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The land is not able to bear all his words [Amos the Prophet]; But do not prophesy any more at Bethel; Revival or riot is usually the result when God is represented by His prophets and ministers in times of apostasy and backsliding.
Amos 7:1-17
1THUS THE Lord God showed me [Amos], and behold, He formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the second crop, and behold, it was the second crop after the king’s mowings.
2And when [the locusts] had finished eating the plants of the land, then I said, O Lord God, forgive, I pray You. How can Jacob stand? For he is so small!
3The Lord relented and revoked this sentence: It shall not take place, said the Lord [and He was eased and comforted concerning it].
4Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, the Lord God called for punishment with fire, and it devoured the great deep and would have eaten up the land.
5Then said I, O Lord God, cease, I pray You! How can Jacob stand? He is so little!
6The Lord relented and revoked this sentence: This also shall not be, said the Lord [and He was eased and comforted concerning it].
7Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand.
8And the Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? And I said, A plumb line. Then said the Lord, Behold, I am setting a plumb line as a standard in the midst of My people Israel. I will not pass by and spare them any more [the door of mercy is shut].
9And the [idolatrous] high places of Isaac (Israel) shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise with the sword against the house of King Jeroboam [who set up the golden calf shrines].
10Then Amaziah the priest of [the golden calf shrine at] Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words.
11For thus Amos has said, Jeroboam shall die by the sword and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.
12Also Amaziah said to Amos, O you seer, go! Flee back to the land of Judah [your own country], and eat your bread and live out your profession as a prophet there [as I perform my duties here].
13But do not prophesy any more at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary and a seat of his kingdom.
14Then Amos said to Amaziah, I was no prophet [by profession]! Neither was I a prophet’s son; [but I had my occupation] I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees and a gatherer of sycamore figs.
15And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said to me, Go, prophesy to My people Israel.
16Now therefore listen to the word of the Lord: You say, Do not prophesy against Israel and drop no statements not complimentary to the house of Isaac.
17Therefore thus says the Lord: Your wife shall be a harlot in the city and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided up by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean and defiled land, and Israel shall surely go forth out of his land into exile. — Amplified Bible
The Kingdom, Power & Glory Comments About the Parable of the Ten Talents
Nan’s Corner:
The Kingdom, Power & Glory Comments About the Parable of the Ten Talents
by Nancy Missler
Last month we read Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Talents (Mat-thew 25:14-30) with its emphasis on “the outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Before we begin to dissect these terms, we need to understand what exactly a parable is.
A parable is simply a truth told in story form in order to help explain a previously taught truth. Para actually means “to come alongside.” The previous truths in Matthew 24 and 25 are all about the Rapture, how we are to watch for Christ’s re-turn at any moment, and the coming Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 24:32—25:30). The reason Jesus chose to speak in parables is so that His disciples and followers could understand, but His detractors could not (Matthew 13:10–11).
Parables are prophetic in nature. The particular parables we will be studying in the coming articles—Matthew 8:11-12; 22:1-13; 24:45-51; 25:1-13 and 25:14-30—are prophetic in nature. They describe all of the events between the rejection of the Kingdom of Heaven by Israel and the fulfilling of the destiny of the Church—including the Rapture, the Bema Seat, the Wed-ding, and the Marriage Feast.
In Matthew 24, it’s important we notice Jesus’ change of focus—from the Jewish nation to His own disciples, the first members of His church. Towards the end of Matthew 24, He stopped speaking to the Jewish people and began to talk to His body of believers (notice especially verses 36–44). The doctrine that Jesus then taught to His disciples became the foundation upon which the church would be built (Matthew 28:19–20). Consequently, what Jesus spoke to His disciples, He was also speaking to His church: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
Therefore, it’s Scriptural for us to apply to our own lives what Jesus spoke to His disciples through these parables.
The servants that Jesus was talking about in the Parable of the Ten Talents are His own servants—those who belong to Him. In other words, they’re believers. (You can’t say that only two of the servants were saved and the third one was not. They were all “servants” and they were all “saved”—because they were all waiting for His return.) In fact, the word servant (Strong’s #1401, doulos) in this Scripture is used to describe all three of these individuals. We cannot arbitrarily dismiss the third servant as being unsaved, simply because we don’t understand the terms “cast out,” “outer darkness,” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in regards to a Christian.
The talents (or the money) in this parable were not gifts, but represented a special privilege or stewardship that was given to each of these servants in accordance with their own capacity for business. It was a loan, so they could decide for themselves what they wanted to do with it, just as God gives us the free choice to decide our own course of action. The number ten sug-gests “a measure of human responsibility.”
The first servant doubled his master’s investment, proving that he was merciful and honest in exercising trust for another’s benefit. He was also faithful to his master’s interests.1 The second servant did the same, only not to the same degree. The last servant, however, thought there would be no consequences to what was done with his master’s talent. Thus, he made no effort to improve what was given to him. He never exercised the grace that his master gave him.
This parable, then, is really concerned with the actions of the servants of God. It was not the possession of the talents that determined their reward or punishment; it was the servants’ use of them. It was their faithfulness—what they did with the blessings the Lord gave them. The first two faithful servants wisely used the privilege that was afforded them. And the Lord was pleased and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21).2 These servants were then ushered into God’s presence and His fellowship.3
Cast into the Outer Darkness
But the third “unprofitable servant” wasted the talents the Lord gave him, so he was then cast into the outer darkness where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Now the word unprofitable (Strong’s #888) simply means “not worthy of” (in the sense of not being fit or prepared). It’s again the Greek word axios. This man was not worthy of entering the joy of the Lord’s presence because he had not been faithful, obedient, or persevering. Thus he wasn’t qualified to enter the joy of the Lord.
The phrase cast out has two definitions: Ekballo (Strong’s #1544) which means he was grudgingly cast forth from his original position, a position he was once a part of but was now ejected, sent forth, and sent away. This Greek word is always used in connection with the outer darkness or the “darkness outside” and is the one used in the before mentioned Parable of the Ten Talents. Whereas ballo (Strong’s #906) is always used for casting away violently, throwing out, not caring where it falls. This Greek word is always used in connection with being cast into hell or fire.
