(Written for the perfection of faith)

-by Brod Andy –

It might be a surprise to most former Worldwide Church of God (WCG) members scattered today in various churches of God that a subject as elementary as the tree of life is written about at this point in our spiritual journey. Why? Will a new understanding about this subject affect one’s personal salvation and reward in the kingdom of God? Maybe not! But this will certainly serve as a measuring tool for one or two of the following: 1) our character and spiritual maturity; 2) our willingness to continue growing in Christ’s grace and knowledge; 3) our ability to build on the foundation laid before us; 4) our love for the truth; and 5) our desire to be perfect in the things we believe and uphold. Moreover, a new and accurate understanding about the tree of life just before Christ’s return is important because without it man can’t gain eternal life.

Growing in Knowledge and Holding Fast

Before we continue, it is necessary that we discuss two scriptures that appear to be opposed to each other. This is critical because it has caused division to God’s people and hindered many to grow in knowledge and understanding due to their belief that at the death of Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) the church should just hold fast to what they already have learned and reject any new truth or understanding. Those who just hold fast rely on Christ’s words in Revelation 3: 11 quoted below:

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Rev 3:11) 

Those who believe otherwise depend on 2Peter 3:18 which clearly states,

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2Pe 3:18) 

Of course these two scriptures quoted above are all God’s words and true. But why is it that they oppose each other? Actually, they don’t and there should have been no problem to the church if not for the misunderstanding of Revelation 3:11. With hindsight on our side, it is not difficult to understand that this verse has a prophetic element and a warning that in the end-time, just before the great tribulation (verse 10), deception and falling away would come to the church through the man of sin (2Thess. 2:1-4) riding on the white horse (Rev. 6:1-2) therefore we have to hold fast to the truth that we have. However, this warning in Revelation 3:11 was never meant to be a hindrance to growing in new knowledge and understanding. And definitely it was not meant to perpetuate erroneous understanding or teachings that might be uncovered after overcoming the deception. In fact the apostle Peter has a warning for those who are just holding fast and not growing in knowledge. This can very apply to our situation since the death of HWA.

“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.  (18)  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2Pe 3:17-18) 

Yes, we can very much fall from our steadfastness if we refuse to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The “error of the wicked” could be in a form of a belief that every truth we need to know was already revealed to HWA and therefore all we must do is simply hold fast with them. This is one of the reasons why we have divisions and splits in a supposedly one church of God under Christ. Growing in grace and knowledge and holding fast to the truth should not oppose but embrace and support each other.

If we can’t grow in knowledge and understanding of God’s words, how can we build upon the foundation laid before us by the apostles and the prophets, HWA among them as end-time Elijah and apostle? We can’t! Hence, we would be remiss in our collective responsibility to add to the body of spiritual knowledge we have when HWA died. Instead of growing, the church stagnates or even backslides. But we are told to build on the foundation that those ahead of us have laid in the church of which Jesus Christ is the chief founder. We read,   

“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.  (9)  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  (10)  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  (11)  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1Co 3:8-11) 

What shall we do? Let’s find the answer from apostle Paul.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:15) 

We all belong to one church when HWA died and so there is no reason why we can’t study and learn together and build upon the foundation laid before us.

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  (19)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  (20)  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:” (Eph 2:18-21) 

Together, the apostles and the prophets, built upon the words of the Lord God who became our Lord Jesus Christ and laid the foundation of the church.

“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.  (10)  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  (11)  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  (12)  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  (13)  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1Co 3:9-13) 

Together we can also build upon that foundation, careful only that we don’t build it on a different foundation that Christ did not lay.

Be Ready for an Answer

Christ’s disciples are required and expected to continue growing in grace and spiritual knowledge (2Pet. 3:18) based on the inspired writings of the apostles and the prophets and the words of Christ found in the scriptures. The apostle Paul has written for us today through Timothy to study and show ourselves approved unto God as a workman that should not be ashamed, able to handle correctly God’s truth (2Tim 2:1). The apostle Peter has also written that we should sanctify the Lord God in our hearts and be always ready to give an answer to those who seek for a reason of the hope that is in us (1Pet. 3:15). That hope in us is very much associated with the tree of life. This is the tree that in the beginning God planted in the garden of Eden. Had Adam and Eve eaten from this tree the history and course of the world we live would have been different. What do we know about this tree today? What do we understand? What if somebody asks us the following questions, how shall we answer them?   

1. Has anyone ever been begotten with God’s Holy Spirit before Jesus Christ became flesh?
2. Was Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, able to eat from the tree of life? Was he a begotten son of God? How did he become righteous?
3. Is anyone living today a begotten child of God? Has he or she eaten of the tree of life? Will he or she never die?
4. Can one be filled with God’s Holy Spirit and yet not God’s begotten? Was John the Baptist a begotten son of God?
5. Does the tree of life symbolize both eternal life and God’s Holy Spirit?
6. Should the tree of life be given to eat of at the beginning of one’s spiritual journey or at the end if successful?
7. If knowledge of good and evil was the cause of Adam’s and Eve’s death, what was in it? Is knowledge of good and evil deadly? Doesn’t God have knowledge of good and evil too?

