NUGGETS of TRUTH! by Jack M. Russell

NUGGETS of TRUTH!
by
Jack M. Russell



"What lies behind us, and what lies ahead of us,
is not as important as who lives within us!"
Jack Russell
WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?
A PERSON KNOWING GOD THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND NOT MERELY TRAINING
HIS WILL THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF MAN OR BOOK.
Watchman Nee

LIST OF NUGGETS: Click and go to selected article!
NOTE: SOME ARE DOWNLOADS*!

  • ANTICHRIST*
  • BORN AGAIN*
  • ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED?*
  • BINDING & LOOSING - Matthew 16:19, 18:18
  • DO WE GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?
  • IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS - John 14:2
  • THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS - 2Thessalonians 2:1-17
  • THE ORIGIN OF THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE
  • WHO IS "THE ISRAEL OF GOD"? - Galatians 6:16
  • HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE BIBLE*
  • THE PRE-TRULATION RAPTURE FALLACY*
  • THE FRUSTRATION OF SHARING INSIGHT
  • THE LORD'S SUPPER - 1Corithians 11:23
  • MATTHEW CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  • WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST JESUS
  • LIBERTY - 2Corithians 3:17
  • SPEAKING IN TONGUES*
  • SPIRITUAL WARFARE*
  • THE FATHER'S HEART
  • THE SABBATH REST
  • HEBREWS 10:26

  • ALL SCRIPTURE IS FROM THE NAS BIBLE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.


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    ANALYSIS of "BINDING and LOOSING"

    Locations:

    --- Matt 16:19 "I will give you the [keys] of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall [bind] on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall [loose] on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

    --- Matt 18:18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall [bind] on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

    2807 kleis- [key] the keeper of the keys has the power to open and to shut, the word -- [the ability and power to obtain knowledge as in Lk 11:52]

    1210 deo- [bind] to forbid, to prohibit, to declare to be illicit [unlawful]

    3089 luo- [loose] to declare unlawful

    When rightly dividing the word it is a must to include the scripture surrounding the verse or verses being examined.

    In Matthew chapter sixteen verses thirteen through twenty, which includes nineteen, Jesus is establishing some foundational elements and/or principles for His future church. In quizzing His disciples as to His identity, Peter, through supernatural means, that is, through the revelation of the Father has come to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus goes on to say that upon this rock [element], Jesus the Spirit of prophecy Rv 19:10, He will build His church. God chooses to give knowledge to His church as the word "key" [ability and power to obtain knowledge] denotes in Lk 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."

    The words "bind" and "loose" are almost synonymous in meaning in that they mean to declare what is unlawful, according to what has been established in heaven. Jesus is establishing His earthly kingdom [Rv 11:15] according to heavenly law and the church will have revealed to it anything unlawful; as in God's covenant found in Heb 10:16-17 "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and upon their mind I will write them," {He then says} "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

    In Matt 18:15-19 we see the same principal revealed dealing with church policy.

    CONCLUSION: I [Jesus] will give you [the church as represented by the disciples] the ability and power to obtain knowledge [knowledge of the law of heaven]; and whatever you shall establish as unlawful on earth, has already been established as unlawful in heaven; and whatever you shall say is unlawful on earth, is unlawful in heaven.

    This understanding now explains Matt 18:19: that if anything is agreed upon [and it will be, because the church has the law of God in their hearts and minds] it will be done; as long as it is in agreement with the law established in heaven.

    While the word meaning in the Greek for "loose" can imply a loosing of bonds, I have to agree with Thayer's interpretation.

    Please bear in mind that these are spiritual laws or principals most often.



    DO WE GO STRAIGHT TO HEAVEN WHEN WE DIE?

    I BELIEVE WE DO.

