Studies

The Raising Up of Gideon

For Our Admonition Part 15

“The Raising Up of Gideon”

Key Verses:  Jdg 6:11 – 6:27

 

We continue with the events of Judge Gideon who is being raised up to deliver Israel of the Midianites nations that have invaded and impoverished the land.  As we saw in our last study this bondage to and our deliverance from these nations are all parables of our personal and inward battle with our own flesh (Mat 10:36).  We are living by every Word (Mat 4:4).

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;

Gideon delivers a mighty deliverance in Israel but before this can take place, Gideon is being prepared to lead the war. We will see more detail on the preparing of Gideon than the other judges of Israel which is instructive to how we are found by the Lord and called up to be judges in our own time within the Kingdom of God (Luk 17:21, 1Co 10:11).  After first sending a prophet to prepare the way, a mightier one (Jdg 6:8, Mat 3:11), an angel of the Lord is sent to Gideon.

Jdg 6:11  And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 

Jdg 6:12  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour

 This angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ who has come to call Gideon (me and you) into His service in delivering Israel through judgment.  This preparation takes time as we have to be converted or regenerated first.  All these events in Judges being a shadow of the true regeneration to come.

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Gideon was already searching for the truth of God’s word to feed the hunger and zeal the Lord puts into us all before He actually appears.  That is what threshing of wheat speaks of as we labor to find the truth and feed our impoverished spirit.   The fact this is done in a winepress reflects the oppression Gideon is feeling as judgment has already come to his house (1Pe 4:17).

Gideon is not yet a mighty man of valor, having not yet done anything of merit to date.  Yet a pillar of truth that will get us through challenging times is to see it how the Lord sees things.

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

 Meaning of Gideon

Gideon, a Manassite, is found in the city of Ophrah.  Ophrah means dusty fawn or a young deer/roe.  Being in Ophrah [comes from H6082] is a symbol of our spiritual youth and immaturity when we first meet Christ and the angel comes to us.  In this state of “dusty” maturity, we are yet carnal and will be sitting under our own tree.  All men are likened to trees in Scriptures and all that come to Christ are being found sitting under their own tree (mindset) serving God in the flesh before we are being converted and given the mind of Christ (1Co 2:16) and submit to the multitude of counselors in the living Christ.

Mic 4:4  But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Mic 4:5  For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Christ is the true vine, but we are not being able to sit under Him and abide in Him until our day of visitation, which is the day the angels find us sitting under our own tree.

Gideon means warrior and is derived from the word used to define a feller or a hewer as in trees.  Cutting down large trees is exactly what judging Israel does as the old man’s mindset and our idols of our hearts (the wood) is all burned up by the axe and the fire (Pro 26:20).  Fellers uses axes and that is what the judges of Jesus Christ are in the day of the Lord within us and in the life of our brethren.  It is with Gideon and all the judges of Israel that the Midianites are being destroyed, and peace and rest restored to the Promised Land.

Mat 3:10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Jer 51:20  Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;

Iron sharpening iron (Pro 27:17) is an axe head sharpening an axe head and that is how we all are being remade and matured in the ways of God.

Gideon is also the son of Joash the Abiezrite.  These many levels of information are all relevant and add to our understanding.  Joash [H3101] traces back to Jehoash which means a fiery son of GodAn Abiezrite [H33] is a descendant of Abiezer [H44] which comes from root words that mean helper or father of help.  Righteous judges in Israel back then and today (in the Body of Christ) are warriors, fiery sons of God and helpers/servants of one another.

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Meeting the angel of the Lord is a type of Christ being born within us who will deliver Israel of the Midianites.

Isa 9:4  For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

Isa 9:5  For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

All chosen by the Lord are given a new name in Christ (Isa 62:2, Rev 2:17, Rev 3:12).  That is the pattern of Scripture including: Saul to Paul, Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter (Cephas), and later as Gideon grows in faith he is known as Jerubbaal after his first conquest. Gideon’s father, Joash, gives him a new name after his first conquest in throwing down the altar of Baal.

Jdg 6:32  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Let Baal contend is what this means and the significance for us is once anointed and sent by the Lord we will henceforth be contending against Baal and the wicked and carnal world within and without.

