Undoubtedly, the title of this article made some very uneasy. After all, it is faith in Christ, not faith in the rapture which makes one ready for the rapture. While this statement is correct, the argument presented here is, that only the person who is ready for the rapture has faith in Christ alone. Therefore, only those who are ready for the rapture will be raptured. Thus the title, “Only the Ready are Raptured.”

Many have proclaimed that everyone who claims to be a believer will be raptured regardless of their level of devotion to Christ. However, this is clearly not accurate based on what is revealed in Scripture. The sad truth is that many will not make the rapture because their faith is not in Christ. Instead, they trust in things associated with Christ, as noted by the words of Jesus:

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 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.” ^[1] (emphasis mine)

This means that many will be doing their own thing, in the name of Jesus, when He comes to retrieve His bride^.[2] Unfortunately, they will not make the heavenward trip simply because their faith is not in Christ. They instead trust in their activities, which may be many, as the source of their qualification for entry into the kingdom of heaven. This is the exact opposite posture of the one who places their full trust in Jesus. Ironically, the latter will also be involved in much activity for Jesus.

The major difference between these two groups is the catalyst of their activity: those who trust in activity will be busy doing their own will in the name of Christ, while those who trust in Christ alone will be busy doing His will for His namesake. Perhaps this example will help.

Those who trust in Christ alone could be compared to an airborne soldier trusting in their parachute rather than their actions for a safe descent. While the activities are important, anyone who has jumped from a perfectly good aircraft knows that, ultimately, no matter how well the activities involved are performed, the parachute is what provides the lift needed to land safely. It would be ludicrous to think that the activities are responsible for a safe landing. Instead, the activities ensure the soldier is properly prepared for the parachute to open and carry him or her to safety.

Paul makes this idea as plain as day:

Ephesians 2:8-10

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Notice that salvation comes from grace through faith, not works. This is the primary reason many will not make the rapture; they rely on their works rather than faith. Paul does not leave out the works; instead, he defines them as that which come from faith. The problem for those who trust in works rather than faith is, as the old saying goes, they put the cart before the horse.

As this discussion progresses, keep in mind that Jesus spoke about the two groups being compared here when He said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). The way to destruction is broad because it includes any way that is not the only true way to the Father, which is Jesus, the narrow gate or door (John 14:6; 10:7-11).

Now that the primary reason for the dichotomy between these groups has been established: exploring some examples of the group that misses the rapture may help some who are on the wrong path to get right, so to speak, and become rapture ready.

This study is not intended to be exhaustive; therefore, the following will only graze the surface of some of the components that are shaping the counterfeit church that will enter into the Tribulation period. Once the rapture occurs, two distinct groups of religious people will exist on earth: Those who repent because they realize they missed the rapture; and those who double down on their belief that they are the chosen ones through which Christ will manifest Himself to the world. The latter group will quickly form into the one-world church prophesied in Revelation chapter thirteen. This group will fall under the sway of the false prophet who supports the antichrist who is energized by Satan himself (Revelation 13).

Incredibly, this movement toward ecumenicalism is picking up speed, and the chief proponents are very powerful. Their false doctrines are fueling the merger of several religious entities into one final faux religion identified as, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5b). Another article dealt with the return of the geopolitical component of Babylon.^[3] The Babylon referred to here is the ecclesiastical as it represents the one-world church described in Revelation chapter thirteen. This article will address one major component of this now-forming entity.

By the way, this counterfeit church will be largely responsible for the deaths of all who refuse the mark of the beast in the second half of the Tribulation. In other words, those who relied on their works to establish the kingdom of God on earth will be the very ones killing any that come to true faith in Christ alone. As noted, two distinct religious groups will be present in the Tribulation: those who still trust in their works and those who come to trust in Christ alone. Only the latter will be able to resist the mark of the beast and overcome which will cause their martyrdom.

