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Mysteries of the Everlasting Kingdom
All Sources Disclaimer
The Word of Elohim (God) is sharper than a two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). This applies both to Yeshua (Jesus) and also to the written “Word”. The truths revealed in the Scriptures and The Testimony of Yeshua cut both ways—they can protect you or even destroy you. If Elohim’s own word can destroy you; how much more might thoughts inspired by Satan the Destroyer destroy you?
Ever since the garden in Eden, people have eaten from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. Virtually everything that you hear or see written in print is partly “good” and partly “evil” uninformed. Every source of Scriptural commentary including this one is tainted to some degree. I never blanket endorse any source of Biblical thought! I have disagreements with every source I’ve seen so far, usually quite significant differences, especially when I view their home page.
The sources I link to usually contain side points and rabbit trails that I don’t entirely agree with, that are none-the-less the best I’ve seen so far on the main topic. I often explain those side points differently elsewhere on this site. Still, there are valuable gems of information hidden in a wide array of sources if you sift thru enough material. Many people have stumbled into one or more hidden truths and they can often logically defend certain particular points quite well. Still, there is no guarantee that these individuals have a balanced overall understanding of the Bible and very often they are not even truly converted.
The writers of the various articles featured in the ARTICLES section of this site, as well as the hundreds of internet sources that I link to, and the books in the ARTICLES section often would not entirely agree with many to most of the concepts described in my book series-Mysteries of the Everlasting Kingdom. Some of the writers I link to most write against me by name.
There are usually peripheral points mentioned that I explain quite differently. Nevertheless, I believe that the focal points of these particular articles are very well presented. I don’t hesitate to promote good information simply because I usually disagree with many of the other ideas that another writer advocates. I am not afraid that you might visit their web site or read their books and be swayed by their contrary ideas, because you simply cannot “prove all things” without disproving the alternative perspectives of an issue, but be careful! Use your Elohim given conscience (people think it is merely intuition). Don’t venture too far IF you sense real danger. Satan wants you to die.
I can think of three excellent books whose writers later shot themselves in the foot. One recanted of the monumental work that he had done—the other two are using their newfound credibility to undermine the very essence of the truths that they appear to be promoting!
We can all learn new things; sometimes even from the writings of hypocrites and wolves. However our purpose on Earth is not to learn to follow the orders of religious dictators—if it were, then we might as well have been created as robots. A large part of true Discipleship is discernment between good and evil. There very often comes a time when we are forced to choose between being loyal to Elohim or an organization purporting to represent Him. Many people lose the battle over this point!
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to the mature, who due to practice have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.—The Gabriel Bible
We can also learn from our enemies. There are periods of Sabbatarian history that are only known about by reading the writings of the opposition, because they burned the original books.
However, anyone who teaches that we are not also here to obey Elohim’s Torah (Law) and the Testimony of Yeshua (“NT”), that is, do good “works” and “obey the truth” will wind up as an enemy of Elohim on the “day of wrath”.
Romans 2:5-9 But because of the stubbornness of your unchanging minds, you are hoarding a cache of punishment for the day of punishment, when Yehovah’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He’ll compensate everyone in direct proportion with their behavior. 7 Those who persevere in good behavior, and search out praise, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life, 8 but for those who are self-promoting partisans seeking control, refusing to uphold the truth, and who obey wickedness, there will be passionate anger and fury. 9 Tribulation and extreme suffering is reserved for everyone who is evil, starting with the Jews, but also every other ethnicity.
There are spiritual sheep-people having the very Spirit of Elohim dwelling in them-some of whom are rather hardheaded, like the mountain sheep above. Then there are wolves, like the Pharisees whose actions and “doctrine” (Matthew 16:12) if emulated will lead to eternal death. But then there are a great many duck billed platypuses that appear to be seemingly part bird, part reptile, and part mammal. They have, to their credit, mastered fitting together a few pieces of Elohim’s master jig saw puzzle, often with praiseworthy style, but they have no idea what the finished puzzle actually looks like, because the overview picture is “spiritually discerned”. They have allowed biases and weaknesses, like giant beams in their eyes, to halt their further understanding. The 'special' Spirit will lead us into “all truth”, if we are imbued with the Spirit (if you are “imbued” you have quite literally been soaked) but it is a process that is apparently only begun in this life. No human can obtain all truth in this life. I have no qualms with quoting anyone, no matter their other viewpoints, in order to uncover or better illustrate a particular truth—not that we would enjoy fellowshiping together.
