The Letter to the Hebrews Part 8 :: By Dr. Donald Whitchard

An Exposition

Hebrews 4:11-13: “The Scriptures Diagnose Our Condition”

“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account” (Hebrews 4:11-13, NKJV).

The Holy Scriptures have affirmed that they are not the product of mere human thinking and morality. They clearly point out and affirm that humanity is wicked, reprobate, and totally unwilling to obey or even in some cases acknowledge that there is a God to whom we all must give account one day.

The Holy Bible declares that we cannot in any way redeem or make ourselves better or believe that by some work, deed, or act of bravery or selflessness that we can enter heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). That irritates pretty much everyone living today by having to face that unpleasant truth. The Bible plainly declares that we are sinners in need of a Savior, but it will not come from anything here on Earth (Romans 8:18-22). This world and everything upon it reek of corruption and evil. Even the best of us is a walking pile of rotten rags as it pertains to our so-called “righteousness” (Isaiah 64:6).

There is no peace for humanity except to place their faith and trust in the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the remnant church has, for over two thousand years, told the story of Jesus and His saving grace through the cross to everyone they could (Mark 16:15). The Gospel message has been spread throughout the world through the prayers and dedication of His followers and continues today (Matthew 28:18-20; John 20:28-31; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23, 10:9-10; Philippians 2:5-11).

The world, the flesh, and the devil have done their level best to discourage, threaten, frighten, silence, and even stoop to kill those of us who are not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17). It is the message of the Gospel and the entirety of the Scriptures overall that frees people from the bonds of sin, guilt, and reprobation of the world. It has freed those trapped in false religions, cults, and the grasp of Satan and his malevolent tactics.

The writer of Hebrews defended the faith. He reassured the Jews, who had given up their old way of worship and life that had been passed down from generations, that it is Jesus Christ and Him alone that has satisfied the requirements of the Law of Moses, which was perfect obedience to the Commandments, and was the final sacrifice for our sins when He went to the cross for our sake. No amount of animal sacrifice on the altars of both the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem could ever fully and completely atone for our sins. Likewise, no traditions or observance of the Feasts mentioned in the Torah could ever take away their fallen nature, as recorded in Scripture.

Apply this to our present day. The devil and his crew, working in the world system, do and say anything they can to make people feel they are saved if they do “good” works or say they try to follow the standards of the Ten Commandments (as if they even knew what they were!), which violates Scripture that teaches if we break one commandment of God, we have broken them all in an attitude of self-deception (Psalm 36:2, 49:18; James 1:22, 26; 1 John 1:8; Revelation 3:17).

We believe we are right in our own eyes (Judges 21:25), but our wicked behaviors say otherwise. The lost sinner cannot and will not admit it until he or she has been convicted by the Spirit of God to repent and place his or her faith in Christ for the remission of their sins (John 6:44, 16:5-15; Romans 1:18-32, 3:10-18, 23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:8-10).

The rapid rise in non-religious behavior and the deliberate ignorance of Scripture, both here in America and the western world, is itself predicted in the Bible as a sign of the impending judgment of humanity and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Timothy 3:1-8, 4:1-5). The hatred of God and His Word is also increasing in intensity and rage by celebrities, politicians, and the minds and hearts of both pastors and congregations as they grovel over, flatter, and appease a wicked world with its ungodly and blasphemous demands in order to “fit in with the times.”

The Bible is always under malicious attacks and criticism from the media, their sycophant minions, and skeptical scholars in the halls of academia. No other work of religion has endured more vitriol and undergone more scrutiny than the Holy Bible in all recorded history. All I can say is that it must be what it says it is because any other work would have ceased to exist eons ago.

It will not be long before the Bible you claim to read and cherish is going to be more valuable than any other possession you have. The authorities in power right now are getting ready to do what it takes to shut down all Bible-based websites, blogs, Christian ministry sites, and social media sites. They will attempt to confiscate and destroy the printed Scriptures as the days grow more evil, just in time for the arrival of the promised Antichrist and his reign of satanic terror over this wicked world.

The world is going to get what it wants, and that is the absence of God, or so they believe. The book of Revelation clearly describes the series of horrid and terrifying events that are to occur for those who will not come to Christ for salvation. A bloodbath of unspeakable proportions is about to be unleashed, and only the remnant church is ready to leave and avoid it (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10). The Lord Jesus is soon arriving to take His true church home. Those who have trusted in Him to save them from their sins and trusted Him as Savior and Lord, both the dead and the living, will be taken up in the prophetic event known as the “Rapture of the Church.” It is the next event on God’s calendar, and it is coming sooner than many expect. We are to always be ready (Luke 21:28).

I would like to conclude by presenting a doctrinal statement concerning the Scriptures which I support, affirm, and believe as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel:

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. It is a perfect treasure of Divine instruction. It has God for its Author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us. Therefore, it will remain to the end of the world the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.

