Spiritual Gifts and the Church (part 2): 1 Cor 12:2

"You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, 'Jesus is accursed'; and no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:2-3)

In contrasting God with Idols, Paul reminds us that "God is not mute." In Paul's day, people looked to idols for guidance, protection, and provision, yet their idols were without hearing, without speech, and devoid of life. People looked to idols for help but they were incapable of helping. Idols were lifeless and unable to interact with the world of men. This, however, is not so with God. God is not mute, He is not distant, nor is He oblivious to the affairs of men.

"Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men." (Psalms 66:5)

In contrast to idols, God is near, He is involved, and He manifests Himself to men. In this verse, Paul refutes those who imagine God to be some impersonal force, or a power that created the universe and then left it alone. Paul also refutes those who see God as one who, in past times, manifested Himself, but today is silent.

God is not silent; He is not mute. God has chosen to reveal Himself to the world through those who love Him; through the blowing of His Spirit.

More to come... David Robison

Spiritual Gifts and the Church (part 1): 1 Cor 12:1

In these next series of articles we will be studying 1 Corinthians 12 to examine what Paul has to say regarding Spiritual Gifts and their role and place in the church.

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware." (1 Corinthians 12:1-2)

Paul begins his discourse by introducing the topic for discussion. Verse one is often translated as, "Now concerning spiritual gifts", however the word "gift" does not appear in the original Greek text. Paul literally says, "Now concerning spirituals". The word he uses here is pneumatikos which is typically translated as "spiritual", "supernatural", or "pertaining to the spirit". Thayer further adds this definition, "pertaining to the wind or breath; windy, exposed to the wind, blowing." Paul is not talking here about spiritual gifts but about the moving, or blowing, of the Spirit. Paul's focus is not the gifts of the Spirit but rather the wind of the Spirit. Paul's words remind us of what Jesus said regarding the actions of the Spirit.

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

We cannot see the wind but we can see its effects. In the same way, we cannot see the Spirit but we can see His effects. The Spirit manifests itself through its blowing, and the result is what we typically refer to as spiritual gifts: prophesy, tongues, healings, and the like. I think this verse is best translated by Darby as, "But concerning spiritual manifestations"; not gifts but manifestations.

This is an important distinction as we attempt to understand the words of Paul. Paul words are not focusing on us but on the Spirit. This passage is not about us and what we may have received from the Spirit, but is about the Spirit and how He moves and reveals Himself among us. It is not our gifts that is of concern here but the Spirit's manifestations.

Paul further tells us that he does not want us to be unaware, or ignorant, of the Spirit's manifestations. There are a handful of things that Paul said he wants us not to be ignorant of:

• Romans 1:13 His intentions towards the church
• Romans 11:25 God's love for Israel
• 1 Corinthians 10:1 How, though all Israel experienced the same things, God was not pleased with many of them
• 2 Corinthians 1:8 The suffering that came upon Paul in Asia as he sought to further the Gospel
• 2 Corinthians 2:11 Satan's devices
• 1 Thessalonians 4:13 The hope and future of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord

To this list, Paul adds the working, moving, and blowing of the Spirit. Understanding the manifestation of the Spirit was important to Paul and it should be important to us. The manifestation of the Spirit is something we should not be ignorant of; either by lack of knowledge or lack of experience. It is not enough to gain insight to the Spirit's manifestation but we must also become familiar with His manifestation though experience. Paul congratulates the Corinthian church, not just for their knowledge of spiritual things, but also for their experience in spiritual things,

"I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift." (1 Corinthians 1:4-7)

To fully understand the manifestations of the Spirit we will require more than mere knowledge and information, we will also require first hand experience of His wind.

