Greg wrote:

I joyfully await the Rapture!
Greg

Dear Greg,
God Bless you, and thank you for keeping in touch. I noticed at the end of your message you said "I joyfully await the Rapture!" we also joyfully await the manifesting of Christ Jesus our Lord and we are surprised that the world seems to be waking up to the fact that the Lord's coming is not very far off. Politicians are using the term "apocalypse" when discussing current alliances with Russia and Iran, and "return of Christ" and "end of the World" seems to be on many lips. As you know, our ministry is to:

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

Since our citizenship and blessings are far above all, we have no biblical prophecy to tell us how much time we have left to sojourn upon this earth. By watching the events in the world today that pertain to Israel, we can clearly see that our Hope draws near.

One great error that has crept into the church and has confused many great scholars is a misunderstanding of when our Hope will be realized and the failure to divide the Hope of the first-century church from the Hope of the Body of Christ. This failure to divide has caused and will continue to cause great confusion and a feeling of hopelessness in the dark days ahead. We are enclosing some research on this very important subject for you to carefully and prayerfully consider so that you may help all those looking for The Truth for today to believe what is written. You may be shocked to find that the teaching of the "rapture" is foreign to Scripture and never surfaced until about 130 years ago. This doctrine is a close cousin to "die and go to heaven" and has the same design. Just this morning, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins were on TV announcing the last book in their famous "Left Behind Series", "Kingdom Come," which has sold millions and millions of copies. See from God's Word why this doctrine is contrary to Scripture and may be the most damaging device yet to the Christian faith.  Discover from God's Word why all that believe in the rapture and an early departure of the Church will be ill-equipped and feel abandoned in the coming darkest days the world has ever known.

Paul said in verse 1 Thes. 4:15 "This we say unto you,  By The Word Of The Lord .... Paul was quoting and using The Word of the Lord to show them their Hope. That Hope, as found in 1 Thess. 4:16-18 is detailed with its shout, voices of the archangel, and trumpet and was written down in The Word of the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 15, when writing about the same Hope of resurrection (which some call the "rapture"), he says in 1 Cor. 15:54-55 “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality,  then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” If Paul means what he says and says what he means, the Hope of 1 Corinthians 15 was prophesied in The Word of the Lord.

Paul is quoting from two different Books in The Word of the Lord, Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8, to show the Corinthians their hope. This agrees with what Paul said in Acts 26:22, where summing up his Acts ministry, he said,” Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Paul’s Acts ministry and what he wrote in his Acts epistles can be found in the Old Testament Scriptures, and that includes the Hope he wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.

In this article, we will show that the Hope that Paul wrote about in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 is not only found in the Old Testament Scriptures but was taught by Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry in Matthew 24 and other places. That this runs contrary to what is taught in most Bible churches today is certain, but there are as many "doctrines and traditions of men in "Bible churches,” as there are in denominational churches in this country.

For years it has been the “party line” in most “Bible churches” that 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 are the promised hope of The Church today and that no one knew or wrote about this hope prior to Paul. This doctrine has been preached for so long and so loud that Christendom accepts this with no questions asked. But yet, we just read that what Paul said to the Thessalonians about their hope, he said to them by the Word of The Lord. And we read in 1 Corinthians 15 that when that resurrection takes place, Old Testament Scriptures would be brought to pass.

The question that Bible believers need to answer these days is, who are we going to believe? Are we going to believe what the preachers say because they have been saying it for so long and loud, or are we going to believe what the Scriptures say, where they say it, as they say, it? We should always endeavor to study to show ourselves approved before God, and let the traditions of men fall where they may, no matter what the cost.

Let it be said at the offset of this article that we do not believe that the Hope of the Church today is found in 1 Corinthians 15 or 1 Thessalonians 4. We believe that God revealed a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period and that it is found in his Prison Epistles.

If you are serious about your bible study, and you want to get to the bottom of this issue and find out for yourself if what we are saying is true, we recommend you get three Bibles and lay them out before you. Open one to Matthew 24, another to 1 Corinthians 15, and the other to 1 Thessalonians 4. The subject is the same in all three books, and it is resurrection. We are going to compare what Jesus says about the resurrection in Matthew 24, which He taught during His earthly ministry, with the resurrection Paul wrote about in 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4. If Jesus and Paul say the same thing, then they must be talking about the same resurrection. On the other hand, if they say contradictory things about the resurrection, then they are not speaking of the same resurrection. In Matthew 24, Jesus taught the 12 apostles about resurrection, and He said in Matt. 24:29-31 ...

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Mark 13:27 "from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven")

Let’s compare what Jesus says here with what Paul says.

(1.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 IS THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

Matt. 24:30, "They shall see the Son of man COMING"

Matt. 24:29, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the COMING of the Son of man be"

The Hope Of I Cor. 15 And I Thess. 4 Is Also The Second Coming Of Christ.

1 Cor. 15:22-23, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING”.

1 Cor. 1:7, “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”

1 Thess. 4:15, "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto THE COMING OF THE LORD shall not prevent them which are asleep"

The hope of the Acts Believers was the coming of the Lord. Paul mentions it ten times in his Acts epistles. Check them out and see for yourself, 1 Cor. 1:7, 1 Cor. 4:5, 1 Cor. 11:26, 1 Cor. 15:23, 1 Thess. 2:19, 1 Thess. 3:13, 1 Thess. 4:15, 1 Thess. 5:23, 2 Thess.1:10, 2 Thess. 2:1.