All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, the focus of Divine revelation” (Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10, 119:11, 89, 108, 140; Isaiah 34:16, 40:8; Jer. 15:16, 36:1-32; Matt. 5:17-18, 20:29; Luke 21:23, 24:44-46; John 5:39, 16:13-15, 17:17; Acts 2:16, 17:11; Romans 15:4, 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21). – The Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 (Southern Baptist Convention)

Here are some more resources that will strengthen your stand and belief in the authority of the Word:

Bruce, F.F. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL. IVP Academic, 1988.

Criswell, W.A., Why I Preach That The Bible is Literally True. Nashville, Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1995.

MacArthur, John. Why Believe the Bible? Grand Rapids, MI. Baker books, 1980, 2007.

Rice, John R. Our God-Breathed Book: The Bible. Murfreesboro, TN. Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1969.

You know where I stand when it comes to the integrity and truth of the Scriptures. What about you?

Donaldwhitchard@gmail.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

Jun 7, 2021

Is the Final Hatred of the Jews Upon Us?

I find it extremely frustrating at the outcome of the latest conflict between Hamas and Israel. Here we have a zone controlled by terrorists firing rockets at Israel population areas. There was no provocation on the part of Israel for the firing of 3,000 rockets at their territory.

The Israeli military went to extreme lengths to avoid civilian casualties when bombing various buildings. They would call people in the targeted structure, telling them to get out. A giant firecracker device would be dropped on the roof. After people were given enough time to flee, the building would be imploded.

Despite Israel’s efforts to minimize the death of civilians, Israel was still portrayed as the aggressor by the left and the liberal media. Even as Hamas rockets were raining down on Israeli cities, the Biden Administration was asking Israel to stop responding to the attacks.

If terrorists operating out of Mexico were shelling our southernmost cities, the US would carpet bomb Mexico. No other nation on planet Earth is held to such a strange standard regarding warfare. When 911 terrorists were found to be operating out of Afghanistan, we invaded the whole nation.

As soon as the fighting stopped, Israel allowed supplies to flood in the Gaza strip. Many nations have offered large sums of money to rebuild the areas destroyed by the fighting. I don’t see the point of saying, “Here is another $10 billion to rebuild,” and handing over the cash. We know from their past track record that the funds will be used to build more rockets and tunnels for attacking Israel.

Antisemitism in the United States is more pervasive than it appears, said Malcolm Hoenlein, vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

“It’s worse because the majority of incidents are not reported,” Hoenlein told The Times of Israel at a meeting with staff in Jerusalem alongside the Conference’s chair Dianne Lob and CEO William Daroff.

“We get reports all the time of it. I see it not only in my own community but from rabbis who call me and others. And often, the police will not classify it as a hate crime because then the FBI has to come in, and the FBI doesn’t necessarily want to because it’s a lot of paperwork, et cetera… But they’re encountering more hostility, and the vast majority of incidents don’t go reported even though the number of reports is increasing sharply.”

It is quickly becoming politically dangerous to stand with Israel against Islamic terrorists. New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang recently tweeted in support of Israel and condemned Hamas.

Under pressure from local pro-Palestinian activists and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Yang issued a retraction, saying that “My tweet was overly simplistic in my treatment of a conflict that has a long and complex history full of tragedies.” He added that he “failed to acknowledge the pain and suffering of both sides.”

The May 28 New York Times front page featured photographs of the children killed in Gaza and Israel during the recent fighting under the title “They Were Just Children.” The newspaper does not typically put images of children killed by US forces on its front page. The New York Times is owned by a Jewish family, but it has always sided with Israel’s enemies. It covered up the Holocaust during World War II.

CNN is under fire for having hired a writer who posted several times on social media that he believes the world needs another “Hitler.” “The only reason I am supporting Germany in the finals – Hitler was a German, and he did good with those Jews!” Raja wrote during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. CNN has fired Adeel Raja, but only because people on the right made a stink about his comments.

The world is going to get a new Hitler in the coming days. He won’t be a foe of God’s chosen people. He will be the man that comes to ‘save the world.’ I think the growing hatred of Jews will be the driving force that forces Israel to make a peace pact with the devil. The Antichrist will betray Israel, but God comes to save His people from total destruction.

“Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad” (Psalm 14:7).

–Todd


Children and Rapture Revisited

My blog article posted last week on my personal blog, terryjamesprophecyline.com, and on raptureready.com—“A Millstone Milestone”—revolved around evil treatment of children. It examined Jesus’ words about punishment for those who “offend” little children. That passage follows.

And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:3–6)

I mentioned at the end of the commentary that perhaps very soon the children who are accounted innocent in God’s great economy because they haven’t reached the age of accountability will be taken out of harm’s way when Christ calls the church to Himself. This, of course, will be the Rapture, as given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:51–55 and 1 Thessalonians 13:13–18.