Finally, the phrase outer darkness (Strong’s #1857, exoteros, and Strong’s #4655, skotos), which we talked about in our last article, means the “darkness outside” and is so rendered in the new International Standard Version of the Bible. It’s simply the darkness outside the light of God’s presence. It’s another region or another area outside of where the joy of the Lord was being experienced by the first two faithful and obedient servants. It’s a place outside the room where the obedient servants are enjoying God’s presence, but evidently contiguous to it. The unprofitable servant can see what is going on in the other region, but he cannot enter in. He is a castaway—he was cast out of fellowship. Now we might be able to understand a little more clearly why Paul was so apprehensive about being a “castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27)
In this darkness outside, the unfaithful servant will experience weeping and gnashing of teeth, which simply means “pro-found regret.” Keep in mind that God does not wipe away our tears until the end of the Millennium. Revelation 21:4 says, “I will wipe away all tears from their eyes,” speaking of heaven, not the Millennium. (Revelation 7:17 refers only to the Tribulation saints; verse 14.)
Many of us have been so influenced by our preconceived ideas about certain terms in the Bible that it’s often very difficult for us to be open to new ideas and new interpretations. That’s why Acts 17:11 is so important to apply here. “They received the word with all readiness of mind, [but they] searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Sounds a Little Like “Purgatory”
When we first began to write the Kingdom, Power and Glory book and were sharing a little about these principles with others, especially the part about the “outer darkness” and the “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” many who had Catholic backgrounds quickly said: “This place sounds a little like purgatory!”
Since neither of us have a Catholic background, we were surprised by this response. So we want to make a clear distinction between “purgatory” and the “outer darkness.” The Catholic Encyclopedia says: “Purgatory is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God’s grace, have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” In other words, it is a place where men and women go to be temporarily purged by fire for their sin. This Catholic doctrine comes from 2 Maccabees 12:41-46.
Contrary to this, Romans 5:8 clearly states that Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins. The idea that we have to suffer for our sins after death is contrary to everything the Bible says about salvation. Neither Jesus, nor Paul, nor any modern Protestant churches teach the existence of a place of purgatory. Paul, throughout his epistles, made it very clear that God’s judgment of believers is not punitive!4 (We’ve tried to make this point over and over again.) Revelation 3:19 tells us that those God loves, He rebukes and chastens, but He does not punish. And Hebrews 12:10 says the only reason He chastens us is so that we might be “partakers of His holiness” and thus, be able to inherit the kingdom.
The sins of a believer have already been paid for at the Cross. It’s a finished work. He does not have to go through a period of purging before he goes to heaven (Titus 2:14; He-brews 1:3). The outer darkness is not a place of punishment!
The basic difference between the Catholic doctrine of purgatory and what we are sharing here is that, first of all, there is going to be a literal Messianic Kingdom here on earth for a thousand years. All believers will be raptured and all believers will enter that Kingdom. However, only the true overcomers (those who recognize their continual choices and choose to follow Christ) will be able to inherit regal positions. Christians who are overcome (or overtaken) by the world, the flesh, and the devil will have their works burned, but they themselves will be saved. First Corinthians 3:13 and 15 confirm this: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test every man’s work of what sort shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test every man’s work of what sort it is…If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved.” Thus, it’s not the person who is burned but simply his fleshly works—works motivated by the believer himself and then performed in his own strength and for his own self-glorification. These are things he did in his own power and through his own love. The burning of these fleshly works is done at the Judgment Seat of Christ, not in the outer darkness.
The issue at stake in this parable is not the unfaithful servant himself (since he is a believer, his sins have already been judged and forgiven at the Cross). The issue is his works and his deeds here on earth. The issue is that he didn’t use the talents that God gave him to produce godly “fruit.”
This outer darkness, then, is not a place of dark suffering like hell, but a place where God in His Love will “retrain” these unfaithful believers back to His way of holiness. It’s a place of renewal, new beginnings, fresh starts. As Psalm 94:15 says, “God’s judgment shall return unto righteousness.” Just as the Lord cleanses, refines, purifies, and separates the vine for the purpose of making more fruit, He does the very same thing with us. And, apparently, He will do this in the Millennial Kingdom also.
To be continued: “No Fear in God’s Love.” This article has been excerpted in part from Chuck and Nan’s new book The Kingdom, Power and Glory.
This article was originally published in the
November 2010 Personal Update NewsJournal.
For a FREE 1-Year Subscription, click here.
**NOTES**Notes:
1) 2 Thessalonians 1:5; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:23-24.
2) Psalm 16:11.
3) Psalm 21:6; Ephesians 5:27; Colossians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23.
4) Hebrews 12:6; 1 Corinthians 11:31-32.
Visit the King’s High Way WebsiteThe Kingdom, Power & Glory The Parable of the Ten Talents
The Kingdom, Power & Glory The Parable of the Ten Talents
Last month, in our article entitled “Life is Like a Contest,” we stated that every one of us, whether we like it or not (if we are believers), is enrolled in a life race. Our born-again experience enters us into that race, but the sanctification process where we “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling” is how we finish that race. (Philippians 3:14)
In order to finish well, God has given each of us different talents, abilities and giftings. The question is: What have we done with these talents? Have we used them wisely? Or have we squandered them or even, at times, buried them?
This, of course, brings us to the Parable of the Ten Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. This is the second of the several Mat-thew passages that speak about “the kingdom of Heaven,” “being cast out of fellowship,” the “outer darkness” (or the darkness outside) and “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Before we begin, let’s remember Acts 17:11: “They [the Bereans] received the Word with all readiness of mind, [but then] they searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so.” This Scripture exhorts us to be “open” to new ideas and new ways of looking at particular verses, but then prayerfully take these new interpretations back to the Word of God to con-firm them.
This parable is definitely one of those Scriptures where we want to do as the Bereans did.
An Explanation and a Little History
Also before we examine the Parable of the Ten Talents, we need to have a little background. Who exactly was the book of Matthew written to and why.
Dwight Pentecost wrote in his book Things to Come, “The purpose of the writing of the Gospel of Matthew was to record the presentation of Jesus Christ as Messiah; to trace the opposition to Him and His offered kingdom by the nation and to record the official and final rejection of that King and kingdom by Israel.”
The Kingdom of Heaven was offered to Israel by not only John in Matthew 3:2, but also by Jesus for three and a half years.1 Israel, however, rejected not only the coming kingdom, but also its King (Matthew 11:2–16:12). And thus, Christ announced to the Jewish leaders of that day that He was going to turn His attention to another (holy) nation—“a nation bringing forth fruits thereof”; i.e., “the church” (Matthew 21:43).