Revelation 12:11

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

Revelation 15:2

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”

Revelation 20:4

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

The Tribulation period will be reminiscent of the ‘Dark Ages’ where the professing church killed any that would not agree with their twisted application of Scripture and the resultant false doctrines. Those who held to the false became so beguiled that they believed they had become the arbiters of right and wrong and anyone who did not agree with their false paradigm must recant or die. By the way, torture was but one of their means of persuasion. Fox’s Book of Martyrs provides great detail about this period.^[4]

One group, which is beguiling many into trusting their plan instead of God’s plan and thereby growing in size and scope, operates under several names, including: Kingdom Now, Dominionism, or the New Apostolic Reformation. While members of each named group may argue they are different from one another, they are of the same essence in that they all believe the church is to become preeminent in the world before Jesus can come back. Said another way, this group believes they will, through what is called the seven-mountain mandate, usher in the kingdom of God here on earth which Jesus will then, and only then, come to rule and reign over.

The seven mountains are also referred to as the seven pillars or spheres of influence. The seven mountains are: Education; Religion; Family; Business; Government/Military; Arts/Entertainment; and Media. Those who ascribe to this alternate future believe they must infiltrate each of these mountains to such a degree that each mountain becomes Christianized. The chief problem with this belief system is the fact that it is not biblical. In fact, the only mention in the Bible about seven mountains is found in the narrative describing the aforementioned Babylon the Great. Unless you are reading the so-called Passion Translation. More on that later.

In the Revelation recorded by John, an angel explains the mystery of this Tribulation entity. In so doing, he identifies the seven heads of the beast that the woman (Babylon the Great) sits upon as seven mountains (Revelation 17:9). He then goes on to say there are also seven kings of which five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he will continue for a short period (Revelation 17:10-11). This means the seven mountains are a separate component of the ridden beast.

Many have attributed this to the seven kingdoms throughout history. But what if these were not seven previous kingdoms? What if these are the very spheres of influence the kingdom now proponents are attempting to conquer and rule over in their quest to become the kingdom Christ will occupy? Sad side note here: this group will get their Christ, but it will not be the Son of God. Instead, those who do not repent will, along with all other groups who are working toward salvation, accept the antichrist and become the foot soldiers of the false prophet, as part of Mystery Babylon, and carry out the worst religious persecution to ever exist. This is demonstrated by the universalism of the following:

Revelation 13:15-17

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (emphasis mine)

Notice, Babylon the Great is drunk on the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus:

Revelation 17:5-6

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (emphasis mine)

Since this errant belief system, which leads to this false one-world church, is not biblical, the chief proponents have invented the idea that Apostles and Prophets have been re-established in the last days and that they have new insight which was not revealed in the canon of Scripture. The Apostles, in fact, are considered so authoritative that their words are to be accepted as on par with Scripture. In other words, this group has created a new ending for the world, one which is man-centric instead of Christ-centric. Sadly, this false idea is infecting more and more of the church as those involved in this movement gain popularity.

Interestingly, this movement now even has a so-called Bible translation to lean on. The Passion Translation (TPT) was discussed briefly in the article, “The Greatest Lie Ever Told: The Origin of All Lies.” ^[5] Since the purpose of this article is to point out that only those who are ready for the rapture are in fact raptured, it is important to illuminate the chief reasons people will not be ready when Christ calls His bride heavenward. Simply put, many will be relying on their works because of the many fallacies contained in works like TPT, because they think it is an actual Bible translation, to inform them about how they are to behave as the bride of Christ.

Any honest person would say that TPT brings passion; however, the passion acquired from reading it excites the flesh rather than the spirit. Why is this true? The simplest answer is that the author, because he is part of the NAR movement, believes the church is the driving force in reshaping the planet into the manifest kingdom of God. Therefore, this rendition of the Bible steers the reader toward this belief system which is not what God intended. It is very important to remember, that the purpose of the Bible is to convey what God has said to man, not what man thinks about God.

This is not to say opinion should be banned; after all, this article is but one example of opinion, and libraries and bookstores are filled with books that record many varying observations about God’s Word. No, what man says about God is very important, indeed. In fact, one would be challenged to cite all forms of commentary on the Bible. The point is, each of the aforementioned is taken as opinion. What Brian Simmons has done, in TPT, is actually change the Word of God into his opinion. Therefore, when reading his translation, the reader is reading the Word of God through the eyes of Brian Simmons. In other words, Simmons has inserted his commentary into the text, which should be considered very dangerous.

One example is his insertion of the phrase ‘mountains of influence’ into the text to support NAR doctrine (Psalms 72:3, 80:10; Proverbs 8:1, TPT). This phrase is not in the original text.

