Bible Study Seattle

“ I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. ”  1 Timothy 6:13-16

If we assume that God and Jesus are the same person, then this passage doesn’t give us too many problems.  Except that it says ‘whom no man has seen’.  Jesus was clearly seen.  If we assume that God and Jesus are separate persons, then we have two choices.  “Who alone…”  If we assume Jesus is immortal, then God is not.  If we assume God is immortal, then Jesus is not.  But 99.99% of Christians believe that Jesus is immortal as a reward for his enormous perfect sacrifice.  Another consideration is that Jesus and his bride must be in the same condition if they are to be one flesh.  Could it be that the state of never dying is granted after resurrection?  Or does the marriage happen long after the resurrection.  But who bears the earthly children of resurrection?

“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus before ages, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ”  2 Timothy 1:8-10

This passage suggests that a path toward immortality has been revealed by the appearing of Jesus.  And we know that the last enemy to be conquered is death itself.  If death is impossible, then at the that point all creatures remaining would be immortal.  The main question is when?  This author tends toward the view that immortal is not instant upon the heavenly resurrection, but that death must be completely destroyed first.  Some could argue that death is defeated individually and not corporately.  What do you think?

“Before Abraham was, I am.”  John 8:58

Many people see this as Jesus saying he was Yahweh.  But this is not so.  More accurately, it could read, “Before Abraham is resurrected to life, I am.”  Comments:

http://www.assemblyoftrueisrael.com/Documents/I_AM.htm

Another translation of John 8:58:
“Truly, truly I say to you, I exist as superior in rank to Abraham’s existence.”

A good commentary on verse 58, but especially all of John 8:
http://www.bibleanswerstand.org/before.htm

Jesus did not marry and had no children, despite what Dan Brown may have said in the Da Vinci Code.

“Men took him away roughly and unfairly.
    He died without children to continue his family.”  Isaiah 53:8 NCV

Interestingly, different translations give different meanings to this verse.  Some give the impression that nobody in his day (generation) cared.  Others give the impression that he had no generation (children) to care.  But it clearly states in all translations:

“but he will still see his descendants and live a long life.”  Isaiah 53:10 NCV

Jesus will get married.  But he had to suffer first.  Isaiah 54 talks about his bride:

“The Lord says, “Sing, Jerusalem.
    You are like a woman who never gave birth to children.
Start singing and shout for joy.
    You never felt the pain of giving birth,
but you will have more children
    than the woman who has a husband.”  Isaiah 54:1

The barren woman who is a saint will have more children as part of the bride of Christ than any human woman could possibly have.  If we assume that the bride (church) numbers 144,000 individuals or families, they will have thousands of children apiece!  The mechanics of this operation we can only guess, but maybe David gives some clues:

“Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.” Psalm 71:20

“My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;” Psalm 139:15

From this and other passages, it appears that earth itself will be where people come out of.

“Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.”  Daniel 2:1

“Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.  However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days.”  Daniel 2:27-28

Will God reveal what will take place in the latter days within the second year (2,000 years) from the crucifixion?  This may be a stretch and speculation.  Will many details about the third year (3,000 years) be revealed by 2033AD?  If the bride is complete before the household of faith, how will they know?  In any case, Hosea tells us:

“Come, let us return to the Lord.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
“He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day,
That we may live before Him.”  Hosea 6:1-2

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.”  Daniel 1:1-2

Jehoiakim means Yahweh raises up or the Lord Will Set Up.  And in the third year (3,000 years), when Jesus sets up his kingdom, the Antichrist will attack in a fierce battle.  Here, Nebuchadnezzar represents that antichrist.  Of course, the antichrist will not ultimately be successful, but the battle will be fierce.  Zechariah 14 gives more details.

Today I learned something.  I was unaware of the seventh day Baptists.  Here is a comparison of Seventh Day Baptists and Seventh Day Adventists:

http://seattlesdb.org/sda.htm