Romans Chapter 9 "Dispensational." "Paul's Sorrow Regarding Israel's Failure [1-5]:" "God's Purpose had Respect Only to a Portion [6-13]:] "God's Purpose Regarding Only a Remnant [14-29]:" "Israel's Failure In Spite of the Prophets [30-33]:" This Bible
Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location is provided by http://www.theseason.org This chapter deals with how that God knew His children from the time He created their souls in that first earth age. That is why God could say to Jeremiah, "I knew you before you were in your mothers womb". Of course He did, He made Jeremiah's soul and that soul was with Him in the age that was. God knew Jeremiah could be trusted. Romans 9:1 "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit," Paul is telling us that what he is going to say, he is sincere and is going to give it to us with a clear conscience. Paul was a great Bible scholar even before his conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul knew the scriptures, and then he met the Holy Spirit in a way that changed his whole life. Romans 9:2 "That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." This letter is written to those that don't realize that the Messiah has already come. That is the sorrow in his heart, for at first he was part of that group. Then the Holy Spirit struck Paul down, and called Paul into His service. The record of this is found in the book of Acts 9:1-22. Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him, "So thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" Paul was chosen by God for a very special purpose. Romans 9:3 "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:" We will learn in the eleventh chapter that Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, and being from that tribe, Paul is saying that if it were possible he would separate himself from Christ if it would bring his kinsmen to Christ. That is not possible though, for the only price that can be paid was paid by Jesus on the cross. Romans 9:4 "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;" The "adoption" is the "sonship" of God, being called the "sons of God". Paul is saying that it was through the twelve patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, that God chose these people that Christ would come into this world in the flesh, and be born of woman [the virgin Mary]. The families of the twelve sons of Israel grew into twelve separate tribes, and combined became known as the "whole house of Israel" while in slavery in Egypt. They remained one nation through the wanderings in the wilderness, and through the time of the judges. Then about a thousand years before Christ, this nation cried out to God for a king like the rest of the nations around them had, and God gave them a monarchy. Saul was the first king over Israel, followed by David and his son Solomon. At the death of king Solomon, the nation of Israel split in two, and these two new nations became known as "Houses". The two "houses" were then named the "House of Israel" which comprised the ten nations to the north, and the "House of Judah" which was made up of the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with the tribe of Levi scattered amongst all the tribes. The Levites were the priestly tribe and were to be God's ministers to all the tribes. About 745 B.C. to 722 B.C. the northern nation, "the House of Israel", made up of ten tribes were over run by the Assyrians, and the Assyrians pack them off to an area just north of Lake Van in Iraq. Shortly after this resettling, the House of Israel fragmented, and migrated through the Caucasus mountains, and moved to become settlements in Europe and the Americas. These people of the House of Israel lost their identity as being Israelites, and became known by the event of their migrations through the Caucasus mountains, and were called "Caucasians". In the Book of Hosea, this prophet lived the prophecy of God telling this House of Israel exactly what was going to happen to them, and as this Romans 9 continues, we will see Paul's references to Hosea, and His prophesies. The House of Judah, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with a mixture of Levites did not lose their identity, and to this day they are know as "Jews", which is only a small part of the "whole House of Israel". In Ezekiel 37:15-28 we read where God will combine these two houses again in the Millennium age, and they will live again as one nation. It is important that you become aware of the split and that now there are two separate houses, for the one house is referred to as "the Lost House of Israel", and the other are called the Jews. The Jews of today are made up of the tribes of Judah, and Benjamin, along with the few families of Levites, but there is a heavy mixture of Kenites that became a part of this house of Judah. These Levites took over the duties of the scribes and priests coming out of the Babylon captivity, and to this day the Kenites are a controlling factor over the House of Judah. Romans 9:5 "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." The "fathers" are the "patriarchs" or the twelve sons of Israel, including Joseph whose two sons Ephraim and Manasseh both became separate tribes and adopted by Israel. All of these patriarchs had fallen short of God laws, and it was Christ that came from them, and in Christ all the tribes will be blessed forever. You can see the compassion of Paul within this message for his brethren, but at the same time we will see that it would not be possible for Paul to make that sacrifice. Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:" Just because all of Israel does not accept the sacrifice that Christ gave them when He went to the cross, God did not fail them. This is also requiring an understanding of Abraham's seed or children. After Sarah died, Abraham married another woman. Genesis 25:1 "Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. The promises of God to Abraham and Sarah went only to Isaac the only son of Sarah, and not to any of the other sons of Abraham. Genesis 25:2 "And she [Keturah] bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah." Abraham also had sons by the concubines which he had, and in all, Abraham had twelve more sons besides Isaac and Ishmael. These other sons were also patriarchs in Arabic nations, as well as other nations. So we see that all that are of Abraham are not necessarily of Israel, for Israel is only in reference to the sons of Jacob, who carried the blessing of the Abrahamic Covenant. Paul is saying that these Israelites are the children of promise, and the real promise was Christ, and that Christ would be would be born of a virgin who would come from the tribes of Judah and Levi. It was that promise [Jesus Christ] that brought the grace that we now have. Romans 9:7 "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called." Remember all those other children of Abraham that were born to Keturah, and the other concubines, well they are surely of the seed of Abraham, but only in Isaac shall God's seed be called. Why? Because the promise was to both Sarah and Abraham, and Isaac was the only son of Sarah. The promise was to come through Isaac and Isaac only. Well what about the Gentiles, the other sons of Abraham that were not of Israel, the tribes of both houses? That is why Jesus came, for in the shed blood of Christ on the cross there is salvation to all mankind, who will believe on His name, and repent of their sins in Jesus name. Romans 9:8 "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Again, In Isaac is the seed called. And the promise that all others are called is in Christ; Jesus Christ is that promise Seed. Romans 9:9 "For this is the word of promise, "At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son." This promise was given to Sarah even when she was ninety years old. Romans 9:10 "And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;" Here again, Rebecca had so much trouble conceiving to have a child. She did conceive and bear two sons, Esau and Jacob, twins. Romans 9:11 "(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him That calleth;" Then when the twins, Jacob and Esau were still in their mother's womb, neither having had the chance of doing either good or evil, God called one of those unborn babies to service. This deals with the election according to the purpose of God in His Will. The reason was to accomplish the writings of these Scriptures. It wasn't an accident that Jacob was loved and Esau was hated, nor was it an accident that you saw the light and repented. God has His hand on all creation and all of His children. God intercedes in the lives of His children, and there are no accidents when it comes to the actions of God. Romans 9:12 "It was said unto her, "The elder shall serve the younger." This statement is not according to custom. In Genesis 25:23; "And the Lord said unto her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other; and the elder shall serve the younger." The younger was to serve the older, and many so called teachers tell how Jacob plotted to get the blessing, they just don't understand that it was God's order from before they were ever born that Jacob would be the superior. Romans 9:13 "As it is written "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." It was written by the Prophet Malachi in Malachi 1:2, 3; "I have loved you, saith the Lord Yet ye say, `Wherein hast Thou loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob," "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains [nations] and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness." While Esau was a small embryo in his mother Rebecca's womb, God hated Esau. If it sounds a little bit unfair, then you missed the point of the entire eighth chapter where God stipulated where He foreknew those that overcame at Satan's rebellion in the first earth age. Don't you think that God is judge enough to know who to hate and who to love. Esau had some very bad habits and one of those actions was to show disrespect for the heritage that God had given him. First of all Esau married out of His race of people, which God forbid. This made it impossible for Christ to be born through Esau because of the mixture and corruption of Esau's bloodline. Secondly Esau placed the value of the Abrahamic covenant at one bowl of red mush, what an insult. Esau put no value on the heritage of God, or any part of God's Word and promises. Esau did not wish to be an heir of our Heavenly Father. If Esau was that way in this earth age, he was probably far worse in the age that was. God doesn't hate someone without a cause. Romans 9:14 "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." Does this mean that God is unfair because he picked Jacob over Esau, or even because He hated Esau before he even came from the womb? God forbid, which means "No way." Lets go back to Malachi 1:4 and see what God had in store for Esau, which is the nation of Russia of today. "Whereas Edom [Esau, or Russia] saith, `We are impoverished, but we will build the desolate places:' Thus saith the Lord of host, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them the border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever." Friend do you recognize communism when you see it, and the harshness that it brings upon it's people? It is a Godless form of government and it impoverishes the people and makes desolate spiritually all places where it reaches. This is the same type of government that is creeping into our nation today; it takes from the poor and gives it to the lazy people, while the rich go about their business. God thinks the same towards the lazy as He does Esau for they are from the same mind set. This has nothing to do with the handicapped. Russia is not going to change, even though she has that opportunity now, with the so-called democracy that exists there today. The nature and character of the Russian government will go right back to what she was, when she finishes with her bowl of red mush, which is the billions of dollars she got from other nations with her beggars bag. My Friend, God is always fair, and what happened to Esau, and her offspring of today is fair, and always has been. In the age that was, Esau was probably one of the chief leaders in Satan's rebellion. Then in 1917 the Russian people destroyed the churches of God, and killed of the people that wanted to worship there. That is the mind of Esau. God hated Esau because of the soul of Esau that was in Rebecca's womb and the hatred was for what happened in that first earth age. Romans 9:15 "For He saith to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." God is telling