The Called, The Culled, and the Excused

The Called, The Culled, and the Excused

God’s Ultimate Objective

The Fifth chapter about: The Great Judgment Day

Chapter 5 Preview: What will God do with all of the “good” people who die who didnt know Jesus (actually Yeshua, off site)? The Bible teaches us that there is going to be a Judgment Day. We almost innately believe that the wicked (whoever they are) will be separated from the good (presumably us). But can we know exactly who will be given eternal life, and when, and who will be cast into Gehenna, and why? The Biblical explanation for Judgment Day has been horribly misrepresented. With a proper understanding of the scriptures you can be pretty certain where your “unconverted” friends and relatives will end up and the verdict may be much different than you have been told-and much better!

Some people view eternal judgment as wishful thinking, preferring to believe that humanity is the result of random chance happenings in a “primordial soup” —the soup also being the result of a mindlessly “created” universe, filled with random laws of physics that just happen to perform in a magnificent way.

Aside from this minority, most people assume that the judgment will involve a “heaven” or “hell” type of scenario, or some other similar, but equally erroneous, concept also of pagan origin. Most people inherently believe that Divine fairness will somehow ultimately be achieved in some far away place. They’re totally unaware of the coming Everlasting Kingdom—on earth.

For those who ostensibly believe in the Biblical account, there are many shocking statements made, if only you look for them without preconceived ideas! This chapter considers many of them. Here, for example, is a question to carefully contemplate: Will “good” people go to heaven on or before Judgment day, while the “bad” people go elsewhere?

Matthew 19:17 So He said to him: Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. NKJV

The statement “No one is good but One” above is extremely interesting. It implies that goodness is a relative thing. While no one epitomizes “goodness” to the degree that our Heavenly Father does, we can still certainly be accounted as “good enough” to enter the Kingdom of God, so long as we keep the Royal Law—more about that later.

Here are a couple of interesting thoughts that are absolutely contradictory to today’s Christian teachings (which differ greatly from 1st century Nazarene teachings.). This one is “buried” just three verses away from the most quoted verse in the Bible. Few are honest enough to teach this:

John 3:13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

What is the fate of the wicked?

Here is a similarly blunt comment—one of many—contrasting the fate of the wicked to that of the righteous:

Psalms 37:10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Once more—where is the reward of the saved?

Proverbs 10:25 & 30 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation ... 30 The righteous will never be removed, [from the earth] but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

In The Great Judgment Day, the focus was primarily on the scriptures relevant to the timing and prophetic circumstances surrounding the Day of Judgment. In this sequel, the topic is primarily the criteria by which every member of humanity will be eternally judged. There is a wonderful surprise in store for the “believers” within all of the world’s confused religions, as well as for non believers-so long as they have merely loved their neighbors! There are even some surprises in store for commandment keeping Saints (off site)—the vast majority of whom do not understand the exact purpose and timing of the resurrections!

Daniel 10:12 Do not fear [insert your name], for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard....

Is it true that, “The Bible reveals that only those called into the church (off site) are being judged now” The scripture cited as proof states:

1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.

But the teaching doesnt end there, the verse continues:

... And if it begins with us first, WHAT WILL BE THE END [STATE] OF THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE “GOSPEL” OF GOD? 18 Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?

Paul answered this question, as I’ll soon show. Frankly those who are thoroughly wicked are doomed. Peter may have been comparing his day to the time when God will begin the end time slaughter in Jerusalem.

God will say:

Ezekiel 9:4-6 [Yehovah’] said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry over all the abominations that are done in its midst. 5 To the others he said in my hearing, Go through the city after him, and strike: dont let your eye spare, neither have pity; 6 kill utterly....WEB

Take a close look at this contrastingly optimistic verse! Notice that God is the Savior of “ALL men, especially” [but by inescapable implication even more so for] “those who believe”.

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of ALL men, especially of those who believe. WEB

Four Classes of People!