    Here are some scriptures:

    --- Luke 23:43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

    today = generally, now (i.e. at present, hitherto): KJV-- this (to-) day. NT:4594

    --- 1Thes 4:14-18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (NAS)

    fallen asleep = KJV-- taking of rest. NT:2838

    --- 2Cor 12:2-4 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows -- 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

    -----the third heaven = The Jews sometimes speak of seven heavens, and Muhammad has borrowed this idea from the Jews. But the Bible speaks of but three heavens, and among the Jews in the apostolic ages also the heavens were divided into three:

    -----(1st) The aerial, including the clouds and the atmosphere, the heavens above us, until we come to the stars.
    -----(2nd) The starry heavens, the heavens in which the sun, moon, and stars appear to be situated.
    -----(3rd) The heavens beyond the stars. That heaven was supposed to be the residence of God, of angels, and of holy spirits. It was this upper heaven, the dwelling-place of God, to which Paul was taken, and whose wonders he was permitted to behold-this region where God dwelt; where Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father, and where the spirits of the just were assembled. [bar]

    --- Rev 6:9-11 And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until {the number of} their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also.

    should rest = to repose; by implication, to refresh: KJV-- take ease, refresh, rest. NT:373

    CONCLUSION: It appears to me that when we die we will meet Jesus in the clouds [clouds = glory of the Lord] Acts 1:9-11. Jesus told one of the criminals in Luke that he would be with Him in Paradise today. In 1 Thess 4, Paul writes that those taking a rest shall precede those who are alive when Jesus comes again at the end of the age, which lines up with Rev 6:9-11 in my opinion, revealing the place the saints go when they die.

    I also believe that the lost go to a place of torment immediately. Luke 16:19-31

    How many resurrections are there?

    It happened more than once.

    --- Matt 27:52-53 and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. (NAS)

    There is a continuous reaping as described in Rev 14:14-20, with a final reap at the end of the age.

    Two kinds. Rev 20:4-15

    Those of the first resurrection take part in the marriage of the Lamb. Those of the second do not. It is called the second death, for they are already judged and go into the lake of fire.

    I do not see any levels of resurrection as some may suggest.



    HEBREWS 10:26

    For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, [NAS]

    There seems to be much confusion and difficulty in understanding the meaning of this verse, in the body of Christ, because it seems to be out of place in the book of Hebrews chapter ten. One night as I was before the Lord the Holy Spirit gave me this revelation. Trust it will help you also!

    To understand verse twenty-six you need to take into consideration:
    Who the writer is writing to; the Hebrews
    What he is writing about in this chapter, book and paragraph; Jesus the Messiah
    What is his spiritual status; he is a regenerated person

    Hebrews 10:26-31

    --- 26 For if WE go on SINNING WILLFULLY after receiving THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

  • WE = All who have received the knowledge of the truth including the writer of Hebrews.
  • SINNING WILLFULLY = Any act that is not in accordance with the will of God is sin. And so to sin willfully would be to reject God's plan for salvation and His covenant, i.e., Rejecting Christ Himself!
  • ---John 15:22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. (NAS)

  • THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH = knowledge of the New Covenant, including who Jesus is [the Messiah] and what He has done.
  • --- 1Tim 2:4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

    --- 2Tim 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

    --- 2Tim 3:7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

    --- Titus 1:1-3 (1) Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, (2) in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, (3) but at the proper time manifested, {even} His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;

  • If we have this knowledge and then reject God's calling and grace [vs 29] there is no sacrifice for our sin [for Jesus is the only sacrifice for sin].

  • --- Heb 10:29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

    --- 27 but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.

    --- 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on {the testimony of} two or three witnesses.

    --- 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

    --- 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people."

    --- 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

    CONCLUSION: It is my conclusion that the "we," is anyone who has received the knowledge of the truth, i.e. the knowledge that Jesus [the Messiah] is the only way to salvation. If He is rejected by a person after this truth is revealed, that person goes on sinning willfully and is certainly guilty of the unforgivable sin, which is to reject the calling of God, to men, through the Holy Spirit. These men will not inherit the kingdom of God. So the writer of Hebrew's who has just written over a half a book to the Hebrew's explaining who the Messiah is [Jesus], even though many did not receive Him, is telling the believers that those who have rejected Christ have no sacrifice for their sins. For those who reject the righteousness of Christ, for their own self-righteousness, God will reject these.



    IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS Jn 14:2

    John 14:1-6
    --- 1 "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
    --- 2 "In My Father's house [family] are many dwelling places [mansions = H.S. indwelled believers]; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place [portion = H.S.] for you.
    --- 3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, {there} you may be also.
    --- 4 "And you know the way [mode or means] where I am going."
    --- 5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
    --- 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. (NAS)

    What is the mode or means of entering the family of God? Through Jesus, who gives the Holy Spirit to believers, so that they can enter.



    LIBERTY

    2COR 3:12-18



    THIS WORD "LIBERTY" IS USED 5 TIMES IN NEW TESTAMENT!
    [Five is the number of grace!]


    --- 1Cor 8:9 But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
    [Liberty under the gospel, as opposed to the yoke of the Mosaic law.]

    --- 2Cor 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, {there} is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

    --- Gal 2:4 But {it was} because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.

    --- James 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the {law} of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

    --- James 2:12 So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by {the} law of liberty.

    LIBERTY = freedom from the dominion of corrupt desires, so that we do by the free impulse of the soul what the will of God requires. [Thayers Lexicon]

    FREEDOM = Liberation from slavery, imprisonment, or restraint.

    CONCLUSION: Our Heavenly Father has made a provision through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the leading of the Holy Spirit so that we walk blameless before Him.



    THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS

    2THESSALONIANS 2:1-17

    Time Line: 1Thes was written in 48 or 53 AD and 2Thes written shortly there after and before Paul's death in 68 AD

    Mind set: the disciples thought they would not die before the Lords return. Jn 21:23

    THESSALONIANS
    Three special needs existed among the Thessalonians, calling for apostolic instruction: (1) They were careless about their daily work, evidently under the impression that the Second Advent would very shortly take place. (2) There was concern among them lest their Christian friends who had died would suffer loss at the coming of Christ for His own. (3) Friction existed between church officers and those who possessed miraculous spiritual endowments.

    Purpose. The letter was written to urge the Thessalonians to worthwhile conduct and work in the light of the return of Christ; to comfort them concerning those who had died in the Lord; and to instruct them in the elementary truths of the Christian gospel. [Ungers]

    READ CHAPTER ONE FIRST

    2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him
    brethren = Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place 80
    coming = a coming, an arrival, an advent; the future visible return from heaven of Jesus, to raise the dead, to hold the last judgment and set up formally and gloriously the kingdom of God 3952
    gathering together = a gathering together in one place 1997 [the new Jerusalem]

    --- 2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
    shaken = so as to throw him out of his sober and natural mental state 4531
    disturbed = to be troubled in mind, to be frightened, to be alarmed 2360
    has come = to be upon 1764 [gr - is at hand]
    day of the Lord = Act 2:20, 1Cor 5:5, 1Thes 5:2

    --- 2Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

    3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for {it will not come} unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction
    apostasy = a the falling away, defection 646 [signifies apostasy from the faith]

    --- Matt 24:9 "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. 10 "And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.
    [ before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD ]

    --- 1Tim 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons

    man = with reference to the two fold nature of man, the corrupt man and the Christian man, conformed to the nature of God. 444 Matt 13:41, Zeph 1:3
    The same word used in 1 Tim 6:11 "But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance {and} gentleness."
    The man described here is not a single person but men of sin, whose father is the devil.
    Jn 8:44

    The “apostasy” signifies the falling away from faith [Jesus the Messiah] as those of Mat 23 and others, i.e. Matt 23:28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
    --- Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
    They will be revealed when the temple is destroyed in 70 AD.

    The “man of lawlessness” [sin] is a term describing those who do not belong to Christ. Judas is an example.
    Verse 7 says that lawlessness it is already at work.

