If Christ be Not Raised, Your Faith is Vain

• The Necessity of the Resurrection - Let’s first look at the necessity of the Resurrection. God used man to introduce two gigantic biblical themes into this world – death and life (or the resurrection from the dead). In what way was man responsible for catapulting this world into death? It was the fall into sin by Adam and Eve that resulted in death. The “death” that God is talking about in this verse is far worse than physical death. He is speaking about the second death, which is eternal spiritual death in Hell, as described in Rev 21:8. The enormous problem of sin, and its infinitely painful consequences of paying for one’s sins in eternal Hell are, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest dilemma that anyone can face. The reason this problem is so overwhelming is that man is incapable of finding the solution on his own, although many people spend their lives vainly attempting to satisfy a Holy God by their own “works”, or religious efforts. Since the first man’s sin resulted in death for the whole human race, which Man was therefore responsible for the resurrection from the dead? Again, we learn from the Bible that it was the Second Man (or the “Last Adam”), who brought about Life. The “second man” is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the eternal God as 1 Cor 15:47 affirms. Furthermore, Rom 1:4 emphasizes the supreme importance of the resurrection from the dead: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead”. Not only the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, proves that Lord Jesus is successful and victorious in the Atonement and God’s righteous judgment was satisfied or propitiated by His sacrifice, but it also guarantees that all true Christians will be eternally saved.

Rom 5:12, 14, 19  “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure [figure of Christ] of him that was to come. 19For as by one man’s [First Adam] disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Second Adam – Christ] shall many be made righteous.”

1 Cor 15:21, 47 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead, 47The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”

1 Pet 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

• If Christ be Not Raised, Your Faith is Vain - This is the summation of being a Christian, if Christ be NOT risen: If there is no reality, if there is no power behind what we read in the Bible about the resurrection of Christ, if these things are like so many things in the world, so many religions, so many professing Christian gospels that are out there that are NOT true to the Bible, if the true Gospel of the Bible is like all of that, then it is worthless. Hebrews 11, the so-called “faith chapter” of the Bible, is a superb example of the faith that true believers have in God’s many promises in the Bible to raise them from the dead unto eternal life: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb 11:13). The passage Heb 11:17-19 is referring to the account in Genesis 22 of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, his “only begotten” son. This account is a historical parable pointing to God’s faithful sacrifice of His “Only Begotten” son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God stopped Abraham from killing his son in actuality at the last second; but why would Abraham do such a terrible thing? Well, we read the reason in Heb 11:19, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead”. This New Testament verse explains that Abraham was confident that God would raise his son from the dead in order to keep His promise to “establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” as we read in Gen 17:19. Then Heb 11:19 says, “… from whence also he [or God] received him [that is, Isaac] in a figure [parabole:G3850]”. In other words,God set up this test to be an historical parable that Moses would write about in the book of Genesis over 600 years later. Spiritually, it points to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would come as the Lamb of God over 2,000 years later as a fulfillment of Abraham’s statement in Gen 22:8, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Obviously, God knew in advance that Abraham would not fail the test. Abraham could not possibly have known God’s ultimate purpose at the time; but he obeyed God’s command solely “by faith” as we read in Heb 11:17, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried [or tested], offered up Isaac …”. It demonstrates God’s unique power to raise His people from spiritual death to spiritual life, even as Abraham was given the faith of Christ to believe that God could do that which was humanly impossible. Hebrews 11, which mentions numerous believers in the Old Testament who lived by the faith of the Son of God as they underwent many trials and hardships during their earthly sojourn. If Christ be NOT risen, then there is no salvation possible and absolutely no hope of eternal life for them and us — and we Christians would be most miserable of all men, because we are even depriving ourselves of the things of this world. Even though those who do not have the Gospel have a vain life and existence, at least they do have the pleasure of sin. Heb 11:24-26, where God figuratively associates Egypt with sin, helps us to see how Moses chose “the reproach of Christ” over the pleasures of the world: “... Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt ...”.
  

Heb 11:17-19 “By faith Abraham, when he was tried [or tested], offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure [parabole:G3850].”

Heb 11:8-11 “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

Heb 11:32-34, 37 “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder , were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;”

Heb 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward [eternal life].”