Now, if the Lord has already come once to die for sinners, then the coming we have been reading about must be His Second Coming, right? Why is it so hard for Bible believers to admit that? A Bible believer once said that his hope was not the second coming of Christ, but it was the “rapture,” and he quoted 1 Thess. 4:15. Doesn’t Paul say they would be caught up at the COMING of the Lord? And doesn’t he mention His coming ten times in his Acts epistles? And if Christ has already come one time, wouldn’t this be his second coming?

(2.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES, HE COMES IN THE CLOUDS.

Matt. 24:30 says, “They shall see the Son of man coming in the Clouds Of Heaven”

In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus Comes, He comes in Clouds.

1 Thess. 4:17 says, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them IN THE CLOUDS, to meet the Lord in the air.”

If you want to know where the clouds are, look up into the air, and you will see them. It’s the clouds in the lower atmosphere.

(3.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, HE WILL COME WITH ANGELS.

Matt. 24:31, "And He shall send forth his ANGELS"

In 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds, He will come with Angels.

1 Thess. 4:16, “HE will descend from heaven with... the voice of the ARCHANGEL.

Michael is the archangel and the prince of Israel (DAN 12:1-2), and where Michael goes, so do His Angels, read Rev. 12:7.

(4.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS WITH ANGELS, A TRUMPET IS BLOWN.

Matt. 24:31, “And he shall send his angels with a great SOUND OF A TRUMPET”

In 1 Thess. 4 and I Cor. 15, when Jesus comes in the clouds with Angels, a Trumpet is blown.

I Cor. 15:52, “For The Trumpet Shall Sound and the dead shall be raised “1 Thess. 4:16 says, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ..with The Trump Of God”.

(5.) THE TRUMPET THAT IS BLOWN IN MATT. 24 IS THE LAST TRUMPET, FOR IT IS BLOWN AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

Matt. 24:29, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days ... Matt. 24:31 "he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.”

The Trumpet in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor.15 is specifically called The Last Trumpet.

1 Cor. 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, At The Last Trump: for the Trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised.”

If Paul said they would be raised at the last trumpet, that means there are other trumpets blown before it. There is no denying the fact that before the second coming of Christ, trumpets are going to be blown. In Rev. Chapters 8-9-10-11, there will be at least seven trumpets blown before The Lord Jesus comes. In 1 Cor. 15, Paul said the dead would be raised at the Last Trumpet. If there are 7 Trumpets blown before He comes, which Trumpet is Paul referring to? That’s easy, it’s number 7 in Rev. 11:15, and it so happens that when the seventh trumpet is blown in Rev. 11, a resurrection of the Saints takes place, they are judged, and rewards are given out to them, read Rev. 11:15-18. Also read 2 Cor. 5:8-11.

Every trumpet that is going to be blown before Jesus comes is found in the Book of Revelation, so don’t waste your time running all over the Bible, trying to find another trumpet to get around the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15. If a trumpet is going to be blown, if a seal is going to be opened, if a vial is going to be poured out in the tribulation, You will find it in the Book of Revelation or Daniel. If it’s not in those Books, don’t waste your time searching through the Scriptures to come up with another trumpet, vial, or seal. (It’s amazing what people and preachers will do to get around these clear records! Just believe the Book and relax; for 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. God gave us a new and better Hope, and it's found in the Prison Epistles of Paul, and it takes place before the first trumpet even blows. We will lay out the details of this Hope later, but we are studying the Acts period, and a pre-tribulation Hope was unheard of; in fact, that false doctrine only surfaced about 150 years ago.

When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, not only will The Lord descend from Heaven in the clouds with His Angels and a Trumpet, but a Voice will be heard also.

The voice is not mentioned in Matt. 24, but it is in John 5:25-28. It says, "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live"

In 1 THESS. 4 and 1 COR. 15 When the Lord descends from Heaven into the clouds with Angels and the sound of a Trumpet, a voice will be heard.

1 Thess. 4:16 “The Lord shall descend from heaven with a Shout ...

The shout is for the dead; the trumpet is for those alive.

(7.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES WITH HIS ANGELS AND A SHOUT AND THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET, HIS ELECT WILL BE GATHERED TOGETHER.

Matt. 24:31, “They shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Also read Mark 13:27)

In 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4, When Jesus comes with a shout, a trumpet, and angels, His elect will be gathered together.

2 Thess. 2:1 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto HIm.

And those that he gathers together here are his elect also, according to 1 Thess. 1:4, and 2 Thess. 2:13.

(8.) IN MATT. 24 WHEN JESUS COMES IN THE CLOUDS, IT WILL BE SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED.

Matt. 24:42, “Watch, therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

In these verses, Jesus compares his coming with a thief breaking into a house. A thief comes suddenly and unexpectedly. He comes in and then gets out as fast as he can with the valuables and jewels he came after.