us that He has the right to show mercy or compassion on anyone that He chooses. Righteousness is being always right, and God is righteous. If God hates someone, then they deserve it. Romans 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God That sheweth mercy." God is saying that His mercy and compassion are not based on how a person wishes it to be done, or works for his own goals, but on whom God desires to show mercy and compassion. Why? Because in many cases, it was foreordained that it should be that way for His election. Once again, "election" has nothing to do with the total immunity of those with free will. Election is based on promise, or a commitment given at a prior time [age] and place. The elect are those souls that God has marked in the first earth age for service in this flesh age. They were marked, judged and adopted before they even entered their mother's womb. Romans 9:17 "For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew My power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth." It was written in Exodus 4:21; "And the Lord said unto Moses, "When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go." Do you think Pharaoh loved God? It was God that had a purpose, and God knew Pharaoh's soul that He was dealing with from before this earth age. Romans 9:18 "Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardeneth." God is always fair in the way He deals with people, in the way he grants mercy, and in the ones that He hardeneth their hearts. He can open a mind to the word, or God can close a mind up and cause them to be deceived and believe a lie. The Father knows exactly who He is dealing with, and when God's actions look unfair to you, it is you that need to reconsider your position on the matter. Romans 9:19 "Thou wilt say them unto me, "Why doth He yet find fault? For who hath resisted His will?" You have heard of those that blamed God when something went wrong. They say; How could God allow that to happen to a child? That is what "Why doth He yet find fault?" means. Have you ever resisted God's will on any matter? If you have you know that it can be tough on you. Romans 9:20 "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it `Why hast thou made me thus?" Paul is saying, who are you to talk back to God, O man, when He has directed you in a matter. If you are making something from material, say cloth, or wood, does the cloth or wood ever ask you why you are cutting it up to make the item. So in respect, this verse is saying that the piece of material is rejecting being put into the dress. Does it sound crazy? Well that is what it is like for you to question what God has planned for your life. Romans 9:21 "Hath not the potter power over the clay, and the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" Consider a potter with a big lump of clay in his hand. The potter has the power to make a very valuable vase [vessel unto honour], or just an inexpensive ashtray worth a few cents. Who then has the power of decision over what is to be made, and for the purpose that it is intended? Are you starting to get the picture? It is the creator. What God does to and with souls in this earth age was determined in that first earth age, and it is for the potter, or the Father to determine what should be done with the lump of clay that you call your body. Think of it, one third of all of God's children worshipped Satan, who was only a created soul just like they were. This is like one lump of clay worshipping another lump of clay. It just doesn't make any sense because what is done by the clay, would be done in ignorance and defiance. All souls had rights before in that first earth age our heavenly Father, yet one third of them wondered and were deceived into believing Satan's lies. Are you starting to understand why the Father was so angry with many of them, such as Esau. "God's purpose regarded only a remnant", and only a certain number of souls were preselected. Only the Father can harden one man's soul, and yet not another, and God does what He does for His Divine purpose. This is called "Divine election" and it is not to be challenged by any man. The condition of the soul of Pharaoh is unknown to us, for when Christ died on the cross He went to all those lost souls and preached to them, and all those that believed and accepted came out of that holding place and went with Christ to be with the Father. Romans 9:22 "What if God, willing to shew His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:" God had a Divine purpose for these "vessels of wrath" that are fitted to destruction. Within the plan of God, and the many prophecies written in God's holy Word that deal with destruction, God was willing to sit back and allow those vessels of wrath, or people and angels to carry out their destruction. God's Word has given us in detail those things that would happen right up to the very end, and God will endure with much longsuffering and patience as those prophecies are coming to pass. The Father will continue to look and watch those hardened souls of destruction do their planning and destruction until Revelation eleven comes along, and then God will destroy all of them. After the two witnesses had been killed by Satan the Antichrist, they laid in the streets or arena for review for three and a half days, then life came back into their bodies and they stood to their feet and arose into heaven. Revelation 11:13 "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." God's longsuffering is about to end. Revelation 11:14 "The second woe is past; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly. The second woe were the things of the six trumpets, or things that had to do with the deceptions that the Antichrist [Satan] brought upon the earth. Revelation 11:15 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying "The Kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." Friend, this marks the end of the Father's endurance and longsuffering with those vessels of wrath that were fitted to destruction that Paul is speaking of. Christ kingdom starts with the Millennium age of teaching and discipline, and there is no end to that discipline. You will either fit into that Kingdom, or you will be destroyed following the end of that Millennium age and the great throne of Judgment of God. The bad vessels will be destroyed