More to come... David Robison

Sermon Audio

Last Sunday night, Corinne and I had a chance to share at church. You can hear the audio here: http://www.harvestva.org/online-sermons.asp

Prophets, Wise Men, and Scribes: Mt 23:34-36

"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." (Matthew 23:34-36)

God never leaves Himself without a witness. Jesus is describing, not what has been in the past, but what is about to come to pass. Jesus is testifying against the Jewish nation that He is about to send to them ministries that will testify against them and show them their error that the full weight of all their violence against His kingdom might come upon that generation.

What I find interesting in this scripture is the three types of ministries that Jesus was going to send to the Israelites. I believe that there is a heavenly strategy to testify to the world, and not only the Jewish nations, and that strategy is demonstrated by the enumeration of these three ministries.

Prophet: Most of us are familiar with who the prophets were. They were those whom God sent with a direct message from Him. God spoke to them and they spoke to the people. Perhaps the clearest example of what a prophet is is found in the conversation between God and Moses when Moses was expressing his reluctance to return to Egypt as God's mouthpiece. Because of Moses' reluctance, God let Aaron go with Moses and speak for him, yet God was clear about the proposed arrangement. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.'" (Exodus 7:1-2) Aaron was Moses' prophet in that Moses spoke to Aaron and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh. A prophet of God simply speaks what he hears from the mouth of God. What he hears in secret, he speaks openly. What makes the ministry of the prophet important is that he understands the Spirit of God. He knows God and is acquainted with what He is presently speaking to us who are in the world.

Wise Men: The apostle Paul had little regard for the wise men of his day. Speaking of God's election, he reminds the church, "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong." (1 Corinthians 1:26-27) This in contrast to how God evaluates those who are wise in the world's estimation. "Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" (1 Corinthians 1:20) God has no need for the wise of this age, yet He has His own wise men. Those who have been educated and trained by the Spirit. Those who have a wisdom, not of this world, but a wisdom that is from God. "Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:6-9) What makes the ministry of wise men important is that they understand the times we live in. "Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times..." (Ester 1:13)

Scribes: Similarly with the wise men, Jesus did not have much positive to say about the Jewish scribes in His day. He often rebuked them as hypocrites and blind guides. He even warned His disciples to beware of them. "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation." (Mark 12:38-40) Yet, while the Jewish people had their scribes, Jesus also had His. After teaching His disciples many things, He tells them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old." (Matthew 13:52) What is important about the ministry of a scribe is that he knows the scriptures and he knows how to use them and to apply them to our present day lives. He knows what God has said, what He is now saying, and how these two work together to train us in the ways of the kingdom.

Jesus said that He was going to send three ministries as a testimony and witness to the world. 1) prophets - those who know and understand the Spirit 2) wise men - those who know and understand the times and 3) scribes - those who know and understand God's word. So which are you?

David Robison

prophet, wise men, scribes, The Robe, David Robison

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The Message of the Cross: How shall we respond?

Once we have heard and understand the message of the cross it remains only for us to choose how we shall respond to the message. So how should we respond to the message of the cross? Let us consider the counsel of Paul.

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

"Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:1-18)

The message of the cross is the message that we have been freed from sin. We are no longer the slaves of sin, bound to obey its lusts, but we are now free; free to stop sinning and free to give ourselves to righteousness. Through the cross we have been crucified with Christ; crucified to the world, crucified to our old way of life, and crucified to sin.

Through the cross we have been given a precious gift; the ability to say "no" to sin. Previously we were slaves of sin dutifully obeying its will, but now we have been set free, free to say "no" to sin and "yes" to God. Because we have received this free gift through the cross, Paul charges us to "not let sin reign in your mortal body." Our response to the message of the cross is to put an end to the reign of sin in our mortal bodies. Paul further confirms this when he says,

"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Romans 8:12-13)

Now that we have been set free from sin through the power of the cross we must now put to death the deeds of the flesh; to put an end to sin in our bodies. The cross has made us able and now, through the help and power of the Holy Spirit, it is time to cease from sin and begin to live a life of righteousness.