Even though the church did not exist yet, Christ had previously spoken of it in Matthew 16:18-19. The church is that “holy nation” of 1 Peter 2:9 whose main purpose is to bring forth “fruit” with a view toward occupying positions of responsibility in the coming Millennium. This new nation is described as a “chosen generation” and “a royal priesthood.”
Consequently, because of Israel’s rejection, the Messianic Kingdom was postponed, but will be reoffered to them during the Tribulation. (See Hosea 5:15; Romans 11:13–21; Galatians 3:6–14.) Christ pointed out that since Israel failed as stewards of the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, many will be destroyed and their city leveled. A “new nation” will then be ap-pointed to take their place, but on the condition of bearing “fruit.” Now, let’s read the Parable and see how it fits into this background.
The Parable of the Ten Talents: Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus tells the parable like this:
“14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
“19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
“24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
“26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest there-fore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
* * *The master was very upset at this servant and in verse 26 he says: “You wicked (Strong’s #4190, meaning hurtful in influence, but not in character) and slothful (unprofitable) servant, you knew I reaped where I sowed not and gathered where I did not winnow, therefore you ought to have put my money with the exchangers [bankers]. Then I could have at least gotten some interest from it. Therefore, I am going to take the one talent I gave you and give it to my servant who has ten talents. For everyone that has shall be given more; but to him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.
As a consequence, in verse 30 he says, “Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness (the darkness outside) where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (profound regret).”
Comments by Theologians
Charles Stanley talks about the above parable and its mention of “outer darkness” in his book Eternal Security where he says, “The final verse of this parable is so severe that many commentators assume it is a description of hell. It is not! Keep in mind that this is a parable. A parable makes one central point. The point of this parable is that in God’s future kingdom, those who were faithful in this life will be rewarded, and those who were not, will lose any potential reward. Some will be given more privileges and responsibility while others will have none…The outer darkness refers to ‘being thrown outside a building into the dark’ and in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (emphasis added)2
Kenneth Wuest in his Expanded Translation of the Greek New Testament says, “The outer darkness is the darkness that is outside of the King’s banqueting house.” In other words, it is not hell!3
Erwin Lutzer, in his book Your Eternal Reward, says, “These warnings are addressed to believers.”… “God does not let His children get by with disobedience even though their place in heaven is secured and their transgressions legally forgiven.”4
Thayer’s Greek/English Lexicon says that the outer darkness is, “the darkness outside the limits of the lighted palace.”5 It’s evidentially a space in the kingdom, but outside the circle of men and women whose faithfulness earned them a special rank. Again, among the privileges of the overcomers is nearness to Christ. The opposite of this is the darkness outside of His presence. The unprofitable servant is simply being excluded from the light and the joy of the feast with the Lord. One either enters into the joy of the Lord and is included; or one is cast out from that joy and is excluded from the fellow-ship.6
Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, in his wonderful commentary, The Complete Word Study New Testament (with Parallel Greek) comments on “the outer darkness” and the “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
He says: “These terms may be applied to believers who have failed the Lord in their service…In this instance, the “outer darkness” may be a reference to a place or a position of far less rewards for the servants who proved themselves less diligent than those who used and exercised their talents to the fullest. The expression would then refer to the degrees of the enjoyment of heaven rather than referring to hell…
“Entrance into heaven is gained by accepting Christ’s sacrifice for justification, but a person’s rewards in heaven will be determined by what he did for Christ here on earth. (Matthew 5:3-12; 7:21-23; Luke 6:20-26; Acts 10:4, 31; Romans 2:1-16; 1 Corinthians 3:13; 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 John 4:17). The Christian’s faithfulness to his tasks and responsibilities in the world is considered of such paramount importance that the same metaphor, the “outer darkness,” that was used by the Lord to indicate the punishment of the unbeliever for his rejection of God’s salvation, is also used of the believer who does not live in obedience to the light he has received. In the case of the non-believer, it will be a punishment of fire and burning (Matthew 13:30; John 15:6). In the case of the believer, it will be weeping or expressing sorrow over not having used the opportunities God provided. The phrase “gnashing of teeth” indicates anger at oneself for ignoring the marvelous opportunities that he had on earth.” (emphasis added)7
Warren Wiersbe in his Bible Exposition Commentary says (speaking of “weeping and gnashing of teeth): “…we need not see this treatment as punishment in hell, but rather the deep remorse of a man who was an unfaithful servant. He grieves deeply in the darkness outside of the King’s palace, but he is still a servant and thus, will be welcomed back into the King’s estate. The man was dealt with by the Lord, lost his opportunity for service and gained no praise or reward. To me, this is outer darkness!”8
And finally, Tony Evans in The Prophecy Study Bible quotes Zane Hodges as saying: “Every Christian will be rewarded based on his words, deeds and faithfulness. Those Christians who are unfaithful (Matthew 25:28-30) will have their rewards taken from them and given to those who were faithful and they will be cast out into outer darkness, the place where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The outer darkness described in this passage is likely a lesser state in God’s kingdom.”9
Before you become unnerved by the terms “outer darkness” and “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” which many of us have always associated with hell or the lake of fire, it’s important to remember that there are other places in the Bible that speak of Christians “walking in darkness.” One of them is 1 John 2:10-11, “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him, but he that hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”
John is talking about a believer here because he refers to him as “a brother” (verse 7). The word darkness here is the same Greek word that is used in the above Matthew parable, and it has nothing at all to do with hell or the lake of fire.
Next month, we will continue our comments about the Par-able of the Ten Talents and see what being “cast into the outer darkness” really means. To be continued: “Comments About the Parable of the Ten Talents.” This article has been excerpted in part from Chuck and Nan’s new book The Kingdom, Power and Glory.
This article was originally published in the
October 2010 Personal Update NewsJournal.
For a FREE 1-Year Subscription, click here.
**NOTES**Notes:
1. Luke 16:16; Mark 9:1; Matthew 4:17
2 Eternal Security, Charles Stanley, page 90, 124-125.
3. Expanded Translation of the Greek New Testament, page 18.
4. Your Eternal Reward, page 74, 77.
5. Thayer’s Greek/English Lexicon, page 226.
6. Matthew 18:12; 22:13; 25:30.
7. The Complete Word Study New Testament, Spiros Zodhiates, page 25.
8. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol.1, page 92.
