A CHRISTIANS DESTINY?
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WHY DID GOD MAKE MANKIND IN HIS VERY OWN IMAGE, AFTER HIS VERY OWN LIKENESS? IN THIS ARTICLE YOU SHALL DISCOVER THE PURPOSE OF WHY YOU ARE HERE. THE TRUTH IS MIND BENDING, MORE GLORIOUS THAN YOU IMAGINE OR COULD EVER DREAM! CHRIST - CREATOR! The Jesus Christ of the New Testament - the one who was born in a stable, who was in the contracting business until the age of thirty - who then preached the Gospel, healed the sick, preached to the multitudes in parables, ate with the rich, slept under the stars at times, and was finally put to death for teaching the truth of God. This Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament. He was the one who made the physical universe, who made all the things recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, the one who talked to Abraham, who wrestled with Jacob, who called and led Israel out of Egypt. This Jesus is the one who spoke and wrote the Ten Commandments to Israel, and who led them for forty years in the wilderness. The New Testament Jesus was the Old Testament God for the most part! Paul tells us that the Son (Jesus Christ) made the worlds: "Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.......BY WHOM also He MADE the worlds" (Heb. 1:2). And further in Col. 1:16 we read, "For by Him (the Son - Christ v.13-15) were ALL THINGS created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth....ALL THINGS were created by Him" Jesus Christ was the one who DID the creating ! JESUS WAS THE "I AM" - THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT He told the Jews that He had seen Abraham but they laughed at Him (Jn. 8:56-57). Jesus said unto them, "Truly, truly, I say unto you, before Abraham was born or existed, I was the I AM spoken of in Scripture" (v. 58 paraphrased). When Moses was to go to the Israelites, he wanted to know who he should tell them was this "God of your Fathers" that had sent him to them - what name should he give them as to who this God was? "And God said unto Moses, I am that I am" (I will be what I will be - the Eternal One - the one who WAS from the beginning, who IS and who WILL BE forever). Christ lived in glory before the world was created (Jn. 17:5). Christ existed before all things visible or invisible were brought into being (Col. 1:17,16). Jesus calls Himself the beginning and the ending - the one who IS, who WAS, and is to COME, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8). Continuing in Exodus, "This shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you" (Ex. 3:13,14). Notice! This God who Moses was to tell them had sent him, was the God of their fathers - the God who SPOKE with Abraham and Isaac and who WRESTLED with Jacob (Compare Acts 7:32; Gen. 18:20-22,33; 32:24-30). The God of Israel was the one who became the Jesus Christ of your New Testament. The God who made this universe; who created Lucifer (the covering cherub who became Satan, Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 27:12-16). The one who reshaped this earth in six days; who saved Noah and his family from the flood, who called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; who was their God - this individual became the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. The one who spoke and wrote with His own finger the Ten Commandments - that spiritual rock that went with the Israelites - was Christ! (1 Cor. 10:4). CHRIST IS GOD! Let us notice carefully what John wrote, "In the beginning (from eternity) was the Word, and the Word was WITH God, and the Word WAS God. The same was in the beginning WITH God" (Jn. 1:1-2). What was this Word? John answers us: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." (v. 14). This word became flesh. He was the only begotten of the Father, (begotten by a divine miracle of a virgin birth). Paul speaking of Christ says that God the Father, "Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.......who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Being made so much better than the angels........for unto which of the angels said He at any time, you are my Son, this day have I begotten you" (Heb. 1:15). This SON that was begotten by the one Paul refers to as the Father (v. 5) was Jesus Christ - the one born of a virgin birth, begotten through the Holy Spirit of God the Father (Mt. 1:28). This Word who became flesh was Christ. He was existing with God BEFORE He became flesh (Jn. 17:5, 24, Col. 1:15-17). The one He was WITH from the beginning was the one who became known as the Father God, when the Word was begotten as flesh. Paul says when the first begotten of the Father God came into the world the angels were to worship Him (Heb. 1:6). Now God ONLY is to be worshipped (see Ex. 20:3-6; Rev. 22:6,8-9). Yet the Son is God, for Paul says, "But unto the Son He says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever " (Heb. 1:8). The God who became the Father, says to the one who became the Son - the Word, - that He is also GOD. The Son's name is God - His name is then Jesus Christ God! This is why John could say that the Word WAS God and that the Word was WITH God. There were TWO eternal beings from the beginning - both having existed from the beginning - both bearing