What a glorious gift we have been given. What incredible good news is ours through the cross. What hope we now have; a hope of righteousness. Given this good news and our new and holy calling in God, Paul commands us,

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Paul commands us to "walk worthy," not that we might become worthy, but because we are already worthy. Jesus, through His death and resurrection, has made us worthy of Him, His kingdom, and His calling. Seeing that we are worthy, let us walk in a way that demonstrates that worthiness. Let us walk in a way that outwardly expresses the righteous and worthiness we have in our spirits; let our outward expression reflect the inward reality we have in Christ. We are worthy, so let us act like it.

This is our response to the message of the cross; to put away sin and to live the new life that has been purchased for us by Christ. Our response is to live righteously and holy before God that we might fulfill what was spoken by God so long ago, "be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus 11:45)

David Robison

righteousness, holy worthy, the robe, david robison, cross

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A Prophet's Reward: Mt 10:40-42

"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:40-42)

This scripture has always been a difficult scripture for me to understand. For example, what is a "prophet's reward" or a "righteous man's reward" and how do they differ? Should I prefer one over the other or are they both one and the same? Given that others have sought to explain this passage, I too will offer my thoughts.

The Greek word used here for "reward" does not mean a prize but rather a payment or wages. It is the same word Jesus uses for "wages" in the following verse: "the laborer is worthy of his wages." (Luke 10:7) A prophet's reward is the eternal rewards credited to his account for his service to God. Similarly, a righteous man's reward is the eternal rewards credited to his account because of his righteousness before God. These rewards are what Paul referred to in his letter to the church at Corinth.

"Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

Notice that these rewards are not necessarily immediate rewards but rather rewards to be given to us at the end of the age. Jesus confirms this when, referring to His own coming again, He says, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." (Revelation 22:12)

There are two lessons we can learn from these rewards. First, the one who ministers and the one who receives are the same. The same reward is given to the prophet as is given to the one who receives the prophet. The prophet is not greater than the one who receives him even though the one receiving him may not be a prophet himself. Those who minister are not greater than those who receive, they both receive the same reward from God. We sometimes believe that the great men and women of God are special, but the truth is that, in God's eyes, everyone who receives Him, either in service or in receiving those sent to server, are the same and are both worthy of the same reward. This should help us to not minimize our value before God just because we may not have a ministry of our own and also to keep us humble if we do have a ministry, remembering that we are not greater than the people we server.

The second lesson is, it does not matter who we are receiving if we are receiving them in the Lord. When we receive a person because they are sent by God or because they are God's, we are receiving God. When we receive the prophet sent by God we are receiving the one who sent Him. When we receive a disciple of God then we are receiving the God who is his master. What matters is not the stature or prominence of the one we are receiving, but the name in which we are receiving them; what matters is not man but God. No matter who it is, if we receive them in the Lord, then we have a reward. This is what Jesus meant when he told the parable of the sheep and the goats. At the end of the age the King of Glory will assign rewards to the sheep.

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'" (Matthew 25:37-40)

When we receive someone in the name of the Lord, event though they be among the least, we receive the Lord and we have our rewards.

So how do we receive someone in the name of the Lord? Paul tells us,

"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

The key is not to receive anyone according to the flesh; based on how they look, how smart they are, their position in the church or community, etc. Rather we should look with the eyes of the spirit to see the new creature they have become in Christ. Previously they may have been a thief or an immoral person but now they are the righteousness of God in Christ. In the flesh they may be lowly and of no esteem, but in Christ they are choice and precious in His site. To receive someone in the name of the Lord is to receive them with the eyes and heart of God; to see and receive them as God does. When we do this, our reward in heaven is sure.

David Robison

receive, reward, The Robe, Matthew, David Robison

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The Message of the Cross: What's in it for God

We often think of the Bible as God's message for us. We read it to find out what God has given us. For many, the Bible has become their personal promise box. Our whole perspective of the word of God is how it relates to ourselves and not to God. However, the Bible is as much a record of what God has done for Himself as it is a record of what He has done for us. Jesus died on the cross not only for what it would do for us but also for what He would gain through the cross. Jesus went to the cross not only for us but also for Himself; that He might purchase something for Himself.