Answering the above questions might be difficult but certainly could help us take a fresh look at the tree of life and enhance our understanding and belief.

Since what we learned about the tree of life came from the teachings of HWA let us review and examine them and determine how they could be fortified to strengthen our building. And so let’s take a fresh look at them, here they are: 

1. From The Incredible Human Potential, pp. 74-75

      “Actually and literally, Adam, as yet was ‘not all there’. The spirit of man was in him – but not the Spirit of God. God offered him freely the fruits of the TREE OF LIFE – which symbolized God’s Holy Spirit. Taking of the tree of life would have done two things: (1) opened his eyes to comprehend spiritual knowledge, and (2) imparted within him the GIFT of God’s Holy Spirit, leading to ETERNAL LIFE. But when God explained to him the Kingdom of God, Adam disbelieved what God said and disobeyed – SINNED. Then what?

      “And the (ETERNAL) God said … and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the (ETERNAL) God send him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned everyway, to keep the way of the tree of life. (Gen. 3:22-24).” 

• From the Mystery of the Ages, pp. 116-117 

“But God offered to him immortal life through this symbolic tree of LIFE. God did not urge or compel him to take it – he merely made it freely accessible. Adam could eat all of the trees of the garden except the one forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“What if Adam had taken of the tree of LIFE? You probably never heard that question answered. The symbolic tree is offered today to those called and drawn by God to Jesus Christ. There is one difference between the original Adam and the called Christian. Adam had not yet sinned and no repentance was necessary if he had chosen the tree of life. Otherwise the repentant and believing Spirit-begotten Christian is in the same position Adam would have been had he taken of the tree of life.

“Adam would have received the Holy Spirit of God to unite with his human spirit. The man was not mentally or spiritually complete until receiving the Spirit of God. This would have united him mentally and spiritually, with God. He would have been begotten as a child of God, just as is the converted Spirit-begotten Christian. He would have received the Holy Spirit of God to join with his human spirit, begetting him as son of God, imparting to him the earnest of immortal life, and making him at one with God.”

• From the Mystery of the Ages, pp. 129-130 

“Consider! When God drove Adam and Eve out from the Garden of Eden, he set angels to bar mankind from reentering. Suppose the Eternal had left the gate open? Man had already turned to sin. What would have happened? Probably the whole world of sinning mankind would have surged back in to take of that tree of LIFE! Without any repentance – without even faith in God or in Christ – mankind would have helped himself to RECEIVING ETERNAL LIFE.

• From the Missing Dimension in Sex, p. 13

“Notice what is symbolized here. The tree of life symbolized eternal life.”

• From the Missing Dimension in Sex, p. 15

“To have taken the tree of life was merely symbolic of receiving the GIFT of God’s Holy Spirit, the very love of God (Rom. 5:5) which FULFILLS this spiritual LAW (Rom. 13:10) and which God gives only to those who OBEY HIS LAWS (Acts 5:32).”

In summary, based on the above excerpts, we learned the following:

1. The tree of life symbolizes the Holy Spirit of God.
2. Taking of the tree of life: (a) is symbolic of receiving the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, the very love of God which fulfills God’s spiritual law of love; (b) would have opened the eyes of Adam and Eve to comprehend spiritual knowledge; and (c) would have imparted within Adam (and Eve) the gift of God’s Holy Spirit leading to eternal life.
3. The tree of life symbolizes eternal life.
4. If the gate to the tree of life were open to sinning mankind, man would have helped himself to receiving eternal life, without repentance, without even faith in God or in Jesus Christ.

First of the Begotten?

We asked earlier,      

Has anyone ever been begotten with God’s Holy Spirit before Jesus Christ became flesh? Was Abel able to eat from the tree of life? Was he a begotten son of God? How did he become righteous?

In the faith chapter of the book of Hebrews we find Abel first in the list of those found faithful to God. Being the second son of Adam and Eve, Abel should be the first ever that God considered to be righteous because the first son Cain had also displeased God as their parents did. There is very little we could know about Abel from the scriptures but considering that he was righteous, he must have eaten from the tree of life and begotten with God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore, he must be first of the begotten of God with His Holy Spirit. That is, if we go by what we learned from HWA about the tree of life. But how could that be? Didn’t the Lord God place at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned everyway, to prevent anyone access to the tree of life (Gen. 3:24)?  Did the Cherubims allow Abel entry to the tree of life but not to Cain? Why didn’t they allow both sons so that both could be begotten and made righteous? In all likelihood both Cain and Abel were not allowed access to the tree of life. But how did Abel become righteous and Cain not?

“That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.” (Mat 23:35) 

To appreciate our answer to this question, let us consider other personalities that God found righteous in His sight. After the death of Abel, Eve gave birth to another son whom she called Seth being a replacement to Abel. To Seth a son called Enos was also born and, the scripture says, it was after the birth of Enos that men began to call upon the name of the Lord. We could not ascertain though how many became righteous after this and whether or not they were given access to the tree of life. Maybe not many because the next righteous person mentioned was a few generations later and his name was Enoch a son of Jared, a son of Mahalaleel, who was a son of Cainan, who was a son of Enos. There are no scriptures suggesting that many became righteous as Enoch was. And again not much detail could be found about Enoch except a statement that he “walked with God” and that his dead body was not found because it was “translated” or taken away (Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5). How was he able to walk with God? Was he begotten with God’s Spirit? Had he eaten from the tree of life? To these questions there is no categorical answer from scriptures. Next after Enoch in the list of righteous men was Noah. During the time of Noah the world’s wickedness was so great on the earth that God had decided to destroy all human flesh and beast except the family of Noah because the man found grace in His sight (Gen. 6:8).