It is that twinkling-of-the-eye instant of time when all believers in Jesus Christ will be removed from planet earth to Heaven.

And those little ones are now in harm’s way as never before, as pedophilia and child trafficking are reported to be burgeoning in America and across the globe. And more than sixty million babies in this nation are murdered in their mothers’ wombs, with the number of abortions continuing to grow. It is one more signal of just how near God’s judgment and wrath must be as the Tribulation approaches. It is difficult to imagine anything more wicked and evil as such satanic activity.

So the Rapture will remove these innocents from the surface of this soon-to-be punished world of God-rejecters—those whom God’s Word calls earth dwellers.

So with that in mind, I wanted to again address children and the Rapture, in order to briefly present why these children will be taken to be with the Lord at the Rapture.

I get opposition to this notion every time I write about it, and the following was an answer to an emailer who had told me how wrong I was about the matter.

Thanks for writing.

You have touched on a topic that is a hot issue with yours truly. On this, I give no quarter, whatever. But, through experience in dealing with the issue, I know that no matter what evidence I offer to the contrary, those who accept 1 Cor. 7:14 as dealing with children and the Rapture consider it a verse that stands alone as proving their point that only children with at least one saved parent will go to Jesus in the Rapture. And, most won’t change on that.

I no longer debate the matter, but respond one time and one only.

This is a salvation matter. (an eternal matter—not a matter dealing with physical life and death, so far as the soul is concerned.) It is not a matter of earthly relationship and religion or morality.

Children who have died physically and children who will be taken in the Rapture have in common the fact that they were/will be instantly with the Lord. This is because they are seen in God’s economy as innocents, considering the factors as dealt with in this treatment of the subject.

Most importantly, it is an INDIVIDUAL matter—God’s dealing one on one, not collectively, with the salvation issue.

Acceptance of Christ is based upon a decision to accept or reject. If a person doesn’t have the ability to accept or reject because he or she doesn’t have the mental capacity to understand, they cannot accept or reject.

The Bible says that those who know to do good and do it not—to them it is sin—i.e., if one doesn’t know they are lost because of sin, they are not condemned. But, when the knowledge comes (and the Holy Spirit draws them) that they are sinners, they must accept God’s offer of reconciliation.

The very character of God—as presented throughout the entire Word of God, is at stake. All in Christ will go at the Rapture. Paul says “all will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”.

What does this mean?  It means “all” in Christ. The child, before he/she is able to understand God’s salvation provision, is in Christ.

One area of Scripture that addresses the position of all in Christ (that is, the saved) as relating to God’s wrath—thus the Rapture—is found here in 1 Thessalonians:

5:9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
5:10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

All of the children who have died—before coming to this capability to make decisions—and having heard the message—are now with Christ. All after the Rapture who are born and do not reach the age of understanding—thus accountability—will go to Christ when they die. This is totally in keeping with God’s character, again, as plainly laid out in God’s holy love letter to mankind.

The Scripture that talks about the name being blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life deals with this, I’m convinced. Once the child reaches the age he/she knows Christ is the way to salvation, but rejects God’s way (John 14: 6) their names are blotted out. They are written back in, when salvation does occur in the only way God prescribes.

And, I’m convinced that not one child born after the Rapture will ever reach that age—thus all children born following that event will go to be with the Lord—either upon their deaths, or during the sheep/goats judgments following the triumphant return of the Lord Jesus.

As a matter of fact, read Jesus’ words, here:

24:19And woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!

The Lord mentions two age classifications. 1)Those children who are in the womb, and 2) Those who are so young they are still at the mothers’ breasts.

No mention of toddlers—i.e., these children have been conceived, or born during the Tribulation period. And Jesus is talking here about halfway through the seven-year period.

All children below the age of being unable to make decisions on the salvation matter will go to be with Jesus—I have absolutely no doubt, after studying the matter for nearly forty years.

Actually, I was wrong about the time I’ve been “studying” the matter. It has been since I was six years old, when saved at Seventh Street Bible Church in Pekin, Illinois. We were taught that this was the Bible’s position those seventy-plus years ago, and I remember hearing it like it was yesterday.

Those little ones will go to Christ when He calls. And, yes there will be other little ones who will be born during the horrendous seven years that will follow that glorious event.

But I have no doubt that the very character of God will bring everyone of those born during that terrible time of judgment and wrath into His Kingdom that will follow, whether through their deaths, or through surviving that time known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week.

There is but one way to avoid God’s wrath and judgment, whether we are alive when the Rapture occurs or we experience death before that time. That only way is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No person comes to the Heavenly father except through Him we are told in John 14: 6.

Again, ere is the heavenly formula for escaping that judgment and wrath:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)

–Terry