the name of GOD. One became the Father and the other the Son (when He was made into flesh and blood - born of a woman). The one being who became the Son, was the Word before He became the fleshy human person of Jesus. The Greek word used for Word in this first chapter of John is LOGOS. It means spokesman - the one who does the speaking. The "Word" was, then, the executive member of this dual God-head. He was the one who spoke and it was done - who said "let there be light" and there was light. This Logos was the one who made all things - who made the world - who came until His own (Jews and marking) - who was made flesh and dwelt among us human beings. (Jn. 1:3, 11,14; Col. 1:16,17). King David understood that there were two Eternal beings with the name of God. Speaking of the resurrection of Christ he stated, "The Lord said unto my Lord, sit you at my right hand " (Ps. 110:1). It could be just as correct to render this as: "The God said unto my God." In the NT (the Gospel of Mat.22:41-44) this phrase uses ONLY ONE Greek word for the two beings. If there were not TWO individuals spoken of here it would not possibly make any sense. The Father God is saying to the God the Son, that He will put Him on His right hand until His enemies be made His footstool. This prophecy of David was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was resurrected and returned to be with the one whom He was with before the world began (Jn. 17:5, 24; Acts 2:29-36). Jesus Christ WAS God and IS God - God the Father IS God! ONE God, but two individuals. Christ has a body and shape (Rev. 1:1, 5, 8, 12-15) and so does God the Father (Rev. 21:1-3; 22:3, 4). See my study called "Does God have a Body?" The name "God" is then a family name. It is applied to all members of that family. My name is Hunt, my father's name is Hunt, my children are also called Hunt - one family but more than one individual. So God is ONE God, but more than one person. We have seen from the New Testament, that there were at least two persons or beings that were in existence from the beginning - both bearing the name - God! This truth is clearly shown to us from the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, and from the first chapter of Genesis. GOD - MORE THAN ONE PERSON? In Gen. 1:1 and in about 2,700 other places in the Hebrew Bible the word for "God" is ELOHIM, which is a uni-plural noun meaning "Gods". It is so translated 239 times in the KJV (Gen. 3:5; Ex. 22:28; I Sam. 4:8; Dan. 2:11, 4:6-9, 5:11,14 etc.). It is the plural of Eloah meaning "deity" or "God". Translating this word literally in the English it would be "In the beginning Gods created the heaven and the earth." Sometimes it is used with plural pronouns as, "And Gods said, let us make man in our own image" (v. 26), thus showing plurality of persons. Notice Gen. 3:22 where God says, "man is become as ONE of US." In Gen. 11:7, the Gods said, "Let US go down, and there confound their language." Plural pronouns are used of God in other places in both Testaments (Isa. 6:S; Ps. 2:3; Jn. 14:23). So at the very beginning we see that the one name God is PLURAL - there were more than one being present. The literal rendering of the Hebrew in Ecc.12:1 is, "Remember now your CREATOR-S in the days of your youth...." The word "creators" is just that - in the PLURAL! Further proof is found in Jn. 17:1-11, ".......Father.......glorify thy Son....... this is life eternal, that they might know you and Jesus Christ whom you have sent....... and now, O Father, glorify you in me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was." Christ and the Father both existed together - both were known as God. ".......I have manifested YOUR name unto the men which YOU gave me and have known surely that I came OUT FROM YOU, and they have believed that YOU did send ME....... I come to you.......keep through your OWN NAME those whom YOU have given ME, that they might be ONE, as we are." Notice this last part, "that THEY (more than one - many Christians) may be ONE. What are Christians called collectively? They are called the 'Ekklesia' - church -'called out' ones. There is ONE body of Christ - one church - but many individuals in that church. Christ likened His people (church) to Himself and God the Father. As the word Ekklesia is applied to all members of Christ's body - and is known as the church, so the name Eloah (God) is applied to all who are in that domain - Eloah then becomes Elohim - Gods. The word 'church' is like the word family or kingdom. We speak of the bird kingdom or reptile kingdom or the cat family. So the word GOD is a family name - all its members are known as having the name of God. We have seen that Christ was part of that Elohim - He was God, His name was God. But the one who became the Father of Christ was also God. Were there any more beings other than these two (Father and one who became Christ) in this Elohim? The Bible only reveals two! What about the Holy Spirit - is not it a third Elohim? GOD - A TRINITY? Many will agree and say, "Yes, God is more than one person - God is three persons! The third person of this Godhead is the Holy Spirit. Elohim then to them becomes a closed triangle - no less and never any more. They have limited God, which is like limiting the