Gen 6:13-15  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  (14)  Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.  (15)  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits…

So obviously the tree of life was not made accessible to the general population and none had been begotten with God’s Holy Spirit during that time. Otherwise, they would have been made righteous and not died in the flood. But what about Noah? Was he begotten with the Holy Spirit? Had he eaten of the tree of life and became righteous as a consequence? But why did he die? Isn’t the scripture clear that eating of the tree of life would have given Adam and Eve eternal life even if they had already sinned for eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? Why did righteous Abel, Enoch and Noah die? The answer is very obvious. These righteous men had not eaten of the tree of life because if they did they would still be with us today in the world of the living. But how did they become righteous? We will answer this question later.

Until Christ No Man Was Begotten of God

It might be a surprise to many of God’s elect of today to learn that none of the righteous personalities from Abel to Noah to Abraham to Moses and all the prophets in the Old Testament was begotten with God’s Holy Spirit. They might have been filled with the spirit of God but were not begotten because the Father had not done it to anyone until Jesus Christ who was His first begotten. In fact for some time Jesus Christ was the Only Begotten of the Father.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (Joh 1:14).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1Jn 4:9).

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (Joh 1:18)

There was a time when God had not given His Holy Spirit to beget anyone and this included the period from Adam and Eve until 31 A.D. Pentecost day (Acts 2:1-4), feast of firstfruits, that followed fifty (50) days after Christ’s resurrection. For this reason, Abel, Enoch and Noah and the rest of the righteous men and women in the Old Testament were not begotten with God’s Holy Spirit. That is why we cannot find in the Old Testament any reference to God as a father to any individual or group of people, and they as children or sons and daughters. And God was never referred to as a father to the Israelites and them His children since they were freed from bondage in the land of Egypt. Instead, the relationship had been between God and people. The Lord God who spoke for the Most High God required obedience to the latter as God of the Israelites and God called them “my people” and not as “my children”. But most of the time God, through Moses, called the Israelites the “children of Israel”. 

“Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.  (7)  And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;  (8)  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.  (9)  Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.”( Exo 3:6-9) 

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:  (3)  And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.  (4)  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. (Exo 6:2-4)

Even John the Baptist who was conceived and born under miraculous circumstances by the will of God was not begotten of God but filled only with His spirit (Luke 1:15).

“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.  (14)  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.  (15)  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb”. (Luk 1:13-15)

And if we go by what we learned from HWA about this matter, none of them had eaten from the tree of life. Consider this.

If Abel were begotten of God’s Holy Spirit by eating from the tree of life, HE WOULD HAVE BECOME THE FIRSTBORN OF GOD and he would still be alive today for being eternal. Death would have no power against him and Cain could not have slain him. That would be contrary to the facts and God’s word. The scriptures plainly reads that Cain killed Abel (Gen. 4:8) and that Jesus Christ was the first begotten of God and His firstborn.  

 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Rev 1:5).

In the book of Psalms it was prophesied who should become the firstborn of God and it was not Abel or anyone else but Christ.

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.  (2)  For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.  (3)  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,  (4)  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.  (5)  And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.” (Psa 89:1-5)

“But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.  (25)  I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.  (26)  He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.  (27)  Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.  (28)  My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.” (Psa 89:24-28) 

The manner of Christ’s birth was a miracle that only God the Father would be able to perform. Mary was a virgin betrothed to be a wife to Joseph when she became pregnant of a child that was to become the Savior of mankind.

“And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  (30)  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  (31)  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS” (Luk 1:29-31). 

“Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  (35)  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luk 1:34-35).

Under normal biological process an egg cell of a mother must be fertilized by the sperm cell of a father to initiate and give birth to a new human life. That is how a child is begotten by his or her father. But in the case of Jesus, no such biological event took place because Mary’s egg cell was not fertilized by any man’s sperm cell but by the Holy Spirit that came from God. That was how Jesus Christ became the first begotten of the Father. In essence, as human, Jesus Christ was “half-bred” having the Most High God as father and a woman (a human) as mother. Spiritually therefore he also had a spirit of man in its purest state at birth and the Holy Spirit of God as well, being the first begotten of the Father. Therefore, Jesus Christ didn’t need to be baptized and receive the earnest of God’s Holy Spirit because he had it already at birth and even at the time he was conceived. This must be the reason why John the Baptist was hesitant to baptize Jesus Christ explaining that it was him and not Christ that should be baptized.

“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  (14)  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  (15)  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” (Mat 3:13-15) 

There should be no doubt in prophecy and in actual fact that Jesus Christ was the firstborn of the Father and the first begotten of God. Therefore unless and until this prophecy about Jesus Christ was fulfilled, no man before him was God’s begotten.

What does all of these tell us about the personalities in the Bible who became righteous even before God had begotten Christ? How did they become righteous in God’s sight?