In these verses, Jesus Christ is as a thief breaking into a house. The house is this world that the devil is the god of (Matt.12:29). As a thief breaks into a house to take something of value out, His coming is to take his elect out of this world so that he can destroy it along with the devil (2 Pet. 3:10).

The Resurrection in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 will be sudden and unexpected also.

1 Cor. 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised...”

When Paul says: “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” he is showing you HOW FAST that resurrection will take place. But when he says "AT the last trump”, he is showing you WHEN it will take place. It will be sudden and unexpected, just like the Hope of Matt. 24.

(9.) WHEN THE RESURRECTION OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; BELIEVERS WHO ARE ALIVE WILL BE CAUGHT UP WITHOUT DYING.

This fact is brought out by the Lord in John 11. In John 11, Lazarus, who was Martha’s brother, died, and she wants Christ to raise him from the dead. And Jesus said unto her in John 11:23, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha saith unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said unto her: “I am the resurrection; and the life: he that believeth in me; though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die ... believest thou this?”

When Jesus said, "he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live.” He is referring to those who are dead when the resurrection of the last day takes place. And when He said, "whosoever liveth and believeth in me," He is referring to those who are alive when the resurrection of the last day takes place, and he says: “They shall never die.” When the resurrection of Matt. 24 takes place, those believers who are dead will be raised, and those believers who are alive will be gathered together without dying.

When the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 takes place, believers who are alive will be caught up without dying.

1 Cor. 15:51 "I shew you a Mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed."

The Mystery of 1 Cor. 15:51 is not the resurrection, but it’s the fact that there will be some caught up without dying. But this is a mystery hidden in the Scriptures, for in 1 Cor. 15:55, Paul quotes Isa. 25:8, which says, "O Death where is thy sting?" In other words, in the Old Testament Scriptures, it was written down that somebody was going to get out of this life without experiencing the sting of death.

This is what Jesus is referring to in John 11:26 when he said, “He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” That was the only time that Christ mentioned that fact to anyone, and prior to Paul, it was the general consensus that by the time that resurrection took place, all believers would be dead. But God opened up the Scriptures to Paul, and he was the first man to fully understand that fact and write about it. But nevertheless, it was in the Old Testament Scriptures, even though concealed.

Isn’t it wonderful how the Bible opens up when you just believe what the words say and ignore what the preachers say?

(10.) THE RESURRECTION AND HOPE IN MATT. 24 WAS, OF COURSE, PROPHESIED BY THE PROPHETS.

The Hope of 1 Cor. 15:54 and 1 Thess. 4 were, of course, implied.

1 Cor. 15:54 “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory, O Death where is thy sting? “O Grave, where is thy victory?”

When the resurrection of 1 Cor. 15 takes place, Old Testament prophecies concerning resurrection will be brought to pass, namely Hosea 13:14 and Isa. 25:8.

(11.) THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 WAS ISRAEL’S HOPE.

The resurrection Jesus describes in Matt.24 is the hope of the New Covenant that God made with Israel.

Hope of Paul’s Acts Epistles was The Hope of Israel.

Acts 28:20 "For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the Hope of Israel, I am bound with this chain.

Paul refers to the Hope of Israel 4 times in Acts.

1. In Acts 23:6, he mentions the Hope as being resurrection.
2. In Acts 24:15, he mentions the hope as being resurrection.
3. In Acts 26:6-8 He mentions the hope as being resurrection.
4. In Acts 28:20-23 he mentions the Hope in connection with the Kingdom of God.

The Hope of Israel was to be resurrected into the kingdom of God; as a matter of fact, the only way they could get into the Kingdom of God was by resurrection.

That’s exactly what Paul is showing the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15. In that Chapter; he is showing them how to get into the Kingdom of God, and guess what he told them had to happen for them to get in? They had to be resurrected and changed. WHY? Because in 1 Cor. 15:50, he said:

“Now this I say; brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

And in 1 Cor. 15:51, he told them they would all be changed, and the change would take place in resurrection. 1 Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 is the hope of Israel. The hope of Israel was resurrection into the Kingdom of God, which is exactly what Paul is writing about in this chapter.

You say: “How did Gentiles in that Church end up with Israel’s Hope?” Because in the Acts period, they were grafted into Israel the good olive tree, according to Rom. 11:17. And being grafted into the tree, they partook of the fatness of the olive tree. The fatness of the olive tree was the blessings and promises made to the fathers, who were the root of the tree - Rom. 15:27. And one of those blessings and promises was their Hope of Resurrection.

(12.) BEFORE THE HOPE OF MATT. 24 TAKES PLACE; THERE WILL BE A FALLING AWAY, THAT IS, APOSTASY AND THE REVELATION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.

In Matt. 24:11 Jesus said, "Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (A reference to apostasy)

Matt. 24:15, "When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the Holy place ..." (A reference to the anti-Christ Dan. 11:31)

Matt. 24:24, "There would be false Christs; and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (A reference to the Devil working false miracles.)

Paul said the exact same thing would take place before the Resurrection of 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 would take place.

2 Thess. 2:1-2 "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him; "that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor as by letter as from us that the day of Christ is at hand."

