the CHRIST” requiring the “revelation of the Father.”
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ…
Jesus as Son of God was relating with FATHER God in many verses in the four gospels. While many people call Him the Christ, Messiah, Savior or Redeemer, to them He could not be the FATHER. Because of this therefore, the rebuke of our Lord Jesus to many people hangs on:
Joh 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
[Note 1: 1Timothy 3:16 in the KJV of 1611 “God was manifest in the flesh” was on the whole copied from the Bishops Bible of 1568. Perhaps translators of many current Bible versions no longer incorporated this phrase thinking that Father God can never be Jesus in the flesh.]
However to God’s chosen by divine revelation, they clearly recognize Jesus was performing not only the role of SON but FATHER God as well while He was still on earth. Jesus as the CHRIST, or Savior, is to them the Father in the flesh as revealed to Apostle John in:
1 Joh 3:16 (KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…
[Note 2: The same comment as in Note 1.)
What is incomprehensible to many is that God can never be subject to death. Thus the saying, “If Jesus were Father God dying on the cross, where was God then?” They do not realize that Jesus, a physical being like anyone else, when He died on the cross only His body suffered death. His Spirit and Soul remained alive. When Lazarus the beggar died, his body was buried in the cemetery. His soul went to Paradise where he met Abraham and the other saints of God (Luk 16:22). Being a chosen, the spirit of God in him returned to God as it is written:
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
To the chosen therefore, very clearly to them is what our Lord Jesus Himself said in:
Joh 8:24 (KJV) I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
Jesus is referring to what FATHER God was saying:
Isa 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
This truth about Jesus was revealed to Apostle John, Paul and prophet Isaiah:
1 Joh 3:16 (KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…
1 Joh 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father…”
In the beginning Philip and the other Disciples wanted to see the Father:
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Pentecost!
At Pentecost everything was cleared to the Apostles/Disciples as promised by our Lord.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
At the death of Jesus in His role as FATHER God, the testament was fulfilled and it was time to give the inheritance to the Apostles/Disciples:
Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Father God is the Holy Spirit!
The inheritance promised in the Testament and the beneficiaries thereof are revealed in the following verses. There is no question now that it was FATHER God who made the Testament. Unknown to many people it is also He who promised Himself to be the Inheritance in His testament. Father God speaking:
Eze 44:28 And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance…
Num 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance…
FATHER God was referring to the priests and Levites as beneficiaries.
Eze 44:15 …the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me…
These are the offspring of Aaron to whom priesthood was conferred.
Num 18:20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
Since God is speaking parables, the priests are actually the chosen as revealed to Peter and John in:
1 Pet 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Rev 1:6 And hath made us…priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
David confirmed this:
Psa 16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance…
This was also revealed to Paul:
Col 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
Perhaps a question is posed why the chosen received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost instead of FATHER God. The reason is seen when the Israelites did not even want to talk to Him:
Exo 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
Father God therefore in order to be acceptable to the beneficiaries took the characteristics of a dove that is known for its amiability and sensitiveness.
Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Clearly revealed to the chosen therefore, the Holy Spirit is Father God Himself! Before we receive the miracle of “opening the eyes,” many things read in the Holy Bible just pass our mind without realizing the intended message. A classic example is the following promises of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Holy Spirit!
Many people, while they cannot agree on the identity of Jesus Christ, are one in the expectation of His Second Coming. The chosen however are distinguished from the rest by believing in His promises in the following:
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
The Comforter is the Holy Spirit.
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth….
It is He who is with the chosen till the end of the world. How could Jesus be with His Disciples till the end of the world if He is not the Holy Spirit!
Mat 28:20 …lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Human perception cannot accept Jesus is the Holy Spirit and this makes Him remiss of His promise. This truth that Jesus, in His role as FATHER God, is the Holy Spirit is revealed to Paul in: Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
2 Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
There is only One Lord!
1 Cor 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
What is in the mind of many people is what transpired after Jesus’ resurrection and before Pentecost:
Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
And what John wrote in the book of Revelation.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
The foregoing event requires the “sense of sight” for its fulfillment. The misconception of Jesus’ Second Coming therefore is caused by the intellect, senses, and feeling, the components of human wisdom. While the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in John 14:18 and Matthew 28:20 requires spiritual discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit in a person there could not be spiritual discernment.
Without spiritual discernment, many people unwittingly are focused on Jesus who did not fulfillment His promise. To the chosen however, the Jesus they recognized cannot tell a lie. To them their Jesus can make Himself visible or invisible as He desires. This was Illustrated after His resurrection:
Jesus made Himself visible:
While the Apostles/Disciples were gathered in a house and the doors were closed for fear of the Jews, all of a sudden Jesus appeared to them and stood in their midst.
Joh 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Jesus made Himself invisible:
This was demonstrated when two of Christ’s Disciples were walking on the way to Emmaus talking about His crucifixion. Jesus came along and walked with them and did not recognize Him!
Luk 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus …14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.