Through Man’s Spirit in the Beginning

To be sure it’s not missed, it should be stated at this point that in the beginning God did not have to beget man with His Holy Spirit to become righteous and please Him. Abel, Enoch and Noah walked with God, became righteous and pleased Him though were not begotten with God’s Spirit unlike those God called out of this world since Christ founded the church. God in the beginning dealt with Adam and Eve and those after them (until the time of Israelites) through the spirit of man which, through his brain and the five senses, give him the mind to think and determine for himself whether or not God is real and His words  trustworthy and true. God could not and did not allow Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of life to beget them with His Holy Spirit because that would also give them eternal life instantly (Gen. 3:22-24). It is thus clear, supported with plain logic and scriptures that the tree of life does not symbolize both God’s Holy Spirit and eternal life but only the latter.

God in wisdom would not allow Adam and Eve to take and eat of the tree of life without first determining their faithfulness to Him. To do that would be a great risk and miscalculation. The lesson from the Lucifer rebellion where a third part of the angels participated, trusting perhaps their immortality and great power was so monumental to be forgotten. It would be a grave mistake with a disastrous implication. Imagine if the whole wicked population of Noah’s time were still alive today. This world would be a total chaos and anarchy. It would be an enormous disaster. During Noah’s time before the flood, God must have already known that dealing with man’s spirit alone to create the spirit and mind of God in man was difficult. And it was even made more so with the influence and deceiving power of Satan the devil.

“And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  (21)  And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” (Gen 8:20-21) 

However, God had not given up dealing with man through his spirit at that point and gave himself another try through Noah and his generations. He was looking for exceptional men He could work with and found Abraham. God did not beget Abraham with His Holy Spirit but just talked with him through His messengers who conveyed His words to him. Foremost of which messengers was the Lord God, who was the Word that was with God in the beginning (John 1:1, 14-17) and who became our Savior Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Joh 3:16).

When Jesus was on earth preaching the kingdom of God he said this very significant statement,

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

These words from our Lord Jesus Christ is true and valid today as it was during the time of Adam and Eve, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and the Israelites under Moses when he spoke to them as the Lord God. Christ’s words are spirit, and life, even eternal life because they are words of the Almighty Father, the Most High God (John 14:10), the very source of life itself (John 5:21,1:3-4; Gen. 2:7), eternal or temporal.

Let me illustrate:

Anyone who wants to become an engineer enrolls as a student in engineering courses: listens and believes the words of teacher-engineers; study books written by engineers; do projects according to instructions of a teacher-engineer; develops the mind and spirit of an engineer and thus ends up as an engineer as he passes the qualifying examination given by the Board of Engineers. The same is true of those desiring to be a lawyer, a doctor of medicine, an accountant, or other professions. The point is this: The words of an engineer, doctor or accountant are spirits and they create the mind and spirit of an engineer, doctor or accountant depending on how receptive the students are to their words. The same is true with God’s words spoken by Christ and those written words in the Bible. Depending on one’s receptiveness (Matt. 13:23) they create the mind and Spirit of God such that at the appointed time God will grant a qualified person to become spirit-born God being, holy, righteous, perfect in character and eternal just like Him and Christ.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  (10)  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  (11)  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you“ (Rom 8:9-11).

During Jesus Christ’s own battle of wits against the devil, he said: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). God’s words are life-giving not only for the present but for all eternity. The words of man, based on his faulty knowledge of good and evil could only provide him temporary and very limited existence. But even these, God could easily provide man because of His vast and unlimited knowledge of all things. Instead of acquiring knowledge through scientific experimentation, knowledge could have come vastly from God’s revelation or inspiration. 

Had Adam and Eve not succumbed to the temptation of the devil but continued to believe and obey God’s words, God would have eventually given them eternal life, by way of the tree of life as a reward (Rev. 2:7). Why? Because in due time they would have developed the mind and the Spirit of God.

A Monumental Blunder

There is no greater wrong than to distrust and disobey the words of our parents. That would be a great disrespect to them and a transgression of the fifth commandment. And yet that was what Adam and Eve did to God who created, nurtured, taught and provided for them more than human parents could ever do. God must have taught them not just the A B Cs of life but also how to live it abundantly and blissfully. And God must have taught them through His spokesman how to gain eternal life which He would have given, at the proper time, through the tree of life. But instead of believing God’s words about the tree of life and the consequence if they would eat of the tree of the   knowledge of good and evil, they lost faith in and distrusted God’s words and believed the devil instead. That was a monumental blunder. Now we ask,

What is wrong with knowledge of good and evil that God had to warn Adam and Eve from eating of a tree that would give them just that? Did not God have knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:22)? You might not have read or heard that question asked before. But the answer might surprise you and it’s this: Nothing really! That’s right, NOTHING REALLY, except this. By eating of the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve had determined to turn against God and no longer take revealed knowledge of good and evil from Him and to rely instead on their own understanding and wisdom, as suggested by the devil they would have through that particular tree. That greatly displeased God. And so we read of Him chiding Adam and Eve as parents do when their teenagers say they already know what is right or wrong.