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)

Jesus went to the cross because of the Joy that was set before Him. He knew that something would be accomplished through the cross that would bring Him great joy and it was because of the hope of this joy that He endured the cross and its shame. So what was that Joy? It was not just that we might be saved but that He might have us with Him.

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

Jesus was not content to conquer death Himself but His desire was that through the cross many would conquer death and that, as a result, he would have many brethren. "For which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, 'I will proclaim your name to my brethren.'" (Hebrews 2:11-12) The Joy that lead Jesus to the Cross was not the hope of His own glory and honor but us. Jesus hoped to win us for Himself through His death on the cross and that hope was his joy.

"Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:14)

Through His death on the cross Jesus purchased us for Himself. We cannot receive the things Jesus provided for us through the cross until we first become His. Jesus purchased us and it is only as His that we can receive the benefits of the cross.

Jesus died for us to have us. Jesus does not want our scarifies, our works, or even our worship, He first and foremost wants us; that we might be His people, that we might be His brethren. Our journey through the cross begins by becoming His and continues as we learn to discover the things He has provided for us through His love.

David Robison

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The Message of the Cross: What's in it for me (part 2)

In the last post in this series we looked at some of the things that are ours because of the cross. Here are a few more.

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Through Jesus' death on the cross we have been made righteous; not a righteousness based on the law but one based on faith. "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4) This righteousness is by faith in that it is not based on our own good works; we are righteous apart from keeping the law. This is what Paul meant when he said,

"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. " (Romans 9:30-32)

This is not to say that our behavior is not important, but only that we do not obey the law to become righteous rather we seek to live righteously to express the righteousness of Christ that we have already become. We are made righteous by faith and now called to live out that righteousness with God and man.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" —  in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)

Not only are we given a righteousness that is not based upon the law but we have also been freed from the law that we might live according to the law of Christ. Jesus came to establish a new covenant with mankind. However, we are not free to join ourselves with the new covenant as long as we are bound to the old.

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:4-6)

Jesus freed us from the law not by abolishing the law but by fulfilling it, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17) and by paying the price for our sins that the law demands. Because Jesus died for us on the cross we are now free to live for Him in a new covenant.

"'Behold, days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,' declares the Lord. 'But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 'They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,' declares the Lord, 'for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.'" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

More to come... David Robison

cross, righteousness, faith, the robe, David Robison

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How to be perfect as God is perfect: Mt 5:48

"Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

As Christians we are very comfortable talking about God's holiness and even how we have been made righteous in Christ, but when it comes to talking about our own holiness, righteousness, and perfection, we tend to be silent. We know God is holy and we know we are the righteousness of God in Christ, but we are not often sure about our own personal holiness. God wants us to be perfect, not only as accounted to us in Christ, but as an outward expression of the righteousness we are inside. God wants our outward behavior to express the inward righteousness we have been granted in Christ.

So how do we achieve or become perfect? One key is to identify in what ways God is perfect and then to imitate Him in His perfection.

"So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45)

One of the ways that God shows His perfection is in how He loves people. God loves people not because they are good or deserving but rather because they are His; He loves them because they are created in His image. There is a common blessing and favor that God showers upon all mankind, the righteous and the unrighteous alike. God is not sectarian; He loves all. If we are to be perfect then we must emulate God's perfection in His love.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:43-48)

If we are to be perfect then we must love people, not because they are lovable or worth of love, but because they are God's. We must not see our world as "us against them" but that we are all one; we are all the same, we are all made in His image. This is not to say that there is not a difference between the family of faith and the family of disobedience, but rather our love and care for people should be without regard to whether or not the agree with us, believe like us, behave as we do, or are as worthy and deserving as we are; we should love people as people made in God's image. When we do this then we are, in part, showing forth the perfection of God. John said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave..." (John 3:16) Let this be said of us as well.

