Types of Rapture (~9.1 MB) - Moriel Ministries

Guest Author
proper context is that this, too, is not the
most advanced of all teachings, but something
Paul expects every Christian to have
a basic and thorough understanding of.
This epistle, which goes into so much detail
on the working of Christ’s righteousness
in the forms of salvation, justification,
and sanctification is, in Paul’s estimation,
simply the basics. If someone doesn’t have
a handle on items 1 through 6 listed above,
what are the odds they’re even close to digesting
the “basics” presented in Romans
Perhaps there is no better testimony
to the degraded state of the average
Christian’s grasp of God’s Word than a
trip to the local Christian bookstore. 20 or
30 years ago such stores were filled with
tomes written by Spirit-filled teachers
exegeting Scripture and not just teaching
the basics, but moving us into more advanced
areas. Today, however, such have
been replaced by the voluminous sections
“Christian Fiction” and “Christian Living”
which only seem to vaguely reference
Scripture, if at all. Such titles have
largely betrayed the six basic items previously
mentioned, much less offering anything
deeper or scripturally substantive.
See to it that no
one takes you captive
through
philosophy and empty
deception, according
to the tradition
of men,
according to the
elementary principles
of the world,
rather than
according to
Christ.
Colossians 2:8
It seems that many have been taken
“captive…according to the elementary
principles of the world rather than according
to Christ,” while failing to achieve
anything further advanced beyond the
basics. This is what happens when pulpits
and small groups move away from
the Bible to books and programs rooted
in the world’s principles, pop psychology,
or any other substitute for God’s Word.
It’s with a very heavy heart that I acknowledge
that this is most likely one
of the strongest indications to date of
the imminent return of Christ, because a
great falling away is predicted as one of
the most prominent signs of His return. If
Christians don’t understand what God’s
Word says about the basics of sin and
salvation, how will they possibly understand
the prophetic things of Scripture
If they can’t articulate the nuts and bolts
of faith in Christ, how can they possibly
navigate the end-time deception come
upon us and discern the truth from the lie
There is probably no greater concern
for which we can pray on behalf of
the Church at large and our fellow Christians
personally than a return to His Word
– a hunger for the basics giving way to
the deeper things of Christ. This, and a
sincere desire for repentance from sin,
are the hallmarks of every legitimate revival
in the Church’s history. But short
of that, we should not be surprised at the
rise in popularity of the antichrist spirit
in the guise of mega-churches and socalled
Christian publishers’ “best sellers”
lists when not even the elementary principles
of God’s Word are being advanced.
In His Love,
Danny Isom
Danny Isom
mailto:Servant@WalkWithTheWord.org.
The Walk with the Word Web site,
www.walkwiththeword.org, is dedicated
to personal and small group Bible
study by teaching the basics of the Inductive
Study Approach in concert with
“The 2008 Walk with the Word reading
plan.”
The ultimate goal is to apply God’s
Word personally to the point that it
becomes evident in our changed relationships
with others so that the preeminent
command of Scripture, to love
others, is visibly fulfilled.
Quotes of the QUARTER !
General William Booth, with
great prophetic insight,
stated over fifty years ago:
“The chief danger of the twentieth
century, will be Religion without the
Holy Ghost, Christianity without
Christ, Forgiveness without
repentance. Salvation without
regeneration, Heaven without hell.”
The water of life is the Word from GOD
Note:
‘Hebrew is read from right to left’
Ancient Hebrew Word Meanings
Faith ~ Emunah
By Jeff A. Benner
The Hebrew root aman means firm, something
that is supported or secure. This
word is used in Isaiah 22:23 for a nail that
is fastened to a “secure” place. Derived
from this root is the word emun meaning a
craftsman. A craftsman is one who is firm
and secure in his talent. Also derived from
aman is the word emunah meaning firmness,
something or someone that is firm in
it or his actions. When the Hebrew word
emunah is translated as “faith,” misconceptions
of its meaning occur. Faith is usually
perceived as a knowing, while the Hebrew
emunah is a firm action. To have faith in
God is not just knowing that God exists, or
knowing that He will act. Rather, it is that
the one with emunah will act with firmness
toward God’s will.
Ancient Hebrew Word Meanings
Atonement ~ kaphar
By Jeff A. Benner
The Hebrew word kaphar means “to cover
over,” such as a lid, and is the word for
the lid of the Ark of the Covenant (though
many translations translate this as “mercy
seat” for no etymological reason). This
word is translated as “pitch,” which was
spread over Noah’s ark in order to make it
watertight (Genesis 6:14). This same word
is also translated as “atonement.” The
word atonement is an abstract, but in order
to understand the true Hebrew meaning of
a word we must look to the concrete meaning.
If an offense has been made, the one
that has been offended can act as though
the offense is covered over and unseen. We
express this idea through the word of forgiveness.
Atonement is an outward action
that covers over the error.
Copyright © 2006
Ancient Hebrew Research Center,
http://www.ancient-hebrew.org
Note: ‘Hebrew is read from right to left’
16 June 2008 • Moriel Quarterly