Paul began a thorough and powerful lecture on Law and Judgment by carefully explaining four distinct classifications of people, not simply referring to the righteous and the wicked! To understand the amazing truths of Judgment Day, you must understand Romans Chapters 1 and 2! Discovering that everyone, not just the saints, are being eternally judged by how they treat their “neighbors” is the largest unknown truth in the entire Bible! Knowing about the Christ, right now, is not the only way to arrive in the Kingdom of God, but being a true Saint, one of the Ecclesia, is the only way to a part of the best resurrection. Paul referred to the “law” 77 times in the book of Romans (76 times using “nomos” , and one time using “anomos” meaning “against the law”). This is one third of all the references within the Greek Scriptures. There is a direct connection between “Law” and “Judgment”. The second most “lawful” chapter in the Greek Scriptures is Romans 2, (followed by the most “lawful” Chapter, Romans 7.) Chapters 3-6 are also quite “lawful” chapters, within the same context. These are great supplemental reading.

There are two types of people who are “without law”, (1) [gentiles], “who do not have the law, [who] by NATURE do the things in the law”. They are ignorant of the law yet their noble thoughts will be “excusing them”. (2) “Gentiles” who do not respond to their God given conscience* have “their [own] thoughts accusing” them, based on the last six “natural” commandments that Jesus explained to the rich young ruler. Then there are two groups of the called, (3) those who “have sinned ‘in’ [aware of] the law”, who were offered eternal life, but declined it—hearers only; and finally there are (4) “the doers of the law”, who were “called” and chose to seek eternal life.

Romans 2:15 ... since they exhibit proof that a knowledge of the conduct which the Law requires is engraven on their hearts, while their consciences also bear witness to the Law, and their thoughts, as if in mutual discussion, accuse them or perhaps maintain their innocence.... —Weymouth Version.

Conscience is the God given ability to come to a knowledge of the difference between good and evil within our interpersonal relationships. Scientists are only now “discovering” this. (See footnote #1 at the bottom).

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

All four groups mentioned in Romans 2 have one thing in common:

Psalms 62:12 Also to You, Oh Lord belongs mercy; for You render to each one [everyone!] according to his work.

The Bible ends mentioning these four groups as well: the “unjust, filthy”, the naturally “righteous”, and the “holy”. (Revelation 22:11)

I want to quote some more of Romans 2, which explains the four groups of people and the standards that each is judged by:

Romans 2:1 Therefore you are inexcusable [“anapologetos” , a legal term found only once in the Bible] O man, whoever you are [hypocrites] who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself for you who judge practice these same things.

The word “condemn”, as used here, is “krino” , another legal term, translated as “judgest” in the KJV. It is unique to the book of Romans, with the exception of James 4:12, where it is in the same context concerning the “Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy”.

Romans 2:2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. 3 And do you think this, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? [God actually condemns people, based at least in part, on their own judgments or thoughts or standards!] 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But according to your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath [when?] in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’ [works]: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality [doing good “deeds” is how you seek “glory, honor, and immortality”]: 8 but to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth [such as the tares] but obey unrighteousness–indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek [both the knowledgeable and the ignorant who are Reserved for Death—Culled]: 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without the law [both the Excused AND the Culled] will also perish [as in Psalms 38:18 & 20] without law; and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law [the “unchosen”] 13 for not the hearers of the law are justified in the sight of God; but the doers of the law will be justified; [the Called and the Excused] 14 FOR WHEN GENTILES, WHO DO NOT HAVE THE LAW, BY NATURE DO THE THINGS IN THE LAW, THESE, ALTHOUGH NOT HAVING THE LAW, ARE A LAW TO THEMSELVES, 15 WHO SHOW THE WORK OF THE LAW WRITTEN IN THEIR HEARTS, THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARING WITNESS and between themselves THEIR THOUGHTS ACCUSING [Culling] OR ELSE EXCUSING THEM 16 IN THE [Great Judgment] DAY WHEN GOD WILL JUDGE THE SECRETS OF [ALL] MEN BY JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL.

This is an absolutely stunning concept! Why does no one teach this?

There is a problem with the NKJV, and other versions, with verse 15. An accurate translation would not include the terribly misleading words “and between themselves”. The RSV is correctly rendered:

Romans 2:15 They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them.... RSV)

The context undoubtedly is showing that “eternal life” (v.7) and “indignation and wrath” (v.8) are dispensed in one day, “in THE day when God will judge the secrets [thoughts] of men ...” (v.16).

