4/11/2008

RESURRECTION SEASON ~ Day 20 ~ The Removal of the Church



Resurrection Season ~ ~ ~ Day 20
for the Year of Our LORD, 4.11.2008
Removing the Church
from the Heart of the Earth, Part 1

Let GOD arise,
let HIS enemies be scattered:
let them also that hate HIM
flee before HIM.
Psalm 68: 1





What did Our LORD do after HE+ preached the GOSPEL of His+ Salvation in Sheol to the Patriarchs, Prophets, Old Testament saints, and to the disobedient ones (whom we assume had never heard about The LORD) who died in the time of Noah?



THOU, which hast shewed me
great and sore troubles,
shalt quicken me again,
and shalt bring me up again
from the depths of the earth.
Psalm 71:20


Yes, we know Our LORD JESUS CHRIST arose from the dead and was seen by many infallible witnesses, according to Acts 1:3.

To whom also
HE+
shewed himself alive
after His+ passion
by many infallible proofs,
being seen of them forty days,
and speaking of the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Acts 1:3

Him+ [JESUS] being delivered
by the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of GOD,
ye have taken,
and by wicked hands
have crucified and slain:

Whom GOD hath raised up,
having loosed the pains of death:
because it was not possible
that HE+ should be holden of it.

Acts 2:23-24.

However, HE+ didn’t come up out of Sheol by HIMSELF+!
No… not by HIMSELF+.
The hour is come, that the SON+ of man
should be glorified.
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a corn of wheat
fall into the ground and die,
it abideth alone:
but if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit.
Words of Our LORD,
recorded in John 12:23,24

HE+ brought His+ Body, the Church, with HIM+ !


THOU+ hast ascended on high,
THOU+ hast led captivity captive:
THOU+ hast received gifts for men;
yea, for the rebellious also, that the
LORD God [Jehovah Adonai]
might dwell among them.
Psalm 68: 18


HE+ that is our GOD is the GOD of salvation;
and unto GOD the Lord belong
the issues
[ the egresses, the exits, the deliverances]
from death.
Psalm 68:20


Our LORD very competently and with great power arose from the realm of the dead, the Firstborn among many brethren, the Firstborn of every creature... the Firstborn from the dead… the Head of the Body, His+ Church.

Yes, HE+ re-entered His+ Body of flesh which lay UNcorrupted in the sealed tomb until the third day… and yes, with great power glorified it… and truly, HE+ will never die again! For which we give HIM+ thanks and praise for all Eternity !


Knowing that CHRIST being raised from the dead
dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over HIM+.
Romans 6:9
+ + +

At the same time, HE+ removed His+ people from Sheol in the heart of the earth unto the Paradise of GOD, which is in the third Heaven.

How do we know this? For one thing, Our LORD told the repentant thief on the cross that “…today thou shalt be with me in Paradise.” Since The LORD spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, Paradise had to be in that location at first. Notice that HE+ did NOT speak those words to the unrepentant thief on the other cross, who reviled HIM+. Hence, the unrepentant thief also descended into Sheol, but on the OTHER SIDE OF THE CHASM… as was the unrighteous rich man who saw Lazarus in peace and joy in Abraham’s Bosom… and both were “dead” in Sheol. However, the LORD did not stay in Sheol after those three days and three nights. HE+ HIMSELF returned to the earth for 40 days before ascending unto His+ FATHER for the final time.

Secondly, the Apostle Paul speaks of the third Heaven, the paradise into which “a man in CHRIST” ( in the body or out of the body) was caught up .

Thirdly, the Apostle John speaks of the Paradise of GOD in which is the Tree of Life, which obviously must be located in Heaven since it is no longer located here on earth.

MEANWHILE, WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE NEWLY-FORMED AND NOW COHESIVE CHURCHHis+ Body?



And, behold, the veil of the temple
was torn in two
from the top to the bottom;
and the earth did quake,
and the rocks were sheared;

And the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints
which slept arose,

And came out of the graves
after His+ resurrection,
and went into the holy city,
and appeared unto many.
Matthew 27:51-52


That is what is says and that is exactly what it means. There were some of the “dead” Church who were permitted to appear to mortal men during this transition time. The old writings of Nicodemus confirms this, explaining that the timing and the permission to speak and appear to mortal men was very precisely given. This writing says these saints spoke to their relatives and aquaintances of the Resurrected CHRIST !

WHAT ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THEIR MINDS ?
They had just witnessed the power of Sheol, of death, broken. They had just witnessed not only The LORD’S release but also their own release from the confines of Sheol. They were heading upwards, to the Paradise of GOD in the Third Heaven !

WHAT COULD THIS PORTEND FOR MANKIND ?

TO BE CONTINUED
(… for all Eternity, thanks be to GOD)








Let us pray:

For Thy Resurrection victories, we praise and thank THEE+, O Holy LAMB of GOD. For Thy past faithfulness to the saints of old, we praise THEE+. For removing them from the confines of Sheol, we praise THEE+. For moving Paradise up into the Third Heaven, we thank THEE+. For Thy Resurrection Power in the past, present and most-assuredly the future… we praise THEE+ and glorify Thy Holy Name LORD JESUS CHRIST, O Precious LAMB of GOD!

Glory be to The FATHER, to His Beloved SON+, and to His most Blessed HOLY SPIRIT. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end, to the ages of the Eternal ages! Amen.


+ + +


After two days will HE revive us:
in the third day HE will raise us up,
and we shall live in HIS sight.
Hosea 6:1-2


The Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST… the most life-changing event in human history.+ + +

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