The day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2, was his coming and their gathering together unto him in 2 Thess. 2:1. The Thessalonians were “all shaken up” because somebody wrote them a false letter and told them it was at hand; that is, it was immediately to take place. If it were true, they were to soon face the wrath of 2 Thess. 1:8-9.  So Paul, to assure them that His return was not imminent, tells them in 2 Thess. 2:3 “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

For years Bible believers have wrestled with these Scriptures because they have been taught that the “so-called” Rapture in 1 Thess. 4 was a pre-tribulation rapture. We speak from personal experience. For once, we believed that until we compared the records from The Scriptures.

When we finally made up our minds to just believe what the Scriptures say, the verses shined onto us like the noonday sun! What is Paul saying here? He is saying that the day of Christ in 2 Thess. 2:2 was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him in 2 Thess. 2:1 is the same Hope found in 1 Thess. 4.

Somebody wrote a letter to them, forged Paul’s name to it, and told them it was at hand that is soon taking place. They were shaken up, for if that were true, then what Paul had taught them was wrong. Paul writes this letter to assure them that they had not been taught anything but The Truth about The Day of Christ that is, His Coming, which was still their Hope and gave instructions again on what would happen before His Coming. Paul said the Day of Christ would not take place until after a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which they knew had not taken place. (He also mentions the Devil working miracles in 2 Thess. 2:9)

The point that we are making is the Hope of 1 Thess. 4 which was the Day of Christ, would not take place until AFTER a period of apostasy and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, just like the resurrection in Matt. 24. Don’t get uptight thinking you’re going to be here when the Anti-Christ is revealed, for 1 Thess. 4 is not your Hope. We have a new and better Hope found in the Prison Epistles, which is described in the article That Blessed Hope. And that Hope takes place before the Tribulation ever begins, maybe years before.

We believe these 12 similarities between Matt. 24 and I Cor. 15 and 1 Thess. 4 are enough to convince any fair-minded believer that we have been looking at the same resurrection. If they are not the same, then there will be two resurrections that will take place in the future at the same time that are identical! Well, the reason they are identical is because they are the same.

The Body of Christ has ONE HOPE, but it is not found in 1 Thess. 4 or 1 Cor. 15; it is found in his Prison Epistles.

ADDITIONAL NAMES CONCERNING THE HOPE OF THE ACTS EPISTLES

When speaking of “Bible Things,” we should use “Bible Names.”

The word that most Christians use today for the resurrection is the word “Rapture.” The word “Rapture” is not Scripture at all. It does not appear in the Bible even one time. Upon looking at its definition, it is a terrible word to use for resurrection. The word “Rapture” means “Violence of a pleasing passion.” “A state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion, ecstasy, or passion in a carnal, sensual, sexual manner.” As a matter of fact, the word “Rapture” comes from the Latin cognate raptus, meaning “seized and taken, kidnapped by force, snatched hold of and then taken hostage, carried off or away.” In Medieval times, raptus was sometimes used to describe the euphoria soldiers experienced after defeating a foe in battle, then seizing the opponent, and taking him away as a captive. Greek raptus virginum Sabinarum is a reference to the Sabine virgins, who were raped and abducted. Why would anyone want to use a worldly word for violent, forceful rape as a word for the resurrection of saints?

Whenever Paul writes about resurrection, he always uses the word “HOPE" (See Titus 2:13, Acts 28:20, Eph. 1:18). The word “HOPE" is the Bible name for resurrection, not the carnal, sensual word “Rapture."

People use 1 Thess. 1:10 to try to prove that the resurrection in 1 Thess. 4:15-18 takes place before the tribulation period begins. They point out that it says they would be delivered from the “wrath to come” and that they were not appointed to wrath in 1 Thess. 5:9. But, that cannot be true, for Paul also told them they would be resurrected at the last trumpet in 1 Cor. 15:52, and the last trumpet is the seventh of seven, that will be blown DURING the tribulation before Lord Jesus comes at the end. Paul also told them that the Day of Christ, which was His Coming and their gathering together unto Him, was not at hand, for it would be preceded by a falling away and the revelation of the Anti-Christ, which all takes place During The Tribulation, Not Before. (2 Thess. 2:1-6 ) You cannot ignore these facts when reading 1 Thess. 1:10.

The question then that we must answer is, “What is the Wrath to Come”? That expression appears three times in the Bible, Matt. 3:7, Luke 3:7, and 1 Thess. 1:10. In Matt. 3 and Luke 3, it is identified as the day that Jesus comes in a fire to burn up the chaff after He gathers the wheat into His garner. That day is at the Very End of the tribulation.

That’s the wrath of 1 Thess. 5:9 that they were not appointed to. That’s the "wrath to come” they were delivered from in 1 Thess. 1:10. As a matter of fact, even the tribulation saints are delivered from the wrath to come, and no believer, including the tribulation saints, is appointed to wrath. Before the wrath to come is unleashed upon this earth, at the very end of the tribulation, many believers from different ages will, by that time, have been resurrected. (Though not all at the same time.)

Also, the “wrath to come” that Paul wrote of in 1 Thess. 1:10 will not come until after the last trumpet is blown (Rev. 11:18), and it was at the last trumpet that they were to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. That’s why Paul told them that they could “Rest" when the wrath fell in 2 Thess. l:7.