1 Cor 15:13-17 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”

• It was NOT possible that Lord Jesus should be Holden of Death - The “resurrection of the dead” is an extremely important topic. When the Apostle Paul is giving his testimony, or actually defending himself before King Agrippa, he speaks of Jesus rising from the dead as we read in Acts 26:23-24: “That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles”, it was such an incredible fact for Festus to comprehend: “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad”. The Athenians were the same way, so we read in Acts 17:32: “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed”. Yes, Christ took upon Him the sins of His people and experienced God’s Wrath, Hell for His people on the cross. Many would like to believe that this is where the story ends. Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pilate and begged His body, and he had a sepulcher nearby hewed in a rock. So we read about Joseph and Nicodemus and probably others also who had to roll away a stone, and the Bible tells us that it was a great stone. In Matt 27:63, the chief priests and Pharisees are saying: “Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again”. Continuing in Matt 27:64-66, We see the desperation of the enemies of God who were doing everything that that they could, humanly speaking, make sure that Jesus stayed dead, the body of Jesus stays in the tomb, that it stays in the sepulcher. They could have had all the power of their army with their chariots and their horses, and it would not have made any difference at all. It would not have made the slightest difference, because the penalty had been paid and death could no longer hold the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the truth is that Jesus did rise and this is what the Gospel centers on. We find this declaration in Acts 13:30 that “it was not possible that he [Lord Jesus] should be holden of it [death]” and “God raised Him from the dead”. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. This is a key ingredient of the whole Gospel. Indeed, the Resurrection guarantees that all true Christians will be eternally saved, as we see in Rom 9:33. On the other hand, those who do not have a Savior will be “ashamed” – that is, eternally damned, as we find in 1 Pet 2:8. Jesus is indeed the LORD from Heaven, the Creator and the only Savior.

Mat 27:64-66 “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch”

Isa 53:11 “He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Heb 2:9 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death [second death] for every man [every one of His Elect].”

Acts 2:23-24 “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he [Christ] should be holden of it [death].”

• Jesus the Author and Finisher of Faith - “Faith” is synonymous with the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is called “Faithful” in Rev 19:11. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? Isa 53:11 reveals: “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities”. The “travail”, or “work”, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death”. In John 4:34 we also find this statement, “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work”. His perfect work was completed while on the Cross he uttered the words of John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”. Yes, what had been “finished” or accomplished on the cross was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. Lord Jesus was able to endure the Cross, with the faith in God the Father and in the promise to Him by His Father that His soul would not be left in Hell and that His body would not be subject to “corruption”, or decay (Acts 13:33-37). Heb 12:2 declares, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of (our: added by translators) faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. God is only pleased with His work, He is pleased with His salvation program that is centered around the faith OF the Lord Jesus Christ, as Gal 2:16 and 20 insist: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified… 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. The way that Christ “loved” the believers and “gave himself” for them is outlined in Isa 53:11. Eph 2:8-9 declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith [the faith of Christ]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. After salvation we are given “faith” along with the other eight fruit (or “products”) of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, according to Gal:22-23. 

Rev 19:11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he [Jesus Christ] that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

Acts 2:25-27 (quoting Psa 16:10) “For David speaketh concerning him [Jesus Christ], I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou [God the Father] wilt not leave my [God the Son] soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Acts 13:33-37 “God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”

• The Hope of the Resurrection for the Christian - The Bible’s answer to the very important question, “What is faith?” is given in Heb 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Who or what is the Christian’s “confidence” and the “substance (hupostasis:G5287) of things hoped for”? What is it that a child of God hopes for? We read in Rom 8:24-25, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it”. We learn that one is “saved by hope”, but it is not something we can see physically. As the verse teaches; if we see something physically, there is really no need for hope. 2 Cor 5:7 similarly states, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:”. 1 Cor 15:19 stresses the importance of a “living hope” for each believer who anticipates resurrection and spending eternity – not just a few years on this earth – with the object, or substance, of his hope, the Lord Jesus Christ: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”. 1 Pet 1:3 speaks about being “begotten again” (or “born again”) to such a glorious hope: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively [or living] hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. In other words, faith is a person, and a person has “substance”. Thus, the faith related to eternal salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ! The “evidence of things not seen” is a reference to the Written Word of God and also to the Incarnate Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the “Word made flesh”, as we read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth”. This point bears repeating: Faith is the Word of God – the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why Rom 10:17 announces, “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. 2 Cor 4:18 also mentions the difference between “things not seen” and the “things which are seen”: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”. If we are a true Christian, things that are eternal in character should grip our minds and hearts and motivate us to greater obedience, as Col 3:1-2 asserts: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. The “things on the earth” are the things which can be seen – or temporal things.