church to only so many members and then the door is shut. In so limiting God, they then fail to see the meaning of some very plain statements in the Bible - and so do not understand why the Gods (one God but more than one person) made man and woman. Is the Holy Spirit a literal bodily being like Christ and the Father? Those who believe it is, say that because the word "he" or "him" is used when talking about the Spirit - that must prove it is a being or person separate from the Father and Son. Not so! We still today call ships, cars etc. "she" or "her." Tropical storms are given female names by the weathermen, but a storm does not have a literal body as a woman. We think nothing of doing this, yet religionists want to make a huge doctrine out of the writers of the Bible referring to the Holy Spirit as "he." It is no big thing. Why, the iron gate that Peter went through after God released him from prison is called by the name "his" (Acts 12:10). Other scriptures are used, like Mt. 3:16-17, to try to show that the Holy Spirit is a person. If this is so, then the Holy Spirit was the Father of Christ (see Mt. 1:20) and not God the Father, and further Christ TALKED and PRAYED to the wrong person as His Father. We cannot, nor is it the intention of THIS article, to go into detail on the Trinity idea of God. But let me challenge any reader to find ANY verse in the Bible that shows the Holy Spirit having a head, body, legs, arms, etc. There are many verses that show God the Father and Christ glorified, having bodily parts, but you try to find where the Holy Spirit has these same parts - you've got hundreds of verses where the words "Holy Ghost," - "Spirit of God," - "Holy Spirit," - "Spirit," is used, so you should be able to prove the Holy Spirit is a person, if indeed it is? So none misunderstand, there IS a Holy Spirit. It does a GREAT work - without it none could be saved (Rom. 8:9, 11). But it is the invisible power or life of God and Christ (much like electricity) that enables BOTH of them (God and Christ) to come into us - see Jn. 14:23. Now if the Holy Spirit was a separate distinct person, it would be him and not the Father and Christ in us. But Christ said in Jn. 14:23 that both He and the Father would be in us. And they do come into EVERY Christian through this invisible electricity like power essence, that can be EVERYWHERE at the same time. This power is generated and sent out from their own personal bodies - so truly, Christ in us is the hope of glory. MEN CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (v. 27). The famous wax museum in London, England, has dozens of images of famous people. These images look exactly like persons they represent and the likeness is quite remarkable. True, these images are made of wax and not flesh and blood, but they are just like the real person that they are an image of. Now God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24) - that is, He is composed of Spirit - He is invisible to the human eye (I Tim. 1:17). But man was made of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7) - he was made of physical matter - a different substance than God, but to look at, just like God in basic form and shape. Speaking of Jesus, Paul says He was the express (exact) IMAGE of God's person (Heb. 1:2,3). Philip asked Christ to let the disciples see the Father (Jn. 14:8). Christ answered that by seeing Him, they had seen the Father (v. 9). God is then like man! Man was made in the likeness - the same shape and features of God - but made of matter, not spirit. God has created many spirit beings with different shapes and forms (see a Bible Dictionary on cherubim, seraphim, living creatures, angels) but only man was made in complete likeness to God themselves. Man was not made with a tail, or wings or four faces - God does not have any of these things. Can we begin to see? Man was, as far as to LOOK at, made like God, not angels. He was made with the features of the Gods - from the God level of form, which should indicate to us, that His PLAN for mankind - for creating mankind, is far greater than His plan for creating angels or seraphim. MANKIND'S ULTIMATE INHERITANCE? David asked, "What is man (or why is man) that you are mindful of him (why did you create him) and the Son of Man, that you visit him" (Ps. 8:4). David goes on to answer his own question in verses 5-8. Man is to be crowned with glory and honour. But what does that actually mean? The apostle Paul in the Book of Hebrews was inspired to tell us exactly what David meant. Paul tells us why God created angels in chap. 1:7 and 14, "God speaks of His angels as messengers swift as the wind, and as servants made of flaming fire......for the angels are only spirit, messengers....... "(Living Bible). Angels are servants and messengers of God and are sent to serve (minister) those who shall receive salvation (v. 14 last part) - mankind. Paul goes on to say in chap. 2:3 not to neglect so great a salvation. How great is this salvation? Paul tells us beginning with verse 5. "And the future world we are talking about will not be controlled by angels. No, for the Book of Psalms David says to God, what is mere man that you are so concerned about him? And who is this Son of Man you honour so highly? For though