Pure adoration and heavenly call: the last piece

[Israeli Bar Avaddhon]

When we talk about "celestial call" we always touch on a sensitive subject on which it is not allowed to make assumptions or discussions.
That person has received this call you must accept the word because there would be no way to refute that assertion as there would be no way to "understand" the feelings or certainty that this call implies - compares Romans 8:16, 17

In general, earthly comparisons are made to help the "less fortunate" person to understand why, even with a thousand words, he would not be able to understand anyway.
For a young woman about to marry you could say that you will never know what it really means being a mother until you bear a son.
No explanation would be able to make understand the feelings and the change of mentality that this condition entails.

For a young boy, perhaps he will make the comparison of the father, though less profound than that of the mother, and so on.
To further reinforce any consideration is added the unquestionable fact that every Christian has an absolutely personal and unique relationship with God - Matthew 10: 29-31
Is it really so?
Fortunately, the Bible claims to be inspired by God and to be the only truly authoritative source from which to take information.

If we truly believe that it is the Word of God and it is also all that we need for our spiritual edification, then we must take responsibility for proving with our Scriptures our every affirmation, even the most delicate and personal.
If some people get to the point of being blown up because of their religious beliefs, it is clear that these people really believe in it and that the feeling they experience is extremely strong.

However, personal feeling or belief is not a proof that they are approved by God because faith is based on knowledge and not on desires or emotionality.
Even those who went to die to "liberate the Holy Land" were convinced that they were doing the right thing, but only the Bible could have told them if they were right or not - Hebrews 5:14
No religion and no other authority.

So rather than blind any possible argument that could touch sensitive cords, let's see what the Bible has to say about this topic.
To begin with in the Greek scriptures we talk about the deposit that first-century Christians received as "preview" and as a guarantee of what they would receive in the future - 2 Corinthians 1:22

It is not in dispute that the early Christians, thanks to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, also received the guarantee that, if they remained faithful until the end, they would seize the prize - Philippians 3:13, 14; see also Hebrews 12: 22-24

As the Lord himself said, from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven would become the goal that would have grasped those who would have gone forward - Matthew 11:12
The Christians of the first century that remained faithful until death certainly grabbed the prize and their resurrection will be able to "touch" what we saw in vision and only in a limited way - 1 Corinthians 13:12

What we need to understand is whether this "deposit" has been paid even after the development of apostasy, over the past two millennia and then even today, and if the same final destination has remained unchanged during this period.
Is profound personal conviction sufficient, or do we still have to confront and bow to the Scriptures?
In practice, did the heavenly hope remain unchanged during the entire period of apostasy or did it disappear with true worship?

Before we think it is nonsense let's remember that this hope did not exist before the Lord opened up to this perspective - compare Luke 22: 28-30
The same John the Baptist, of whom the Lord affirms that "born of a woman has not arisen no one greater than him", would not have ascended into heaven - Matthew 11:11
So far it has been taught to Jehovah's Witnesses, and rightly so, that all those who died before Christ will not receive the heavenly resurrection - compare Acts 2:34

Millions or billions of people living before Christ will receive a resurrection, life or judgment, here on earth - John 5:28, 29; 11:24
So if the heavenly resurrection is related to the Lord Jesus Christ is not so outlandish to ask whether it has continued in his "traveling abroad", ie during the period of apostasy where eventually he would come back to get to grips with its slaves - Matthew 25: 14-46

It is not even so obvious to ask if in 1 John the apostle spoke of the last hour meaning not only the arrival of apostasy and the disappearance of true adoration but if this disappearance would also affect the final goal of all future "Christians" .
In practice could it be the last hour because of the fact that they were the last elected on earth?

Let us try to reflect on the messages given by the Lord to the seven congregations described in Revelation.
Starting from the congregation of Ephesus, we can see that if the Ephesians had not completed the "works of the past" (that is, the right ones they did in the first century), he would have removed the candlestick from them - Revelation 2: 1-5
When would they receive or lose this perspective?

From the description the Lord makes it seems that receiving or losing this perspective regards His arrival.
At Pergamon it is felt that if those who behave badly do not change the Lord will fight against them "when he comes".
If the punishment occurs at your arrival (and therefore a punishment is supposed to be against those alive at that time), why should not it also apply to the prize?