We see the immaturity of Gideon immediately manifest in the questions and later the signs Gideon asks which are the same questions and requests we have in our day of Midian.

Jdg 6:13  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 

Jdg 6:14  And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 

Jdg 6:15  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

What is impossible with man is possible with the Lord.  First off we can see that Gideon does not yet see the Lord’s hand in all things and in particular the evil oppression that was in Israel.  To the young and immature being delivered into the hands of our enemies after being delivered from the bondage of the world (Egypt) and seeing many great signs and wonders does not make sense.

Hab 1:3  Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Hab 1:4  Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

To destroy flesh and our dependency on it, Habakkuk (Hab 2:4) and we are learning to live by faith and that is the purpose of Israel being vexed by our own flesh.

Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 

Our flesh and carnal lusts are all part of the Lord’s sword/rod (Psa 17:13, Isa 10:5) used against us, our old man and sinful nature to humble us and correct us into obedience by our own innate wickedness (Jer 2:19, Eze 36:27).

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

2Sa 12:11  Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

We can do nothing apart from Christ and being in bondage to our flesh and the Midianites and Moabites within, leads us to call upon the Lord. Hence the Lord is working all things for good, even the evil within us.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The second thing we notice in Gideon’s reaction to the Angel is that he like everyone chosen of the Lord never feels worthy.  It is because we are NOT WORTHY of ourselves.  We are only worthy by the power and Spirit of Christ that has been freely given to us.

1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

The list of witnesses to not feeling worthy is very long with the Patriarchs, many of the prophets and even the first King of Israel.

Exo 4:10  And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

1Sa 9:21  And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?

God’s chosen are indeed Jesus Christ but not by themselves.  We are only Jesus Christ if we are connected to the Body of Christ, the living church, who has as their Head the Lord.  It is through this ONE MAN and ONE MIND that the Midianites are being smitten.

Jdg 6:16  And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man

This one man is Jesus Christ. Being knitted (woven) together in love by our trials, the Pro 31 “virtuous woman” that is The Christ is also the one man under the headship of the Lord.  That is how the true Israel confronts evil and fights the fight of faith and delivers the land.

Jdg 20:11  So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man. 

1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Eph 5:31  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

It is a house divided that shall not stand (Satan and the carnal mind).  The mind of Christ is united in ONENESS with the Lord and God, the Father (Eph 2:18).

Having been given the battle objective of smiting the Midianites as one man, Gideon ask for his first sign to bolster his faith and do something to feel worthy of this calling.

Jdg 6:17  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. 

Jdg 6:18  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. 

Jdg 6:19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 

Jdg 6:20  And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 

Jdg 6:21  Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 

An immature “yet carnal” mindset (an adulterous and evil generation), one that has not yet been through the baptism by fire, is always asking for a sign to help them believe.

Mat 12:39  But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The number three signifies the process of our spiritual maturity which comes by fiery trials (1Pe 4:13) and many tribulations (Act 14:22).  The only sign given by the Lord is the sign that judgment is now on those of the Household of faith (1Pe 4:17), who are the Temple of the living God (1Co 3:16).  The sign of Jonah is being encompassed by our flesh (the Midianites) in similar language to the more familiar Psalm 107.

Jon 2:3  For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Jon 2:4  Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

Jon 2:5  The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

Jon 2:6  I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

Jon 2:7  When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

The Lord takes time to prepare us for service and drag us to Him little by little.  The Angel agrees to tarry and wait for Gideon to prepare himself by bringing his own offering.  Gideon returns bringing a kid of a goat symbolizing his dedication to the Lord.  Kids are to be sacrificed as a sin offering in many parts of the Law including monthly offerings and the feast of Tabernacles.

Num 29:11  One kid of the goats for a sin offering; beside the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

A kid is a young goat, signifying again the trials and baptisms that lie ahead as Gideon and we progress to offering up bullocks and ultimately our whole being as we learn to walk by the law of faith versus the self-righteous law of Moses (the letter).  The Lord’s Temple must be consecrated and prepared for service by these offerings.  The OT ritual is just a shadow of the New Testament reality that our life must be sacrificed as the second sacrifice for sin (Lev 16).

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your divine service.