9. Article by Tony Evans, Prophecy Study Bible, Zane Hodges, page 1234.
Despite Turmoil, Succoth is Celebrated at Joseph’s Tomb
From KHouse.Org
DESPITE TURMOIL, SUCCOTH IS CELEBRATED AT JOSEPH’S TOMB
The peace-process in Israel is on volatile ground as usual. A troubled peace-process is one of those things we can count on, like the daily rotation of the earth and the high fat content of doughnuts. The moratorium on settlement-building ended Sunday, and settler West Bank construction resumed, causing a bit of consternation. The Palestinians have threatened to abandon the talks if construction isn’t put to a halt once again. But that’s not all.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman told the United Nations General Assembly that Israel shouldn’t even try to negotiate a peace deal this year, contrary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s commitment to push ahead with peace talks. Liberman’s comments caused the Palestinian delegation to walk out, and the Prime Minister’s office disavowed what its own Foreign Minister said. The United States sent White House envoy George Mitchell to meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to try and keep the precarious situation from falling to pieces.
In the meanwhile, however, in the town of Shechem (Nablus), over 1000 Jews celebrated Succoth at Joseph’s Tomb after an intense night of renovation. Joseph the son of Jacob is said to have been buried at that location in Shechem after his remains were brought up out of Egypt, and it is one of the holiest sites in Judaism. Tradition around the tomb is old, going back to the 4th century AD, and archeological excavations starting in 1913 unearthed Egyptian artifacts that dated to 1600-1400 BC.
Israel regained access to Joseph’s Tomb during the Six-Day-War in 1967, and maintained it for decades, even after Nablus was returned to the Palestinians in 1995. In October of 2000, though, six Palestinians and one Israeli were killed fighting over the site, and the Israeli army withdrew, expecting the Palestinian Police to guard the tomb as agreed. Instead, as soon as the Army was gone, a Palestinian mob attacked the site and burned books, reading stands and the army outpost that had been built there. Although the Palestinians said they would fix the tomb, they painted its dome the green of Islam.
After years of neglect and abuse, during which the site was used to dump garbage and was occasionally set on fire, a group of Knesset members in early 2008 wrote a letter asking the Prime Minister to have the tomb renovated: “The tombstone is completely shattered, and the holy site is desecrated in an appalling manner, the likes of which we have not seen in Israel or anywhere else in the world,” they wrote. In response to the Israelis’ request, the Palestinians vandalized the tomb and once again set it on fire.
This weekend, the tomb was restored overnight during an intense effort that started on Saturday night and ended on Sunday morning – in time for Succoth celebrations. Over 1000 people arrived to pray and express their excitement over the long-awaited renovation, and tears filled the eyes of many as the book of Psalms was read.
Shomron Regional Council Mayor Gershon Mesika spoke during the celebration. “This is a symbolic closure, an exciting historic moment, a tiny repair in the shame of the abandonment of Joseph’s Tomb,” said Mesika. “We thank the officers and soldiers for their partnership in the progressive renovation of the tomb. However, the joy is not complete at all…No nation in the world would allow a sacred place, so symbolic to its people to be so disgraced as Joseph’s Tomb. I urge the Israeli government to make amends and allow the Jewish stay at Joseph’s Tomb, which was anchored even in the Oslo Accords, in which it was determined that Joseph’s Tomb will remain under full Israeli control.”
Related Links:
• Sukkot Celebrated at Renovated Joseph’s Tomb – Arutz Sheva
• US Pressing Israel To Halt West Bank Construction – AP
• Joseph’s Tomb – Jewish Virtual Library
• Joseph’s Tomb – Wikipedia
• Israeli Foreign Minister Breaks With Netanyahu Over Peace Talks – The Washington Post
• Shut Down Orient House – Arutz Sheva
Interest on Loans and taking a Bribe – the law aimed at an equal diffusion of wealth
Psalm 15:5
He who does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people], and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. [Exodus 22:25-26].
“Israel was originally not a mercantile people, and the law aimed at an equal diffusion of wealth, not at enriching some while others were poor.
The spirit of the law is still obligatory, not to take advantage of a brother’s distress to lend at interest ruinous to him; but the letter of the law is abrogated, and a loan at moderate interest is often of great service to the poor.
Hence, it is referred to by our Lord in parables, apparently as a lawful as well as recognized usage. [Matthew 25:27; Luke 19:23].” – Fausset’s Bible Encyclopedia and Dictionary.
Faith in the Night Seasons: Nan’s own story
From KHouse.Org
FAITH IN THE NIGHT SEASONS: NAN’S OWN STORY
[The following article has been excerpted from Nancy Missler's book Faith In The Night Seasons.]
My Shattered World
It was July of 1990. We had just found out that we owed the IRS several million dollars (yes, million!); that Chuck’s company was about to go into bankruptcy; that we were going to lose our “dream” home; that our insurance was going to be canceled; and that our cars and other valuables were going to be repossessed.
My world was about to be shattered, and there was nothing at all that I could do about it! There was nowhere to run for comfort and no one I could turn to. I was alternating between numbness and total disbelief, and I kept thinking, “How could this be happening to us? Disasters like this happen to people in their 20s and 30s, not responsible adults in their 50s!”
I was so devastated by all that was occurring (especially since these were circumstances I personally had nothing at all to do with), that I decided to run to the only Person I knew where I could find help. And that was to God Himself.
Back in those days, we lived in Big Bear Lake in the mountains of Southern California, and my favorite place to go and seek God began right across the street from our house – a trail that led to the top of the mountain. So, I put on my old hiking clothes, grabbed my Bible and began my hike.
Meeting with God
As I hiked up the hill, I could see the lake glittering in the sunlight between the trees. I found a perfect knoll where I could sit and see for miles around me. I was just happy to be there with Jesus, away from all my problems.
I sat back, turned my eyes towards the sky and began to think about my life. Up until this point, our lives had been blessed (even though early on we had had a few marital and family problems). On the whole, however, we had had a wonderful life. We had been married a little over thirty years, we had four beautiful children, a beautiful home, a fantastic job and future and many, many friends. Now, so very abruptly – so very quickly – all that had changed.