If 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today (notice we said “IF”) and “if" God did not reveal a new and better Hope to Paul after the Acts period, then you can be assured that The Church will go through the tribulation just like Paul said.

And it would be false doctrine to preach a pre-tribulation resurrection. Furthermore, if you believe that 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 are the Hope of The Church today, then you ought to be honest enough to preach that it will take place at the end of the tribulation and not before. And we have more respect for a man that believes that 1 Thess. 4 is his hope and preaches that it will take place at the end of the tribulation than we do for a man that claims it as his hope but denies that it takes place at the end of the tribulation like Paul says it will.

We do realize that what we have written is not going to be “well-liked or received” by most Bible believers, but somebody has needed to stick their necks out and say this for a very long time. We know this is not going to “win many friends and influence many people," but somebody has got to be willing to become even the filth and off-scouring of the world and be looked upon as an evil doer by God’s own people. If that is what it takes for people to get their eyes open to what their Hope is, it is well worth it. The devil is doing everything he can to keep you from seeing the Truth about this Hope, and the one spoken of in the Prison Epistles

When men go up against the doctrines and traditions of men that have been believed and taught for many years, they will find themselves alone on the outside looking in. Their own friends will turn against them and turn away from them and accuse them of being troublemakers. That’s what happened to Paul, but he was willing to suffer abuse if that is what it took to show and reveal the Truth to people that God revealed to him.

It would be much easier to just go along with the religious system and preach their “rapture” as being the hope of the church today. It would be much easier to just ignore and even deny what Paul said about the Hope in 1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15, like everybody else is doing. But when God changes His program and replaces it with something new and better, it is wrong to go on preaching what He changed.

In other words, if God revealed a hope to Paul in his Prison Epistles that is different and better than the one he wrote about in his Acts Epistles wouldn't it be wrong to go on teaching the hope in the Acts Epistles as the Hope of the One Body today?

All God's Blessings,
The Believers

James wrote:
Tell me where in the New Testament the Bible addresses homosexuality.

Dear James,
God Bless you, and thank you for writing. The Book of Romans, which is the foundational doctrine for all of Christianity and shows that all can be saved and that salvation is of God's Grace, not works, deals with this subject in the first chapter. It shows that no matter what the sin, God is able to save to the uttermost. Let us look at some of the Scriptures.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Rom 1:26  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Rom 1:27  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

Rom 1:28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Rom 1:29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Rom 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Rom 1:31  Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Rom 1:32  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

All God's Blessings,
The Believers

Luke 23:43

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Greg wrote:

How do you explain Luke 23:43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Greg

The interpretation of this verse depends entirely on punctuation, which rests wholly on human authority. The Greek manuscripts had no punctuation of any kind till the ninth century, and then it was only a dot (in the middle of the line) separating each word. Ignoring the many clear verses that show The Lord Jesus was not in Paradise or Heaven for weeks after most of Christianity continues to teach the Malefactor (evil-doer, criminal) was promised heaven and joined Jesus Christ there that very same day. But is that what God's Word teaches?

The Verb "to say," when followed by hoti, introduces the ipsissima verba of what is said;  and answers to our quotation marks. So here (in Luke 23:43), in the absence of hoti = "that," there may be a doubt as to the actual words included in the dependent clause. But the doubt is resolved (1) by the common Hebrew idiom, "I say unto thee this day," which is constantly used for very solemn emphasis, as well as (2) by the usage observable in other passages where the verb is connected with the Greek semeron = "to-day."

1. With hoti : --

• Mark 14:30:  "Verily I say unto thee, that (hoti) 'this day ... thou shalt deny me thrice.' "

• Luke 4:21:  "And He began to say unto them, that (hoti) 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' "

• Luke 5:26:  "Saying (hoti = that), 'We have seen strange things to-day.' "

• Luke 19:9:  "Jesus said unto him that (hoti), this day is salvation come into this house.' "

For other examples of the verb "to say," followed by hoti, but not connected with semeron (to-day), see Matt. 14:26; Matt. 16:18; Matt. 21:3; Matt. 26:34; Matt. 27:47; Mark 1:40; Mark 6:14-15; Mark 6:18; Mark 6:35; Mark 9:26; Mark 14:25; Luke 4:24; Luke 4:41; Luke 15:27; Luke 17:10; Luke 19:7.

2. Without hoti : --

On the other hand, in the absence of hoti (= that), the relation of the word "to-day" must be determined by the context.

Luke 22:34:  "And He said, 'I tell thee, Peter, in no wise shall a cock crow to-day before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.' "  Here, the word "to-day" is connected with the verb "crow" because the context requires it. Compare Heb. 4:7.

It is the same in Luke 23:43:  "And Jesus said to him, 'Verily I say unto thee to-day (or this day (See note #1 below), when, though they were about to die, this man had expressed so great faith in Messiah's coming Kingdom, and therefore in the Lord's Resurrection to be its King -- even now, under such solemn circumstances) thou shalt be, with Me, in Paradise.' "  For when Messiah shall reign, His Kingdom will convert the promised land into a Paradise (always a place on earth). Please read Isaiah 35:1-10.

