Bible Study Seattle

The Sermon on the Mount is one of Jesus’ most dramatic and comprehensive teachings. It is found in Matthew 5-7. Parts of it seem hard or impossible to achieve. “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

The Pharisees and teachers of the law were rank hypocrites, so surpassing their righteousness seems doable. But this teaching means that there is in fact a righteousness gradient and all sins are not equal.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:21-22

Ok, this is a little tougher. Who hasn’t thought evil of someone at some point? Then we’re in danger of hell?! And here’s a doozy:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” Matthew 5:27-30

What man has not looked on a woman with lust at some point? This is starting to seem impossible. Does this mean virtually no one will get into heaven? The answer is no. When we read the Sermon on the Mount, we assume it applies only to this [first] life. But it will apply more to the second. Most Christians assume Heaven is perfect and that all our repentance and faith necessary to qualify for Heaven occur in the first life. Heaven is not perfect, and we will use our second life to attain Eternal Life. The Sermon on the Mount applies more to the second life than the first, although it’s still important for us now!

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.  So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.  The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.  The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven.  As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven.  And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.

I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-56

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” 1 Peter 1:22-23

Most assume that we will be raised imperishable after our first life.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

How can we receive anything bad if we are immortal? Does not judgment at least imply the possibility of condemnation? Are all beings in heaven immortal? Is Satan immortal?

“and the Devil, who is leading them astray, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] the beast and the false prophet, and they shall be tormented day and night — to the ages of the ages.” Revelation 20:10 YLT

Satan will be destroyed – he is not immortal. Paul’s case for imperishability is referring to the New Creation which cannot start until the Jubilee when God’s Seventh Day of Creation is finished. It is possible that heavenly beings destined for destruction must first be cast down to earth.

“How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
    to the depths of the pit.

Those who see you stare at you,
    they ponder your fate:
“Is this the man who shook the earth
    and made kingdoms tremble,
the man who made the world a wilderness,
    who overthrew its cities
    and would not let his captives go home?” Isaiah 14:12-17

It is possible that there will be those resurrected to heaven only to be found unworthy and cast back down to earth with Satan for their destruction. Time will tell.

Many view the book of Leviticus as tedious. Why do we have to read about these very specific rules about sacrificing animals? Didn’t Jesus do away with the Law at the cross?

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Colossians 2:13-17

In case there’s any dispute, Jesus clarifies:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Matthew 5:17-18

Jesus said all of the Law must be fulfilled. That hasn’t happened yet. That means that not just the Ten Commandments, but the ceremonial Law also is still in effect. Eventually it will not be needed – when death itself has been defeated. “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-26

Many Christians don’t realize what’s to come. Large parts of the Old Testament are not preached in church. You rarely hear about the 1,000-year reign of Christ in church because they don’t know what the purpose of it is. Ezekiel 40-48 tells us that the Temple will be rebuilt, even bigger than Solomon’s Temple. Animal sacrifice will resume. This is not to replace Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice, but to point people to Christ – especially those who never heard the gospel in their lifetimes. People will come back from the dead to hear this.

“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.  If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.  If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.  This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.  Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 14:16-20

Why will they come to Jerusalem to sacrifice? “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14

Those that obey God’s ceremonial and moral Laws will have the right to eat from the tress of life to live forever!