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| A Beautiful Delusion cont'd:
Foreword The theological doctrine of propitiation, or the satisfaction of Yahuah's wrath upon sin has a dual aspect. Not only did the Messiah obtain forgiveness for the acts of sin we commit while in this body, he also reversed the curse that put us in this body to begin with. There is an important distinction to be made regarding those two points. The Old Testament states explicitly that Yahuah can forgive sins, without a sacrifice. A person could live a righteous life by obeying the Torah. This was demonstrated in the scriptures when Moses gave the Hebrews the 10 commandments, and they responded by saying; And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before Yahuah our Ul, as he hath commanded us. Deut 6:25 (KJV) How can this be, a righteousness by obeying the Torah? Living under the Law? That's not what Paul said; 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. Rom 3:20 (KJV) Therein lies the great debate between what is usually presented as opposites; the Torah (Law) vs. grace; and faith vs. works. Arguments for either opinion are usually centered around the thesis that the Torah produced condemnation while grace results in justification. The Torah provided only atonement, while justification through grace brings about redemption. Realistically, presenting these doctrines in this way, comes from a lack of knowledge. Abraham was credited with righteousness in Gen 15:6. Yahuah himself testified that Abraham was his friend (Isa 41:8) because he walked in his Torah (Gen 26:5). To put that in perspective, Yahuah made that statement 500 or more years before the Torah (10 Commandments) was given to Moses. So how could Abraham follow something that didn't exist yet? The simple answer is, the Torah has existed since the beginning of Creation, in the form of the original "Ten Words." What is commonly known as the "10 Commandments" should actually be translated from the Hebrew as "the 10 words (or utterances)." These ten words are, "Love Yahuah with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself." [taken from Duet 6:5 and Lev 19:18] HaMashiyach would later say; "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matt 22:40 (KJV) The Torah was the original 10 words which YHWH "enjoined" (or bade) Adam to keep and walk in. Anyone who has the 10 words (Torah) of Yahuah written in their hearts, does not need any other laws. They are guided by the spirit and driven to perfection by their love for Yahuah and His Torah. During his ministry, Yahuahshua himself told several people that their sins were forgiven, and indeed, they were! Yet, even with our sins forgiven and our spiritual relationship with the Father fully restored, we still suffer separation from our maker because of the fallen nature of our bodies. This is why the dual affects of sin had to be resolved. Not just the acts of sin, which can be forgiven by way of repentance. But also the law of sin and death, which reigned in our bodies. It had to be legally cancelled. The Messiah's atonement provided the way for the redemption of not only our soul, but our bodies also. This is what is meant by, " no flesh shall be justified in His sight." While I can repent of my sin, I cannot redeem my own flesh. This is the main theme behind the entire volume of the scriptures. The whole book of the Bible can be summed up in two words - a body. Therefore, when He (Yahuahshua) came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. Heb 10:5 (NKJ) In order to understand the meaning behind this phrase, one must see that the scriptures clearly define the existence of three types of bodies in the terrestrial (or physical) realm. The terrestrial realm does not include the angelic beings, who are spirit beings and possess spiritual bodies. This is a key to understanding all scripture. This is the hidden element generally unknown, because it has not been received and taught to others. Without a full understanding of this truth, you will not only miss the true physical nature of our Messiah, but you will also miss the meaning behind the phrase, the "abomination that causes desolation," which will be revealed in the person of the anti-Christ, better known as the Son of Perdition. The three distinct types of bodies are: 1. The Immortal Body - This is the type of body that Adam and his wife possessed in the beginning. And most importantly, it was created in such a way that - it did not have to die. I repeat - it did not have to die. Yet, it was not an eternal body, or one that is self existent. There are important and real differences to be recognized here. This is a foundational truth. The immortal body is the type of body that Yahuahshua was born with. 2. The Eternal Body - This is an added attribute that the immortal body can achieve to attain to absolute permanent self existence, in the same sense as Yahuah our Mighty One himself. To obtain this body, our