Isa 25:8  “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”

Heb 1:1-3 “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person (substance hupostasis:G5287), and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

1 Pet 1:18-21 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

"It is finished", "Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit"

• It is finished  - Isa 63:1-5 acknowledges that only the Lord Jesus was qualified to atone for the sins of His people. Lord Jesus mission is to do the Work of His Father as he declares in John 4:34. The salvation of all true believers was completed before Christ voluntarily died, when He uttered the majestic words, “it is finished”, and yielded up His spirit to His Father (John 19:30). What had been “finished” was the Atonement for the sins of God’s elect – a crucial element of their salvation. No mere human could pay the enormous price of the sins of those whom Christ came to save. Only a perfect Being – Jesus Christ, Who was fully God and fully man – could pay the infinite price required by God’s justice for sin, only he can drink of the cup of God's wrath reserved for you and I. Only God could become laden with sin – not His own, of course – for His people, and only He could successfully atone for the sins of all the believers. We read 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God – even before He created this universe. Our only hope for salvation is in the finished work of Christ.  Christ Did All the Work of Salvation. What was the “work of faith”, or rather, “the work of Christ” that He so faithfully performed? The “travail”, or “work” in Isa 53:11, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death”.

Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

1 Pet 1:18-20  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

John 6:37-40 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Psa 40:7-8 “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

John 4:34 “Jesus saith unto them, My meat [food] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Psa 75:8 "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked [you and I] of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them."

Luke 22:42 "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup [Lord Jesus drank that cup of God's wrath in place of His Elect] from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."

Isa 63:1-5 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.”

1 John 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Isa 53:11 “He [referring to the Father] shall see of the travail [or work] of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his [Christ’s] knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he [Christ] shall bear their iniquities.”

John 19:30 “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

Luke 24:44-46 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:”

Col 2:11-12 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Php 3:9 “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”

• The Son of Man be Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth - We read in Matt 12:38-40 that the Son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. First of all, God is not saying that Jesus was in the grave three days and three nights. Secondly, “the heart of the earth” is a figure of speech that involves the suffering of Christ under God's wrath, He endured hell for our sins. The suffering of Christ began on Thursday evening in the Garden of Gethsemane. No man had yet laid a hand on Him, and yet He threw Himself to the ground with loud cries and the sweat poured off His body like great drops of blood into the ground because He was already enduring the wrath of God. He was spiritually in hell; the nature of hell is to be under the wrath of God. On Sunday morning, He arose from the grave which was the final proof that He had completely paid for the sins of those He came to save, that is, He had endured the equivalent of eternal damnation on behalf of those He came to save. He did not suffer the whole three days and three nights, from Thursday night until Sunday morning. His suffering ceased when He hung on the cross and said, “It is finished”, and that was Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours after He had gone into the Garden of Gethsemane. Right after that, He said in Luke 23:46, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. His body was put in the grave; He did not go into the grave as a whole personality. He was no longer suffering. These activities were all proofs and, therefore, were all part of His atonement experience. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night equals three nights. All day Friday, all day Saturday, and a partial day Sunday, which is counted as a day, equals three days. Thus, three days and three nights are involved with the atonement.

Jon 2:2-7 "And said, I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple."

Matt 12:38-40 “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master [teacher], we would see a sign [or miracle] from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

• Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit  - God the Father had promised Christ that His soul would not be left in Hell, but that He would be raised from the dead. Proof that the penalty was paid is that Christ left His body and in His spirit essence, He went to be with His heavenly father. We read in Luke 23:46 that Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. There was no longer any payment for sins being made. His body was still on the cross but in His spirit essence He had gone to be with the Father. When His body was put in the grave, it did not see corruption because the penalty had been fully paid. The big proof and final evidence that the penalty for our sins was fully paid, is the fact that He rose again on Sunday morning. It was also proof that His soul had not been left in hell, that is, under the wrath of God. Christ had completely endured the wrath of God for us. David, an ancestor of Christ, lived about one thousand years earlier, and he had prophesied that Christ would be successful in paying for our sins and that He would be raised up and sit on the throne. In Ephesians 1, God says He experienced the resurrection, ascended up into heaven, sat down at the right hand of God, and He has been given authority over everything in this age and in the age to come. This passage indicates that all of God’s promises concerning what Christ was required to do to be our Savior, have been faithfully fulfilled. We can absolutely depend upon the fact that God’s salvation program will be carried out with meticulous accuracy.