We not only were experiencing the bankruptcy, the IRS mess and the loss of our home, cars and insurance, but also at this same time, many of our close friends turned their backs on us. As soon as the local media began broadcasting news of our bankruptcy, the rumor mills began. Although we fully expected to be given a cold shoulder by the secular world, we weren’t prepared for the reaction we received from some of our dear Christian brothers and sisters, some of whom had invested in Chuck’s company.
As I meditated on all these things that had just occurred in my life, God directed me to 1 Peter, which talks about a fiery trial of faith about ready to begin (1 Peter 1:7; 4:12) and Psalm 102:3, which says “My days are consumed like smoke and my bones are burned…” These Scriptures were not very encouraging, but they explained a little of what seemed to be taking place.
Even before the final crash of Chuck’s company, when everyone else was saying, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be fine,” every time I would pray, I seemed to receive Scriptures that indicated just the opposite – it wasn’t going to be fine; we were going to go down in flames. So, God had already forewarned me. I just should have been better prepared for the crash.
God ministered many things to me on the mountaintop that day, but the most wonderful thing He did was to give me some incredible personal promises through His Word. As I listened carefully for His words of divine guidance and encouragement, I was stunned by a string of almost unbelievable promises. Through the Scriptures and His Spirit, God spoke to me of a future ministry far beyond my wildest dreams. As I marked each Scripture fast and furiously, I understood how young David must have felt when Samuel anointed him for a destiny he couldn’t even imagine.
Trial of My Faith
Yet as I waited and watched for the fulfillment of those promises over the next few years, I began to grow impatient. After walking with the Lord for over thirty years, I knew I had to rely on His perfect timing, but I was also a twentieth-century Christian, and this was one of those times when I was desperate for quick answers. My world had shattered almost overnight, so I naturally assumed that the Lord would move just as quickly to bring all these new promises to pass.
Because of this assumption, the hardest part for me over the next seven years was that those glorious promises God had given me up there on that mountaintop never came true.
Had I Misunderstood God?
Had I somehow misunderstood God? Were those promises only meant to pertain to my spiritual life? No, the Scriptures I had received on the mountain top that day had been far too specific to be “spiritualized.” Then, why the incredible delay? Why was I having to endure such a long season of sorrow and dryness? Would I ever again feel the joy of my salvation? I felt like the words of Ezekiel pertained directly to me: “[My] bones are dried [up], and [my] hope is lost: [I am] [completely] cut off…” (Ezekiel 37:11)
Up to this point, I had never heard of the “dark night” or “night seasons” as the Bible calls them (Job 30:17), nor did I fully understand the sanctification process or what God was trying to accomplish in my life. Thus, I fought Him every step of the way which, of course, only made matters worse and much more painful for me.
Every time something else “bad” would happen, I’d come out fighting. At times, I felt like God had set me as His mark. And, in a way, I guess He really had. Only, it was because He loved me and wanted me to experience His fulness and real abundant life!
I had always loved and served God faithfully. Why would He allow all this devastation in my life? What was happening to me? I knew that I was not in rebellion against God. I had not given in to self-pity, nor was I holding onto unforgiveness, yet there was so much confusion growing inside of me. Although I had faithfully practiced confession and repentance for many years, sharp pieces of doubt were beginning to rise up from the depths of my soul. There seemed to be no answer for what I was experiencing.
The Need to Be Fully Persuaded
So often at the bottom of our struggles in the dark night is doubt and unbelief. It certainly was with me. We measure the validity of a promise by our own earthly standards which, of course, leaves us wide open for doubt. Doubt affects everything we think, say and do. How can we trust and have faith in God today, if we don’t think He has been faithful to His promises of yesterday? We can’t! Doubt in God’s faithfulness not only causes us indescribable inner torment, it also prolongs our agony.
When I am totally honest with myself and I peel away all the garbage, I realized that I had trusted God, yes, but not to the point of abandoning all my earthly sources of comfort and security. I had faith in God, yes, but not to the point of setting aside all other supports and laying them at the cross. I had relied upon God, yes, but not to the point of accepting the fact that I didn’t understand what God was doing, and trusting Him anyway. I still had my own human expectations, my own presumptions and my own ambitions, and when these “supports” began to be taken away, I crashed. Big time!Nothing reveals our true selves like the advent of hard times! In order to expose what is hidden below the surface of our pleasant religious exterior, God often must turn up the heat.
Real faith is not seeing, not understanding, not feeling and not knowing. Real faith is simply trusting, no matter what we see happening, no matter what we understand to be true, and no matter what we feel like, that God will be faithful to His Word and perform His promises to us in His timing and in His way.
This is the kind of faith that Abraham possessed, who “…staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:20-21 emphasis added)
Faith is allowing God to be God. Faith is allowing God to do in our lives all that He needs to do (good or bad from our point of view), in order to accomplish His perfect will. Faith is allowing God to strip, flay and crucify us, if that’s what is needed to accomplish His will in us. Faith is simply accepting God’s night seasons as part of His will towards us. Job came to know what true faith was all about when he said, “…though [You] slay me, yet will I trust [You].”
The turning point in my life came when I finally realized that abandonment to God’s will and having human expectations cannot coexist in my soul…
[God's promises to Nan did come true. Please read more through the links below.]
Related Links:
• My Own Night Season – Koinonia House
• Faith In The NIght Seasons Book – Koinonia House Store
• Faith In The Night Seasons MP3 Download – Koinonia House Store
• Faith In The Night Seasons Articles – Koinonia House
The Fall Feast: The Feast of Tabernacles
From KHouse.Org
THE FALL FEASTS: THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD… Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 23:34, 42-43
The Feast of Tabernacles, or Succoth, begins on the 15th of Tishri and lasts for eight days. This year Succoth will begin at sunset on Wednesday, September 22. The word Succoth (also spelled Sukkot) means “booths”, and refers to the temporary dwellings that are built and inhabited during the festival. The Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths as it is sometimes called, is a joyous holiday and a time of feasting and commemorates the 40 years that the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
It is fascinating to visit Israel at this time and observe the temporary “booths” built in the traditional way, leaving deliberate gaps in the branches to view the stars at night to let the wind blow through during the day.
At the end of the eight days, the Jews leave their temporary dwellings to return to their permanent homes. (This is one of the reasons some suspect that this feast, rather than the Feast of Trumpets, is suggestive of the Rapture of the Church.) This day, traditionally, is the day that Solomon dedicated the first Temple.
