“Deliverance before Judgment”
Part 2
In part one, a blueprint of the Grand Theme of the Bible was presented. That is God delivers before judgment. However, there is a caveat! To partake of this Grand Theme, it should not be concluded that no personal action is necessary. The present circumstance one finds themselves in today is similar to the case of a man at sea who has fallen overboard. When the lifesaving provision is presented, an urgent decision is needed. To save himself, he must make a choice. He has one choice only. He can choose either to take advantage of the lifesaving provision by accepting it or he can choose to reject it and permanently lose the offered provision. There is only one provision. My friends, herein lies the underlying message behind the “Unpardonable Sin”. To reject this lifesaving opportunity is to condemn oneself to the ultimate loss and suffer the consequence of becoming a meal for sharks. In this case, the illustration refers to a permanent loss from which recovery is impossible. He may lose his life at sea, but resurrection under this circumstance will not be a part of the plan for choosing to reject this provision.
Deliverance is defined as “a rescue from bondage, enslavement, or danger”. As outlined in the Bible, redemption is an act of God whereby He delivers His people from certain peril. His people (Jew and Gentile alike) are marked for salvation by the choice they make and the subsequent action they take. In the Old Testament, deliverance primarily focused on God’s removal of those who found themselves in the midst of trouble and danger. He stepped in to liberate His people (Israelites) from their enemies. The most striking example of deliverance is that of the Exodus (Exodus 3:8; 7:6; 6:10-13). Here, God is defined as the “Deliverer” of Israel who rescues His people. This is not because they deserved to be scooped up and saved, but because the act of redeeming is an expression of His grace, mercy and love. Furthermore, this experience provides an unfolding glimpse into God’s future plan for redemption. (Psalm 61:1-3; 71:1-5; 86:13).
In the New Testament, God is always the subject – and His people are always the object of deliverance. The description of physical, earthly deliverance in the Old Testament as a symbolic representation of the spiritual deliverance from sin which is available only through Jesus Christ is basic training and is amplified in the New Testament. Today, He offers deliverance from mankind’s greatest peril – sin, evil, death, and judgment. Through God’s power, believers (Jew and Gentile) are delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4) and from the power of Satan’s reign (Colossians 1:13). All aspects of deliverance (spiritual, mental, emotional and physical) are available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who was Himself delivered up for us (Romans 4:25) so that all could partake of the opportunity of deliverance from the eternal punishment resulting from sin. Only Jesus Christ can rescue us from the “wrath to come” (1st Thessalonians 1:10). This is where choice plays a role in the future outcome for unbelievers.
Another aspect of deliverance concerns the earthly walk. While believers are delivered once for all time from eternal punishment, we are also delivered from the trials and temptations of this life (2nd Peter 2:9). Sometimes that deliverance means that God simply walks by our side through the trials, comforting and encouraging us through them while He uses them to mature us in faith. Paul reassures the Corinthian believers, explaining how God accomplishes this: “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, but He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it”. (1st Corinthians 10:13). Rescue is not always immediate, but comes in due time after patience has had its ‘perfect work’ (James 1:2-4, 12). It is not our nature to endure. When it comes to trials, we would rather escape, explain, or exit the difficulty. In fact, we will tend to do almost anything to avoid enduring a trial. Faithful endurance, however, generates whole people, recognized as strong in character, or mature. We will be seasoned, experienced, well-developed, fit for the tasks God sent us into the world to do. This strength is a quality developed by how much we have learned from the trials we have experienced. Weaknesses and imperfections are being removed from our character; we are gaining victory over old sins; we are demonstrating a sense of competence about life. This completeness relates to the breadth of our experience. God makes the way of escape available simultaneously at the same time as the temptation which, is in His perfect will and timing. In this way, He permissively arranges or allows for His people.
Deliverance is often sought from evil spirits and their influence over fleshly weaknesses. As believers, it is important to remember that we already have eternal victory over Satan and his demons. By using the weapons God has supplied to us as spiritual armor, we can be delivered from these influences in our lives. Our battle is against the powers of darkness and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” (Ephesians 6:12-18)
A believer defends himself using the shield of faith to protect his heart while applying the offensive weapon of the sword of the Spirit or the Word of God. Against these two, no evil spirit can prevail. By holding up the shield of faith, we extinguish the flaming spiritual arrows Satan and his demons hurl against us - arrows of lust, doubt, guilt, jealousy, evil speech, and all manner of temptation. With the sword of the Spirit or the Word of God, we can overcome the devil by proving his temptations to be lies. No matter how elaborate his schemes, he is still the father of lies (John 8:44). John’s second letter commends young Christians whose spiritual strength came from the Word of God living within them. By utilizing the offensive weapon of the Truth, we overcome the evil one’s attempts to weaken resolve. (1st John 2:14b).
Deliverance from sin, rescue from trials, and escape from the influence of a world under Satan’s control can only be accomplished by remaining in close alliance with Christ Jesus, the Son of God. He is the one who by means of the Holy Spirit residing within us has given us understanding, so that we may truly know Him. “We know that we are of God, and all the world lies in evil. And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us an understanding so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him that is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and the everlasting life.” (1st John 5:19-20).