I no longer fear to arrive at unpopular or even unique doctrinal understandings. Most of us will not resolve too many of the mysteries of eternity in this life. But fear unquestioned conformity in your belief system! Beliefs should not be inherited, or adopted in packages. Examine each of your beliefs individually, and don’t back away from reasonable challenges to them, as I did for over twenty years.
The greatest mystery of all time is the question: “Is there a reason for human existence?” The answer to this question, and the most controversial concept that I personally have come to believe is that there is ample opportunity given in this life for everyone to attain eternal life. While others might agree with this simple statement philosophically, you don’t see Biblical statements used to support the position that “non Believers can be granted eternal life-based on their good works.” Logic alone would support the position that a loving Creator would not doom the vast majority of humanity because they tragically adopted the wrong religion. Yet surprisingly, the concept of eternal life for people not familiar with the Bible is Biblical if you dare to examine the evidence. Many people go thru life fearing for their relatives and loved ones, believing that they are eternally lost, or doomed to Dante’s hell, without considering Elohim’s own words.
How Elohim will sort us out is explained by the unexplored Biblical principles described in Chapter 5: Are the “Unsaved” Lost?. Yeshua’s faithful Commandment Keepers will have a better reward than others, but eternal life is available to everyone who practices the “Royal Law” in this life!
This life is a proving ground. For the most part, it is not what we learn that matters most to Elohim; rather, it is what your Creator learns about you. Elohim is looking for a few good people to “populate” His universe spanning Everlasting Kingdom.
Isaiah 9:7 The expansion of His dominion and prosperity will never end, from David’s throne and over His kingdom, arranging it and maintaining it with justice and righteousness from that time on—forever. The zeal of the Word* of Commander Yehovah will make it happen.
Loving your neighbor is the only heavenly requirement for people who do not know and love the true Elohim. Personally fulfilling Elohim’s Royal Law is the minimum requirement to “do well”.
James 2:8 If you actually fulfill the Torah of Yehovah according to the Scriptures, “You will love your neighbor as yourself”, you’ll do well.
Romans 13:10 Love never does anything harmful to an acquaintance, because love is the fullfilling [3] of the Torah.
The Greek word for “fulfill” alludes to filling the cargo hold of a ship. It’s that full! And apparently, just as in English, “fill” can mean to “fill out”, “stand in for”, “occupy”, “carry out”, “satisfy” or be used as a “substitute”, according to my Oxford Word Finder.
This principle is expressed again in Galatians.
Galatians 5:14 The entire Torah can be encapsulated into one statement, “You must love everyone you encounter as yourself.”
Elohim’s Royal Law is still the means test that will sort us out in the Judgment. As long as there are humans, there will be a standard (a law) of behavior that Elohim uses to sort the good from the bad. In a nutshell, Elohim judges all of us based on our interpersonal behavior, and Yeshua’s faithful Commandment Keepers have the added responsibility that comes with a personal relationship with Elohim.
Matthew 5:18 I am certain that until Heaven and Earth go away [or arrive] not one point or the 'smallest detail' [4] from the Torah [5] will be 'done away with' until all of it is fulfilled [6]..
[4] “Yod” is the smallest letter in both the Aramaic and Hebrew alphabets. “Biblical Greek” has no small letters. [5] “Point” is how the Etheridge version renders this, as in a vowel point, serif or even, as in this case a dot! [6] The primary meaning of “ginomai” means “to come into existence”, but it can also mean, “come to pass.”
We can only speculate about what compensation (“reward”) Elohim has in mind for “good people”. He has kept that largely a secret, perhaps because He doesn’t want people to be “in it for the money”, so to speak.
1 Corinthians 2:9 Yehovah, who has called you by name into the fellowship of His Son, Yeshua Messiah, our Sovereign, is faithful.