Gen 3:22-23  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:  (23)  Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

 As a consequence, God, who alone has the power to transform their temporary life to never-ending immortality, prevented them access to the tree of life, thus their death.

“So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” (Gen 3:24) 

 That was indeed a monumental blunder. They believed Satan that they already possessed eternal life instead of God who taught them that they have yet to earn it. 

God is the true and faithful source of all knowledge good or evil because He knows all things. He is the greatest in all and every field of knowledge because He created all things visible and invisible. He is the greatest mathematician, scientist, engineer, architect, builder, physician, musician, etc. Certainly, God is the greatest teacher of all time because He knows everything. And He knows what is good and evil for man and his offspring.  

Now, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands for another source of knowledge. It is a source that relies on the five physical senses of man. A source that prefers discovered knowledge through trial and error instead of revealed knowledge from God. It is a source that rejects God’s words as truth and foundation of all knowledge physical and spiritual. It is a source that Satan has manipulated and influenced to suit his own narrative to make God look irrelevant and unfair to man to achieve his evil devise to thwart God’s purpose for man. Had Adam and Eve continued to keep and believe God’s words, man would not have enjoyed only abundant physical life today and a very beautiful earth and world environment. There would have also been God beings already added to the God family since the early times. But they rejected God and distrusted His words. They didn’t believe God’s words could be trusted, they had no faith in God. 

A Lesson from Abraham: God Values Faith and Obedience

We have earlier established that Abel, Enoch and Noah were not begotten with God’s Holy Spirit but were found righteous in the eyes of God. Now, through Abraham’s calling we will show how they became righteous and walked with God.

Abraham’s calling was most unique and dramatic in ways only God could imagine and put into action. Through His dealings with Abraham God reveals to us what He values  and expects  from those that are called out of this world: God values faith and obedience. Faith and obedience is important to God because He honors His name and values His words. He wants man to trust His words and honor Him even if He deals with man only through His messengers and or spokesmen. Not trusting His words dishonors God. Hebrews 11, which is considered as the faith chapter of the Bible, gives us insight why God values faith and obedience. In verse 6 we read

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

No disciple of Christ and begotten child of God can come to Him in prayers without a basic belief about Him and the work that He is doing in us and for all of mankind. We have to believe Him and His words even if our eyes have not seen Him nor our ears heard His voice. That is why we can’t please God without faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).

But that faith has to be supported by action or work and/or obedience as a proof that it exists. And that was what Abraham did. Faith without work is dead (Jas. 2:17-26).

Abraham was a successful man living under the guidance of his father Terah who brought him and his wife Sarah along with Lot, son of his departed brother, Haran, and other kinsmen to the land of Haran in route to Canaan. It was there in Haran after the death of Terah his father that God called and instructed Abraham to get out of his own country, his kinsmen and his father’s household to go into the land of Canaan that God was yet to show to him. Abraham must have the idea already that God wanted him to continue what his father was not able to finish which is to relocate to the land of Canaan (Gen. 11:31-32). God was executing His great work here on earth and the plan to save mankind from everlasting damnation.

“And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.  (32)  And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran” (Gen 11:31-32).

 Along with this instruction, or command if you may, was God’s promises to make Abraham a great nation, and to bless him and make his name great and be a blessing to others and to all families of the earth (Gen. 12:1-3). If you were in Abraham’s case what would you do? You would probably be foot-dragging and complain for the inconvenience the relocation would bring upon your household and doubt the promises God made. But not Abram whose name was changed to Abraham when God promised him to become a father of many nations (Gen. 17:5). Abraham just obeyed God, no questions asked (Gen. 12:4-5).

 “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.  (5)  And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came” (Gen 12:4-5).

In other words Abraham had the faith to believe God and His promises and proved his faith by obeying God’s words or instructions. Abraham passed this first test from God. That Abraham believed and recognized the existence of God was made obvious when he returned from the slaughter of the men who took his brother’s son Lot and household. We read that in Genesis 14:22-23.

“And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,  (23)  That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:” (Gen 14:22-23). 

However, at this point, Abraham’s faith in God’s words had not been strongly established yet. This was manifested when he asked God for a sign (Gen. 15:8) for him to believe God’s word that he would inherit the lands (among them Canaan) that were shown to him. And this is somehow awkward because this happened just after God counted for righteousness (verse 6) his belief that God would be able to give him seed as numerous as the stars of heaven.

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  (2)  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  (3)  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  (4)  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  (5)  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  (6)  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.  (7)  And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.  (8)  And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?  (9)  And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.  (10)  And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. ” (Gen 15:1-10).

To assure Abraham of his inheritance, God made an oath by passing through the pieces of slaughtered animals (verse 17) that were offered. At this point God was still testing and building the faith of Abraham whom He found compliant and obedient. God was also establishing his own credibility before Abraham’s eyes. For instance, God showed to Abraham that He would do what He said He would with respect to the wickedness of Sodom (Gen. 18:17-33; 19:27-28)

“And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.  (17)  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;  (18)  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Gen 18:16-18) 

God also fulfilled His word that Sarah was going to bear him a son at the appointed time (Gen. 18:9-13; 21:1-5).