you made him lower than the angels for a little while, " Man is now lower in power than the spirit beings that God made, continue, "Now you have crowned him with glory and honour," It is God's purpose to eventually give man glory, "And you have put him in complete charge of everything there is. Nothing is left out." Can we grasp this mind-bending revelation? The angels were never created to be given COMPLETE CHARGE of EVERYTHING, but mankind was, for Paul continues, "We have not yet seen all of this take place....." (v. 5-9, Living Bible). Paul goes on to show that only Christ of ALL human beings has received this glory (after his resurrection He told His disciples that all power was given Him, MT. 28:18) - that Christ is the captain or leader (the first to be glorified) of mankind. He calls us His brothers (v. 9,11) not servants (as the angels are), see Jn. 15:15. Will we believe what God has written for us in Revelation 21:7, "He that overcometh shall inherit ALL things and he shall be my son." Christ was a son of God (Heb. 1:5). We are His brothers (Heb. 2:11). God gave Christ power over all things - WE are called sons of God - we have been promised complete charge of everything as Paul said. We can inherit all things as our elder brother Christ has already done. The angels were never promised this glory of God. Do we see? Can we understand what the Elohim were doing when they created mankind? THEY STARTED THE PROCESS OF REPRODUCING THEMSELVES !! There was created the animal kind, the fish kind, the bird kind, the angelic kind, and when God made mankind He made them after HIS LIKENESS or kind. God started to reproduce Himself! God is a family - not just one being or two beings - He has the POWER to create more beings just like Himself, and this He decided to do when He said, "Let us make man in our image." The word of God only reveals three types of decision making beings - God, angelic spirits, and mankind. Paul tells us that man is now, at present, lower than the angels. But it will not always be this way. Man is to become higher than the angels. The only level of life above the angels is that of God's level. Man is to he raised up (by a resurrection to glory - I Cor. 15; I Thes. 4:16) to God's level - to inherit all power and glory just as their brother Christ Jesus has inherited. God - Elohim - is a family name. God the Father is reproducing Himself. Man is to become God - that is a member of that God family. Christ is called a Son of God - He is also CALLED God (Heb. 1:8). We shall also be a glorified sons of God (Rev. 21:7) - our name will then be God. There will be the Father God, Jesus God, Abraham God, Isaac God, Jacob God, David God, Paul God, etc. There will still be only one God, (unity of mind and purpose) but comprising many individuals - many God beings, just as there are many beings is the ONE church of God, the body of Christ. Man is to inherit the God level of existence. MAN - A SON OF GOD Christ was begotten of God and He was born of God - Christ was born again! Does that sound shocking? Well I shall prove it. Christ was BEGOTTEN of God when He was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit. Paul says, "For unto which of the angels said He at any time, thou art my son, this day have I BEGOTTEN YOU and again, when He brought the FIRST BEGOTTEN into the world, He said, and let all the angels of God worship Him" (Heb. 1:5,6). Christ was the Son of God by a begetal from the time of His conception. But He was also declared to be a Son of God with power by, and at the time of His resurrection - see Rom. 1:3,4. Now notice! Col. 1:15 and 18, speaking of Christ, "Who is the image (Christ was made flesh and blood as we are) of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature......and He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning (first human to receive salvation) the firstborn from the dead....." Speaking to Christians Paul says they have come, "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn (Christ)" (Heb. 12:23). Christ was born again - He was born once of a physical woman, and He was born a second time by God the Father from death, into power and glory, and into the family of God, when He again became glorified God at His resurrection (Mt. 1:20; Heb. 1:5,6; Rom. 1:3,4; Mt. 28:18; Heb. 1:8). Christ went through the same process to salvation and glory that we must go through, except He never sinned (Heb 4:15) - He never needed to repent or be converted. Christ needed God's Spirit - so do we (Rom. 8:9,11). He was tempted - so are we (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was made completely perfect (glorified body - free from temptation) at His resurrection (Rom. 1:3,4) - so will we be (I Cor. 15; Heb. 11:39,40; I Thes. 4:16). Jesus Christ WAS and IS a Son of God - we are also now God's sons (I Jn. 3:1) but not yet glorified (I Jn. 3:2, 3). God is to have many more sons born, just as Christ was - He was only the first. He is our elder brother who led the way - ".....that he (Christ) might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Greek is adelfos - the womb, a brother). Rom. 8:29. God has not adopted us - we are LITERALLY His sons! The passages of Scripture (Rom. 8:15, 23, 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5) that