    The “Son of destruction” [perdition], identifies who this type of man [men] belongs to. They take the rightful seat [temple of God] of Christ and give themselves over to the Devil, i.e., they suppress the truth, Rom 1:18-25. Paul is speaking to the church here, telling them of the signs of the day of the Lord 2:2, i.e., at the end of this age. Expanding these signs in 1:9 - 2:17. Using the word man, singularly, seems to be the focus of much confusion, but it is not an uncommon usage in God's word. I therefore conclude that this is not 'a man', but men who are lawless, i.e., without the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives who will be revealed, i.e., openly judged at the end of the age. Rv 20:13.
    lawlessness = contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness 458
    iniquity = transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness, i.e. sin
    1Jn 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

    --- 2Cor 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

    --- Rom 6:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members {as} slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in {further} lawlessness, so now present your members {as} slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

    --- Heb 10:17-18 "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
    Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer {any} offering for sin.

    revealed = to uncover, to lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to disclose, to make bare; to make known, to make manifest, to disclose what before was unknown 601
    [to reveal the spirit of antichrist] The final judgment of the lawless is at the end of the age.
    Rv 20:13

    son of destruction = son = child, like the sons of Israel
    Destruction = the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell 684
    The name of the angel-prince of the infernal regions, the minister of death and the author of havoc on the earth
    Apollyon = a destroyer (i.e. Satan)

    son of perdition: Judas was called the son of perdition Jn 17:12
    --- Rev 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

    4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
    so-called god = reads "all that is called God" in the Greek = to call by name, to call, to name 3004
    seat = with specification of the place or seat i.e. to dwell 2523
    his seat = Satan's plan:
    --- Isa 14:13-14 "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. 14 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High'

    temple of God = 1Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and {that} the Spirit of God dwells in you?

    --- 2Cor 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

    worship = whatever is religiously honored, an object of worship 4574

    --- Rev 13:8 And all who dwell on the earth will worship him [the beast], {everyone} whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

    displaying himself = to declare, to show, to prove what kind of person anyone is, to prove by arguments, to demonstrate 584

    --- Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
    666 = 3 divine perfection, 6 no. of man; man in divine perfection or man as God.
    Trinity of human perfection, perfection of imperfection

    5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
    The church knew and understood these things.

    6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.
    what = it is not his time vs 8
    restrains him now = to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of); what hinders Antichrist from making his appearance 2722
    The Holy Spirit, i.e. Satan the Beast's time of judgement to be seen by all is not yet, but the church is knowledgeable of this timing [verse 5]. But, false prophets and teacher are saying something different.

    in his time = verse 8 Satan time for judgement when all will see
    --- Matt 8:29 And behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

    --- Rev 19:20-21 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

    revealed = to uncover, to lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to disclose, to make bare; to make known, to make manifest, to disclose what before was unknown 601
    Verses 8 & 12

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

    God has a time for the judgement of Satan and the men of lawlessness, [actually they have been judged already] but chooses not to reveal that time to those who are perishing.

    --- John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
    The judgment: Rev 20:11-15 11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains {will do so} until he is taken out of the way.
    mystery = a hidden purpose or counsel; secret will: of men

    --- 1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the {spirit} of the Antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

    --- 2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ {as} coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.

    he who now restrains = letteth: original translation to restrain, hinder (the course or progress of)

    --- Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

    8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming
    End time happening.

    revealed = to uncover, to lay open what has been veiled or covered up, to disclose, to make bare; to make known, to make manifest, to disclose what before was unknown 601
    breath = same Greek word used for Holy Spirit
    bring to an end =
    --- Rev 6:5 And when He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come." And I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.

    --- Rev 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

    --- John 3:18-19 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.

    9 {that is,} the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
    the one = the one is not found in the original Greek text
    accord = by virtue of; in accordance with 2596
    activity = the attempt to subject all things to himself 1753

    10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
    11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,

    them - they = plural, i.e. more than one!
    deluding influence = Rom 1:25-32

    12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
    --- John 3:19-21 "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. "For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. "But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

    13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
    14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word {of mouth} or by letter from us.
    16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
    17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

    Conclusion:
    The “apostasy” signifies the falling away from faith as those of Mat 23 and others, i.e. Matt 23:28 "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. They will be revealed when the temple is destroyed in 70 AD.

