Misconceptions About the Coming of Christ
The reason there is so much misunderstanding about the Return of Christ, is that he does not just return once. The actual aspects of his Return are rolled up in the word Parousia, Coming. Jesus’ ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Jews.
The 2nd Coming of Christ will be for the sake of Jews as well. But, there is another aspect of the Parousia that is not recorded in the Gospels of Mt, Mk, Lk, or Jn. The reason it is not recorded there is because no one knew anything about it, including Jesus.
No one knew anything about this aspect of the Parousia until it was revealed to Paul the apostle, by the ascended Christ. Jesus and the apostles expected him to come back 7 years after his ascension. The time that has lapsed between then and now is that of the Sacred Secret, which was hidden in God from the foundation of the world.
The event that serves as the end of this time period is Christ’s Coming for his Saints, those of us who have believed without first seeing. This aspect of the Coming of Christ is commonly known as The Rapture of the Church. There is nothing written about it in the gospels or the Book of Revelation.
1 Th 4:16-17
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. NASU
At the Rapture, Jesus does not set a foot on the earth; he is not on a white horse; he is not prepared for battle; and no one else sees him at all; he comes part way from Heaven to meet us and we return with him. No fanfare, no earthquakes, no fire from Heaven, etc. Additionally there will be no sign to prepare you if you are not all ready now.
What you read about in the gospels, Revelation and a few places in the epistles is when he returns 7 years later “with” us.
1 Th 3:13
so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. NASU
See in my book at http://www.fredswolfe.com
God bless,
SALVATION: get it now, while supplies last!
The Biblical Tetragrammaton, the Hebrew Name for God the Father. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus once said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” Prior to Christianity, only Jews had the promise of Salvation. Their Salvation (as well as ours) was not only something in the future, beyond the grave, but something here and now as well. The word alone is used three times as much in the Old Testament as it is in the New. To the Jews it meant Deliverance, Victory, Rescue or Safety.
For anyone who has read even a little of the OT one can see how often Israel prayed for deliverance from their enemies and how many times YHWH delivered them. (Might not be a bad idea today as well.) I have read that Salvation in this day and age has relatively no value for one’s current circumstances, but, nothing could be further from the truth. Whatever it meant for Israel it certainly means for us who are born again, as well.
In Moses day, salvation could be seen: “But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord (YHWH) which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord (YHWH) will fight for you while you keep silent.” NASU
The same was true of David: “And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord (YHWH) in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence. 4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies. 2 Sa 22:1-4 NASU
WOW! Just look at these verses and realize the relevance of salvation for us today! In those days these words were used to describe everything attributed to God, Yahweh (YHWH). For us, they are also now attributable to Jesus, whom YHWH made both Lord and Christ. (I cannot help but explain something here for those who may not know: LORD in all capital letters in the OT is the proper name of God, YHWH. Some translation say Jehovah, but the most accurate is YHWH. There is a difference between Lord and LORD. Jesus is our Lord. His and our Father is our LORD.)
Jesus Christ was YHWH’s plan for Salvation to Gentiles who would be grafted in to fully share in the promises of God to Israel and their inheritance! This is exactly what it says in the gospel of Luke. This is what Simeon declared when Jesus was brought to the Temple some forty days after his birth: Lk 2:30-32, for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” ESV
All these aspects of salvation are available are available, now, today, to all who positively affirm what Romans 10:9 and 10 says, which is part of Paul the apostles prayer to God for Israel! Salvation is not something currently out of reach; it is readily obtainable. Get it now, while supplies last!
(See Chapter IV, page 19 of my new book at http://www.fredswolfe.com)
How Close is a Cashless Society?
RFID chip pulled from new credit card (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As my habit is I pay cash for everything that is not business related and use a credit card for everything that is. My wife does the same. It makes our annual accounting a lot simpler. I go through a lot of Ben Franklin’s and at the end of the day give most of the smaller denominations to my wife. The older I get the less I see anyone else using cash for their transactions.
During my service in the United States Armed Forces from ’67-71 I was stationed in Bayonne, N.J. Whenever a bunch of us took Liberty (time off) we would usually go to Times Square or Greenwich Village. I can remember sitting on the can in a public restroom at the Port Authority reading a torn page from a magazine on the floor which had the Chase Manhattan logo on it. The article was about “The Cashless Society.”