God is taking note of both the thoughts and the behavior of those who will be excused. They will not be condemned to eternal death; God “will render to each one according to his deeds”. However some may only be beaten with a few “stripes”, that is, endure some suffering (Luke 12:47-48). Note that the word “accusing” (kategoreo) referred to here is also a legal term, meaning “to charge with some offense” , and this word is also unique in the Bible, same comment for the word “excusing” (apologeomai) meaning “to make a defense”. The KJV inserts “one another” (v.15), yet the context of Romans 2 remains clearly the “judgment of God” (vs.2,3,5,11,12,13 and 16). God will judge both the “secrets” and the thoughts shared among “one another” in that day. The first four of the Ten Commandments are the most important, that is why they are listed first. The first four commandments are spiritually discerned; you dont keep these commandments apart from having knowledge of scriptural truth. The last six commandments can all be understood “by nature” , “not having the law” by people using “their hearts” and “their conscience”. These last six commandments are often referred to as “The Golden Rule”.

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I KNEW YOU; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

God can see into the future, He can read you like a book, yet He does not make your decisions. You choose life or death:

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live....

God custom makes tests of character for each of His prospective sons! Random chance has nothing to do with calling and testing. Being called to be kings (Revelation 5:10) simply requires more extensive, “interactive testing”. Contrast that with:

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven.... I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.

Truly, this is not an exaggeration; their “relationship” with Jesus had never ever existed! These “Christians” were complete strangers to God, even tho they called themselves Christians! These wicked bogus Saints do serve us tho, by testing our character and spiritual resolve right now!

Who are the called? They are reasoning, “willing and obedient” volunteers!

Isaiah 1:18-20 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says [Yehovah]: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of [Yehovah] has spoken it.” WEB

While God formerly called a nation, He is now working with scattered individuals who are truly seeking to find the Divine Physician because they know that they are spiritually sick!

Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

“All” Resurrected in One “Hour”

There is good reason to accept the following scripture literally:

John 5:21-29 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. [The Father does the resurrecting but the Son determines which resurrection you are in.] 22 For the Father judges NO ONE, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, [The Saints will not stand in the White Throne Judgment at Jesus’ coming. They will already be “born again” by then] but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, AND NOW IS, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; [the Saints hear Jesus’ voice in this life.] and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the HOUR is coming in which ALL who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth-those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

OK, once more to establish the timing:

Daniel 12:1-2 At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble [the great Tribulation], such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book. 2 ‘An abundant number’ [07227: or as Jesus said—“all”] of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Some people dont think that the “ALL” of verse 28 means all. In case the Father calls “too many” people to be kings, would you like to wait until the thousand years are finished to be resurrected? Conversely, which of the wicked should await judgment until later? Notice: “all” who have ever lived are resurrected in one hour! It may be a literal hour, but if we apply the “day for a year principle” to this “hour”, we have 1/24 of a year, which is precisely fifteen days, in an end time prophetic 360 day year. The Feast of Trumpets is on the first day of the seventh month and the Holy Day of the Feast of Tabernacles is on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Figuratively, this is “one hour”, a perfect fit both in time span and in the prophetic significance of these days! In the very beginning, months were probably 30 days long and full moons were exactly 15 days after new moons. Israel, symbolized by the moon, will be shining at maximum full light when our jobs begin in the seventh millennium. Here is how this “all who are in the graves” could fit the Holy Days within one “hour”: At the Feast of Trumpets the Day of the Lord “smites” the earth!

Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand....

The Day of Atonement represents the time when Israel finally becomes at one with God and becomes the bride (or fiancée) of Christ. Then on the First day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the “Great Multitude” will be able to become citizens of the next generation of the household or Kingdom of God. They are given “white robes” (Revelation 7:9), symbolizing that they have been purified, and given an opportunity to partake of the “living fountains of water”. Dont make the assumption that the whiteness and purity of the great multitude indicates that these are immortal beings. They are still being refined! Notice the terms used to describe these very human people at the end of this age:

Daniel 11:35 And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.

By the Last Great Day, salvation will begin for all of the other nations. The bottom line is that everyone will have at least 100 years of millennial bliss to repent within.