    The “man of lawlessness” [sin] is a term describing those who do not belong to Christ, i.e. Judas is an example.
    Verse 7 says that lawlessness it is already at work.

    The “Son of destruction” [perdition], identifies who this type of man [men] belongs to. They take the rightful seat [temple of God] of Christ and give themselves over to the Devil, i.e., they suppress the truth, Rm 1:18-25. Paul is speaking to the church here, telling them of the signs of the day of the Lord 2:2, i.e., at the end of this age. Expanding these signs in 1:9 - 2:17. Using the word man, singularly, seems to be the focus of much confusion, but it is not an uncommon usage in God's word. I therefore conclude that this is not 'a man', but men who are lawless, i.e., without the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives who will be revealed, i.e., openly judged at the end of the age. Rv 20:13.

    ANTICHRIST
    Antichrist in the Pauline Epistles: The Pauline epistles present a more developed form of the doctrine. In the spiritual sphere Paul identifies Antichrist with Belial. "What concord hath Christ with Belial?" <2 Cor 6:15>. 2 Thessalonians, written early, affords evidence of a considerably developed doctrine being commonly accepted among believers. The exposition of <2 Thes 2:3-9>, in which Paul exhibits his teaching on the `Man of Sin,' is very difficult, as may be seen from the number of conflicting attempts at its interpretation.
    (from International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (C)

    MAN OF SIN
    The favorite Protestant interpretation refers the prediction to the papacy, in whom, it is contended, many of the blasphemous features of Paul's representation are unmistakably realized. The "temple of God" is here understood to be the church; the restraining power the Roman empire; "the man of sin" not an individual, but the personification of an institution or system.
    (from International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (C)



    WHO IS THE ISRAEL OF GOD?

    GALATIANS 6:16

    Israel = "he shall be a prince of God"
    1) the name given to the patriarch Jacob (and borne by him in addition to his former name)
    2) the family or descendants of Israel, the race of Israel [NATURAL ISRAEL]
    3) Christians, the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16), for not all those who draw their bodily descent from Israel are true Israelites, that is, are those whom God pronounces to be Israelites and has chosen to salvation [SPIRITUAL ISRAEL]

    2474 Israel (is-rah-ale');STRONG'S CONCORDANCE of Hebrew origin [3478]; Israel (i.e. Jisrael), the adopted name of Jacob, including his descendants (literally or figuratively): [I.E. CHRISTIANS]

    THE FOLLOWING WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY THE ABOVE NUMBERS. 2), 3).

    --- Matt 15:24 "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."[2]

    --- Acts 13:26-27 "Brethren, sons of Abraham's family [3], and those among you [3] who fear God, to us the word of this salvation is sent out. 27 "For those who live in Jerusalem [2], and their rulers [2], recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled {these} by condemning {Him} JERUSALEM REJECTED GOD. Rv 11:8

    --- Rom 9:6-8 But {it is} not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel [3] who are {descended} from Israel [2]; neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "through Isaac your descendants will be named." That is, it is not the children of the flesh [2] who are children of God, but the children of the promise [3] are regarded as descendants.

    PROPHESIED IN OLD TEST. --- Isa 10:22-23 For though your people, O Israel [2], may be like the sand of the sea, {Only} a remnant [3] within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. 23 For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord GOD of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land.

    CLARIFIED IN NEW TEST. --- Rom 9:27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel [2], "Though the number of the sons of Israel [2] be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant [3] that will be saved;

    IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SUPERSEDES THE OLD, I.E., CLARIFIES THE OLD.

    --- Rom 9:30-10:3 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 [2] but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at {that} law. 32 Why? Because {they did} not {pursue it} by faith, but as though {it were} by works. They [2] stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he [3] who believes in Him will not be disappointed."
    10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them [2] is for {their} salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they [2] have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they [2] did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

    --- Rom 10:21 But as for Israel [2] He says, "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

    --- Rom 11:2-5 God has not rejected His people [3] whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in {the passage about} Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?[2] 3 "Lord, they [2] have killed Thy prophets, they have torn down Thine altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."4 But what is the divine response to him? "I have kept for Myself seven thousand men [3] who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant [3] according to {God's} gracious choice.