Acts 2:28-32 “Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

Eph 1:17-22 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,"

Woman, Behold thy Son! Behold thy Mother!

• Woman, behold thy son! Behold thy mother!  - We understand, in the historical occurrence, where Christ is at the Cross, that Jesus was very concerned for His mother’s wellbeing.  So this disciple, who many believe was the Apostle John, is going to take care of His mother.  But didn’t Mary have other children (Mark 6:3)? Why did Lord Jesus address his mother as “woman”? Let’s look more closely at deeper spiritual meaning of this Word on Cross. In Matt 12, the Lord Jesus explains his dearest and most cherished “relatives” are those who does the will of His Father, in other words, believers. Let’s go back to Genesis where God first promised the Savior and how Christ would defeat Satan at the Cross. “Woman” spiritually point to the church (Rev 12:2). This “woman” in Rev 12:2 is the one who brings forth the man child who is Jesus Himself.  She is a figure that God is using to typify the believers in the nation of Israel or the line of believers who brought forth the Messiah into the human race. Let’s also look at 1 Tim 2:12-14. Bear in mind that the spiritual analogy of the woman learning in silence from her husband in this verse, is a picture of the elect learning from their Husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. In this verse "she shall be saved in childbearing" somehow teaching that child-bearing is a decisive factor in salvation? The answer is yes. However, it is not referring to one’s own progeny, but rather to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Spiritually, in this word on the Cross, Christ is giving the care of the Church to the believer and the joining of the believer to Church. Also in a way, he is joining the old testament believers with New Testament believers, making them one fold. To summarize, first and second words are reflecting the forgiveness of sins, repentance and internal inheritance, third word is reflecting the care for His people, the Church, fourth and fifth words are reflecting the atonement work, Christ enduring the eternal wrath of God, sixth and seventh words are reflecting the successful atonement.

John 19:25-27 “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!  Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!  And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”

Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

Mat 12:47-50 “Then one said unto him [Jesus], Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” [See also Mark 3:32-35]

Gen 3:14-16 “And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15And I will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed [Christ]; it [Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his [Christ] heel. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

Rev 12:1-5 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon [Satan] stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she brought forth a man child [Lord Jesus], who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”

Gal 4:4-5 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

1 Cor 11:8-12 “For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man [intimate relation between Christ and his bride, the body of believers], in the Lord. 12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.”

1 Tim 2:12-14 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

"My God, My God, Why hast Thou Forsaken Me?", "I Thirst"

• My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? - We read 1 Pet 1:18-20 that the Lord Jesus Christ offered his soul, or life, as payment for the sins of every child of God and is ordained even before He created this universe. He had to physically enter time and space to actually suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for each one of His elect. Lord Jesus Christ started to suffer God’s wrath in Garden of Gethsemane. In Hebrew “Gethsemane” means “winepress”, and Christ began to endure eternal damnation for His people as He was being spiritually crushed. Jesus stood before Pilate for judgment at a place called “Gabbatha”.  Pilate, the Roman governor (who typified God the Father) was authorized to pass judgment on God the Son, Who stood apparently innocent before him. Though Jesus had no sin of His Own, He had become sin for all the elect. Thus, He was found guilty by His beloved Father, and was required to suffer the penalty of everlasting Hell. In order to be the Savior of His people, the Lord Jesus had to become a curse, as symbolized by the shame of spiritual nakedness on Cross. Isa 53:3-5 depicts the greatest spiritual shame and humiliation that only God the Son could possibly endure. The Cross was situated on a hill called “Golgotha”, meaning “the place of a skull”. Although Christ’s spiritual agony started in the Garden of Gethsemane as the Father poured out the “cup” of His wrath upon the Son, our Lord’s suffering reached full pitch when on the cross He cried out with a loud voice "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", as we read in Mark 15:34. It’s very difficult for human beings to fully comprehend the wrath of God, which is eternal.  How could God forsake God? Because Jesus Christ never ceased to be Eternal God, Who is “omniscient” (or “all knowing”), He obviously knew the reason “why” He was experiencing God’s rejection. But He quoted the question “Why hast thou forsaken me?” from Psa 22:1 to emphasize that the full extent of His spiritual suffering in the Atonement which is impossible for us finite human beings to comprehend. In what way was the Lord Jesus “forsaken”?  We find the answer in Isa 54:7-8 and Psa 16:10, which is also quoted in Acts 2:27. We learn from these verses, that God the Father forsook only until the atonement is finished but did not leave God the Son, Jesus Christ, in Hell, which is to be under the eternal wrath of God, forever. God the Father had promised His Son that His soul would not be abandoned or forsaken in Hell and that His body would not decay, which was unlike the bodies of every other human being that has died. Because Hell is presently a condition (John 3:36) and not a place, nobody except Christ has ever had to experience its gruesome reality to this point in time. The future nature of a place called Hell is explained in Rev 14:10.