Creator enjoined (or bade) Adam to reach out and eat of the "Tree of Life" and live eternally. He did not do so, and neither did his wife. This is the type of body that Yahuahshua obtained after his resurrection - an eternal body. 3. A Mortal Body - This is the lowest state of existence, the one that Adam and his wife descended to once they had introduced sin into their immortal beings. Adam and his wife were given a free will to accept or decline Yahuah’s offer. They must have been fully cognizant of their surroundings. They understood their place, position, and responsibilities within all of creation. They were not two innocent youths frolicking around the garden naked to the world. If they were, then the consequences laid upon them for their sin were too great and unfair. Yet, all of creation fell when Adam and Eve sinned, because Adam was much more than a farmer and Eve was much more than a farmer's wife. Adam was the chief administrator over all of Yahuah's creation. When Adam handed over his power to Satan (the usurper), Yahuah did not simply just appoint another ruler in Adam's place. In His wisdom, Yahuah had created certain powers, principalities, and dominions to exist in perpetual support of his creation. The true wonder of it all is, this is also the power structure that he himself abides by. So great was Adam's fall, it required that Yahuah himself partake of the flesh of man, to reverse the curse of sin and death. Adam and his wife could not have been predisposed to sin. Neither did they want for anything. They could not have possessed any sort of "built in" inclination to sin. Or for that matter, neither could they have been predisposed to accept Yahuah's offer for eternal life. Nor could they have been pressured in any way by their circumstances into making a hasty or untimely decision. Otherwise they did not have a free will, accompanied by the time they needed to experience life; to think, understand, and reason about their circumstances before making a decision. It is this understanding that leads me to believe; If Adam and Eve had never sinned, nor had ever eaten of the tree of life to live forever; they would still be here on earth, in our day and time; living in an immortal body. There can be no other answer to this equation. This is the scriptural distinction that must be realized between the three different types of bodies. They did not have to become eternal, neither did they have any type of degenerative weakness that in the process of time would have lead them to age and eventually die. While we don't know how much time elapsed before they sinned, it seems like they didn't wait long before making their decision. However, that is NOT the point at all. They had immortal life, and nothing but sin could take it away. Keep in mind that after Adam sinned, Yahuah did not appoint someone else to take his place. There was no second in command that would allow for a transfer of power and things to continue unchanged just as they were before Adam sinned. This is an important truth that helps to define the very nature and person of our Creator. The redemption of His creation would take place from within the framework and order that He created before He rested on the seventh day. A picture (or likeness) of this can be seen in the Book of Ester. A man named Haman convinced the Persian King (Artaxerxes) to destroy all of the Hebrews living in his Kingdom. A decree went out to all of the provinces, it was a lawful statute sealed by the signet ring of the King and irreversible. All Hebrews were to be killed in one single day, in eleven months time from the issuance of the decree. Now, King Artaxerxes loved Queen Ester more than anyone else. She risked her own life to petition the King on behalf of her people (it was unknown to him that she was also a Hebrew). She revealed the true nature behind Haman's plot. The King, mindful of the irreversible decree he had granted Haman, told Queen Ester to write a new decree; one that seemed best to her, in favor of the Hebrews, and seal it with his signet ring. Since it was against the law of the Medes and the Persians to reverse the King's decree, Ester (with the help of her kinsman Mortecai) wrote a new decree granting all Hebrews the right to defend themselves, and annihilate anyone who might assault them on that day. In like manner, Yahuah has put in place certain physical and spiritual laws that He does not re-write or set aside on occasion. When we were legally condemned to death through the mortality passed down from Adam and Eve, there was no escape or exemption available for whatever reason. Instead, Yahuah wrote a decree saying that He would send His Messiah to reverse the law of sin and death. So that through His death and resurrection, we could defend and preserve our life, by placing our trust in His provision. (Thank you Father Yahuah). Yahuah planned in advance, that one day (thousands of years after Adam and Eve) He would use their genetic material to produce an offspring which would perfectly replicate the genetic sequence for an immortal life. This offspring would be the Messiah of Yahuah. 