David Robison

perfection, love, The Robe, David Robison

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Isaiah 57:1-2 and the Rapture

Several years ago I blogged on the following passage in Isaiah:

“The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; and devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, he enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one who walked in his upright way.” (Isaiah 57:1-2)

Recently I received an interesting comment on that scripture and my discussion of it.

I think the statement means exactly what it says. The righteous will perish (vanish) and no one will take notice. It is the first rapture. The "Church of Philadelphia, the only church which Christ had no problem with, would not have to suffer the miseries of tribulation, and would become the pillars of heaven, and they would not have to ever leave. The 'righteous' I believe, are the Church of Philadelphia. We are instructed to "pray that we be found worthy to be taken" which I believe refers to all of the above.

I felt that this comment was worthy of a response and have chosen to do so as separate post.

First, I must confess that, while I believe in the Rapture and in the tribulation at the end of the age, I believe that the Rapture will occur at the end of the tribulation and not before; I do not believe in a "pre-trib" rapture. But more on that later.

First, we must understand that there are three different ways, or modes, by which we may interpret scriptures. First, there is the literal and historical interpretation. For example, in this scripture Isaiah describes the events in Israel where the wicked have increased and the people no longer give any attention to righteousness. They are on the brink of becoming a totally godless society, and no one even gives it a thought. Secondly, there can be a proverbial interpretation. This type of interpretation looks for parallels or principles from the literal and historical interpretation that we may take and apply to our lives and our world today. This is what Paul meant when he said, "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (1 Corinthians 10:11) From this scripture in Isaiah we can begin to see the dangers if we allow our nations to forsake God and instead turn to become increasingly more secular in our society and government. Thirdly is an allegorical interpretation. This interpretation looks for signs and figures in the scripture that refer to some hidden or secret truth. For example when Paul wrote, "Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children." (Galatians 4:25) Allegorical interpretations have, at times in the past, been very popular with certain sects within the christian church.

In responding to this verse in Isaiah and the one in Revelations referring to the church at Philadelphia, the questioner is posing an allegorical interpretation to these verses. Along with the questioner, I too believe that they mean exactly what they say, however, what they are exactly saying is still in question. The problem with an allegorical interpretation is knowing which allegorical interpretation is correct. For example, if agreeing with the questioner that perish could also be translated vanish (although I am not sure the Hebrew supports that), we could just as rightly propose an allegorical interpretation that God will make all Christians invisible. Such an interpretation fits the passage as well as supposing that it is referring to a pre-trib rapture. The other problem with allegorical interpretations is deciding if such an interpretation is called for or not. For example, how do we know the message to the church in Philadelphia is meant to have an allegorical interpretation for us today? We certainly can see a literal historical and even a proverbial interpretation, but did Jesus ever intend us to find an allegorical interpretation in His message to the church at Philadelphia?

That being said, should we expect that these two scriptures may be allegorically apply to a pre-trib rapture? Concerning the scripture in Isaiah, it says that the righteous parish and no man takes it to heart. It is hard to imagine that, with the rapture and the taking of millions if not billions of Christians, the world should not notice nor take it to heart; even if it is only to increase in their anger and rage towards God, for this rapture will not be done in secret, but openly as Paul says, "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." (1 Thessalonians 4:16) Also, concerning the scripture in Revelations, if the qualification for the Philadelphia church to escape the hour of testing was that God had nothing to correct them about, then if this same reasoning is to be applied to the churches that are to escape the tribulation, then which churches are to escape? Since it seems to me that presently there are few if any churches that would have nothing for which Christ could not correct them for. Even if we are to say that the church of Philadelphia is to be allegorically applied to the church universal in the day of the rapture then why should we expect that we are the church of Philadelphia and not one of the other seven churches, say Laodicea, except for our desire to escape tribulation.

In whole, I do not believe in a pre-tribpre-trib rapture.

Thanks again for your comment, David Robison

rapture

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