The only thing close to credit card that I had access to then was my father’s telephone credit card number which I would use to call my mother from the Philippines or somewhere in the Mediterranean. (Who would have ever thought that someday I would work for a Merchant Services company processing credit cards!) In 1966, the ancestor of Mastercard was born when a group of banks established Master Charge; it received a significant boost when Citibank merged its proprietary Everything Card (launched in 1967) into Master Charge in 1969. Soon after this thousands of credit cards were mailed to people thought to be of good credit. The blanket mailing of these cards was ended in 1970 after 100 million had been sent out.
There used to be lines at the grocery store for “Cash Only,” but not anymore. It seems that as time went on fewer and fewer people carried any cash. Now, when I pull out my $100 bills I feel like a Dinosaur! The cashier looks at it, holds it up to the light, draws a line on it with a pen with special ink in it and eventually gives me the change. I use to be welcomed in the cash only line yet now am suspect in the regular lines.
Years back when the housing bubble first burst, we thought it would be a good idea to have some cash on hand. When we went to the bank to withdraw a large amount of money we were told that we would have to make an appointment at least a week in advance to make such a withdrawal. We were amazed at the scrutiny were were put through to process the transaction. They wanted to know why and what the intended purpose was. We even had to sign waivers releasing the bank from any liability when we walked out the door with it. I almost felt like a bank robber. Ha!
Someday the need for cash will become completely obsolete. Things that don’t get used are generally replaced by things that are used. How easy would it be in this day and age to be arrested as a suspected counterfeiter in your grocery or department store line? Very few people are using cash and counterfeiters are some of them. During the process of withdrawing money from one bank and putting it back in another a counterfeit $100 bill was discovered. And of course I was once again suspect. Cash used to be King as the saying goes but soon anyone who has it and tries to use it in a commercial application could find themselves in a bind.
Soon, no one will be able to buy or sell anything with cash. Sound far-fetched? Consider this: “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Rv 13:17 The mark, charagma, is something engraved, stamped or etched (in or on your body; most likely your hand or a fingertip.) Rv 13:16. This word is akin to grapho, from which the English word graphic comes. Basically this mark could be imprinted, encoded on your right fingertip. How convenient would that be?! You would never need a wallet again; never have to fumble through your purse again looking for your Visa ’cause they won’t accept American Express! What a relief it will be.
Receiving the mark of the beast is going to be subtle and most people are going to be standing in line to get it. It is going to be the newest, most technologically advanced payment and identification system in the world. People will be lined up around the block at the Apple Store and eventually Best Buy. It won’t be called “the mark of the beast,” that’s for sure. Most people will love the False Prophet who precedes the Antichrist by 3.5 years. Neither of them will be known by these names. The former will be known by the signs, miracles and wonders they perform.
See more in Chapter XI of my new book, pages 119-29, at http://www.fredswolfe.com
May God bless you and keep you.
A Few Reviews of my New Book on Understanding the Bible.
From the minute I opened the book I felt TRUTH pouring through the pages. I was astonished at the number of scriptures I have repeated over and over in my life, and lived by that were not translated correctly – this book has changed my foundation. It is eye opening. It has made me responsible to question and reprove my core beliefs and walk in truth of the word and not to be mislead. Thank you so much Fred for this message, my only hope is that you continue in this quest and write more books on rightly dividing the word! This is a MUST READ for all Christians and all those who want to know truth!!