Keep in mind that Roman Catholicism is responsible for snuffing out the early church’s interpretive structure of Dispensationalism, and the teaching of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture which includes “Deliverance before Judgment”. Dispensationalism is a theological system that recognizes these ages ordained by God to order the affairs of the world. It has two primary distinctions:
A consistently literal interpretation of Scripture, especially Bible prophecy, and
A view of the uniqueness of Israel as separate from the church in God’s program
It was Roman Catholicism that adopted the erroneous belief that the church replaced Israel in God’s Plans. This new position made whatever views related to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture virtually impossible to teach as an accurate Biblical interpretation. Further, once Augustine adopted the “Amillennial” position meaning the rejection of the belief that Jesus will have a literal, thousand-year-long, physical reign on the earth, there could be no further development of prophetic viewpoints. Open discussions related to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture in the church were curtailed. The Roman Catholic Institution would not tolerate doctrine alternatives or a sincere, truthful exploration into the accuracy of Biblical teachings. Anyone possessing views other than that advocated by Rome or which differed from Catholic doctrine at any point thereafter was burned at the stake for heresy, along with their writings.
Now we find Pope Francis slamming fundamentalism across religions attacking the fundamental doctrines of the Bible and claiming they are heresy. He further added that fundamentalism is more idolatry than actual religion, warning that 'ideas and false certainties' can take the place of faith, love, and God. Concerning the ministry of Jesus, he has been quoted as saying: “And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and produce no fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus… and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross.” Does that mean that we can be comforted by knowing we all fail, including Jesus? Or does it mean, from a human (godless one’s) perspective, that Jesus was viewed as a failure? What is he saying? The conciliatory words spoken by Pope Francis that Catholics and atheists can be “precious allies… to defend the dignity of man, in the building of a peaceful coexistence between peoples and in the careful protection of creation” have been taken by many to mean he is teaching everyone—even atheists—will go to heaven. Is this what Pope Francis meant? As of early 2016, Pope Francis has rejected, revised, or disassociated the Roman Catholic Institution from sound Bible doctrine which has existed for centuries.
The pope is never flippant in his remarks. He smothers his words in generalities but maintains his point in such a way as not to be lost on his audience. As a Jesuit, he is methodical, deliberate, and conveys his points in obscurities and general comments. Pope Francis is cunning in ways that are lost on the ears of his flock but remain pointed when it comes to his adversaries. He is a “false prophet,” if not the “False Prophet”.
The point of this series is to present the Biblical case for the “Pre-Tribulation” Rapture and God’s Master Plan of “Deliverance before Judgment”.
The “Great Tribulation” period of “Seven” years is deeply misunderstood by most Bible students. The distinction between ‘tribulation’ in general, and the Biblical definition of the Great Tribulation, is extremely important. Much of the confusion about the Rapture of Jesus Christ’s Bride (the Church), and when it occurs could easily be resolved if we clarify what actually develops during this “Seven” year period known as the “Great Tribulation” which Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:21. In this same chapter He references Daniel 12:1. It is not just ‘tribulation’ as the church has experienced during the past 2,000 years, or even in the last 20 years. History tells us that the saints have been martyred by the thousands. They have been sawn asunder, fed to the lions, watched their own children slaughtered before their eyes, and suffered untold deprivations simply for believing in Jesus. The gates of hell have beaten the church with indescribable vengeance, but neither Satan nor his demons have been able to eliminate her testimony or destroy the Biblical evidence revealing the truth of God’s Plan for mankind. The true church of Jesus Christ lives on as a remnant of blood-washed saints, who still love holiness and who respectfully recognize the sovereignty of the Lord. Instead, they count it all as great joy spoken of by James: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:2-4).
To think of the “Great Tribulation” as nothing more than what the saints have already suffered is to totally miss the truth of the Bible. The devil has made every effort to silence the voice of God’s saints using indescribable hatred, and that hatred will grow as the end approaches. In fact, Satan will continue to direct his hatred towards anyone who confesses Jesus Christ, and especially so after the final “Seven” years begin. The Jewish people will reap their last great sorrow during this period as Satan together with his cohorts, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet unleash the fury of their vengeance against God’s chosen nation through which Jesus Christ came some 2,000 years ago. Satan’s primary hatred has always been focused on the Jews first and then the followers or the church of Jesus Christ.
After the Rapture, the ‘Great Tribulation’ will be a specific, final onetime event covering a seven-year period of time that is far graver. It will release a tremendous outpouring of Satan’s rage against the Jews and those who confess Jesus Christ and it will be like nothing that has occurred prior to this time. This period is the time of God’s wrath upon a world of ungodly people. To date, the only other precedents noted in mankind’s history are the worldwide flood of Noah’s generation and the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. This final event of God’s wrath will be the ultimate judgment upon a wicked world. It will most certainly surpass the two prior events not only in intensity, but also in finality. Jesus made it perfectly clear in Matthew 24 that this is the final act of judgment against the vileness of human sin. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”. (Matthew 24:21-22).
I have two large three-ring binder that contains an exhaustive study of “Deliverance before Judgment”. By closely examining patterns and cases from Genesis to Revelation, this study covers a compilation of over 110 examples of this specific theme found in Scripture. God has made it abundantly clear that His Master Plan functions and is built on the concept of “Deliverance before Judgment”. This idea is explained through a constant array of “Typology”, “Parables”, and “Similitudes”, much like children’s sermons which use “object lessons” as instruments of learning and teaching. This specific teaching of the Bible is so simple and basic that even a child can understand its message.
Typology: a doctrine of theological types; especially one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolized by things in the Old Testament.
Parable: a succinct, educational story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles.
Similitude: an imaginative comparison; simile.
Object Lesson: a teaching method that consists of using a physical object or visual aid as a discussion piece for a lesson.
Pastor Bob