use the word "adoption" in the KJ Bible should have been translated from the Greek "the placing of a son" or "sonship." See Strong's Concordance of the Bible. Do we see? God the Father is enlarging His family! He will have many sons/daughters born to Him. Throughout the Bible there is a Father/son relationship portrayed between God, Christ and Christians. Man was created to become (if we accept) as literal a son of God as Christ was and is. The angelic beings were never given or promised this glory - WE ARE! CHRISTIANS ARE BROTHERS OF CHRIST "You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you" (Jn. 15:14-15). The angels are servants of God (Heb. 1:7, 14) and they desire to look into the mysteries of God (I Pet. 1:12) that have been given and revealed to US (I Pet. 1:10-12) by God's Spirit (I Cor. 2:6-16). God's word not only says we are friends to Christ but brothers: "For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He (Christ) that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brothers (Greek - adelfos, a brother). Saying I will declare your (Father's) name unto my brothers (adelfos).......behold I and the children which God bath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. He also Himself likewise took part of the same, for verily He took not on Him the nature of angels.......wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brothers (adelfos)" (Heb. 2:10-17). Do you see! There is a family relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ (the firstborn of many brothers, Rom 8:29) and Christians (who are brothers to Christ - sons of God also). How much of a brother shall we be to Christ? How literal a son shall we be to the Father - will it only be in a spiritual sense? We can know if we will believe what God tells us in His word. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God (we are now begotten sons of God, I Jn. 5:1) and it does not yet appear what we shall be (glorified in the resurrection - I Cor. 15) but we know that, when He shall appear (at the trump of God, I Thes. 4:16) we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I Jn. 3:2). Notice!! We, Christians, are to become like Him - just like Christ is today! And how does Christ look today? If you read Rev. 1:13-16, you will find how Christ looks today in His glorified state. We are to look like He looks! So says your Bible - will you believe what God plainly tells you, or do you want to believe the ideas of men and what they say God says? We are brothers of Christ - we are to be just as He became at His resurrection. How much more of a brother can we become than to be LITERALLY like Him? and He is called God (Heb. 1:8). The angels have never been called the brothers of Christ! We have been! WE ARE the brothers of Christ! CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE CALLED - GOD! Blasphemy, blasphemy! Many will now be shouting. That's not surprising - the religious leaders of Christ's day accused Him also of blasphemy for preaching these truths of God's word. Let me say again, will you be willing to believe what Christ and God's word says? Christ, speaking to Christians says in Rev. 3:12, "Him that overcometh I will write upon him the NAME of my God." We read in Rev. 14:1, ".......a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His FATHER'S NAME written in their foreheads." Speaking of the redeemed in the new earth, Rev. 22:4 says, "And they shall see His face; and His (the Father's) NAME shall be in their foreheads." Christians who overcome and endure to the end shall have written upon them the name of the Father - so says your Savior Christ. Now what is the Father's name? The Father's name is God - God the Father! Born sons of God will also bear the SAME NAME that their captain of salvation - Christ, now has. He has the name of God (Heb. 1:8). We too are to be given this family name - God. In the resurrection there will be, Paul God, John God, Noah God, Abel God and thousands of others who will be called by the name of God. CHRISTIANS TO BE GIVEN CHRIST'S NEW NAME The same verse in Rev. 3:12 also says to the overcomers, ".......and ('I will write upon him' are in italics, not in the Greek) my new name." True Christians are to be given Christ's NEW name. What name did Christ have while a physical flesh and blood human? The angel sent to Mary by God said His name should be called - Jesus (Lk. 1:31). He was also called Christ (Mt. 1:16). His name while on earth was - Jesus Christ. We have seen that Christ was declared to be the Son of God with power by a resurrection (Rom. 1:4). He also received a new name at that time - His new name was GOD (Heb. 1:8). Christ says His brothers can also receive this new name - they can also be called GOD, ".......a name better than of sons and of daughters, an everlasting name" (Isa. 56:5). The word God (Elohim) is a family name, given to all that are in that family. Just like the family name Smith is given to all the members of that family. So the name God is given to all who are in that family, all who are the sons/daughters of God the Father. CHRISTIANS WILL BE GODS! When in the flesh, Christ proclaimed to the Jews of His day, that He and the Father were one, (Jn. 10:30). He went on to say that, that