I just finished reading Fred’s book. It was sometimes a challenge with quoted passages that could get long before Fred explained them, but staying with it increased my biblical fortitude! Fred helps by explaining translations and errors in translations that are important to understanding intent. I am frankly stunned by the happy, “Sesame Street” rendition of Christianity that I received through life by churches that were too often focused on pleasing and increasing their flock, than on properly explaining the message of the Bible, including its dark and gritty context. I deem Fred’s book to be a very worthwhile read from front cover to final page. Do it for the sake of your soul. I intend to reread it in the future as a reference in comparison to other books and to the Bible itself.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewing ‘Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth“, September 29, 2012
This review is from: Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth: A Fresh Perspective To Understanding The Bible. (Paperback)
To every Readers benefit, author Fred Wolfe has dug deep into historical linguistics; carefully examining the many descriptions, and developments in language over the centuries to present us with a remarkably transparent presentation of scripture. |
Introduction of my Book (Followers of The Way)
Acts 11:26 is the first time anyone was called a Christian. There were no
Christians when Jesus Christ was alive on the earth and there were none
before that, except in God’s foreknowledge. The Christian “movement”
officially began when Jesus handpicked 12 Disciples to follow him. When
he chose Peter and his brother Andrew, Jesus said to them, “Follow me
and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). He then called two other
brothers, who were fishermen as well: James and John. Then he selected
eight others, who all followed him and learned to do as he did. As the
12 began to follow him, so did others. What Jesus taught them and
showed them became known as “this way,” a term coined by Saul, who was
persecuting the followers of Jesus, as we see in Acts 9:2. Jesus proclaimed
that he was “the way” in John 14:6. After Saul’s conversion in 37 AD, 4 he
was teaching in a synagogue, where unbelievers spoke evil of “that way”
(Ac 19:9). Acts 19:23 says, “And the same time there arose no small stir
about that way.” In 22:4, Paul, recalling how he too had persecuted Jesus’
followers, referred to them as followers of “this way.” In 24:14, Paul says,
“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so
worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in
the law and in the prophets.” In 24:22, the “most noble Felix” referred to the believers as those of “that way,” which occurred in approximately 59 AD, 30 years after Jesus’ Ascension.
In 1 Corinthians 4:16–17, Paul says, Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. (Notice Paul’s confidence in his own integrity of being in Christ. He implored people to follow he himself). For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church. (Notice where he taught besides the synagogues, in every church–they weren’t afraid of what he was going to say).
Paul adopted the way that he had formerly persecuted as “his way,”
which was in Christ. Here Paul beseeches the believers to be followers of
him and his ways and he sends Timothy, who knew his way better than
anyone else, to testify that Paul’s way was in Christ, as Christ would
have it.
The word “way” (hodos, 3598 in Strong’s; hereafter, simply the number
will be given) metaphorically5 means “a proceeding, a movement, which
denotes a code of conduct, a way or manner of thinking, feeling and
deciding.”6 Properly, it means a traveled road, a journey, route, or progress.
The word “Christian” is only used three times in the entire New Testament.
Even though the believers were first called Christians in Acts 11:26, around
45 AD, the term did not appear again until Acts 26:28, some 15 years
later, when Paul was questioning King Agrippa, who said, “Almost thou
persuadest me to be a Christian.”
Being a Christian—a follower of the way, the truth, and the life—Jesus Christ—is not just something you are, but something you become. It is a journey in life, conducting yourself in an exemplary manner in your actions, your thinking, your emotions, and your decisions. There is more to being a Christian than just confessing Jesus as your Lord or master and believing that God raised him from the dead. A lot more. But that is enough to get you eternal life. Eternal life is longer than any mortal, except for Jesus Christ, has ever known.
Have you ever thought about what you are going to do for eternity? Well, what you do then depends a lot on what you do now that you are born again, according to Romans 10:9–10. Th e Bible is probably the most read, yet most misunderstood book ever. Th ere are many reasons for this. I will endeavor to put forth several keys to understanding the Bible, which will hopefully give the reader a more accurate knowledge of the Word and Will of God.
4 E. W. Bullinger, The Companion Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1974, appendix 180, page 202
5 Figures of speech, like the metaphor, put life into the true, purposed meaning of things. They are used throughout the Bible. According to Bullinger, there are over 212 different kinds of figures of speech in the Bible alone. Figures tend to make things “more real and lively.” Bullinger believed they were the Holy Spirit’s, God’s, way of drawing attention to things that were of particular importance. Here in Acts, with eight usages of hodos, we can see beautifully how the metaphorical meaning is so much more descriptive. See Bullinger, The Companion Bible.
6 See Thayer’s.
Jesus went to Hell and so will We
Entrance to Hell (Photo credit: joeltelling)
If you have read my book or Ecclesiastes you will know that there is no memory, or thinking or imagination or any brain activity at all, in the grave “wither thou goest!”
Ecc 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. KJV
Ecc 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. NASU
Ecc 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going. ESV
No matter what version of the Bible you choose to use, when we die we all go to the same place where there is no awareness that we are even dead. Jesus Christ tasted death just like we will, with one exception: we will rot away.
As you can see, the Hebrew word sheol is used in 2 of the above 3 versions. Sheol occurs 67 times in the OT in the NASU version. Of those 67, the same word in the KJV is translated hell. Hell and the grave are one and the same. You can believe anything you want to, but his is what the Word of God says.
