Hi all,
Understanding Paul’s knowledge of the Jewish festivals, from which he wrote his letters, allows us to set the context of his teachings, thus this series. It will be like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.
The Feast of Trumpets is also called The Day of Remembrance – Yom haZikkaron
Because the 10 day period from the Feast of Trumpets/Rosh haShanah to Yom Kippur is a time of repentance in which one judges himself, the Feast of Trumpets is considered to be judgment day for believers, with their fate sealed on Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement
On this Day of Remembrance God opens the books of remembrance during that time, specifically the Book of Life, or the Book of the Living, as they understood it, Malachi 3: 16: “They they that feared the Lord spoke often to one another; and the Lord listened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and who thought upon His name.”
It is at this time those who were ‘changed’ at the Last Trump face their judgement. Because they already believe in Messiah their judgement is not heaven or hell, but rather what they have done with what they’ve been given in Messiah. What will it be like?
Paul provides insight in I Corinthians 3: 1-15: “…you are babies, you should be eating meat but I can’t feed you meat and can barely feed you milk. Why? You are still carnal, because you have envy, strife, and divisions among you, aren’t you carnal? Aren’t you living like you aren’t even born again?…There is no foundation in your life other than Christ Jesus, so whatever someone builds on that foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, or stubble; the day will reveal it for it will be tried by fire. The fire will reveal what kind of work it is. If what anyone has built on the foundation makes it through the fire, it will remain. If not, it will be burned, though they themselves will be saved, but as one who has come through the fire.”
Romans 14: 10 and II Corinthians 5: 10 both tell us we’ll stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. This takes place at the blowing of the Last Trump, in heaven. We might ask how the Lord will have time to judge all believers from the beginning of mankind, but I would suggest we don’t know the power of the Lord. When I had my ‘tour’ of heaven I was gone from earth about 20-30 minutes, but in heaven it seemed like I had spent a whole day there. He is the I AM, and I think the judgement seat of Christ happens almost instantly in that ‘rapture’ day.
Think of the judgement seat of Christ as a giant filter.
In heaven there is nothing but purity, righteousness, wholeness and godliness in all things. The impure cannot be in heaven, for the Father is so powerful, so pure, nothing could survive. So there must be a filter, the judgment seat of Christ, which acts as a filter to burn away anything in a person’s life and heart that is not as pure as heaven. The judgment seat of Christ will burn out of everyone all unforgiveness, bitterness, envy, strife, divisions, ulterior motives – anything not pure godliness. The chaff gets burned, what is pure passes through.
That time will be a time of reconciliation between people. With the Holy Spirit sharing by revelation exactly what each person’s motive and intent was in past events of their lives, misunderstandings will now be understood, forgiveness and grace extended, differences settled and overwhelmed by being in heaven with the Lord and friends and family, in part because all the ‘chaff’ of earth was burned away. What joy!
The purity of who we are in our spirit man not only makes it through, but the Lord provides appreciation and acknowledgement in our right decisions, our selfless sacrifice, our efforts to keep our thoughts and motives pure – those are the gold, silver, and precious stones.
We don’t know know how the Lord does what David stated: “You saved my tears in your bottle…written in your book*.” We don’t know how the Father takes our prayers and in heaven they become as incense before Him*. We don’t know how He took the lives of the original apostles to make the foundation walls of the city of heaven*, but He did. Our right decisions, our growth in Him, is somehow translated into heavenly material, as Peter said, we are living stones, our lives building the city of heaven – amazing grace. *Psalm 56:8, Rev 5: 8, 21: 14.
But what is going on in earth while this happens to us in heaven?
We know we won’t be on earth at this time. Paul said it 2x before his teaching on the details of the ‘time of wrath’ (Jacob’s Trouble).
I Thess 1: 10: And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
I Thess 5: 9: For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
v 11: “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Paul then goes into details of the Last Trump, which we’ll cover next week. But know this: If you are reading web sites that bring you something other than comfort in the Lord, simply STOP GOING TO THOSE SITES, stop watching those videos, etc.
At the blowing of the Last Trump which is for us great joy, for the world it is the Days of Awe in which the world is classified into 3 groups by God: The wholly righteous, the wholly wicked, and the largest group; the intermediates (undecided). This time begins the time of the ‘birthpangs of Messiah’, also known as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble leading up to the Day of the Lord. There are about 300 references to this time in the Bible. (If anyone writes me at cwowi@aol.com I will provide a list of those scriptures by email if you want to study them out.)
It is taught all the world passes before God at the Feast of Trumpets and God divides everyone into 3 categories: The wholly righteous, the wholly wicked, and the intermediates. “All things are judged on Rosh haShanah, and their fate is sealed on Yom Kippur, such are the words of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Judah… All things are judged on Rosh haShanah.” Rosh haShanah 16b-17a & Tosefta Rosh haShanah 1: 13
Psalm 27 is read each day, which the Midrash says pertains to the Days of Awe, or the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’ of Jeremiah 30: 7: “Alas! That day is great. There is none like it. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he (Jacob i.e. Israel) will be saved out of it.” It is what we call ‘The Tribulation’. Ezekiel 33: 1-7 is also often read. (Watchman on the wall to warn.)
Psalm 27: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou said, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Next week; Understanding the details of the rapture, the anti-Christ revealed, what ‘falling away’ meant in Paul’s day. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