statement meant He was the Son of God, (v. 36). But notice how the Jews understood what Me meant by that statement - they were going to stone Him for it, ".......because that you, being a man, makest yourself God" (v. 33). And Christ did not deny it! Me just went on to qualify it by saying, yes that is correct - ".......because I am the Son of God." He was the begotten Son of God at that time, and He knew He would He the born Son of God at His resurrection, when He would be God - when He would be in the family called - God! The Jews claimed He was blaspheming (v. 33). Notice what He said to them (verses 34, 35, 36), ".......is it not written in your law" (look at your own Scriptures that God gave you, and see what they say and you'll see I'm not blaspheming) 'I said (God said) you are Gods.' " Christ knew why mankind was created - He should have, He was the one who made man. He knew that man was made to become God - to become a born son of God, when he would be on the same level of existence, above the angels level, on the God level. Notice! "If He called THEM Gods, unto whom the word of God came......." The people of Israel - human beings - mankind, God the Father calls them Gods - because the purpose of God is to glorify them, put them into His family, to make them just like Himself (I Jn. 3:1). Then they will have the name - God. "If mankind in general are to become Gods" Christ is saying, "why do you say unto me, the person who was with the Father from the beginning, and who the Father chose and sent down to this world to lead the way, that I blaspheme, because I said, I am the SON of God" (paraphrased). He was telling those unbelieving Jews that they should have known the reason for their existence - it was written in the law (Ps. 82:6). Mankind was made to become God, to become Gods. If sinful mankind are given this potential, then HOW MUCH MORE (the one who existed with the Father before, and was sent by the Father to this earth to make it possible for mankind to reach his potential) - should He be the Son of God who was sinless and doing the Father's will and works (v. 36:38). CHRISTIANS TO BE WORSHIPPED! There is a scripture in the Book of Revelation that has been unnoticed by professing Christianity for nearly two thousand years - its plain significance is mind numbing. You want to "blow your mind", as young people say today - well this scripture will do it! It is found in Rev. 3:9. Speaking to TRUE Christians in verse 8, Christ (the words are in red, if you have a red letter Bible) says in verse 9, "Behold I will make them of the synagogue (church) of Satan, which say they are Jews (spiritual - Christians) and ARE NOT but do lie (see Mt. 7:21; Titus 1:16; I Jn. 2:4) behold I (Christ) wild make THEM to come and WORSHIP before YOUR feet." Now, notice what it says in Rev. 22: 8, 9. John in verse 8 falls down to WORSHIP before the feet of the ANGEL. The angel says in verse 9 ".......see you do it not; for I am your fellow- servant (yes, angels were created to be servants of man and God as we've seen) worship God." Yes, God ONLY is to be worshipped (Ex. 20:3-5). Do you see! Did you understand? In Rev. 3:9 false Christians - the church of Satan - are one day to come before the feet of true Christians (then made immortal - glorified) and worship! ".......worship before your (not Christ's or the Father's) feet....." Jesus said. Only GOD is to be worshipped. These Christians whom others will come and worship before, must then be God! (See the Appendix for arguments contrary, answered). Oh, the truth of why man was created is mind shattering!! God is a family - all in that family are God - there is one God, but made up of many individuals - all in that family are to be worshipped. When God, the Elohim, Gods (Father and one who became Christ) made man, they started the process of reproducing themselves. Mankind was created to become God-kind, to become Gods. KINGDOM OF GOD Now there is a flower kingdom - there is the bird kingdom - there is the fish kingdom. We speak of the animal kingdom, and there is the human kingdom. The Bible reveals a kingdom of angelic spirit beings - the angel kingdom. And far above that kingdom we have the God kingdom - the Kingdom of God. God is not just one or two or three persons - God is a kingdom of persons. Right now there are only two persons in that Kingdom - the Father and firstborn (from humans) son - Jesus Christ. But Christ came to show man how he too can be born into that Kingdom - born again, but this time of God the Father, not of a human. Man is to be born of the Spirit (Jn. 3:5) and that Spirit is God (Jn. 4:24). He will then be Spirit - composed of Spirit. He will be like the wind (Jn. 3:8) - he will then be invisible, just as God is (I Tim. 1:17). Man will then have passed from being mortal to immortal - from human to divine - from earthly to heavenly (I Cor. 15: 35-54). Man will then have passed from the human kingdom to the God Kingdom - Kingdom of God. GOD THE FATHER - THE GREATEST! Did Jesus ever say He was God the Father? No! Did Jesus ever say He would BECOME God the Father? No! Of course not! He prayed to the Father - the Father was a distinct, separate, and different bodily being than Christ. Have we anywhere in this article stated that