The term “hour” used above, in Greek, is not a nebulous word that can mean anything you want it to. Our word “hour” is a direct transliteration of the Greek word “hora” , (It means the exact same thing.) Webster adds something interesting: “Astronomy: a unit of right ascension representing 15 degrees, or the 24th part of a great circle”. That is 15/360ths! Also the Hebrew word for “degrees” (parts of 360) used in 2 Kings 20:11, where “He brought the shadow 10 degrees backward” on the sundial, also has to do with ascension. It literally means “a journey to a higher place” as well as “a step or grade-mark” (Strong’s # 1509). I believe that the mathematical use of “degrees” dates back to before the great flood when years may have been 360 days long. The use of degrees can be traced as far back as Babylonian tablets. Might Webster’s “great circle” have originally been the circular path of the Earth around the sun? “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers ...” (Isaiah 40:22). I once asked my dad, who was an atomic scientist: “why 360 degrees, why not 100 or 400?” Apparently, the answer precedes written history!

The following passage describes the Great Judgment Day. This assessment is not a parable; rather, this is an unambiguous pronouncement!

Matthew 25:31-40 When the Son of Man comes ... All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom’.... Then the righteous will answer Him saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry ... thirsty ... a stranger ... naked ... sick ... or in prison and come to You?" [Answer:] Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me....

It is particularly important that you notice that these “righteous” are totally oblivious as to why they are being rewarded! They dont understand why they are being offered eternal life! They had certainly not understood God’s plan for humanity! Yet this is a very positive judgment. It is an invitation to pre-qualified (i.e. not wicked) people to become “like the angels”. I seriously doubt that anyone will decline the offer when God says to them: “Enter into the joy of your Lord”. This is, however a very brief account. I fully expect that these people, when God has their totally undivided attention, will be exceedingly willing to pledge their allegiance to Jesus, their savior, as they are forgiven of their sins. These compassionate “gentiles” will be EXCUSED and will be welcomed into the Kingdom!

Actually, it may be easier to judge someone who is not “being good” just to obtain an eternal reward, or one who fears hell fire. A person who, due to his “nature”, treats his fellow man with love, not expecting personal gain, is sure to be looked upon quite favorably by God!

Continuing:

Verses 41-46 Then He will say to those on His left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry ... thirsty ... a stranger ... naked ... sick ... in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you ... [like that? Answer]: “inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Again, as we saw before, the wicked are condemned in the same “hour” that the righteous are rewarded! Furthermore, the wicked are not wicked because they do not understand that there is an afterlife or because they dont understand scripture, they are wicked because of the way they treated their fellow man! The wicked were not concerned when their neighbors were hungry, naked or destitute; in fact they often caused the situation. God considers a person’s behavior toward their neighbors as if they were treating Him that way! This is in essence how they will be judged for breaking the first four Commandments! Also notice that this separation is complete at the beginning of the millennium; it is “When the Son of Man comes”.

Notice the type of questions being asked by the “righteous” in the Matthew 25:37-40; these are the kinds of questions asked by ignorant people and they will of course be asked without delay! Many people are familiar with 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter about “those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Matthew 25 is another resurrection chapter that actually covers two resurrections to eternal life.

Please consider this chapter carefully, as it reveals in the simplest terms possible, two extremely little understood truths! The first thirteen verses concern people who are alive when “the bridegroom is coming”, some of whom actually “go out to meet Him” (v.6). I believe that these “ten virgins” represent the called and chosen Assembly of God who are alive at the end of the age-as well as an equal number of pretenders-people associating with God’s people but who are not really converted; are not really God’s people—hence Jesus’ comment!

Matthew 25:11-12 Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ 12 But He answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I dont know you.’

The 50/50 split of the virgins has similarities to the two baskets of figs of Jeremiah 24:1 “[Yehovah] showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs set before the temple of [Yehovah]” . Half of them “shall return to Me with their whole heart” (v.7), and half of whom “I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence until they are consumed from the land”. (v.10). However, this concept is covered in The Time After Jacob’s Trouble.