But the greatest test of Abraham was yet to come. God commanded Abraham to give Isaac, his only son with his wife Sarah, as a burnt offering. Why? What was still lacking in Abraham’s faith after having demonstrated it with unwavering and complete obedience?  Since Abraham was just a man like Adam and Eve were, God wanted to know if Abraham’s faith and obedience to Him was so unshakeable that he would not withhold anything from Him.

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  (2)  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen 22:1-2).

If you were Abraham what would you do? Note that God had already determined that it was through Isaac that his seed should be called (Gen. 21:12) and he loved Isaac. You would probably complain and asked God for clarification. But not Abraham. Abraham just trusted God completely and left everything in His hands. And so he went his way as instructed. What a contrast to the attitude of the Israelites hundreds of years later when God set them free from slavery in Egypt and probed their faith in the wilderness overlooking the  promise land (Exo. 16;2-3). For three days Abraham journeyed together with Isaac and two of his young men until they reached the land of Moriah and saw the designated mountain where he would offer Isaac.   

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.  (4)  Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off” (Gen 22:3-4).

That was probably the saddest and most emotional journey Abraham had in his entire life thinking about the would-be loss of Isaac his only son. If we were Abraham we’d probably return. But Abraham did not look back. He went ahead to obey God’s instruction to offer his son Isaac while the latter was just a willing and innocent accomplice. When Abraham took the knife to slay his son, there was no turning back – Isaac would be gone. But God stopped him “… Abraham, Abraham!…”

“And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.  (7)  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  (8)  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.  (9)  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.  (10)  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  (11)  And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham…” (Gen 22:6-11).

Why did God stop Abraham from offering his son? Let’s find the answer from God’s own words.

“… and he said, Here am I.  (12)  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me” (verse 12). 

The answer needs no further explanation. At the very moment Abraham took the knife to slay his own son, God knew with absolute certainty that Abraham was faithful and feared Him so much that he would withhold nothing, even his only son, just to obey Him. What a faith! What an act of obedience! But this event just mirrored what would later on be fulfilled as a manifestation of God’s great love toward mankind (John 3:16). It is no wonder that God made Abraham’s seed to be a blessing of all the nations of the earth (Gen. 22:18). In a way, Abraham was to our Father in heaven as Isaac was to Jesus Christ. To our Heavenly Father, faith and obedience is everything. If Jesus Christ did not have faith to believe that his Father in heaven would raise him back to life and had not obeyed Him to give of himself as a redeemer, mankind would still be doomed today. God values faith and obedience and will be pleased with everyone who believes in His words and obey. Abraham of old had shown us that even without being begotten of God’s Holy Spirit man could still become righteous and please God through faith and obedience to His words.   

 “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,  (16)  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:  (17)  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;  (18)  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Gen 22:15-18).

What can we learn from this account of Abraham’s calling? The message from God is clear. God looks at our faith in Him and seeks our obedience to His words to prove that faith.

“For all those things (i.e., heaven and earth) hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” (Isa 66:2)

Therefore God values our faith and obedience to Him. God’s name and honor is at stake when He gives His words. Disbelieving or doubting His words is a great dishonor to Him and His name. God’s words are trustworthy and important for man’s salvation and place in His coming kingdom. God values His words because they manifest who He is and the work that He is doing. For this reason, we must also value God’s words. Moreover, we must also value our own words so that others will give value to them that they are trustworthy.   

Finish a Short Work

Is our Father in heaven an unmerciful God? Is His judgment harsh and unfair? Of course the answer to both questions is NO!

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  (9)  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  (10)  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  (11)  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.  (12)  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.  (13)  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.  (14)  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” (Psa 103:8-14)

 “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” (Psa 7:9 )

“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psa 145:17)

If so, why did God destroy the old world with the great flood sparing no one except Noah and his family? Why didn’t He give the population of that time the opportunity to mend their ways and let them continue to live normally? Is there any higher purpose than to punish them for their wickedness? By certain estimate, there must be at least 10 billion people living their lives when “all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened” causing massive flooding into all the earth and death. What a waste of life we might say! True, wickedness was prevalent during that time but would it not been better to give the people opportunity to repent? On a smaller scale, why did God also destroy the whole cities of Sodom and Gomorrah except the family of Lot? Was there also a higher purpose for this?

Yes there is a higher purpose why God destroyed the old world and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that was beyond mere punishment. That higher purpose had been hidden, but now revealed and understood as this article was being written.

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

And we can appreciate this purpose fully by keeping in mind that our Father in heaven, the God under whose direction all things works, is righteous, merciful and a forgiving God. To understand that God is righteous, merciful and forgiving let us look at how He dealt with the stubborn Israelites in the wilderness after they obtained freedom from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 32 we read that the Israelites were so stubborn to the extent that they made a golden calf for them to worship instead of God (verses 1-6). God would have wiped them out altogether and raise a new nation through the seed of Moses.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:  (8)  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  (9)  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:  (10)  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” (Exo 32:7-10) 

But after Moses had interceded, God repented of what He planned to do (verses 11-14) but nonetheless God did not allow them entry to the promise land except a few and their young ones.

“Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.  (31)  But your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.  (32)  But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness.  (33)  And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.” (Num 14:30-33) 

And who could forget the great city of Nineveh that God had spared from being destroyed after they repented of their wickedness?