you or any human being will become God the Father - no! Never! Is there a chain of authority in the Kingdom of God? Is one greater in authority than another? Does Christ have more or less or the same authority, as God the Father? Is Christ as great or greater in authority than the Father? Will you believe what Christ Himself said? Jesus said in Jn. 14:20, ".......my Father is greater than I." Christ, after His resurrection, ascended to heaven to be on the Father's right hand (Acts 2:34, Rev. 3:21). He did not dethrone or remove the Father. He was placed upon the Father's right hand. The Father is greater in authority than Christ, so says Christ Himself! And further, Jesus said, "My Father is greater than all " (Jn. 10:29). Nobody has ever, nor ever will be as great as the Father. let me make that plain - God the Father IS and will ALWAYS be the greatest!! Jesus Christ OUR saviour - the only human who has ever been sinless - is NEXT in authority under the Father. He will always be our elder brother - the next greatest to the Father. Who will be on Christ's right and left hand? - the next ones in authority in that God Kingdom, is for the Father to decide (Mt. 20:20-23). Everyone in that Kingdom will be a son of God - and so will be God - but the Father will always be the greatest. WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU God the Father is wanting to share with mankind - with you - all that He has. He is wanting to share His ability to uphold, sustain and even create! Do you think He will give this power to those who will not now obey Him - to those who will not let Him rule them? That kind of power can only be given to those who now and forever will say to Him, "YOUR will be done not mine." Do you see, if He gave this glory and power to anyone who would not obey His Laws, statutes, and commands, He would have produced millions of Satans. What does this mean to you? It means you must be completely yielded to His will - to His laws - to living by His every word. (Mat. 4:4). You must be preparing yourself now in your mind and life to live as God lives. You must repent. (see the study called "Real Repentance''). You must accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and let Him come and live His life in you (Gal. 2:20). You must overcome and endure to the end (Mt. 24:13). Then God will say to YOU one day, "Well done thou good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Mt. 25:21). WHAT JOY AND GLORY THAT WILL BE! Written 1983 APPENDIX Some will no doubt read Rev.3:9 in another translation other than the KJV. They will probably discover it reads something like, ".....I will make them come and FALL DOWN at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you." See such translations as the NIV, RSV, LIVING BIBLE, MODERN LANGUAGE, JERUSALEM BIBLE, AMPLIFIED BIBLE. This they will say is not WORSHIP (as worshipping God) but mere human respect to someone in a great office as we would bow before a human King or President. The NT was written in Greek - we need to study the original Greek word here used and translated WORSHIP in the KJV. This I shall do presently. If God through John wanted us to understand that those of the Synagogue of Satan would one day just come and bow down or kneel before God's true children in humble respect (as before a human King) with no worship as we do to God intended, it would have been so easy for the Lord to have inspired John to have used one of the many Greek verbs that are used throughout the NT to mean fall, bow, kneel, prostrate, bow down, without any worship connected with such acts. See VINE'S Expository Dic.of NT Words p.403 and The Englishman's Greek Concordance p.622, 403, 426, 703, 126. The fact is John did not use any of these Greek words in Rev.3: 9. Was God merely trying to show us that His true children would one day be given ACCEPTANCE by those who claimed they were Christians (spiritual Jews) but who really were not ? If so, the Lord could have inspired John to have used one of the many Greek words used in the NT for accept, acceptable. See VINE'S p. 12. None were used. Are we to understand this sentence as meaning God's children will be LOOKED upon with favourable regard only, and no worship as we worship God? If so, then the Greek verb Epiblepo or Epeidon could have been used by John. See VINE'S p. 685. They were not. Is it only a type of human RESPECT these false Christians are showing to those who are proved to be the real Christians? If so, then the verb Epibepo could have been used. See VINE'S p. 959. It was not used. Maybe it is with FAVOUR or PLEASURE that these false Christians now acknowledge the true Christians? If this be all that the Lord is saying here in Rev.3:9 then the Greek noun Karis or the verb Karitoo would have been used. They were not! See Lk.1:28,30; 2:52; Acts 7:10,46; 24:27. Perhaps it's some kind of mental or emotional KINDNESS that God's children will be shown by those who stand before them? Then one of half a dozen Greek words could have been used. They were not! See VINE'S p. 622. Do you see? The modern translations give you the connotation that it is only a form of acceptance, respect, favour, that is being done, such as we would to some head of state or human King. They have not been willing