By this point, you may be saying to yourself, why such a big deal over TPT? After all, this was covered last week, and now the issue is being pressed even further here. You may also be saying, why the very hard push to expose this fallacy? Hopefully, this reply will provide clarity.

Because TPT conveys the thoughts of the translator, in the text, the translation is no longer the Holy Bible. Instead, this is an unholy work that must be attributed to the author Brian Simmons. Put another way, Brian Simmons changes the original language to say what he thinks it should say while adding to and taking away from what God actually says. Therefore, TPT is no longer a translation of what God said; it is an entirely new Bible, and the author is Brian Simmons, not God.

The most sinister part of this whole deceptive manuscript is the fact that it was pawned off as an actual translation. Through misrepresentation, a great misperception arose which caused many of the most faithful servants of God to explore this so-called translation and even incorporate it into their ministries. Now many unsuspecting believers are coming under the influence of NAR doctrine through the word of Brian Simmons.

Perhaps the best way to close this portion of the discussion is to present the opinion of an actual expert on languages and translations. This is the abstract from a very well-written scholarly review by Andrew G. Shead, the head of Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore Theological College in Sydney. He is also a member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation:

“Brian Simmons has made a new translation of the Psalms (and now the whole New Testament) which aims to ‘re-introduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader.’ He achieves this by abandoning all interest in textual accuracy, playing fast and loose with the original languages, and inserting so much new material into the text that it is at least 50% longer than the original. The result is a strongly sectarian translation that no longer counts as Scripture; by masquerading as a Bible, it threatens to bind entire churches in thrall to a false god.”^[6]

The NAR and its chief proponents only represent a fraction of all of the false religious entities which have sprung up since the very beginning of the church age. One thing binds them all together, and that is their belief that man is the causal agent of Christ’s Second Coming. Unfortunately, this man-centric focus has always led to those involved being so busy with their own desires for the future that they completely miss out on what God is actually doing.

The children of Israel missed the first coming of Jesus because they expected the kingdom to come in a different manner than it did. They were looking for the kingdom to come in physical form. Instead, Jesus brought forth a spiritual kingdom that would exist only in the hearts of men (Luke 17:20-21). Incredibly, it was those He came to save that killed Him.

Likewise, those who are now working toward an earthly kingdom, which they believe will manifest in them, will miss the rapture because they are awaiting the physical manifestation of the kingdom which will not come until the Tribulation has run its course and Christ returns. Regrettably, these will be so intent on fulfilling their own will that they miss what God is doing.

With this in mind. The false religions of the world all have books that they consider on par with and or addendums to the Bible which will validate their viewpoint. My plea is this: Use only a canonized Bible that has been translated by using a method that is as close as possible to the formal equivalence method, sometimes referred to as the word-for-word method of translation, to evaluate the truth. Simply put, use a manuscript in which the original words are examined and translated to record what the original author intended to say with as little manipulation of the text as possible in order to convey the message.

Some examples are the: King James Version (some consider the KJV to be the closest to the formal equivalence); New King James Version; Revised Standard Version; New American Standard Bible; and the English Standard Version. For the English-speaking, this type of Bible is considered the most authentic means of determining what God said to man.

This example may provide clarity: When in a room full of people, someone, after writing down what they are about to say, whispers what they wrote down to someone and asks them to pass it on. After traveling through the room, the last person is asked to write the message down. You can only imagine what the original message has morphed into. Therefore, if you want to know what the original author said, it is best to study what they wrote down. If the original message is in a foreign language, it is still best to evaluate the original text and translate it with as little variation as possible.

The greatest danger possible for eternal beings is ending up in the wrong place when all is said and done. God made a way for man to live forever with Him.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The crux of this entire article is encapsulated within this one very well-known verse, “whosoever believeth in him.” This means eternal life comes to those who simply believe that God the Father, sent God the Son—Jesus, to earth, a willing sacrifice that provides everlasting life to all who believe in Him. Nothing else needs to be added to this simple formula for man to achieve eternity. God requires only faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). Faithful action comes after first belief.

Satan is also making a way for man, through belief in self, to live forever with him in the lake of fire. This point is made very clear in the aforementioned article, “The Greatest Lie Ever Told: The Origin of All Lies.” Another article, “Man of Sin Arising,“^[7] deals with the ramifications of the church abandoning their God-given task of being salt and light while calling for repentance, which brings the repentant back to love of God rather than love of self.