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. John 10:17-18 (KJV) The power being referred to here, is the power of an immortal life. This is why Mashiyach was referred to as the 2nd Adam, because He also possessed an immortal body just like the first Adam. This is precisely how Yahuahshua reversed the curse of mortality There is a spiritual law in place that governs over the power of death, just as sure as the law of gravity governs over solid objects. This law states; "...the soul who sins shall die. Ezek 18:4 (NKJ) "For the wages of sin is death;..." Rom 6:23 (KJV) "...and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1:15 (KJV) If Yahuahshua had been born with a mortal body, he would have carried the penalty for sin in his own body; and his sacrifice on the cross would have been nothing more than a premature death. This would not have reversed the curse of sin and death, anymore than the sacrifice of Isaac could have reversed it. Neither was Yahuahshua born with an eternal body, because such a body can never die. He was born the son of Adam with an immortal body. Although he did not sin, and should not have been penalized under the Law of sin and death; yet with these words he subjected his own immortal body to death. "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.'" Having said this, He breathed His last. Luke 23:46 (NKJ) After his resurrection, He ascended to the Garden of Eden, the Paradise of Yahuah; where He presented his sinless and immortal body to His Father who granted him eternal life. Yahuahshua became the possessor and grantor of eternal life. "To him who overcomes I will give (the right) to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Yahuah."' Rev 2:7 (NKJ) All of this has an immediate bearing on our day and time. Appearing soon in these last days, is the prophesied anti-Christ or "Son of Perdition." The word anti-Christ meaning, "in place of," or "instead of Messiah." This is a bold term to use! How could anyone realistically present themselves to be in place of the historic person known as Yahuahshua HaMashiyach? This term "in place of" carries more weight than just describing someone who has a dynamic and charismatic personality, coupled with a new philosophy or religious insight. It describes someone who can decisively mimic the life and ministry of the true Messiah. Not in a superficial way, like the Syrian General Antiochus Epiphanies did when he defiled Solomon's temple and sacrificed pigs on the altar in the Holy of Holies. I'm talking about someone who can defile the true Temple of Yahuah, by corrupting his image through genetic engineering. By creating a man made being that possesses immortal life - apart from the self existent One, who is Yahuah. Antiochus may have named himself "theos epiphanies" or "god made manifest," but everyone knew he was a mere mortal who eventually died. The true Son of Perdition must be immortal, and he must be able to offer his followers immortality. Just as Yahuahshua offers all those who believe in him - eternal life. Anything less would only be a cheap imitation. All of our genetic research and Bio-technology from the past 50 years has been headed in one direction; the pursuit of immortal life; the ultimate power - the power of Yahuah Ul. It is now within our grasp. More likely than not, it has already been achieved, but there has been no public announcement. Immortal life is also the real issue behind the "falling away" spoken of in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. (The same falling away that precedes the second coming of the Messiah). This "falling away" or defection from the true faith, warned of by the Apostle Paul, occurs almost simultaneously with the appearing of the Son of Perdition. The relationship between the two events cannot be separated by years. The "falling away" has never been about a slowly advancing lukewarm attitude that would creep into the Church over a period of decades or even centuries. This "falling away" will occur in a decisive and single moment in time. When through the advancement of Medical Science, a genetic therapy will come available which will enable people to live an immortal life. This will be a defining moment in everyone's life. The people who confess Yahuah to be their Father, and Yahuahshua to be their Messiah; will have to make a choice between two offers. Do I accept this miracle of Medical Science, a genetic therapy that has brought about immortal life? Or does my faith dictate that I should die in hope of the resurrection? Many will reason and rationalize with themselves about the apparent
good this therapy does. The sick are healed, the lame walk, the blind
see, and the deaf hear! Even the recent dead have been restored to life.
The aging process itself has been reversed! |