Continuing: In Matthew 25: 14-30 we find that this segment concern the Saints. It explains how they will receive various levels of responsibilities in the Everlasting Kingdom, depending on their performance in this life. Of course some who were not faithful are cast into “outer darkness” being judged to be “unprofitable servants”. However, verses 31-46 explain the judgment, not of “servants” or Saints, (they having already been made immortal) but of the rest of humanity! This is the judgment of the nations. Notice that these righteous do not have a clue as to why they are to “inherit the Kingdom prepared for them”! On the other hand, the wicked do not understand why it is that they are receiving a “punishment” that is final-for eternity. As you read thru the text of this particular judgment, notice that the only reason that these “righteous” “inherit the Kingdom” is because they treated their neighbors with love! The “Lord” in fact had to explain the situation to them telling them that, in essence, when they served their fellow man, that He had equated it to their having served Him! There is not a hint in this resurrection about any previous relationship, or even a previous awareness of the God of Israel!

THREE RESURRECTIONS—This is Different!

The “best resurrection” is the one that we should want to be a part of. It is the one that Luke referred to as “the resurrection of the righteous” (Luke 14: 14). John said that “those who have done good” will be in “the resurrection of life” (John 5:29). Hebrews refers to this resurrection as a “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35). The most commonly quoted expression referring to this is the “first resurrection” (Revelation 20:6). These phrases are all unique in scripture. The term “protos” , translated as “first”, in “first resurrection” (Strong’s 4413) can refer to being first in time and it does occur slightly before “the resurrection of judgment” (or “condemnation” or “damnation” also John 5:29). It also means to be in first place, and I believe that it was meant to imply “chief” and “first in rank” and having the most “honor” , being the “chief” and “principal” resurrection, as we can see in the Online Bible Greek Lexicon. At the best resurrection, the Saints are raised “incorruptible”. This occurs at Christ’s return. “Christ the firstfruits, AFTERWARD those who are Christ’s AT HIS COMING.” (Revelation 20:4-6) This is the great First Harvest. This resurrection is strictly for Commandment keeping Saints—no wicked are involved.

The “White Throne” Judgment

During this resurrection the wicked “Tares”, are burned within the same “hour” of Jesus’ return. This is the separation of the sheep from the goats. Included in this group are the worst of the wicked who may literally experience the horrors of the seven last “plagues” of Revelation and see Jesus return! (Revelation 22:18, Revelation 1:7, Matthew 26:63-64) Also in this resurrection are the “excused” who kept the Royal Law—a vast number of new sons of God. These are the “Gentiles, who do not have the law, [who] by NATURE do the things in the law”, as previously explained. (Compare Revelation 20:13 thru 21:1, John 5:25-29) This resurrection includes every “excused” person who has ever lived. They are resurrected perhaps on the Day of Atonement which immediately precedes the establishment of the Kingdom of God. The Lamb “WILL shepherd them and LEAD THEM to living fountains of water”. (Revelation 7:17)

“The Rest of the Dead”

The “rest of the dead” are those who will have died after “the resurrection of life” and “the resurrection of judgment”. God will destroy many armies and those opposed to Him during the Day of the Lord. The resurrection of soldiers is specifically identified in Revelation 19:11-20:5, verse 20:5 in particular: “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished”. This verse does not make sense until you realize that it serves as a footnote-not a part of the first resurrection. Of course many people will live and die following the “resurrection of judgment” at Jesus and the Father’s return. All who live during “the millennium” , will be judged during the next great harvest season. Most people will have had about 100 years to repent:

Isaiah 65:20 For the child SHALL DIE one hundred years old, BUT the sinner being one hundred years old shall be ACCURSED.

The indication is that, during the entire next millennium, sinners will have no more than one hundred years to repent, or else be accursed, while the childlike may live no less than 100 years. Those people, not yet finally judged, are those who lived into or were born in the millennium. They, of necessity, must await the end of the seventh millennium for their ultimate judgment, because most are yet to be born! Most of the “rest of the dead” are future dead! The new Saints will all begin their eternal life at once.

Certainly there will be much more wheat separated from the chaff during this harvest. This is the “latter” harvest of humanity. (Matthew 13:24-30)

Jeremiah 5:24 Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

Hosea 6:3 He will come to us [humanity] like rain, like the latter and the former rain to the earth.