In the time of Jesus, Succoth involved a daily processional to the Pool of Siloam to fetch water for the Temple. This ceremonial procession is the setting for the events of John 7, where Jesus offers his listeners “living water.” This procession involved four types of branches: the willow, the myrtle, the palm, and a citrus (Leviticus 23:40). The willow has no smell and no fruit. The myrtle has smell, but no fruit. The palm has no smell, but bears fruit. The citrus has both smell and bears fruit. This sounds reminiscent of the four soils of the first “kingdom parable” of Matthew 13.
As Christians we may not celebrate many of the traditional Jewish holidays, yet they hold great spiritual and prophetic significance. Colossians 2:16-17 says, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come.” [emphasis added]
Most observers note that the three feasts in the first month of the religious year – Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Feast of First Fruits – are prophetic of the Lord’s First Coming. They each were also fulfilled on the day they were observed.
Between these three feasts and the final three feasts is the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, which is predictive of the Church. (It is also the only feast in which leavened bread is ordained!)
It is believed that the last three feasts, in the seventh month, are prophetic of the Lord’s Second Coming. Many believers are particularly watchful each fall in the hopes that “this” will be the year these final three feasts are fulfilled.
For more background, review our briefing package The Feasts of Israel.
[Editors Note: This is the final installment of a three part series on the fall feasts of Israel.]
Related Links:
• The Feasts of Israel – MP3 Download – Koinonia House
• The Fall Feasts: The Feast of Trumpets – eNews Archive
• The Fall Feasts: The Day of Atonement – eNews Archive
The Wilderness Wanderings
From KHouse.Org Archives June 2007
THE WILDERNESS WANDERINGS
In Hebrew, B’midbar means “in the wilderness,” which is the real title of the book of Numbers. The Greek translators called it Arithmoi, and in Latin it was Numeri, because the translators focused on the two census takings at the beginning and the end. But “the wilderness wanderings” is perhaps a more appropriate name.
Numbers picks up where Exodus left off. And it’s really a book about arrested progress. In a sense, it never should have happened. It took only 40 hours to get Israel out of Egypt – the Passover. But it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel. At Kadesh-Barnea, Moses sent out twelve spies to check out the new land. Ten of them came back terrified, and for good reason. They said they saw the Nephilim, the giant “fallen ones.” These were the hybrids that were the products of mischievous angels commingling with women.
Numbers 13:33 records, “…and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Goliath was also one of those. He was nine feet tall. They had reason to be scared. And yet, it was also a lack of faith. Two of the twelve spies, Joshua and Caleb, had a different attitude and brought the “minority report.” They said, “This land is rich, it’s full, it’s marvelous. Let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it.” By their own strength? Of course not. By faith! God said, “Go take it.” When God is on our side, our enemy is outnumbered.
Unfortunately, the people rallied around the ten spies with their bad report. “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or, Would God that we had died in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:2). That was a big mistake. God was listening and heard their murmuring and gave them their desires. God said to Israel, “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from 20 years old and upward, which have murmured against me” (Numbers 14:29).
Only two in the entire group, Joshua and Caleb, survived to go into the Promised Land. Joshua was the military leader who took over after Moses. Caleb was his sidekick. Together, these two rout the most powerful group of nations on the earth at that time.
Why does the Bible record all the things that happened during those 40 years? The Scripture tells us it was for an example. These things happened to them for our admonition. Paul makes a point in 1 Corinthians 10:11 that everything written then is for our application now. Every one of the events in Numbers has a lesson for us. And that’s why it is so important to study this book in detail.
The word “example” in Greek is tupos, which is “a figure, an image, a pattern, a pre-figuring.” That’s where we get the term “type,” or model. Engineers speak of a prototype, which is from the same root. Types are common in the Bible, where some event, some object, or some situation is a lesson, in advance, of what’s coming. The manna we read about in the book of Numbers is a type, as is the brazen serpent and the water from the rock.
The Book of Numbers is a fascinating study in many ways. Expositionally, it demonstrates the integrity of Design. Homiletically, it reveals that these were real people with practical problems. Devotionally, we see that “crossing over Jordon” is not “going to Heaven” – life is warfare. Each one of us is in our own wilderness and every day is our “Kadesh-Barnea.” Will we trust God and conquer the land? Will we resolutely try to surmount the obstacles that lie in our way? Or will we shrink from the apparent difficulties and remain slaves to the sin in our lives?
Related Links:
• Numbers – MP3 Download – Koinonia House
- From KOINONIA HOUSE NEWS LETTER.
Making Choices we Don’t Feel
From KHouse.Org
MAKING CHOICES WE DON’T FEEL
[The following article is excerpted from Nancy Missler's book Against The Tide: Getting Beyond Ourselves.]
Most of us are convinced we already “walk by faith.” We teach these principles to others and we encourage our families and our friends to do likewise. But, if we are really honest with ourselves, we’d have to admit that most of the time, we don’t walk by faith, but by what we see, think, feel and want to do.
Unfortunately, these natural components of our makeup (seeing, thinking, and feeling) determine most aspects of our lives, even as believers.
Should our natural thoughts and emotions carry this much weight? Should they be the basis of our existence, especially as Christians? How can we control them? How can we tame them? And, most importantly, how can we get beyond them? In other words, how do we go Against the Tide in order to follow God and do His will?
Feeling What We Choose
As humans, we are programmed from our birth to feel every choice we make. When we don’t “feel” our choices, we’re convinced that they’re not genuine. In God’s kingdom, however, this is not the case. Born-again believers are the only ones who have the supernatural authority of God to choose to go against “self” – what they think, what they feel and what they want. This is a fact because born-again believers are the only ones who have the supernatural power of God within them to perform something different than what “self” wants, thinks and feels. Let me explain:
Certainly non-believers have a choice to do as they please. But none of them have the authority or the power to choose to go against how they feel or what they think because they don’t possess another power source (another spirit) within them to perform anything different than what “self” tells them.
Therefore, even though they might desperately want to change and want to go a different direction, they don’t possess the ability within them to do so. Thus, they really don’t have any other choice but to follow what their own thoughts, emotions and desires are telling them (Ephesians 4:17-18).