to render the Greek word here as "worship " because of the clear implications. There are FIVE Greek verbs used in the NT and translated WORSHIP, WORSHIPPED, WORSHIPPING (see Vine's p.1247). We need only concern ourselves with the verb Proskuneo as it is the one used in Rev. 3:9. It is used as WORSHIPPING Jesus 16 times (Mt.2:2.8.11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17; Mark 5:6; 15:19; Luke 24:52; John 9:38; Heb 1:6-7; Rev.15:4). It is used as WORSHIP towards the Father 8 times (Mt.4:10; Lk.4:8; Jn.4:21, 23, 24; Rev.4:10; 5:14; 14:7). It is used as WORSHIPPING God 6 times (1 Cor.14:25; Rev.7:11; 11 :16; 19:4,10; 22:9). It is used in a RELIGIOUS WORSHIP sense 9 times (Jn.4:20,22; 12:20; Acts 7:43; 8:27; 10:25; 24:11; Heb.11:21; Rev.11:1). It is used as WORSHIPPING falsehood 9 times (Rev.13:4,8,12,15; 14:9,11; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). It is used as to WORSHIP Satan 3 times (Mt.4:9; Lk.4:7; Rev.13:4 with 12:9). It is used as to WORSHIP demons one time (Rev.9:20). It is used as to WORSHIP righteous angels two times (Rev.19:10; 22:8). It is used one time by Jesus in an analogy of the Kingdom of heaven (Mt.18:26). We shall look at Mt.18:26 in more detail later. Now, by putting some of the above verses together i.e. Mt.4:9,10; Acts.10:25; Rev.19:10; 22:8,9 we should be able to see that this Greek verb always means, as used in the NT, WORSHIP - in the sense of the 1st and 2nd Commandments. Either worship towards God, and so complying with the first two of the 10 commandments, or worship of Satan, man, angels, or things, that break the commandments and needs correction (as John worshipping an angel or Cornelius worshipping Peter) or punishment (as those who will face the wrath of God for worshipping the Beast or its image). Remember, if any of these verses where this Greek word is used was only meaning some sort of human respect, favour, acceptance, or physical bowing down, then other Greek words could have, and would have been used to cover such man to man acknowledgments, as is done in other verses of the NT. We must look at Mat.18:26 for some will say that here is the one place where this Greek word is used as man respecting man with no classical worship involved. This argument does not hold water when one considers that men do worship men, i.e. Cornelius not only did physical prostration to Peter but also worship, at which Peter told him not to do so (Acts 10:25,26). John did the same to an angel (same Greek word) and was likewise told not to do so, but to worship only God (Rev.19:10). Men can and do worship the unseen world of Satan and demons (Rev.9:20; 13:4; 12:9). Men can and do worship Powers (Rev. 13:4,1 2, 15). Men can make the error of worshipping Angels (Rev. 22:8). Men can and do worship their JOBS, MATES, HOMES, WEALTH, and EMPLOYERS. Anything that comes between obeying and serving the true God and His holy commandments is worship of false gods. From this alone it should not surprise us that Jesus said a servant who was about to loose all that he had would worship his master and king, in order to avert slavery for himself and his family . There is another answer to this 26th verse of Mt.18. The King is obviously representative here of God the Father - the servant who owed ten thousand talents represents the Christian. As the servant fell down and worshipped the King, so the Christian is to worship the heavenly Father. Notice, after being forgiven the servant went out to his fellow man, who finding himself in trouble fell down (same Greek as in verse 26) also and BESOUGHT him to be patient. Jesus used here a different Greek word than Proskuneo (worship) used in verse 26. It is the word Parakaleo which means in part - to beg, entreat, beseech. Both servants fell down, showing human respect for someone with some sort of power over another (the one towards the King = heavenly Father, the other towards a man he was in debt to) BUT only one WORSHIPPED - the servant towards the King, who in this analogy represented God in heaven. The other servant did not worship his fellowservant but beseeched or begged him to be merciful. It should be clear now. The Greek word Proskuneo means to WORSHIP as complying with the first two commandments or as disobeying them. If Rev. 3:9 is only teaching that some kind of honour, respect, favourable acceptance or respectful bowing is being shown, then many other Greek words could have been used to clearly signify this, as we have seen. The Lord in having John use the verb Proskuneo was teaching us something that very few understand or are willing to believe. These people are coming before ones who have been made immortal - who have been changed from human to divine - ones who at the appearing of Jesus the second time are to be made LIKE HIM (1 Jn.3: 2). They come before their feet and Proskuneo - WORSHIP! ! Only God is to be worshipped (Ex, 20:3-6; Rev.19:10). God the Father is, through creating mankind reproducing Himself. He will have many sons and daughters BORN into His Kingdom, who will be brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ. They will bear that Kingdom's name - God. All in the God family will be worshipped! Written 1986 by Keith Hunt |
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