“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,  (2)  Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.  (3)  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.  (4)  And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.  (5)  So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  (6)  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  (7)  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:  (8)  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  (9)  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” (Jon 3:1-9) 

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” (Jon 3:10)

Yes, God will finish His work and is cutting it short in righteousness because He is merciful and does not want man to suffer longer than was and is necessary. That work is the creation of the mind and spirit of God in man so that he will become very much like God (1John 3:2).

1Jn 3:1-2  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  (2)  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Man shall not become spirit-born God unless he has acquired or developed the mind of God in him. This process will take time, even whole life time. The apostle Paul, for example, did not claim victory until he was about to die.

2Ti 4:6-8  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  (7)  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  (8)  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

How has God been carrying out to cut short His work on earth? In the days of Noah God did these two significant acts: 1) Destroy the entire population except Noah’s family; and 2) reduce the life span of man to 120 years on average. 

“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” (Gen 6:3) 

In the days of the Israelites, God again made a major act of changing the life span of man to 70 years as He inspired King David to write about it in a Psalm.

“For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.  (10)  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psa 90:9-10) 

Our Father must have recognized, as early as the time of the old world, man’s difficulty in developing the mind of God through man’s spirit alone and in His great wisdom and infinite mercy and love, decided to cut the process short. This was the higher purpose why He destroyed the entire population in the days of Noah and also the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. By all indication, God must have given them opportunity to repent through Noah, the preacher of righteousness (2Pet. 2:5). Lot must have also preached repentance to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. But God saw no chance of repentance in their lives if allowed to continue as they did and found it necessary to destroy them altogether so that when they are awakened in judgment day repentance will be obtained. This was also the reason for reducing the life span of man to 120 years and then again to 70 years which used to be 600-900 years in the beginning.

“Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  (22)  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.  (23)  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  (24)  But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.” (Mat 11:21-24) 

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” (Mar 6:11) 

But on top of these, God has determined to beget man with an earnest of His Holy Spirit and by it help him develop the mind of God and become part of His family as spirit-born begotten sons and/or daughters having life eternal. This is very important because God has already known that the spirit of man is more inclined to the things of man and less of the things of God, to put it mildly.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.  (10)  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.  (11)  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  (12)  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  (13)  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  (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.” (1Co 2:9-14)

This act of God to give an earnest of His Holy Spirit was not only meant to significantly cut short the process but also to make man’s spiritual journey much easier and with greater success. And God has started this with those that He called out of this world beginning with the first century church of God that Jesus Christ built and established. Now you may ask, how will all of these come into play to finish a short work?

God’s Spirit, Upon All Flesh Afterward

Old timers in the church understand that God’s master plan of creation, and salvation and the establishment of His kingdom here on earth is pictured by the weekly Sabbath and feast days presented in Leviticus 23 beginning with the Passover. As a master plan it provides a general picture and takes much time to complete because it is composed of several plans that all need to be accomplished in harmony with each other for the completion of the whole. But God said,  

“For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Rom 9:28) 

We must therefore ask, how will God cut this work short and where are we now in fulfilling the master plan? We all know that Jesus Christ already fulfilled the Passover when he died the most horrible death ever. Christ’s death paid for the penalty of sin of all mankind so that every man through repentance and acceptance of Christ’s sacrifice can have another chance to walk with God and qualify to become part of His kingdom. The days of unleavened bread pictures repentance of sin and acceptance of Christ sacrifice which are a requisite to the receipt of the earnest God’s Holy Spirit. As explained and established earlier God had not begotten anyone with the earnest of His Holy Spirit until Christ. But at the founding of the church the giving of a little portion of God’s Spirit became an essential part of man’s spiritual journey. This part of the master plan is subsumed and partly pictured by: 1) the feast of Pentecost for those belonging to the firstfruits and of the first resurrection; 2) the feast of tabernacles for those belonging to the whole house of Israel and of the second resurrection; and 3) the last great day (eighth day of the feast, Lev. 23:36; John 7:37) for all of the rest of mankind and of the 3^rd and last resurrection. The apostle Paul must be referring to these three schedules of spiritual harvest in his 1^st letter to the Corinthians when he wrote:

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  (23)  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” (1Co 15:22-23) 

Jesus Christ has also indicated these three batches of spiritual harvest in his parable of the leaven in Matthew 13. 

“Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” (Mat 13:33) 

Therefore to the question of where are we now in the master plan of God, we are still in the process of completing the required number for 144,000 firstfruits of the first resurrection (Rev, 14:1-4; 20:5-6). We are still in the period of “many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14) and/or the period of time where “… no man can come to Christ, unless the Father draws him” (John 6:44). This is the period for the members of church, those that God called out of this world since it was founded in 31AD. And we are still waiting for the first resurrection to take place at the coming of Christ (1Thess. 4:16-17). However, with respect to timeline, the 6000 years given to man to live his self-reliant way of life contrary to God’s way, will be ending yet in 2027 after which the millennium of Christ’s reign begins. This is all explained in the article “Behold the Clouds of Heaven! Christ is Coming Christ is Coming!”.  Now what has God done or will still do to cut short the completion of the whole plan?

We have actually partially answered this question earlier but let us make sure we get some more details about this.