If we go forward in the description of these congregations we will see that all receive the just reward according to their works on the day of the Lord's arrival.
If the judgment had arrived before, over the centuries, words like "repent otherwise when I come ..." would not make sense.

This makes us think that the reward is also linked to the arrival of the Lord.
Moreover, the congregation that has been awake and attentive on the Lord's day will be able to recognize His arrival also through those who will have the task of restoring true worship - Matthew 25: 1-12
On the day of the Lord someone will cry "Here is the bridegroom! Go out to meet him" but who will be ready to recognize and obey this invitation?

Only those who have paid attention to the Word of God which includes the Lord's warnings reported in Revelation.
To all the others the Lord will say "I do not know you" - compare Matthew 7: 21-23
Let's try to see if the book of Daniel has something to say about it.
In chapter 7 we talk about the fourth beast (Rome) and the horn (Russia) that opposes the saints of the Supreme - Daniel 7:21, 22 **

The saints of the Supreme, or those who will receive the Kingdom, are mentioned in relation to the fourth beast and the horn but not in connection with the previous beasts.
This is in harmony with what we know because if they had been mentioned even during the previous beasts, this would have meant that heavenly hope existed even before and that this was independent of the Lord's coming.

And obviously it would have been in contradiction with the words of the Lord mentioned earlier.
Instead, no "saint of the Supreme" is mentioned during the domination of the lion, bear or leopard and this is further confirmation that the understanding that "all those who lived before Christ" will receive an earthly resurrection is correct.

Now the question is ... what about all the Christians who lived in the time span that separates the first century until the appearance of this horn?
From the article entitled "Recall the number of kings and we understand the prophecy" *** we have seen that the king of the north disappears in concomitance with the disappearance of the object of contention: Israel.

Following the logic of Daniel, also remarked in the statue of Nebuchadnezzar 's dream, it is easy to understand why no other "king of the north" is mentioned between Rome and the final horn.
It is not mentioned because there is really no one else - compare Daniel 7:17
However one thing is the king of the north and an other should be the saints of the Supreme that you should talk without distinction from other involved parties.
Instead in Daniel we do not talk about them on any other occasion that is not linked to Rome or to the last dominating empire.

It is true that the purification continues "until the time of the end" but this simply makes it clear that the situation that the Lord finds at his return, that is, at the time when He restores true worship, will be similar to that left in the first century - Daniel 11:35
Indeed it is always Israel that causes this persecution - Revelation 18:24

In the first century Rome brought to apostasy those who "acted wickedly against the covenant" and certainly can not think that they received the heavenly reward.
Only a clear minority "acted successfully" remaining faithful until death and this does not lead us absolutely beyond the first century.
As John also said, that was the last hour before apostate supremacy.

At this point, however, we must admit that even if these scriptures cast a shadow over the belief that the heavenly call continued during apostasy, they are not even so decisive as to undermine it.
Daniel certainly does not say "There will be no saint of the Supreme in the interval of time that separates the frightful beast until the little horn appears or until the rebirth of Israel".
So we have to see if we can understand something more from the Lord's words when he made this covenant with his disciples.

In John 17: 22-24 we read " I have given them the glory that you have given me, in order that they may be one just as we are one. I in union with them and you in union with me, in order that they may be perfected into one, so that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me. Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am, in order that they may look upon my glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the founding of the world".

This writing suggests that the Lord gives glory to those who have been united to him.
Can we say that Christians lived in the period of apostasy have been or have remained united to Him in a "perfect unity"?

From Romans 11: 1-24 (which we should read carefully) we understand that the root of all Christians is Jewish and that Christians of the nations are likened to "grafted branches" which alone could not survive or bear fruit - see also John 15: 4-10

So is it really reasonable to think that those who have disengaged themselves, that is, have forgotten and denied their origins and pure teaching, have instead maintained the same final destiny or the heavenly hope?

Yet that's what we were taught roughly when we pointed to people like Tyndale or Hus or others saying that they were probably "part of those anointed who would reign with Christ".

Now regardless of whether they were worthy, sincere and devoted people and certainly wheat in the midst of a lot of weeds, we really think that all those who until a moment before dying prayed to the Madonna or believed in trinity or in hell of fire or many other lies and non scriptural absurdities?

From Daniel we understand that it is those who know their God to act successfully and thus receive the prize.
At this point it is essential to compare the words of 1 John 2:24 with those of the Lord reported in John 17:24.