We must notice also the Article before "Paradise". It is "THE Paradise," viz. The paradise of which the prophets tell in such glowing language when the Lord shall come into His Kingdom. See Psalm 67:4; Psalm 67:6;  Psalm 72:6-7; Psalm 72:16-17; Isa. 4:2; Isa. 30:23-24; Isa. 35:1-2; Isa. 35:5-6; Isa. 41:18; Isa. 41:20; Jer. 31:5; Jer. 31:12; Ezek. 34:25-27; Ezek. 36:29-30; Ezek. 47:8-9; Ezek. 47:12; Hos. 2:18; Hos. 2:21-22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-15; Zech. 8:12.

It has no connection with Babylonian, Jewish, and Romish traditions but is a direct answer to the malefactor's prayer.   His prayer referred to the Lord's coming and His Kingdom, and since the Lord's answer was direct, the promise must have referred to that coming and to that Kingdom and not to anything that was to happen on that day on which the words were being spoken.

It is alleged that the Lord's promise was a reply to the man's thought, but this is an assumption for which no justification can be found. Moreover, how can we know what his thought was, except by the words he uttered?

The Lewis Codex of the Syrian N.T. reads in Luke 23:39:  "save Thyself and us." His request is not for the future but to save us -  to-day. So the Lord's word "to-day" may have reference to the revilings of the one, as well as to the faithful request of the other malefactor.

You might have wondered why we stated in the beginning that this faithful malefactor was not a thief. Well, for one reason being a thief was not a crime punishable by death to the Romans, and for a fuller explanation, please see: The "Others" Crucified With The Lord

Note #1. It is rendered "to-day" eighteen times in the Gospels, Hebrews and James, but "this day" twenty-three times (five times in Matthew;  once in Mark;  four times in Luke;  nine times in Acts;  once in Romans;  twice in 2 Corinthians;  and once in Hebrews).

All God's Blessings,
The Believers

Adrien wrote:  

There is no truth in the teaching of "Soul Sleep" ... Absent from the body, instantly present with the Lord!
From: Adrien

Dear Adrien,
God Bless you, and thank you for your concern. We know this is a very hard subject for many Christians because of what they have been taught or failed to be taught concerning Heaven and Hell and 2 Cor. 5:6-8. We offer the following to help clarify the matter:

2 Cor. 5:6-8, "to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord," was the inspired desire of the Apostle, which could be realized only in The Resurrection. Resurrection (and not death) is the subject of the whole context. These words are generally misquoted "Absent from the body, present with the Lord", as though it said that when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord. But no such sentence can be found. No less than nine words are deliberately omitted from the context when the quotation is thus popularly made. The omission of these words creates quite a new sense and puts the verse out of all harmony with the context, the object of which is to show that we cannot be "present with the Lord" except by being clothed upon with our Resurrection body our "house which is from heaven."

We might, with equal justice, quote the words "hang all the law and the prophets" and leave out "on these two commandments" (Matt. 22:40), or say "there is no God" and leave out "The fool hath said in his heart" (Psalm 53:1), or say "Ye shall not drink wine," and leave out "Ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but (ye shall not drink wine) of them" (Amos. 5:11); or talk about "the restitution of all things" and leave out "which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets" (Acts 3:21).

All these partial quotations are correct so far as the Text is concerned, but what about the Context? The context is, "We are confident, I say, and willing rather be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8).

By omitting the words printed in italics, the sense is entirely changed. Being "at home in the body" in both verses is explained in 2 Cor. 5:3 as being in "this tabernacle," which, in 2 Cor. 5:1, is called "our earthly house of this tabernacle" and being "present (or at home with) the Lord" is explained in 2 Cor. 5:2 as being "clothed upon with our house which is from heaven". The Apostle distinctly says, on the one hand, that he did not wish to die (2 Cor. 5:4, "not that we would be unclothed"); and on the other hand, he was not merely "willing rather" but "earnestly desiring to be clothed upon" (2 Cor. 5:2). It is true that some years later he did say "to die is gain"; but as we have seen above, the circumstances were very different, for he was then in prison.

This brings us to the expression of Paul's desire in Phil. 1:23. The desire of the Apostle was not "to depart" himself by dying, but his desire was for the return of Christ; the verb rendered "depart" is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Luke 12:36, where it is rendered "return": "When he shall RETURN from the wedding." May we not fairly ask, Why are we not to translate it in the same way in Phil. 1:23?

The preposition (ana) again, when compounded with the verb (luo) to loosen, means to loosen back again to the place from whence the original departure was made, not to set out to a new place; hence, (analuo) means to loosen back again or to return, and it is so rendered in the only other place where it occurs in the New Testament, Luke 12:36: "when he shall RETURN from the wedding." It does NOT mean to depart, in the sense of setting off from the place where one is, but to return to the place that one has left. The noun (analusis) occurs in 2 Tim. 4:6 and has the same meaning, returning or dissolution, i.e., the body returning to dust as it was and the spirit returning to God, Who gave it. The verb does not occur in the Greek translation of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament, but it does occur in the Apocryphal books, which, though of no authority in the establishment of doctrine, are invaluable as to the use and meaning of words. In these books, this word always means to return and is generally translated.