    --- Rom 11:11-12 I say then, they [2] did not stumble so as to fall, [4098]did they [2]? May it never be! But by their [2] transgression [4417] salvation {has come} to the Gentiles, to make them [2] jealous [3863]. 12 Now if their transgression [3900] be riches for the world and their [2] failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their [2] fulfillment be!
    IF THEY [2] REPENT AND TURN TO GOD!

    4098 pipto- FALL
    5) to fail to participate in, to miss a share in

    4417 ptaio- TRANSGRESSION
    a) to err, to make a mistake, to sin

    3863 parazeloo- PROVOKE TO JEALOUSY
    a) to provoke to jealously or rivalry

    3900 paraptoma- TRANSGRESSION
    2) a lapse or deviation from truth and uprightness a sin, a misdeed OF ROM 10:3

    HAS THEIR TRANSGRESSION ITSELF KEPT THEM FROM THE OPPORTUNITY OF SALVATION? NO. BUT THEY DO HAVE TO REPENT AND TURN TO CHRIST, THIS IS THE PROVOKING TO JEALOUSY BY GOD, IN HOPE OF THEIR [2] REPENTANCE.

    --- Rom 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel [2] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

    3313 meros- PARTIAL
    a) in part, partly, in a measure, to some degree, as respects a part, severally, individually

    4457 porosis- HARDENING
    2) obtrusiveness of mental discernment, dulled perception

    4138 pleroma- FULLNESS
    b) in the New Testament, the body of believers, as what is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ
    FULL NUMBER IS A POOR INTERPRETATION.

    1525 eiserchomai- COME IN
    3) to come into life [ETERNAL LIFE]

    BECAUSE SOME OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL [2] HAVE A DULLED PERCEPTION OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS [the self-righteousness of Rm 10:3]; GOD IS USING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SALVATION AVAILABLE TO ALL NATIONS [which has always been available to those who seek Him, in faith]. HE HOPES TO BRING TO SALVATION, THROUGH JEALOUSY [BY OPENLY GIVING SALVATION TO THE GENTILES WHO BELIEVE], THOSE OF ISRAEL [2] WHO ARE WALKING IN THEIR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

    --- Rom 11:26 and thus all Israel [3] will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob." (NAS)

    2474 Israel- ISRAEL
    3) Christians, the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16), for not all those who draw their bodily descent from Israel are true Israelites, that is, are those whom God pronounces to be Israelites and has chosen to salvation Rm 9:6, 27

    GOD IS CERTAINLY GOING TO SAVE ALL THAT BELONG TO HIM, I.E. THE ISRAEL OF GOD.

    --- Rom 11:14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen [2] and save some of them. IF SOME ARE GOING TO BE SAVED, THEN SOME ARE GOING TO BE LOST!

    ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL WERE GIVEN THE PROMISE OF THE COVENANT, BUT SOME REJECTED IT. JUST AS ALL OF MANKIND HAS HAD THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. Rom 1:18-23

    --- Matt 21:43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [2], and be given to a nation [3] producing the fruit of it.

    --- Acts 13:46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first [2]; since you repudiate it, and judge yourselves [2] unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

    --- Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly [3]; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly [3]; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

    --- Gal 3:7 Therefore, be sure that it is those [3] who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

    --- Luke 13:26-27 "Then you [2] will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets' 27 and He will say, 'I tell you [2], I do not know where you are from; depart from Me, all you evildoers.'

    --- Luke 13:35 "Behold, your [2] house is left to you {desolate;} and I say to you, you shall not see Me until {the time} comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
    SPEAKS OF JESUS COMING AT THE END OF THE AGE.

    The unbelievers of Israel go to a place of torment, i.e., Hades. Lk 16:19-31



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