In 1 John 2:24 we read "As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in union with the Son and in union with the Father" and John 17:24, after explaining the importance of perfect unity (hence of intent and knowledge) says "Father, I want those whom you have given me to be with me where I am".

This unity of purpose and knowledge would have united them also physically, that would have allowed them to be literally in the place of the Lord, with the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 4:17
Let's try to repeat it to see if we have understood the point.
The Lord prays that those who are united with him be with him (and therefore is a reference to the reward, heavenly life).

1 John encourages Christians, precisely in view of what must happen, so that they remain in the teaching heard from the beginning (that is the teaching of the Lord) and says that if they remain in this teaching they would remain united to the Son and the Father.

Have Christians appeared since the end of the first century to this day, have remained in the teaching of the Lord or have believed (and believe) to many if not all the teachings of the antichrists who, as the prophecy said, would have prospered shortly thereafter?
The message that comes out by comparing these scriptures is clear: one can be united to Christ only in the unity of knowledge, a perfect unity, and the final reward can not be separated from this - John 17:23

Not having remained in the teaching of Christ, even the privilege of being with Christ in heaven is lost.
This adds another reason why all first-century Christians had heavenly hope: they had been trained by the Lord Jesus Christ or by those He had trained and there was no shadow of falsehood in this teaching - John 17:17
Only by teaching the Lord would it be possible to "reach the Father" - John 14: 6, 7

This also explains why in the vision of Daniel speaks of the Supreme Saints, who receive the domain, only during the existence and the subsequent persecution of the horn became huge because only during that time the Lord returns and restoring true worship.

And finally this also explains why in Revelation one speaks of the last group of those who receive the heavenly resurrection and they are those who did not bow to the pressures and persecution of the false prophet - Revelation 20: 4
Where are all the "Christian martyrs" who died over the centuries from the end of the first century until today?

Why does Revelation 20: 4 mention only those persecuted by the false prophet?
So after the resurrection of the 144,000 (all present on the Lord's day) and the birth of the male Son concerning the resurrection of first-century Christians and those possibly alive on the Lord's day (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52) do not mention no intermediate group.

The same goes for the Jewish line, the original olive branch, which in the same way the Christians of the nations did not follow the pure teaching of the Lord, thus losing that original and perfect unity - compare John 15: 1 -7
In fact, if they had remained faithful to the original teaching there would have been no reason to "purify the sons of Levi" - Malachi 3: 2-4

It would therefore seem that all the claims of "celestial calling" received by millions and millions of people over the centuries (including relatively recent and future ones until true worship is restored) have simply been the result of their religious conditioning.
Among the Christians of the first century there was no distinction between accurate knowledge and heavenly hope because the disciples had been trained directly by the Lord.

 

We can therefore conclude that the "heavenly call" disappears concurrently with the disappearance of True Worship.
We look forward to the rest of Israel to restore true worship, so that whatever our hopes or desires are, what really matters is to know God and act in harmony with His perfect will - 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18

* The articles that re-discuss the whole scaffolding on the "greasy" and on true worship can be found at the following links

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2017/05/i144.html

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2017/05/gliemblemi-della-commemorazione-devono.html

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2018/02/144000-e-oltre.html

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2018/03/popolo-di-dio-o-organizzazione-di-dio.html

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2018/03/svelato-un-sacro-segreto-il-ripristino.html

** The identification of the small horn has been treated in the following link

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2017/05/la-trattazione-che-segue-si-propone.html

*** The article is at the following link

http://attenzioneallaprofezia.blogspot.it/2018/03/ricontiamo-il-numero-dei-re-e.html

 

With regard to the parable of the wheat and the weeds we understand that the excellent seed would have grown almost suffocated by the fake Christians and therefore by the false teachings sown by the "enemy".

This suggests that the wheat itself can not completely avoid the consequences of such proximity because it is not able to expand and "thrive" precisely because the weeds "suffocate" it.

This would seem to indicate that, even in the whole history of Christianity, there have been sincere and devout Christians, they have been limited in their attempts to achieve accurate knowledge of the truth.

Satan has evidently watched over the various attempts of sincere people to restore true worship by sowing unsuitable seeds among them.

However, when the angels separate from one another, "the difference between those who serve God and those who do not serve" will again be seen - Malachi 3:18; Matthew 13: 28-30