1 Pet 1:18-20  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: but was manifest in these last times for you.”

Luke 22:42 ,44 “… Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done... And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Isa 63:3,5 “I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me… 5And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation.”

John 19:13 “When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha”.

John 19:11 “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

John 19:17 “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:”

Isa 53:3-5 “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Deu 21:23 “His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

Heb 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Psa 22:1 [Messianic] “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

Mat 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

2 Sam 22:5-7 [Messianic] “When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.”

Jon 2:2-6 [Messianic] “I [Jonah typifying Christ] cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.”

Matt 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [belly of hell].”

Acts 2:27,31 (which quotes Psa 16:10) “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption….31 He [David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

Isa 54:7-8 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”

John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Rev 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”

Mat 25:41 “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand [who do not have Lord Jesus paid the penalty], Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

• I thirst - These two words on Cross "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", "I Thirst" shows us the suffering of Christ under God's wrath, the atoning work of Christ. We have to keep in mind that Jesus, at this point in history and at this point in time, is bearing the sins of His people.  He has taken the sins of all His elect and now God is judging Him. The Father is pouring out God’s wrath upon the Son, and Jesus is going through the equivalent of an eternity in Hell as we see in Isa 53:10-12.  In the parable of rich man and Lazarus, the rich man is cast into Hell and what does the rich man desire? What is the one thing that he requests from Abraham (typifying God)? We can see that the rich man desires just the tip of the beggar’s finger dipped in water, a little bit of hope, a little tiny bit of mercy, then it could cool the tongue!  We know that God has “judgment without mercy” when God casts a sinner into Hell. God’s Mercy is available only before we die. Lord Jesus Christ has taken the sins of His people upon Himself, so He stands as a sinner in the sight of God before the Father, guilty. God forsook him. The language of thirsting has to do with desiring salvation/deliverance from God, as we see in Psa 42:1-2, thirsting after God’s Righteousness and God’s Mercy. We know that God develops this thirst in His people and that He will lead His people to the “still waters”. He will lead His people to that place where they can quench their thirst and where they will drink of the truth of the Word of God; they will hear the Gospel and become saved (Matt 5:6). Lord Jesus Christ who is the “living water” had to “thirst” for you and I so we never have to “thirst” again, and have everlasting life, as seen in Rev 7.

John 19:28 “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

Psa 69:21 "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

Isa 53:10-12 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Acts 2:25-28 [Psalm 16:10] “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”

Luke 16:23-24 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.”

Psa 42:1-2 “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

Matt 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

John 4:13-14 “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Revelation 7:14-17 “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

"Father, Forgive Them...", "To day Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise"

• Father, Forgive them; for They know not what they do - The first two words of Lord Jesus Christ on Cross are about the Forgiveness of Sins, Repentance and Eternal Inheritance in Christ. The question is who is in view here? Who is being forgiven? Are the people who crucified Christ or railed against Christ are being forgiven for that particular sin? But in the eyes of God, all that matters is, either all of our sins are forgiven or none of the sins are forgiven. Why? Because, James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” and it is enough to send us to hell.  Let us look deeper for the spiritual understanding of this Word on the Cross, in the light of whole Bible. Isa 53 makes it clear the astounding truth that Christ was laden with the sins of all His Elect by the Father, "for the transgression of my people was he stricken", and thus had to shoulder the unspeakable agony of eternal damnation on their behalf. We are the reason he went to the Cross. He is bearing our sins in his body on the tree. So he is interceding for His people "he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors".  His one sacrifice brought about eternal pardon for His Elect casting “all their sins into the depths of the sea”.