Before the great day of the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:16-17) begins, God will beget (seal, Rev. 7:2-4) 144,000 children of Israel who shall become God’s servants in the millennium, the 1000 years of Christ’ reign following the first resurrection (Rev. 20:5-6). During the millennium, God’s Spirit earnest will be given to all Israelites scattered around the world (Ezek. 36:8, 22-28) through the 144,000 servants which can be considered as pioneers of the millennium. This will be the time of salvation for the Israelites. Children will still be born in the millennium and people live and die but only the Israelites shall be given the earnest of God’s Holy Spirit. And then after the 1000 years (Rev. 20:5) God will pour out the earnest of His Spirit to all the resurrected Israelites (Ezek. 37:10-14). All of them, those that shall be given God’s spirit during the millennium and they of the second resurrection, will have renewed and repentant heart (Ezek. 36:26; 37:23). They will become teachable and will recognize and accept Christ as their savior and king who shall be above David the king over them (verse 24). By all indication, every man shall be given only one hundred years of age to make it to eternal life or be damned (Isa. 65:20).

“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isa 65:20) 

This is how God will cut short the process for the house of Israel. (Pls. read the article, “Three Resurrections: A Validation” to understand that the second resurrection belongs only to Israel.) They will be given the earnest of God’s Holy Spirit and they will be judged accordingly. It is written that “the time is come that judgment must begin in the house (church) of God (1Pet. 4:17) but by this time judgment will have come to the house of Israel. After they are given the earnest of God’s Spirit, judgment will follow based on how they make use of the spirit they received from God. By the age of 100 years an Israelite will either make it to eternal life or be damned. What about the rest of mankind, such as those that died in the flood of Noah’s time, and those that have died since then until the pouring of the last vial of the wrath of God (Rev. 16:16-19)? And yes, including those that were destroyed in Sodom and Gomorrah? How will God bring all of them into His kingdom?

An important detail should be inserted at this point, that a few days before Christ begins his reign on earth, Satan the devil will be bound and cast into the “bottomless pit” and prevented from deceiving the world for a thousand (1000) years (Rev. 20:1-3). This part of the plan of God is pictured by the day of atonement (Lev. 23:27). Satan being a prisoner in the bottomless pit^* will expectedly greatly enhance peace and prosperity on earth and the prospect of making it into the Kingdom of God must be high. This, plus the pouring of God’s spirit will surely contribute to the cutting short of God’s work. However, just after Christ’s 1000 years ends, Satan the devil will be let loose for “a little season” to deceive the nations, with Gog and Magog, into attacking the camp of the saints and the beloved city (Ezek. 38:1-12; Rev. 20:7-9) where Jesus Christ dwells (Zec. 14:1-9). But as we will explain later, even this will also contribute in cutting short God’s work here on earth. Within this period of “a little season” the second resurrection occurs and all dead Israelites will be given new life and God’s spirit and a chance to be born into the family of God. Salvation for the whole house of Israel will be completed and an everlasting covenant of peace is established with them (Ezek. 37:24-28). After the attack, God will once again take hold of Satan and cast him this time into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 20:10) to be tormented there until his final judgment when he will be completely destroyed (Isa. 14:12-16; Ezek. 28:18-19). While Satan awaits his final judgment, God will pour out His spirit upon all flesh (Joel 2:28), namely: 1) to the living that survives God’s fury against those that seek the overthrow of the beloved city and  2) to those that will be of the third and last resurrection for the rest and all of the dead that remained in the graves until that time as they will be given a second life (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:12-13).

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  (29)  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.” (Joe 2:28-29) 

 And yes, this will also include those who just participated in an attempt to overthrow the camp of the saint and beloved city, that were devoured with fire from heaven and given back their lives (Rev. 20:9, 12). At their resurrection, the tens of billions of people that died in the flood of Noah, and the tens of thousands that died in Sodom and Gomorrah will be more repentant. They will be amazed at the totally different environment they will find. But foremost in their memory must be the tragedy and shock that they experienced just before they lost their lives. The chaos and panic and shouts for help due to massive flooding in Noah’s time and due to brimstone and fire that rained in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They’ll remember how they ignored the warnings of impending destruction for their wickedness and be repentant. Those who participated in overthrowing the camp of the saints and the beloved city will be amazed that they just died recently and now are back to life. They will remember the stupidity of participating in a useless overthrow attempt and repent.

All of these resurrected souls would remember that they had followed the rebellious way of this world, unaware that an invisible power of Satan the devil was behind it all. As knowledge comes to them through TV news and social media that Satan is in the lake of fire and brimstone waiting for his final judgment and that God has already come on earth to judge the world and reign, their belief in God shall be strengthened. With the spirit (words) of God flowing continually to them from the throne of God and Christ (Rev. 22:1) they will learn the way of God and develop His mind and walk with Him and qualify (Rev. 22:14). And then God will let them eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7; 22:2) and gain eternal. Thus will God finish and cut short the work that He is doing here on earth. This is how God uses His Holy Spirit and the Tree of Life to bring man into His kingdom. An earnest of His Spirit is given to start and finish the qualifying process, and in the end the taking of the Tree of Life to them that qualify.☻