But there is another fact with regard to Phil. 1:23. The English verb depart occurs 130 times in the New Testament and is used as the rendering of 22 different Greek words. But this one verb (analuo) occurs only twice and is rendered depart only once; the other occurrence being rendered return, and used by the Lord Himself of His own return from heaven. We must also further note that it is not the simple infinitive of the verb to return. It is a combination of three words: the preposition (eis) unto, and the definite article (to) the, with the aorist inference (analusai), to return; so that the verb must be translated as a noun -- "having a strong desire unto THE RETURN"; i.e., of Christ, as in Luke 12:36. These words must be interpreted by the context, and from this, it is clear that the Apostle's whole argument is that The Gospel might be furthered (Phil. 1:12); and that Christ might be magnified (Phil. 1:20). To this end he cared not whether he lived or died; for, he says, "to me, living (is) Christ, and dying (would be) gain. But if living in the flesh (would be Christ), this (dying) for me, (would be) the fruit of (my) labor. Yet, what I shall choose I wot not, for I am being PRESSED OUT OF these two [i.e. living or dying (Phil. 1:20-21), by a third thing (Phil. 1:23), viz.], having a strong desire unto The RETURN (i.e., of Christ), and to be with Christ, which is a far, far better thing". (The word (ek) occurs 857 times, and is never once translated "betwixt" except in this place. It is translated "out of" 165 times).

Paul's imprisonment had made many brethren "more abundantly bold" (Phil. 1:12 R.V.) to preach The Gospel. His death might produce still more abundant fruit of his labor; for these brethren were the fruit of his labor (Phil. 1:11; Phil. 4:17. Romans 1:13). Christ would thus be magnified in his body whether Paul lived or died. That was why he did not know what to choose of these three things: Living would be good, for he could preach Christ. Dying might be even better and further the preaching of Christ more abundantly, judging by the result of his imprisonment. But there was a third thing, which was far, far better than either, and that was the return of Christ, which he so earnestly desired.

It is for the Traditionalists to show how they deal with these facts. It is not sufficient to say they do not believe in our understanding of these passages: they must show how they dispose of our evidence and produce their own in support of their conclusions. Here, we have four passages that seem to oppose those we quoted from the Old Testament. Both cannot be true. We must either explain away the Old Testament passages, or we must see whether these four passages admit of other renderings, which remove their apparent opposition. We have suggested these other renderings, based on ample evidence, which not only deprive them of such opposition but show that their teaching is in exact accordance with those other passages.

Please read the research paper that is free to download that deals completely with this subject. Please download this Free PDF Book and click The Rich Man And Lazarus. We would like any feedback on how we could improve the teaching or any Scriptures we did not handle that you think should be included. So far no individual or institution has found fault in our research.

Also:

Few people realize that everyone who has been laid to rest in the cemetery, whether good, bad, great, or small, has all gone to hell. Contrary to popular opinion, the biblical concept of hell is not a place of conscious torment but is gravedom, the state of death. And those who have departed this life have no consciousness of anything. They are not experiencing soul sleep. They are dead and live only in the memory of God.

A favorite portion of Scripture used by fundamentalist believers today in support of the immortal soul theory is found in 2 Corinthians 5:8. And the favorite oft-quoted phrase taken out of context is "absent from the body, present with the Lord." The thinking in support of this interpretation is based on the belief that man possesses a soul, a separate spirit entity residing within the body. From this chapter also, they can base the argument that man's mortality is restricted to the physical body and does not include his so-called immortal soul. When the believer's mortal body is dissolved in death, complete immortality is achieved when the immortal soul is joined in union with an immortal body that God will provide in heaven. But one lie leads to the necessity of another lie to support the first lie. So theologians invented the intermediate state teaching. Since the soul departs from the body at death, it needs to be clothed with a temporary body of some kind so it can have a conscious function. Therefore, they teach that the soul that departs to be with Christ in heaven receives a temporary body to reside in until the resurrection day, which takes place at the second coming of Christ. We do not wish to intimate that those who teach such things deliberately try to deceive people. No doubt, it is taught in blind ignorance. Just think of the spiritual blindness it inflicts on millions of believers! And the glory of Christ and the truth of His resurrection power suffer the most!

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Colossians 2:8).

For that which befalleth the sons of men be-falleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they all have one breath (spirit); so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20).

Not only do all men go to the same place when they die, but the beasts also go there. There is no way to avoid this place. No difference how good a man or a beast may be or how bad, they all go to the same place at death.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave (hell), whither thou goest (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

If any man has a desire to escape from this place where all go, he will have to get busy and make his plans now in this life, for there will be no such opportunity after death. The place where men and beasts go at death is named here. There is no doubt about it. In Hebrew, it is sheol and is translated by the grave, hell, pit, and other words. But it is always the same place.

My flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (Psalms 16:9,10).

This is speaking of Christ prophetically. He who took upon Himself the sin of the world died and went to the same place all of us, and also the beasts go at death. And He is the only one who has ever come out of that place, never to go back again. He is the firstfruits of them that slept. Firstfruits indicate a harvest that will follow.

As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness (Psalms 17:15).

Every believer should solemnly repeat these words. Coming out of the grave or hell in the resurrection is an awakening from a sleep. This figure is used over and over.

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 0 that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me! If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee (Job 14:12-15).