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Isa 53:5,6,8,11,12 “But he was wounded [defiled] for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all…. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken….He [God the Father] shall see of the travail of his [God the Son] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Col 1:12-14 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"

Mat 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Heb 10:11-18 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Psa 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

• To day Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise - In the Luke account God uses the word “malefactors” meaning “workers of evil”, which is a different Greek word for “thieves”. Also in Mark 15:28 quoting Isa 53:12 says,  “he was numbered with the transgressors”. We are all transgressors/sinners because the definition of sin is, according to 1 John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. Here the two thieves represent the whole human race, Elect and Non-Elect typified by sheep and goats, Abel and Cain, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau. Although both reviled Jesus initially, one man represents the elect, showed genuine repentance and recognized the Savior, becomes saved, and the other represents the non-elect, who did not become saved. Non-Elect, for eg; Esau (Heb 12:16-17), Judas (Mat 27:4-5) can only show remorse/worldly sorrow, but not genuine repentance/godly sorrow. Genuine repentance is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the Elect. In this account we witness the plundering of the “strong man’s palace”. As Isa 53:12 declares, Christ "shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors". The “strong man” is Satan; his “palace”, or house, represents his kingdom, where we all start (Col 1:13), that Christ vanquished at the Cross. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life are carefully delineated in 1 Cor 6:9-11. In order to defeat Satan "and divideth his spoils", Christ had to became sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf. In accordance with God’s salvation program, all of God’s Elect throughout history are being “freed” from Satan’s prison, as we learn from a citation that outlines the Savior’s divine mission in Isa 61:1.

Luke 23:32, 39-43 “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death… And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Mark 15:27-28,32 “And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors… 32Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 3:26-27 “And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Lord Jesus Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

1 Pet 2:21-24 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us [true believers], leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him [God the Father] that judgeth righteously: 24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose [Christ’s] stripes ye were healed.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Acts 5:30-31 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Eph 1:3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:  5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,  6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.  7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

He hath Poured out His Soul unto Death

• Wages of Sin is Eternal Death - We read in 1 Cor 15:56 that “the sting of death is sin…”. In this verse, as well as many others in the Bible, we notice that God is linking death to sin. Because of this fact, we know that God is not referring to physical death but to spiritual death, which is ultimately the eternal “second death”, or Hell. Jam 1:15 also expresses the same idea as it pinpoints the origin and progression of all sin: “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”. Another significant passage is Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. The reason this is so is because sin, by biblical definition, is the transgression of God’s Law, as stated in 1 John 3:4, an exceedingly relevant verse: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law”. You and I are fully aware that when we break one of the laws of our land there will be consequences, and in the case of sin the consequences are eternal in duration and intensity. The Bible informs us that we cannot serve two masters “sin unto death” and “obedience unto righteousness”. Rom 7:5 explains, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death”. To be “in the flesh” signifies that we are not saved; however, to be “in the spirit” is language that refers to somebody that has become a child of God. In John 3:6 the Bible declares, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” and verse 7 continues, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again”.  The Bible has so much to say with regard to our sinfulness, and by the same token, much to say about God’s love – the only solution to our sin problem.

Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Rom 5:12: “Wherefore, as by one man [speaking of Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…”

Rom 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”  

Gal 6:7-8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Rev 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

• No Mercy Without Judgment - Our sin is like an insurmountable debt of infinite proportions that can never be paid, as Mat 18:34 explains, “And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him”. Everything in the Scriptures shows us that God is not to be trifled with or lightly esteemed. It is no wonder that the Bible uses such horrific language as “…Vengeance is mine, I will repay…” found in Rom 12:19; and Heb 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. Eternal God is a God of Law, and the Bible is His Law Book. God created the universe and established His physical, moral, and spiritual laws according to His infinite wisdom and sovereign will. He enforces His rules for His righteous purposes and for His glory according to His standards of perfect justice. Every sin we commit is a transgression of God’s Law, as we read in 1 John 3:4. Therefore, every sin is judged by God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, as John 5:22 declares. The “wicked” in Psa 9:17 are all those from all the nations of the world who are unsaved on Judgment Day: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”. Hell is terrible, and it exists because God created man to be accountable to God for his actions, because God’s perfect justice demands payment for sin. However, before God will send anyone to Hell that person must be tried and found guilty of committing a crime. Sadly for us all, a guilty verdict is certain, as James 2:10 states: “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”. Ultimately, God alone gives or takes away physical life; but what is infinitely more important is the state of our soul, according to Mat 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell”. Only those whose names are written in the “Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27) will be spared the eternal anguish of Hell, which is figuratively called the “lake of fire” in Rev 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire”. Remember that references to “fire” and “smoke” in the Bible are often used to symbolize the wrath of God. Consider the testimony of Him, Who as the Judge of all the earth, is soon to appear to both try and condemn all who have not been clothed with His glorious righteousness in the sobering words of Rev 19:11-21. Is God justified in His anger? The answer is definitely yes! Gen 18:25b asks the rhetorical question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Rom 3:5b-6 poses the question, and then proceeds to answer it: “Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?” Ultimately, everything that God does is for His Own glory. And that is certainly true of His anger, which will be vindicated.