The only way to discern between these two choices is to follow the advice of the Apostle Paul, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).” Paul also warned about receiving another gospel even if it came from himself, the other apostles, or even angels:

Galatians 1:8

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Additionally, Jesus, the Word made flesh, warned of the deception which will draw the kingdom-builders into receiving the antichrist when he foretold of many who would come proclaiming they are Christ or pointing others to Him in various locations:

Matthew 24:4-5

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

Matthew 24:23-27

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Perhaps the best way to ruin the false doctrine of the kingdom-builders is to quote the true end of the church’s time on earth:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (emphasis mine)

Conclusion

Two distinct endings of the church have been discussed here today. One is false, and the other is true. The false sees the church as the physical kingdom of God on earth which will become so pervasive that Christ will come to rule the kingdom that man has built. The true sees the church as the spiritual kingdom of God which currently resides within men, a kingdom that will leave the earth at the moment of the rapture and return at the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation.

The false view will cause many to miss the rapture because those who believe it, like the foolish virgins, are only interested in looking the part while doing their own will; their concern is not about having enough oil for the coming bridegroom. These were not rapture ready.

The true view is like the wise virgins whose main goal was to be prepared for the coming bridegroom while doing His will. Therefore, they had extra oil, just in case. These were rapture ready.

April 10th, 2022

Website: In His Commission

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[1] “Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the King James Version.”

[2] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Five W’s of the Rapture.”

[3] For greater understanding, see the article, “Back to Babylon.”

[4] For great understanding, visit the free content at, “Bible Study Tools.”

[5] For greater understanding, see the article, “The Greatest Lie Ever Told: The Origin of All Lies.”

[6] Andrew W. Shead, “Burning Scripture with Passion: A Review of the Psalms (The Passion Translation),” Themelious 43:1 (2018): 58-71

[7] For greater understanding, see the article, “Man of Sin Arising.”

 

 

Text: Genesis 22:1-18

HISTORICAL SIMILITUDE

The LORD said, “I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets” (Hosea 12:10). The event recorded in this passage is not only historically true and faithful, but it is also a wonderful similitude [likeness] of “Jesus Christ the Son of God” (Mark 1:1) being offered by God the Father on the cross “for the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:2), by far the greatest of all historical events!

THE TRIAL OF FAITH

Genesis 22:1-2 “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

Abraham was tried — In scripture, tempt means: ‘to try; to prove; to put to trial for proof’ (Noah Webster, 1828). It is written in the New Testament: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure [similitude]” (Hebrews 11:17-19; John 3:16-18). “Jesus the Son of God…was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14-15). Although Abraham sinned on other occasions, according to God’s record of this event, he was obedient and passed this particular trial without sin.

ABRAM’S SON ISAAC

Genesis 22:2 “…thine only son Isaac…”

Abram’s illegitimate son — After “Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 16:3), at least ten years after the LORD promised Abram a son, when Sarai Abram’s wife saw that she was still “barren” (Genesis 11:30), she said unto Abram, “Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai…And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael” (Genesis 16:1-5, 15).

The LORD prophesied of Ishmael unto Hagar, saying, “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren” (Genesis 16:12). Ishmael is the illegitimate son of Abraham (Deuteronomy 23:2; Zechariah 9:6; Hebrews 12:8), the progenitor of the people who would be the avowed enemies of the offspring of Abraham’s children through Isaac and Jacob. The majority of the Islamic nations—established around 610-613 AD by Mohammed, one of the descendants of Ishmael, are determined to completely destroy the nation of Israel.

The allegory — Paul wrote to the confused Galatians: “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid [Agar or Hagar], the other by a freewoman [Sarah]. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh [Ishmael]; but he of the freewoman was by promise [Isaac]. Which things are an allegory [a figurative description of real facts]: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai [the Ten Commandments, the old covenant (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13)], which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar [Hagar].

“For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children [Unbelieving Israel is still in bondage to the law of Moses, having rejected and crucified their Messiah Jesus Christ]. But Jerusalem [new Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12; 21:2)] which is above is free, which is the mother of us all…. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

“Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free” (Galatians 4:21-31).