King David says this about that in
Ps 16:10: For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. KJV
Ps 16:10
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. NASU
David knew that at the Awakening of the Just, he would get up from the grave. He also knew that God would not allow Jesus (thine Holy One) to rot away, as he did and we will.
Hades is the NT equivalent of sheol, the grave. It is Strong’s number 86 and is used 10 times. It is translated as hell in the KJV and kept as Hades in the NASU. Here is the same verse from Psalms quoted in the book of Acts:
Ac 2:27
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. KJV
Ac 2:27
BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. NASU
Here you can see how Hades, Sheol and Hell are used interchangeably. These words have nothing to do with the Lake of Fire, which was used figuratively of the dump burning outside of Jerusalem. That is an altogether different subject, which I have already covered in a different blog post.
In the absence of the Rapture, we are all going to hell! Ha! Just like Jesus did!
God bless,
P.S. By the way, you can get my book at http://www.fredswolfe.com now!
Related articles
- The Question of Hell? (fredswolfe.wordpress.com)
Heaven: Where is it and How do I get there?
Last night my wife and I watched Barbara Walters‘ 2 hour special on Heaven on our dvr. I think it was great that she at least attempted to get some answers. I thought some good answers came from Joel Osteen, the Dali Lama and a Rabbi. In my new book I show you that the Bible says it is a “via point” or a brief stop on the way back to the land God gave Israel for an inheritance, in our new Christ-like bodies.
The only ones in Heaven right now are God and his son Jesus Christ and the heavenly host of angels. As the Dali Lama said, Heaven is not a final destination, and he is right. Only those who are born again of God’s spirit, by making his son the Lord of their lives will be there, not immediately after they die, not until the Gathering Together of the saints, called the Rapture. Most Christians know that the dead in Christ rise first, but at the same time don’t believe the dead are still in their graves. How illogical is that?
This is one example of the mysticism that has become part of church doctrine. In the Bible everyone with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has ever lived and died is still dead and in the grave. If dead Christians were not in the grave, there would not be any to rise.
Jews will never see Heaven. They were never promised it. They were promised the land, not Heaven. Anyone who confesses and believes what Romans 10, 9 & 10 says will go the Heaven at the Rapture. God, whose name is YHWH (pronounced Yahweh,) is no respecter of persons; He is an equal opportunity employer. No one gets missed, unless they choose to be left behind. The choice is theirs and yours. Choosing to not believe is still a choice.
Imagine what it would be like for our loved ones who have died, if they were already in Heaven without us. Do you think they might be a little lonely, a little resentful that you’re not there with them? Even the atheist lady Barbara interviewed made logical sense, “if everyone who has died is in Heaven now, why don’t we all kill ourselves and be there?” Suicide bombers do just that, believing that immediately after their deaths 72 virgins will placate their every desire. (What a rude awakening they are going to have!)
Part of the Sacred Secret mentioned in my book is that believers during this age will be joint-heirs with Israel. As we all know, the faithful of Jacob INHERIT THE LAND! Therefore, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ we inherit the land as well. But, we will enjoy a 7 year Layover with God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Hosts, before we do! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
I have several chapters dedicated to this subject in the last half of my book. God bless, Buy it now here
Last night my wife and I watched Barbara Walters’ 2 hour special on Heaven on our dvr. I think it was great that she at least attempted to get some answers. I thought some good answers came from Joel Osteen, the Dali Lama and a Rabbi. In my new book I show you that the Bible says it is a “via point” or a brief stop on the way back to the land God gave Israel for an inheritance, in our new Christ-like bodies.
The only ones in Heaven right now are God and his son Jesus Christ and the heavenly host of angels. As the Dali Lama said, Heaven is not a final destination, and he is right. Only those who are born again of God’s spirit, by making his son the Lord of their lives will be there, not immediately after they die, not until the Gathering Together of the saints, called the Rapture. Most Christians know that the dead in Christ rise first, but at the same time don’t believe the dead are still in their graves. How illogical is that?
This is one example of the mysticism that has become part of church doctrine. In the Bible everyone with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has ever lived and died is still dead and in the grave. If dead Christians were not in the grave, there would not be any to rise.
Jews will never see Heaven. They were never promised it. They were promised the land, not Heaven. Anyone who confesses and believes what Romans 10, 9 & 10 says will go the Heaven at the Rapture. God, whose name is YHWH (pronounced Yahweh,) is no respecter of persons; He is an equal opportunity employer. No one gets missed, unless they choose to be left behind. The choice is theirs and yours. Choosing to not believe is still a choice.