Christians, on the other hand, do! We don’t have to be carried on by the tide of emotion, because we have God’s Spirit within us. His Spirit not only gives us the authority to choose God’s will, but also His power to perform that will in our lives.
This means that believers and nonbelievers alike can choose whatever they wish. They each can make non-feeling choices. But only Christians have the supernatural power and ability of God within them to be able to implement and carry out those faith choices in their lives.
Here’s a perfect example:
One Christmas, years ago, we rented a house at Lake Tahoe for two weeks. Our intention was to be totally alone – just our family. What a dream. We would be together for two whole weeks, playing games and reading. I could even work on my upcoming speech for a new class I was teaching. I couldn’t wait! My own mom and dad were visiting my brother in San Francisco, and we could have easily invited them down to Tahoe for a few days. But Chuck had said no, this was to be our own special vacation – just our family – with no intrusions.
One fabulous week went by. Our family never seemed closer. There was no TV and no outside influences to disturb our unity. We all read, talked, relaxed, and did our own thing. It was absolutely wonderful!
Then one morning, out of the blue, Chuck announced to all of us, “I hope you don’t mind, but I have invited a business associate and his wife up here to join us for a few days.”
Well, you could have knocked me over dead. Chuck is the one who had made such a big deal about having no outside interferences! If I had known he would allow company, I would have much rather had my own folks!
“How long are these business people going to stay?” I asked. “Well, as long as they want, I guess,” he responded. He had actually left the invitation open-ended! At that moment, in the flesh I could have killed him! I was so upset and so angry!
Here we weren’t supposed to have anything or anyone disturb our family or our privacy, and now we’re not only having an outsider over (someone I had never even met before), but they were staying for who knows how long! I just couldn’t believe Chuck would do something like that. I needn’t tell you how I wrestled with anger and bitterness towards him.
Later, when I was sharing this story in one of my seminars, someone stood up right in the middle of the story and asked, “Well, Nancy, did you tell Chuck off right then and there?”
I laughed and responded to this precious sister, “Man, I wanted to. It’s our natural human tendency to immediately tell the other person how we feel, but that’s not always what God would have us do. So, no, I didn’t tell Chuck off right then, and there were two good reasons why I didn’t: 1) Chuck had already extended an invitation to this couple, so it was already a fact that they were coming, and I couldn’t do anything about it by throwing a tantrum; and 2) I wasn’t clean. I was full of my own wild emotions and uncontrolled thoughts. Therefore, I had to first deal with my own anger and resentment before I could take a stand in God’s Love with Chuck.”
Later, when I was clean (after I had confessed and given God all my feelings) and my emotions were back in place, I did tell Chuck in Love how disappointed I was that he had gone against what he had promised. I know he heard all that I shared because the kids had already gone to him and shared the very same thing.
So, there’s definitely a time when we can share how we really feel, but we must make sure it’s done in God’s Love and in His Character and not our own. Otherwise, we’ll end up deeper in the pits than when we started.
The day after Christmas, we heard from the couple that they were on their way. In order to prepare for their arrival we had to rearrange the children’s rooms so the guests could have a room of their own, make a special trip to the grocery store to buy extra food, and clean the house as you would for company. So much energy and fuss goes into having guests, especially when they are business acquaintances and you have never even met them before. These were all things that I shouldn’t have had to do on my vacation.
I will never forget the day they arrived! Our girls were watching for them out the window and all of a sudden they yelled, “Mom, here they are! And Mom, they brought all of their kids!”
At that moment, if Chuck had been close enough, I think I would have strangled him! This now made 12 people to feed three times a day, clean up after, and entertain for who knows how long! And all this on my vacation!
I can’t tell you the number of times I went to the Lord, frustrated and crying, saying, “You know I came up here to work on my speech for the next Way of Agape seminar and now, Lord, I can’t!”
You know what the Lord would always answer? “I want you to work on the material for your next seminar, but I want you to ‘live’ it first! I am giving you a perfect opportunity to glorify Me and be full of My Life to these people.”
I replied in all honesty, “I’d much rather ‘write’ about it than ‘live’ it!”
Constantly, I had to make a choice as to which way I would go. I could make an emotional choice to follow what my anger, resentment, and bitterness were telling me (to tell Chuck off, put on a smiling “face” for the guests, and get rid of them as soon as possible). Or I could make a faith choice and follow what God was telling me to do, which was to give Him my hurts and anger, and know that He somehow would give me the Love, grace and strength I needed to genuinely put Chuck and these new people first.
Don’t let me kid you – it wasn’t easy! Making choices you don’t feel, and especially ones you don’t want to make, is extremely difficult. But as I kept choosing over and over again to follow God and go His Way, He was faithful to take away my anger and resentment and fill me with His Love – not only for Chuck, but also for these people.
The business associate and his wife turned out to be a delightful Jewish couple. They even taught us some Hebrew and answered many of our questions about the Old Testament. We ended up having a marvelous four days with them.
Interestingly enough, it was during this time that God sparked the idea for the book, Be Ye Transformed.
Can you imagine what kind of impression I would have made on these people if I had chosen not to surrender myself to God? I would have been full of my own hurts and bitterness with a plastic smile over my face, pretending to be happy and glad, but showing forth “self life” and not God’s Life at all. One of those “phony-baloney Christians.” You know they would have sensed it.
“… ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)
Honesty with God
Faith choices, or “contrary choices,” are the only ones that can free us from ourselves and unleash all of God’s Power to come to our aid. I like the term “contrary choices” because these kind of choices are definitely contrary to what I feel, what I think and what I desire.
As Christians, we can be totally honest with God and admit, “I don’t love this person anymore. In fact, I really can’t stand him right now. But, by faith, I give these negative thoughts and feelings to You, for I know I have Your authority to claim, like Jesus did in Matthew 26:39, “…not my will [not my natural feelings and desires], but Thine.” Then I can be assured that (since I am a cleansed vessel) God will align my feelings with that choice and make me genuine, give me His supernatural Love and perform His will in and through me.
To me, this is one of the most incredible gifts God has given us. We don’t have to “feel” our choices, we simply have to be willing to make them. God, then, in His perfect timing and way, will do the rest.