Abram’s only begotten son — The LORD’S promise to Abraham was revealed to him sequentially. When the LORD called Abram out of “Ur of the Chaldees” (Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7), he commanded him to go “unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation…” (Genesis 12:1-3). After being delayed for a time in Haran, Abram entered into the land of Canaan where the LORD appeared to him and mentioned Abram’s “seed” (Genesis 12:7; 13:15).

Later, the word of the LORD appeared to Abram in a vision and said to him, “this [Eliezer] shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir… And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:1-6)

The LORD promised and named Abraham’s son — When “Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram…God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her…. And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” (Genesis 17:1, 15-19).

The LORD also promised and named his Son — Isaiah prophesied: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). And “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4). After Mary “was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18), the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him, “fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

The angel Gabriel came unto Mary and said unto her, “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS” (Luke 1:30-31).

The Lord appeared to Abraham and Sarah — Not long after all the men of Abraham’s house were circumcised (Genesis 17:23-27), when Abraham was ninety and nine years of age, “three men [the Lord and two angels—compare Genesis 18:22 with Genesis 19:1]” (Genesis 18:2) appeared to Abraham. “And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son…. Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son…” (Genesis 18:9-15).

The birth of Isaac — “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him” (Genesis 21:1-5). The LORD always keeps his promises (Numbers 23:19)!

Genesis 22:2 “…whom thou lovest…”

The Father loves the Son — Abraham loved his promised and only begotten son Isaac. God has eternally loved his everlasting, promised, and only begotten Son. In his prayer to his Father, the Lord Jesus Christ said, “…for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24; 3:35). “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” (John 3:35; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; John 5:20).

THE PLACE OF THREE OFFERINGS

Genesis 22:2 “…the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.”

Abraham’s offering — About 1872 BC, Abraham offered up a ram “for a burnt offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:13).

David’s offering — David offered on the same mount about 1012 BC. The land of Moriah is where Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple were built much later: “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem in mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his father, in the place that David had prepared in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite” (2Chronicles 3:1). Because David numbered Israel, “the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men” (1Chronicles 21:14).

“When the LORD saw the angel destroying Jerusalem, “he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem…. And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

“Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD…And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and he answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering. And the LORD commanded the angel; and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof. At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there” (1Chronicles 21:14-28).

God’s offering — The place where his only begotten Son Jesus Christ was crucified was the same place where Abraham built an altar to offer his son Isaac. It was upon one of the mountains of Moriah called “Calvary” (Luke 23:33); also called “The place of a skull” (Mark 15:22; Matthew 27:33; John 19:17). It was on this mount where Jesus “gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:4), “that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). Jesus Christ “hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

A prepared body — “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). When the Son came into the world, “he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me…. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:5-10).

ABRAHAM’S IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE

Genesis 22:3 “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.”

Obedience brings great blessings — When the LORD commanded him to leave his country, Abram delayed his departure and only partially obeyed. But when the LORD commanded him to offer his son for a burnt offering, Abraham obeyed without delay. In this situation, Abraham could say: “I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments” (Psalm 119:60). Later, the LORD said unto Abraham’s son Isaac: “And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Genesis 26:4-5).

Immediate obedience to the LORD’S commandments should be the desire of “all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26)!

AFAR OFF

Genesis 22:4 “Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.”

Foreknowledge of God — The Lord Jesus Christ was “delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) to be crucified and slain! God, knowing “all his works from the beginning of the world” (Acts 15:18), even before the creation, saw the place where he would offer his only begotten Son on the cross for the sins of the whole world “afar off.” God’s Son is “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Believers are told that Jesus Christ “verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…” (1Peter 1:17-21).

ABRAHAM’S FAITH

Genesis 22:5 “And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.”

Abraham believed God — Before the birth of Isaac, God said unto Abraham, “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him” (Genesis 17:19).

The New Testament declares — The apostle testifies in the New Testament: “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure [a similitude]” (Hebrews 11:17-19).

And again, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6). “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23).

SIMILITUDE OF THE CROSS

Genesis 22:6 “And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son…”

The cross — The wood which Abraham laid upon Isaac is a picture of the cross that was borne by Jesus: “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha” (John 19:17). “Simon a Cyrenian bore his cross from Pilate’s judgment hall unto the mount” (Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:21-22; Luke 23:26). “Then the Lord Jesus bore his own cross into “the place of a skull” (John 19:17) where he was crucified.

