FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP
THE FIRST
PRINCIPLES - XIV
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward IAUE,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and
of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal
judgment.
ETERNAL
JUDGMENT – 3
Last week, we ended with this comment:
We are to be a people who are not just “IN HIM,” from a
doctrinal position. We are to be a
people who manifest by our lives and actions that he is “IN US.” Our union with Messiah is what makes us one
with the judgment that he has already experienced.
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a
man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
We
have explained that the phases of the execution of eternal judgment are aligned
with the phases of the resurrection. The
resurrection, more specifically, is two-fold: the resurrection of the just (the
righteous), and the resurrection of the unjust (the unrighteous).
The
resurrection of the just has two parts.
First, there was the judgment associated with “Messiah, the
firstfruits,” which occurred at the time Messiah was raised from the dead
and many of the saints who had died were resurrected and seen of many in
Jerusalem before they ascended to await the end of days. Their eternal judgment
was executed upon Messiah; and they live eternally before IAUE in the
righteousness of Yahushua Messiah.
Secondly,
“those who are Messiah’s at his coming,” occurs when Messiah returns to
take the throne of David and to rule upon the earth. Their eternal judgment,
just like the firstfruits, was already executed upon the person of Messiah. To
be “in Messiah” is to be judged already.
This is why we are referred to as “joint heirs” with Messiah. We inherit what he inherits for we experience
and are one with his judgment.
Revelation
20:4 And I saw thrones, and
they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of
them that were beheaded for the witness of Yahushua, and for the word of IAUE,
and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned
with Messiah a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection:
on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of IAUE
and of Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Those
who did not belong to Messiah but yet remain alive until the day of his
appearing (and there likely will be millions upon millions) will be sifted to
his right hand or to his left hand as sheep or goats based on their works. The goats will be cast into the fire awaiting
their eternal judgment; and the sheep will be privileged to experience the millennial
rule of Messiah on earth. The
resurrected righteous (the firstfruits and those who are Messiah’s at his
coming) will rule with Messiah over these masses who will constitute the
nations in the millennial age.
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a
seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the
thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little
season.
The fact that Satan will be bound during the millennial reign
will mean the unrighteous survivors who experience the millennial reign will
not be antagonized and/or tempted to do evil by the devil; thus helping to
secure a millennial peace on earth.
That
brings us to the resurrection of the unrighteous at the end of the millennial age.
That includes not only those unrighteous who have died and have been held in
the fires of hell until that time; but it will also include all those who
remained alive to experience the Messianic Kingdom. Just because they will be
able to enjoy life on earth during the Messianic reign does not imply that any
of them were righteous in Messiah or will have the chance to become righteous
in him during the millennial reign. None of them will be counted
among the righteous. They will be counted as sheep based on their selfless and
kind acts during their lives; but at the end of Yahushua’s millennial reign, it
will be time for them to face their eternal judgment…one based on their having
rejected the rule of Messiah before his appearing.
ENTER: THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT
Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there
was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before IAUE; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and
hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This
is the resurrection of the unjust; or as Paul referred to it: “Then cometh the end.” You can almost
imagine hearing the sound of a giant gong breaking the silence throughout the
entire world communicating the commencement of something very somber and
terrible. All of the unrighteous throughout human history will be brought
before the Great White Throne. This judgment is not one of determining guilt or
innocence; as that verdict has already been rendered. This is the execution of
the judgment already secured. Remember
what Yahushua told Nicodemus?
John 3:17 For IAUE sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of IAUE.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is
come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
All of mankind throughout human history were IN ADAM when
Adam fell and forfeited the righteousness which was his birthright. IN ADAM all men disobeyed IAUE and rejected
His right to rule our lives. Because we were IN ADAM, all mankind is born condemned
already (This is why Yahushua had to be born of a virgin. Had he been born of the seed of man, he would
have been born IN ADAM, and would have been born condemned. This would have disqualified him from being
our substitute and savior). Messiah came
to provide the possibility for man to be IN HIM instead of IN ADAM. Only by being IN MESSIAH could man escape the
judgment of the unjust.
So, here before the Great White Throne will stand all of
those who were born IN ADAM, who never became a new creature in Yahushua
Messiah…men, woman and children who by virtue of their birth were born
unrighteous and who never experienced the great transfer of righteousness that
Yahushua died to provide. Their judgment
will be called “the second death.” The
first death is what they experienced at their birth. They were born separated from IAUE. The first death was secured for them by their
father, Adam. The first death, however,
was not without hope; for Messiah provided an avenue of escape from the eternal
judgment of damnation.
In the second death, there is no hope. There is only the promise of eternal fire and
eternal banishment, not only from the presence of IAUE, but also from the
presence of any person whose lives were changed by Messiah and his
righteousness. It is a death upon death;
an ignominy of ignominies; and it is forever.
Rightly understanding the timing or the details of these
events, ultimately, is unimportant. What
is important is recognizing the role the Master Yahushua plays in the eternal
judgments of man. He died to provide us
with the escape from the Great White Throne judgment. The only way of escaping the judgment of the
unjust was to provide a different “bloodline” from which to be born because all
who descended from Adam were judged already.
Perhaps, now we can see and understand that it not just a “magic prayer”
of asking Messiah to forgive us of our sins and to be our savior that
matters. We must be IN HIM. We must be buried IN HIM, and our lives be
born anew IN HIM, and our lives lived IN HIM, and our words and our works must manifest
that we are IN HIM; and that is him who lives in us, now. We must abide IN HIM and he in us.
We do not have the luxury of living for ourselves any
more. The original sin was the rejection
of IAUE’s right to rule; and that is the heritage of all who are IN ADAM. Our restoration is in our acquiescing to
Messiah’s right to rule. How are we any
different than those who are IN ADAM if our lives still reflect the same choice…that
we have the right to rule our own lives and not obey the will of our Master? Those who would be genuine disciples of the
Master, Yahushua Messiah, must understand the revelation of the Messiah in this
first principle of eternal judgment. He died that we might be dead in him and
made alive in a new bloodline…one that is not condemned already; but rather,
one that has been judged and found righteous.
Next
week: Moving on past the first principles.
Kingdom heart: a heart that offers no resistance to the performance
of the will of IAUE.
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