John 5:22 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”

Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Lord Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Luke12:4-5 “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him [God], which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Rom 9:22 “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction…”

Rev 19:11-16, 20-21 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

• He Hath Poured Out His Soul Unto Death - So, where does mercy come into the picture? God’s Laws are a reflection of His righteousness, and God has bound Himself to execute judgment righteously. That means there can be no “plea bargains” and no “pardons” at the Judgment Seat of Christ – the penalty for sin must be paid. But God, by His grace, love, and mercy, did pay the penalty of eternal damnation for His people through the atoning work of Jesus Christ at the cross. What exactly did Christ offer? The Lord Jesus Christ was made sin and became a curse as He poured out His soul – that is, His life – for those whom He came to save. Now, that is the greatest act of mercy in the history of the world.  God’s Mercy is Predicated on the Atoning Work of His Son as we read in Heb 2:17. 1 Cor 15:22-25 asserts: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. In other words, all those in Adam die and all those in Christ shall be made alive again. Who are these “all” that are recipients of God’s mercy? We read these words in Mic 7:18, “…and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage”. The “remnant of his heritage” refers to those whose sins God has forgiven – those upon whom God has bestowed His gift of salvation. First and foremost, it was the will of God, as we see in Gal 1:4. Secondly, it was the love of God as Rom 5:8 and Eph 5:25-27 states. Thirdly, He had to do what man was utterly incapable of doing as Tit 3:5 reveals. Fourthly, it was done in humble obedience, as Php 2:8 indicates. There is a specific moment in time that God applies His Word to the heart of each individual He plans to save (the elect) and gives him spiritual hearing. That is when God makes him a true believer. That is when he passes from “death” unto “life”. That is the moment of the spiritual “first resurrection” of the soul of each believer from the dead, as we see in John 5:24-25. John 11:25-26 emphasize the fact that true believers, who have been spiritually resurrected from “the dead” (that is, from their natural spiritually dead condition), will never have to face eternal death again because God has given them eternal life, as we read in Rom 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. To summarize, man either pays the penalty of the second death himself or Jesus Christ the Savior pays it for him. There are no other options. However, if we are not saved during our temporal lifetimes, we will have to stand for judgment and experience the “second death” in the “lake of fire”, where there is no hope of salvation forevermore. The good news is if Christ is your Savior, then He was laden with your sins; He stood for judgment in your place; He was found guilty; He paid the penalty for your sins; and you have eternal life that can never be lost. The bad news is if Christ is not your Savior, you will experience the “resurrection of damnation”; you will stand before the Judgment Throne of Christ; you will be found guilty; and you will pay the penalty of the “second death” yourself. That is the two-edged Gospel message of salvation. It is indeed “a matter of life or death”.

Matt 1:21  “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins”

Matt 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

John 10:11,15,17-18 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep… Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Heb 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Jesus Christ] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people”

Gal 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world: according to the will of God and our Father.”

Rom 5:8 “But God commendeth [exhibits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Eph 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”

Php 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself; and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Tit 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”

Mic 7:18 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

Psa 86:13 “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

1 Pet 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…”

John 5:24-25 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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.”

John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

My Righteous Servant Shall Justify Many

• My Righteous Servant Shall Justify Many - We read this intriguing question in Job 15:14 reveals, “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” and in Job 25:4a, “How then can man be justified with God…?”. Unfortunately, in our day and throughout history, man has been actively engaged in the sinful pursuit of developing various “religions” and man-made “salvation” programs. The fact remains that man cannot be righteous by anything he does on his own. Isa 64:6 affirms, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away”. With respect to these “do-it-yourself” efforts, God declares in Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God”. Pro 20:9 asks, “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”. Then how can one be justified or made righteous in the eyes of God? Rom 3:20-25 declares, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight”, but we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. The Bible outlines for us the profound truths that Christ, Who is Eternal God, had to empty Himself of His glory to take on human flesh as the Ultimate Servant. He had to become sin and then – the greatest mystery of all – He had to suffer the unimaginable agony of everlasting Hell for His elect people to procure their righteousness and eternal salvation. What is the significance of the phrase, “a minister [or servant] of the circumcision for the truth of God” in Rom 15:8? Circumcision has to do with “cutting off”, and Christ was “cut off” when He suffered Hell for His people, as Isa 53:8 reveals. We have been looking at some verses that feature the word “many”, and there are numerous other passages that feature the word “all” as well with reference to salvation. However, these can only be understood properly by comparing Scripture with Scripture and see how God qualifies the word “all” with regard to all of the elect. Take the case of 2 Tim 4:8: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Php 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Isa 42:1-4 “Behold my servant [Lord Jesus Christ], whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”