Genesis 22:6 “…and he took the fire in his hand…”

God’s indignation — God’s “fiery indignation… shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:27). “Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him” (Nahum 1:6). “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy” (Zephaniah 3:8; Psalm 21:8-9).

The cup: not the cross! — Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before his crucifixion, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42; Mark 14:36). The Lord Jesus would have never asked his Father to remove the cross from him! For it was on the cross where the Son of God “verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world” to die “for all” (1Peter 1:18-20; 2Corinthians 5:14-15; 1Corinthians 15:3-4) and to redeem by his precious blood all believers “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Revelation 5:9)!

Through his prophet, the Son declared: “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7). And “when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51-53).

On more than one occasion before his crucifixion, Jesus said to his disciples, “The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Luke 24:7). After his resurrection, the Lord declared to two disciples, “…O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).

Later, he said to the two disciples and the eleven apostles together, “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” (Luke 24:44; Matthew 5:18).

It was on the cross where the LORD “laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6), where God “made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Corinthians 5:21): “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree [cross tree], that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1Peter 2:22-24).

On the cross, the LORD executed his fierce and terrifying judgment on our sins in the body of Jesus Christ (Micah 7:9). It was on the cross where the Lord Jesus Christ drank down to the dregs “of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation” (Revelation 14:10; Psalm 75:8).

THE SWORD OF THE LORD

Genesis 22:6 “…and a knife…”

God’s sword — The LORD uses wicked men of the world as his sword to accomplish his judgments (Psalm 17:13-14). None of the men who crucified Christ knew that they were fulfilling “the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23)!

WALKING IN AGREEMENT

Genesis 22:6 “…and they went both of them together.”

Perfect unity — The Father and the Son of God were in complete agreement (Amos 3:3) when Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners: “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2Corinthians 5:19).

THE LAMB FOR A BURNT OFFERING

Genesis 22:7 “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

A super majority of people in the world today know not that Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

ABRAHAM PROPHESIED

Genesis 22:8 “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

The Lamb of God — Abraham’s answer to Isaac prophesied of Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36).

The fulness of the Godhead — “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1John 5:7). In Jesus Christ “dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1Timothy 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ, “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), is “the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8; 1John 5:7).

He lay down his life — The Lord Jesus Christ “offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:24-27) [as “a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter 1:19)] “for us an offering and a sacrifice to God [the Father] for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:2). Jesus Christ “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 stripes ye were healed” (1Peter 2:24). “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).

He rose from the dead — The glorious gospel of Christ is “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1Corinthians 15:3-4). Before his crucifixion, Jesus declared: “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).

Great blessings of his death and life — Through faith in Jesus Christ, all believers are justified, sanctified, reconciled to God, saved from wrath, and perfected for ever (Romans 5:8-11; Hebrews 10:9-14)!

FAITHFUL ABRAHAM

Genesis 22:9-12 “And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”

Abraham completed his trial with honour — No similitude is perfect, for it is only an example and foreshadow of an actual event. Although Abraham fully intended to carry out God’s commandment by offering his only begotten son upon the altar that he built, God never intended for Isaac to be offered a burnt offering (Jeremiah 7:31). Therefore—at the last moment, the similitude must change!

THE LAMB OF GOD

Genesis 22:13 “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

Another similitude — God provided a ram [a male lamb] in the stead of Isaac to represent the sacrifice of Christ. This ram was found caught in a thicket. The Lord Jesus Christ was caught in a web of evil men who forced a crown of thorns upon his head and crucified him! The Lord Jesus Christ “offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:27) as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

THE PLACE

Genesis 22:14 “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

The place of crucifixion — Jehovahjireh means ‘Jehovah sees.’ Nineteen hundred years later, “the Saviour of the world” (1John 4:14) was seen dying for our sins on the cross in the same mount, “a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha” (John 19:17).

THE SEED OF ABRAHAM

Genesis 22:15-18 “And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

Christ is Abraham’s seed — “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). When the eternal Son of God came into the world, “he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16).

The father of all believers — Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad…. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:56-58). By faith, Abraham successfully finished the course of his trial: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise…” (Hebrews 6:13-20). By virtue of Abraham’s faithfulness to fulfill his part as a similitude of the Father, God called Abraham “the father of all them that believe…. For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:11-13).

Therefore, God’s justification of all men “is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16).

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).