Job realizes that death is a lying down. Being a Gentile, he hoped for a resurrection for the new earth or paradise. He prayed to be hidden in hell or the grave till God's wrath was over. But he wanted God to set a time for his awakening and remember him. Job did not believe in the heathen concept of the soul, that it lived on and on. But the real question is whether a man will live again after death, not keep on living. Job expects a change someday, just as did Paul. And Job expects to answer when the Great Shepherd calls at The Great Resurrection morning.

How different this Bible Truth is from the superstitions of the heathen! They say that there are two places the dead go to, not one. And they say that there is consciousness in Sheol, the grave, or hell. They believe all this because they have no knowledge of Salvation or Resurrection.

So God says that not only do all people go to the same place when they die, but also the beast goes to the same place. Now if you would take your concordance and look up Sheol, grave, dust, and hades, you will be surprised to find them so closely related. For truth, go to the Word of God.

The heathen is much exercised as to how to keep from going to Sheol or hell. The Christian knows that he is going there but is prepared to escape from it, i.e., by Resurrection.

The heathen has the concept that man is immortal and will live on and on forever. So he has surmised that man has an endless future of either happiness or misery. But those who know God and His Word know that man is a soul and that souls die. They also know that as for the future, they either have life or they perish (John 3:16). That is, they either live or they do not live; they stay dead, or they are resurrected. God has made the terms by which they can live.

The first occurrence of hell or Sheol in the Bible is Genesis 37:35. Jacob expected to go there when he died. Job prayed that he might be hidden in that place till God's wrath was passed (Job 14:13). And our Lord was there three days and three nights.

Almost 3500 years ago, Moses wrote The Truth about The Hope of Resurrection. He made it plain that man lived (again) by believing God (Deuteronomy 8:3). This is still God's Truth. It has not changed.

It is wise to look into this subject very carefully, for the Christian should have it clear about the difference between His Hope and that of the heathen around him. And he must not believe that Plato was one of the church fathers and had the truth.

The abode of the dead in the Hebrews is known as SHEOL, translated as hell, grave, and pit. This is the common abode of both man and beast. But let us see. Here are a few passages;

Genesis 37:35. Jacob speaking. I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. He supposed Joseph to be dead and in hell. See Gen. 42:38.

Job 14:13. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave (hell). Read the context, Job 14:12-15.

Job 18:5-18. Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine... No survival of the wicked.

Job 20:4-9. In this, you find that the wicked shall perish forever like his own dung. See perish in John 3:16.

Job 21:17-21. Note that a candle is put out; they are as stubble. His eyes shall see his destruction. This is the fate of the wicked.

Psalms 1:4-6. The ungodly shall not stand (rise) in the judgment. Nowhere can one find a judgment for unbelievers after death. They do not rise.

Psalms 2:9-12. This is a millennial scene. Even then, the wicked will perish.

Psalms 9:5. Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name forever and ever.

Psalms 11:6. Upon the wicked shall He rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

Psalms 34:16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Psalms 34:21. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

Psalms 35:8. Let destruction come upon him at unawares, and let his net that he hath catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

Psalms 37:10. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be.

Psalms 37:20. But the wicked shall perish.

Psalms 37:35-38. I have seen the wicked in great power...yet he passed away, and, le, he was not...but the transgressors shall be destroyed together.

Psalms 49:12,20. Man, that is in honor and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Psalms 92:7,9. When the wicked spring up as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever... For, Lo, Thine enemies shall perish.

Psalms 112:9-10. The desire (hope) of the wicked shall perish.

Proverbs 10:24,30. But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. Read the whole passage.

Proverbs 13:13,14. Whose despiseth the word shall be destroyed...The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:12. There is a way which seems right unto a man...the end of the ways of death.

Proverbs 15:24. The way of life is above (upward) to the wise. that he may depart from hell (the grave) beneath, he will have a resurrection. The ungodly never depart from hell.

Proverbs 21:16. The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead. In other words, the gates of hell shall prevail against him. There is no way he can rise from the dead, so he remains in the congregation (church) of the dead. No life, no resurrection.

Ezekiel 18:4: Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Adam was made of the dust of the ground. When he began to breathe, he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). And when Adam died, he returned back to the dust from which he was made. And so it is with the sons of Adam. Note in verse 9 that he that lives righteously shall live (in resurrection). And also, it must be understood that a man can live morally upright and still not be righteous.

Ezekiel 18:32. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. There is more implied here than just a physical death, as of a beast, but God is not pleased with the death of those who will not live again. And so exhorts men to change their ways. See verses 29-31 preceding.

Ezekiel 18:27. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. The judges will not execute him for his sins here and now. And also, there is the promise of a future life upon the repentance of his evil ways.

Malachi 4:1. For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. This day is still the future, as far as we can see now.

Much of the foregoing is rather gloomy. But there is a brighter side, a hope for those who will listen and believe.

John 3:3. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Man is singular and refers to Nicodemus personally.

John 3:7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Ye is plural and refers to Israel, of whom Nicodemus was a ruler and member of the Sanhedrin.

John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten (resurrected, as in Psa. 2:7) Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And perish means perish, not something else.

John 3:36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.

We hope this helps, if you have additional Scriptural light, please share it with us.

God Bless you,
The Believers