Related Links:
• Making Choices We Don’t Feel – Koinonia House
• Against The Tide: Getting Beyond Ourselves – Koinoina House Store
• Against The Tide Introduction – Koinonia House
• Be Ye Transformed Textbook – Koinonia House Store
• Nan’s Corner: Articles By Nancy Missler – Koinonia House
The Kingdom, Power & Glory – Life is Like a Contest
From KHouse.Org
The Kingdom, Power & Glory – Life is Like a Contest
by Nancy Missler
So far in our Kingdom, Power and Glory series we have learned that not only our rewards, but also our place of responsibility in the coming Millennial Kingdom will either be won or lost according to our faithfulness in this life. In other words, the way we live our lives here and now will have eternal and unchangeable consequences in the future reign of Christ.
All believers will be with Christ in the Millennium, but only the overcomers—only those faithful and obedient believers who recognize their choices and allow Christ to live His Life out through them—will inherit levels of responsibility there. Consequently, there is an urgent need in the body of Christ for a renewed recognition of our own accountability and a refreshed understanding of the reason for our salvation.
Speaking of the importance of our accountability, let’s look at how Paul, the great apostle, viewed entering and inheriting this future Millennial Kingdom.
Paul wrote 14 books of the Bible (Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, Philemon and probably Hebrews), yet he tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 that he was fearful of not winning the prize (the prize of the reward of inheritance) and, somehow, becoming a “castaway.”
Listen to what he says: “Know ye not that they who run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible. I, therefore, so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
The word “lest” (Strong’s #3381, mepos) in the above Scripture means “God forbid that I should.” The word “castaway” (Strong’s #96, adokimos) means someone who is unapproved, rejected and worthless. It means someone who is tested for proof, but who fails the test (is not able to withstand it) and is, then, rejected. “Castaway” means one who is not worthy (axios) of inheriting because he is not fit, prepared or ready.
Kenneth Wuest says in his book, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, “castaway means disapproval after having failed to meet the requirements.” Wuest says that if a Greek runner broke training, they would be forbidden to race. Castaway simply means “disqualified.”1
Titus 1:16 further demonstrates Paul’s concern about being a castaway, when he talks about our works portraying the truth about our life: “They profess that they know God [Strong’s #1492, eido - to know intimately], but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient.”
What is it that the apostle Paul was so intent about keeping, while at the same time, acknowledging that it could be lost? He never doubted his “justification” for a moment, as he preached in Romans 8:38-39 that “nothing would separate us from the Love of God.” But he was concerned about losing the prize of the reward of inheritance (Colossians 3:24).
Paul knew that it was possible to be saved and yet still not participate in the coming Kingdom (to be justified and, yet not have a part or a role in the Millennium), i.e., to be a “castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) And this made him apprehensive. I’m sure he probably remembered Moses, who was not permitted to enter the “Promised Land” because of disobedience at the end of his life. (Deuteronomy 3:25-26) Paul was worried that his own life’s work could be burned in the end and he could suffer “loss.” That’s why he wrote 1 Corinthians 3:15: “If any man’s work abide which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward. [But] if any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet as by fire.”
“Saved, yet as by fire” means “barely saved,” or saved with difficulty. “Loss” in this Scripture means to forfeit one’s inheritance or forfeit something that could have been in one’s possession.
Who is Paul talking about here? Non-believers? No way. He is talking about believers because according to the above 1 Corinthians 3 Scripture these people are saved in the end. He’s talking about “believers who suffer loss.” They became “castaways,” not worthy of inheriting.
Paul is warning us that ruling and reigning in the kingdom is not a “given;” it’s not automatic; and, we all won’t win the prize! It’s very possible to defile our garments like those in Sardis, fail the test and become “a castaway.”
Martyn Lloyd Jones quotes 1 Corinthians 3:15 in his book Life in the Spirit and comments: “This is a great mystery…but the teaching seems to be clear. It does not mean that a man can fall from grace; but it does mean that a man who is saved can know the terror of the Lord.”2
In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul exhorts us: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forget-ting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
See CHART 10 – Running the Race
Just as Paul, himself, agonized and strained every muscle of his being as he sought to win the prize of the high calling, so He is exhorting every one of us to “lay aside every weight and run the race.” (Hebrews 12:1) He wants us to win! (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Corinthians 11:25-28) He doesn’t want us to be “over-taken” by the world, the flesh and the devil, but to be “over-comers.” He wants our “works” to withstand the test of fire, so that we are welcomed into the kingdom and win the prize.
The end of the race for us will either be “victory” or “defeat.” We will either overcome or be overtaken. The “goal” of the race is that we might become “partakers of His holiness” (con-formed into His image) and win the prize. (Hebrews 12:10) This is the reason why Satan is on such a rampage to destroy the message of overcoming and inheriting the kingdom. He can’t let us win! He must keep us failing the test, becoming castaways and losing the prize. (Yes, the prize can be lost!)
Life Is Like a Contest
What Paul is saying here is that the Christian life is some-what like a “contest” or a race. Every one of us, whether we like it or not (if we are believers), is “enrolled” in that race. Therefore, if we want to win, we must lay aside every weight and run the race with all our might.3
Our conversion experience simply enters us into the race. But, then, like Paul, we must press on toward the goal of “the prize of the high calling”—a share in the Millennial reign of Christ. As in all races, prizes will be given out at the very end. (1 Corinthians 9:24) Hebrews 11:6 confirms this: “Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” The Kingdom of Heaven is set before us as an object to be sought and a prize to be won.4
Justification is a “gift” that is bestowed upon us without a price, and earns us a place in the kingdom;5 whereas, experiential sanctification is part of a “prize” gained through performance.6 All of us can run the race, but only the overcomers will win the prize.
Our life here and now just happens to be the “testing ground” or the proving ground to see how we do in that race. It’s the score card! Every choice we make and every action we take is being registered and weighed for approval in the next life. There are five books in heaven that record everything we do here and that will be opened and read at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
As we said, being “born again” simply enters us into the race. But then, like Paul, we must each press on toward the “goal,” or the prize of the high calling in order to finish the race.
God has given each of us different talents, abilities and giftings to advance the Kingdom of God here on earth. The question is: What have we done with these talents? Have we used them wisely, squandered them or buried them?
Next month we’ll study the Parable of the Ten Talents and see what consequences are in store for those who fail to win the prize.
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Next Month: “The Parable of the Ten Talents.” This article has been excerpted in part from Chuck and Nan’s new book The Kingdom, Power and Glory.