Imagine what it would be like for our loved ones who have died, if they were already in Heaven without us. Do you think they might be a little lonely, a little resentful that you’re not there with them? Even the atheist lady Barbara interviewed made logical sense, “if everyone who has died is in Heaven now, why don’t we all kill ourselves and be there?” Suicide bombers do just that, believing that immediately after their deaths 72 virgins will placate their every desire. (What a rude awakening they are going to have!)
Part of the Sacred Secret mentioned in my book is that believers during this age will be joint-heirs with Israel. As we all know, the faithful of Jacob INHERIT THE LAND! Therefore, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ we inherit the land as well. But, we will enjoy a 7 year Layover with God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Hosts, before we do! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
I have several chapters dedicated to this subject in the last half of my book. God bless,
Last night my wife and I watched Barbara Walters’ 2 hour special on Heaven on our dvr. I think it was great that she at least attempted to get some answers. I thought some good answers came from Joel Osteen, the Dali Lama and a Rabbi. In my new book I show you that the Bible says it is a “via point” or a brief stop on the way back to the land God gave Israel for an inheritance, in our new Christ-like bodies.
The only ones in Heaven right now are God and his son Jesus Christ and the heavenly host of angels. As the Dali Lama said, Heaven is not a final destination, and he is right. Only those who are born again of God’s spirit, by making his son the Lord of their lives will be there, not immediately after they die, not until the Gathering Together of the saints, called the Rapture. Most Christians know that the dead in Christ rise first, but at the same time don’t believe the dead are still in their graves. How illogical is that?
This is one example of the mysticism that has become part of church doctrine. In the Bible everyone with the exception of Jesus Christ, who has ever lived and died is still dead and in the grave. If dead Christians were not in the grave, there would not be any to rise.
Jews will never see Heaven. They were never promised it. They were promised the land, not Heaven. Anyone who confesses and believes what Romans 10, 9 & 10 says will go the Heaven at the Rapture. God, whose name is YHWH (pronounced Yahweh,) is no respecter of persons; He is an equal opportunity employer. No one gets missed, unless they choose to be left behind. The choice is theirs and yours. Choosing to not believe is still a choice.
Imagine what it would be like for our loved ones who have died, if they were already in Heaven without us. Do you think they might be a little lonely, a little resentful that you’re not there with them? Even the atheist lady Barbara interviewed made logical sense, “if everyone who has died is in Heaven now, why don’t we all kill ourselves and be there?” Suicide bombers do just that, believing that immediately after their deaths 72 virgins will placate their every desire. (What a rude awakening they are going to have!)
Part of the Sacred Secret mentioned in my book is that believers during this age will be joint-heirs with Israel. As we all know, the faithful of Jacob INHERIT THE LAND! Therefore, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ we inherit the land as well. But, we will enjoy a 7 year Layover with God Almighty, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Hosts, before we do! What a day of rejoicing that will be!
I have several chapters dedicated to this subject in the last half of my book. Buy it now, you can’t afford to wait. God bless,
http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/Products/SKU-000528603/Rightly-Dividing-The-Word-of-Truth.aspx
Links for my new book
The Angelus Temple, Church of the Four Square Gospel, built by Aimee Semple McPherson and dedicated January 1, 1923. The temple is opposite Echo Park, near downtown Los Angeles, California. Photographed 2005. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here is an endorsement of my new book “Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth, A Fresh Perspective to Understanding The Bible,” from Pastor Matthew Barnett, Sr. Pastor at Angelus Temple in Los Angeles:
Fred Wolfe has dedicated his life to examining the history, practice, and interpretation of the word of God. The Bible is too often misquoted, and this book will help to shed light on some common misconceptions, challenging the reader to strengthen their understanding of God. With scholarly evidence and reasoning, he has written a blueprint of The Bible’s inception as well as the deepest meanings of its words. By closely examining one’s understanding of the word of God, they will find a faith and clarity so absolute that it can never be shaken. This book is a must read, no matter where one is at in their walk with God.
-Pastor Matthew Barnett, Co-Founder of the Dream Center
E-book link:
Soft and Hard cover link:
http://bookstore.westbowpress.com/AdvancedSearch/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=wolfe
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