The offering is laid upon the Rock which is Christ.  That is how the Lord builds His Church (Mat 16:18) and is the foundation the elect lay and build upon by faith.

1Co 3:11  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Laying down our lives is the old man being boiled in the broth which is the fiery Word and water of the Word that is sanctifying us.  That life is being poured out upon the altar (cross) as we die daily with Christ.  Then we can be used of the Lord and His Glory fills the house.

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.

Gideon’s offering is touched by the rod that is the Word of God and fire which consumes the offering. Thus, we see how sacrificing ourselves is how the old man and carnal mind (the wood) is going to be consumed by the Lord (Heb 12:29).  This tarrying for this sacrifice and the bringing of fire upon it is a type and shadow of the NT reality of how we must wait on the Lord to endue us with power before we are sent to do battle.

Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Seeing the fire begin to work in our heavens opens our eyes and we begin to see the spiritual truths of God’s Word.  This is a mighty sign of Jonas indeed when we have seen a fire handling and speaking Angel of the Lord (Rev 14:18, Rev 19:10, Jer 5:14).

Jdg 6:22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 

Jdg 6:23  And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 

Jdg 6:24  Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 

The Angel speaks comfort and peace to Gideon (the new man) similar to these words.

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

This was Gideon’s initial participation in a baptism.  There are many steps and progressions of baptisms that are all part of the ONE Baptism (Eph 4:5, Mat 3:11) that is, was and will be saving us in our day of the Lord (Midian).

Mar 16:16  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

An altar is where Israel gave gifts and offerings to the Lord.  The living sacrifices of the Lord are consecrated (dedicated) before the Lord.  Under the law of faith, that altar is none other than the cross of Jesus Christ where we go to die with Him so we can live with Him.

Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

An altar is the place of our gifts and offerings.  Gideon is already progressing in faith and as he quickly builds an altar dedicated to the Lord and names it Jehovahalom which means Jehovah is peace.  This altar is in Ophrah to this day tells and tells of the importance of establishing peace with God by dedicating ourselves to His Word.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (The Word)

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

Like Gideon, our offerings and altar building, both progress as we mature in the faith.  The ultimate and final altar we are building for the Lord is the cross.

Rev 6:9  And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Our sanctification, the cleansing of the Promised Land within, including the purging of the Midianites, is going to require Gideon (and us) to give everything we have.

Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Gideon is settled and at peace in this early stage of his spiritual maturity.  The Lord immediately tries his faith and sends him to tear down the altars of Baal and build an altar to the Lord in its place.  This is the most basic beginnings of spiritual warfare to replace the lies of our hearts with the Truth.

Jdg 6:25  And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 

Jdg 6:26  And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. 

Jdg 6:27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 

 Gideon’s first test of faith is to tear down the altars dedicated to Baal and build a new altar on the rock that is Jesus Christ.  We will see Gideon’s immaturity again when the time comes to be a doer of the Word.  He still feared men and was not yet able to tear down Baal’s altars in the daytime but only in the night.  We will Lord willing, pick the story up here next study.

Sincere questions and comments are always welcome.  You can also email me directly at peterjwilson56@gmail.com.  Be pleased to be a helper of your joy (2Co 1:24).

Articles

Everlasting Fire Prepared For Satan

ZOI ASKS: Actually is a request. please explain to me Matthew 25:41. You seem to be saying that Satan and his angels will all eventually be saved?

ANSWER: Sure ZOI. Matthew 25:41 is a verse the orthodox church and carnal translators have no clue what is actually being said. They take this verse to contradict scores of others Scriptures that make clear ALL MEN shall be saved in the appointed times of the Lord.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of ALL men, specially of those that believe.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall ALL be made alive.

Luk 3:6 And ALL flesh shall see the salvation of God.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE world.

Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL men unto me.

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make ALL things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Of course there are also very many witnesses to the salvation of all even in the Old Testament.  It is the most basic principle of the true gospel, the very milk by which we can thereby begin to grow.

Gen 12:3  I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you ALL the families of the earth shall be blessed

Gen 26:4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed ALL the nations of the earth shall be blessed

All of these words like all Scripture are spirit and their meanings are known from the sum of God’s word.