Unlike the great “former” harvest that takes place during the autumn Holy Days, the “latter” harvest takes place in Abib, the first month of God’s year:

Joel 2:22-23 And He will cause the rain to come down for you—the [early] rain, [prior to the growing season] and the [spring] rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of [spring] wheat.

More wicked people are burned at the “latter harvest” because this same judgment will also include those still alive:

Revelation 20:7-9 ... “whose number is as the sand of the sea” ... “when the thousand years have expired” when “fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them”.

The reason that there are such a large number of culls is because they are the cumulative result of 1000 years of sifting.

As in the previous resurrections, none will have any seniority (a head start)! Some people believe that there will be no more death in the age to come, not understanding that that only applies to those who have been “born again”*! Consider the “Ezekiel Temple” of Ezekiel 40-48. Particularly notice:

Ezekiel 44:25 They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves.

After seven days these priests will resume their duties in the sanctuary.

* Speaking of being born again; no one, other than Jesus, has ever been born again-yet:

John 3:5 Jesus answered: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit IS spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him: How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said to him: Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

I would also ask: “are you a teacher anywhere, and do not know these things?”

Good Shepherds, Bad Shepherds

In the centuries prior to Pentecost, 31 AD there may have been little opportunity for receiving the Holy Spirit. Except for a handful of God’s leaders, few are known to have received the Holy Spirit. Receiving the Spirit was apparently a new concept.

Acts 19:2-3 Paul, upon ... finding some disciples he said to them: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him ‘We have not so much as heard weather there is a Holy Spirit.

The majority of the people of ancient Israel may have been no wiser than the “gentiles who do not have the law”. Perhaps few of them will be in the first resurrection but many are all still “in the game of life” unless they disqualified themselves. An excellent example of this is found in Numbers:

Numbers 16:1-3 Korah ... took men and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them: You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?

These men tried to take over God’s nation. They didnt like the direction things were going and complained saying:

... you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness that you should keep acting like a prince over us.

They were jealous of the leaders of God’s people. They slandered Moses and Aaron while “seeking the priesthood”(v.10) for themselves.

Moses explained that:

Numbers 16:30-36 ... if the Lord creates a new thing, [a new kind of death!] and earth opens its mouth and swallows them up ... then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord. [Then Moses] “spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart from the tents of these wicked men!’.... Now it came to pass, after he finished speaking all of these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them up.... So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit and the earth closed over them.... And a fire came out from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

God didnt wait to throw these “wicked men” into a fiery pit. There is no reason at all to believe that these men needed to know about the Holy Spirit before they could be condemned in order to have a fair chance. God used “these men who sinned against their own souls” as an example. They had greatly provoked their God and they were culled! Had the rest of Israel also been “wicked” then they too would have died. Most of the congregation was not wicked, but many were indifferent—skating on thin ice! But God is not finished with the House of Israel.

It was attitudes like this that was responsible for everyone except Caleb and Joshua who had fled Egypt to end up dying in the wilderness. Only the young born in the wilderness entered into the promised land.

Hebrews 3:16-18 For who, when they heard, rebelled? No, didnt all those who came out of Egypt by Moses? 17 With whom was he displeased forty years? Wasnt it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 To whom did he swear that they wouldnt enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

Now for Part 2

Footnote #1

PS. Studies done since I wrote this article confirm that a conscience is hard-wired into our minds. Here are some intriguing quotes from one summory. I suspect that the conscience is tied to the “spirit in man”. Of course they had to spoil it by chalking it up to evolution!

“... But it is also a dramatic example of the way neuroscience has begun to elbow its way into discussions about morality and has opened up a new window on what it means to be good.

“Grafman and others are using brain imaging and psychological experiments to study whether the brain has a built-in moral compass. The results—many of them published just in recent months—are showing, unexpectedly, that many aspects of morality appear to be hard-wired in the brain, most likely the result of evolutionary processes that began in other species.

“What the new research is showing is that morality has biological roots—such as the reward center in the brain that lit up in Grafman’s experiment—that have been around for a very long time.”

A simple argument in favor of God creating our conscience, in light of these findings, is made on this site. Researchers are spinning this discovery as anti-God. They are also making new evolutionary theory to explain why children are also hardwired to believe in a purpose for the universe and are especially convinced of an intelligent designer—despite Darwinism being taught in schools!