Rom 15:8 “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:”

Isa 53:8 “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he [Lord Jesus Christ] was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.”

Rom 3:20-25 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

• He bare the Sin of Many, and made Intercession for the Transgressors - We read in Rom 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous”. What the “first man” (or Adam) failed to accomplish, the “second man” (or the Lord Jesus) gloriously fulfilled. Heb 7:25 explains, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them”. Also, 1 Pet 3:18 serves to identify Christ’s redemption for His people, who are referred to as the “unjust”, from sin, spiritual death, and Hell, as follows: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit”. Here we see the greatest exchange that has ever taken place in this universe. Here we see righteous God, Who is holy, pure, and sinless become unholy, impure, and sinful. Simultaneously, we see unrighteous unsaved man, who by nature is unholy, impure, and sinful become holy, pure, and sinless by the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that is given, or imputed, to him. In other words, those who are “justified” (or “made righteous”) have had their sins forgiven like the publican who was “justified” (or saved) in Luke 18:14, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other…”. Isa 53:11, describes the mission of the Lord Jesus: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities”. God is identifying justification with sin-bearing and by extension with the payment for sins, as we also learn from 2 Cor 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. This underscores the fact that God is incapable of merely “pronouncing” a person to be “righteous” or “holy” without His divine justice being actually satisfied. What this signified is that the punishment for sin – eternal damnation – must be paid either by the Lord Jesus or by each guilty human being himself. Of course, Christ made that payment for all of God's Elect. The “travail”, or “work”, that Christ had to endure was eternal damnation, which the Bible calls the “second death” in Rev 21:8. Psa 130:3 poses the very relevant question, “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” Indeed, the Lord Jesus was able to successfully atone for the sins of His people as Isa 53:11 so triumphantly announces. Lord Jesus was not only a spotless passover lamb but also a high priest who makes intercession for His Elect. All who do not possess the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior will hear the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Judge in Mat 7:22-23 echoing throughout eternity: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”.

Isa 59:16-17 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [LORD] hath made him [Lord Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Isa 53:11 “He [LORD] shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister [as a servant], and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Heb 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

Mat 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

1 Pet 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

Heb 7:24-26 “But this man [Lord Jesus Christ], because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”

• He shall Divide the Spoil with the Strong - In the Luke 11:21-22 account we witness the plundering of the “strong man’s palace”. In this context the “strong man” is Satan; his “palace”, or house, represents his kingdom, where we all start (Col 1:13), that Christ vanquished at the Cross. In accordance with God’s salvation program, all of God’s elect throughout history are being “freed” from Satan’s prison, as we learn from a citation that outlines the Savior’s divine mission in Isa 61:1. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life are carefully delineated in 1 Cor 6:9-11. In order to defeat Satan, Christ had to became sin for every true Christian; and then had to suffer the equivalent of eternal damnation on their behalf, as expressed by His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (which means “winepress”) as Heb 5:7 relates: “Who [Jesus] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” Although Christ defeated Satan in real time at the Cross, Jesus spoke of Satan’s impending downfall as if it had already happened in Luke 10:18, “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” and affirmed in John 12:31, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out”. Satan was spiritually “bound” at the cross and through out during the New Testament “Church Age” and is released for a “little season” during great tribulation, to deceive the nations  – but his doom is sealed. He will be judged on the Last Day and be cast into the eternal “lake of fire”, as we read in Rev 20:7-10.

Isa 53:12 “Therefore will I divide him [Lord Jesus] a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong [Satan]; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Mark 3:26-27 “And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27 No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”

Luke 11:21-22 “When a strong man [Satan] armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger [Lord Jesus Christ] than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

Isa 61:1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Col 1:12-14 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Rev 20:7-10 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”