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture at all is becoming its own explanation

The Lord has purposefully hid the truth and requires His Elect who He alone equips with ears to hear and eyes to see to go dig out the truth.  The Elect are the kings and priests of the Lord and to whom the Scriptures are written.

Pro 25:2  It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Pro 1:23  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

So the problem is when we are yet carnal and influenced by the lies/false doctrines of Babylon (i.e. eating leavened bread), we will take Mattthew 25:41 all by itself and forget about all the other Scriptures that make perfectly clear all men shall be saved.  Our carnal minds and deceitful hearts will invent lies and false doctrines for us to build or keep within a following of men.  This is prophesied for us all to do as man will live by every word of God, even these in the appointed times.

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread (invent and believe our own doctrines)  and wear our own apparel (self righteousness in need of NO repentance) : only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Another Jesus

When this verse from Matthew 25:41 is taken to mean God burns people in eternal hell fire you have another jesus because that is not what it means at all.  This verse speaks to God’s plan to save everyone and everything through fire with all but His Elect being saved in the ages to come in the lake of fire.  The consuming fire that God is, is not a unmerciful madman who will burn 99% of his creation in eternal hellfire without end.  The fire of God is always used for the good of the new man and the detriment of the old man within all of us.  This posts speaks to some essential truths about what the fire of God represents.

http://truthinscripture.com/2014/07/13/the-consuming-fire-of-god/

All these words “left hand”, “cursed”, “everlasting” and “angels” all have deeper meanings, convey consistent macro biblical truths and are blatantly misunderstood by the orthodox churches.  God’s  way are indeed foolishness to the carnal mind and the world as a whole.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Take for example the word AIONIOUS (G166) shown as “everlasting” from Matthew 25:41.

Mat 25:41  ThenG5119 shall he sayG2046 alsoG2532 unto themG3588 onG1537 the left hand,G2176 DepartG4198 fromG575 me,G1700 ye cursed,G2672 intoG1519 everlastingG166 fire,G4442 preparedG2090 for theG3588 devilG1228 andG2532 hisG846 angels:G32

It should say an age abiding period of time which means it has a defined beginning and a defined end according to God’s purposes.  All one has to do is just look at the usage of this word and its root AION and the truth that this word does not always mean eternal is quite clear.  

Satan is the father of the carnally minded

Another extremely important truth is to know who are Satan’s messengers or angels.  To who is this verse really referring to.  It most definitely is referring to Satan, the father of lie; yet it also mentions Satan’s angels which is all of us when we are yet carnal and not able to overcome the carnal minds and thoughts within us.  We see this where Christ rebuked the then carnal, pre-conversion Peter for his unbelief and statement that Christ did not need to suffer.  That is what all of our carnal minds will say when we first begin to understand the path for God’s Elect.

Mat 16:23  But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

All of us when we are carnally minded are spiritually dead, the very way we are born and will stay until the Lord comes to us the second time for salvation apart from sin.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The same principle applies to the word translated as angel in Matthew 25:41.  That word is used interchangeably with the word MESSENGER which is a much better translation for the reader to understand the truth in this verse.  Please do yourself a favor and go research the use of the word angel and messenger in both the OT and NT and hopefully you will dig out the truth the Lord has hidden from carnal eyes.

All men (you, me, everyone) are first carnally minded and are of our father the devil despite our outward displays of religion and righteousness. At this time we cannot hear the words of Christ even though we think we are spiritual. This is all of us until the day the Lord comes a second time without sin for salvation in our inward heavens. Then we shall hear Him and will be transformed into a son of God. But until that day, we are just a religious beast thinking we know the Lord and serve Him but have no clue. Jesus spoke these words to all of us and in our appointed times we will hear them and understand them.  Before then we will not understand because we cannot hear His words that are spirit.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil (THE DEVILS MESSENGERS, THE DEVILS ANGELS), and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

When one cannot hear His speech, their day of judgment is yet future as one is not judged unless and until they can hear the words of God spiritually. Only the Lord can do that… NO FREE WILL INVOLVED, it is all the Lord’s doing.

Pro 20:12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

It is the Lord’s plan to only give His Elect ears to hear and eyes to see and to blind everyone else.  It has never changed.

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded  (every body else but the few chosen)

Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

The whole world does not understand, they cannot understand as it simply has not been given to them to understand.  Those that believe and teach we by our own initiative can teach ourselves the mysteries of the kingdom are nothing more than messengers of Satan spewing lies in the name of the Lord.   All of orthodox Christianity is in this camp.  They see physically and perceive not spiritually and hear physically but hear not spiritually.  The blind leading the blind.

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (THE CARNALLY MINDED) it is not given.
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The carnally minded cannot hear the words of the Lord.  They cannot understand the Scriptures and while they claim to see and claim to hear, they do not understand His speech and one day will be thrown into the lake of fire when their day of salvation comes.

So when you realize angels and messengers are the same word and that is what Mat 25:41 is referring to (Go search the word messenger and angel), then you will see that the words of Matthew 25:41 are merely Christ telling us what we see elsewhere in the Scriptures. Namely that those not in the blessed and first resurrection will all go into the lake of fire to be saved.

Judgment is the way salvation comes

The lies of Babylon, aka orthodox Christianity, have one believing the salvation means getting a pass and not having to go thru the judgment of God against our sins.  Not true, in fact the very opposite is the truth.

Exo 6:6  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

No man enters into Christ, who is the temple any other way despite what you have been taught.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

And of course, judgment begins with His Elect, God’s own chosen few, in this age.  The rest will not be judged until their resurrection and then they will go into the lake of fire to be judged.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The Lake of Fire:  The greatest act of grace ever

If one can be given to understand what grace really is and see that it is the trials, it is the chastening of the Lord that comes to every son the Lord receives,  then a lot of scales will come off their eyes and they will begin to see.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

The fact is the Lord is not now saving many, only the few chosen.  That is what the plan for the lake of fire is, it is the way the Lord will save all mankind and destroy the spirit of Satan that is within every man.  

1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, [the fire that saves and purifies us] where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

God’s Elect will be the judges and will judge these “angels”

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? (Satan’s messengers) how much more things that pertain to this life?

Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (i.e. All men in the lake of fire)

FIRE from the mouth of God’s Elect is the lake of fire. That is what destroys the wood and consumes the adversaries of God.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Christ is the savior of the world. But who is Christ? Christ is HIS BODY. As His Father sent Him, so sends Christ His Christ.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Saviours will come upon Mt. Zion and will save Esau (those yet carnal) in the lake of fire.

Oba 1:21 And saviours (the body of Christ) shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

This all is a wonderful picture of hope for the future. But when one has the log of eternal torment and free will in their eyes, they have zero chance to see it unless the Lord mercifully pulls those logs from their eyes. I hope you can see this but Matthew 25:41 has nothing to do with eternal hell fire, and everything to do with the process and plans for how God will save ALL MANKIND

1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1Ti 4:11 These things command and teach.

Salvation of All

The salvation of all is sure, it only awaits the Lord’s timing

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

The salvation of all is even the will of God Almighty.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

And we know the Lord gets His will done.  He depends not on the will of any man.

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

And ultimately even hell (hades) and death will be cast into this lake of fire and all men, creatures shall be saved. NO EXCEPTIONS, that is HIS WILL

Rev 20:13 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.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And here is a vision of that glorious event.  This is the event that will save everyone but God’s Elect.

Rev 5:13 And every creature (even Satan and all spirits) which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Satan Serves the Lord and His Purposes Perfectly

Every creature includes Satan. Contrary to another lie of the orthodox church, Satan did not rebel against God, He was made a crooked serpent on purpose and only served the Lord’s plan to be the adversary.

Job 26:13 By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of yourfather the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, (he was not in charge of music in a physical heaven then rebelled against the Lord) and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

If you have a sincere interest in knowing the truth, please read more on this site or the links under BLOG ROLL or please email me with questions. My email is peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Coming to see the salvation of all is the sincere MILK of the word one must get right to have any chance to grow in the true faith and come out of the lies of Babylon.

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk (eonian judgment of Hebrews 6, i.e. the salvation of all men) of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

We all have to first be shown that all we knew was a lie and that we were blind as bats all the while claiming we see before our salvation will come.  We have to wait until our day of judgment and when we will be given ears to hear the words that will judge us in the last day.

YOUR BROTHER IN CHRIST,   PETE