and the good vessels will receive eternal life. Romans 9:23 "And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory." This is why the word "Honor" in the twenty first verse means "priceless". Don't pass over this little word "afore". In the Greek it is "proetoimazo" and it means "to fit up in advance". God fitted up Esau in advance of Esau's soul entering into the embryo in Rebecca's womb. He fitted, or prepared in advance that Esau would be fitted into a position of hated. Why? Because Esau deserved it from what happened in that first earth age. Our Heavenly Father is totally fair in all judgment. Just as the "vessels of destruction" were fitted in advance, so also the "vessels of election" [the remnant] are fitted in advance, so that God's purpose will be fulfilled. God's Plan is His will and that will is written in our Holy Bible. It will come to pass exactly as it is written. Again, what we are studying here has nothing to do with free will, which is your will to accept Christ or reject Him. Your free will is to repent in Jesus name, or not to repent. We are talking here about those that had the promise of God's word, that God used to bring His word to come to pass as written. The examples that Paul used here were Pharaoh, Esau, Abraham, and the children of Abraham. God even shows His love in His wrath, or when God shows His wrath we can see that He does keep His Word. Through His wrath we are even alerted of the wrath at the end of this earth age, as well as the lake of fire that will make the end of all vessels of destruction. God's wrath allows us to see His love, and no son or daughter of the living God will taste of the true wrath of God. God is an jealous God, He is like us only He is supernatural. His wrath is brought about by His anger and jealousy over His children. He is jealous when His children chase after idolatries and Satan, or when evil ones come against His loved ones. There is no way to understand what is meant by "fitted up in advance" without some knowledge of what happened in that first earth age. That age is documented over and over in the Word of God. That is why you must understand that the remnant was fitted "afore"; # 4282 in Strong's Greek dictionary, before this earth age of the flesh. Romans 9:24 "Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?" Acts 9:15 records when Paul was called; "But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" Paul was a chosen vessel, and Paul states that God will use His chosen vessels from both the Jews and the Gentiles, as well as the people of the whole house of Israel, all the tribes. The choosing of the vessels, or remnant was in that first earth age, and at that time all souls were children of God, one third of them in a fallen state, and some taking a stand for God against Satan. Today many teachers run around claiming Christians of the House of Israel to be Gentiles, and Jews to be the chosen of God, and at the same time they don't any idea where they even came from. They deny a first earth age, they have no idea why the chief priests hated Jesus and plotted to kill Him, and they are completely blind as to who they are when they call themselves "Caucasians". Romans 9:25 "As He saith also in Osee, "I will call them My people, which were not My people; and her beloved, which was not beloved." The word "Osee" in the Hebrew tongue is "Hosea", the book of Hosea. It is important to know here who these people are that God calls "my people", and many today call them the Jews, in error. Once you have read what Hosea and Paul have stated about these people called "my people", you will see that this refers to someone else. Remember back in the first part of this chapter, we discussed how the whole House of Israel was one nation of twelve tribes, with the Levites scattered amongst all the tribes? Then the one nation [Israel] split into two houses, or nations and God would deal with each of these two houses or nations separately. The book of Hosea ["Osee" in the Greek] is prophecy that is directed mostly to the "House of Israel" [the ten tribes to the north], that were crushed by the Assyrians in war, and pulled from their lands. In their migrations they started by passing through the Caucasus mountains, just east and north of the black sea. This house or nation became known in their migrations by the event at the start of their movement, as "Caucasians". Hosea 2:23 "And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My People, 'Thou art My People;' and they shall say, `Thou art my God'." Hosea was told by God to call the "House of Israel" [ not the house of Judah, the Jews] "not My people" which is "Lo-ruhamah" in the Hebrew. Hosea 1:6 "And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him [Hosea], "Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away." The House of Israel, all ten tribes were taken away by the Assyrians by 722 B.C. and God did not have mercy on them for their idolatries. Hosea 1:7 "But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." This did come to pass, for God saved the house of Judah from the Assyrians when they lost the will to come against the tiny nation of the the house of Judah. Paul is calling our attention to God's statement in Hosea, where at a later date God says he will call a people that once said "they are not my people", and say of them "Thou art my people". The reason for this was Christ's death on the cross. In Christ's death, the House of Israel was brought back to Him. This is all part of God's plan. Romans 9:26 "And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, "Ye are not my people;" there shall they be called the children of the living God." This is a direct quote from Hosea 1:10; "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in that place where it was said unto them, `Ye are not My People,' there it shall be said unto them, `Ye are the sons of the living God." Friend, "the Living God" is Jesus Christ who does live today at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, and those sons of the living God call themselves Christians [not Jews]. Even today the Christian nations of the world call themselves Gentile, and are blinded to the Abrahamic birthright that they have, that was passed on through Joseph, and on to Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The "place where it was said of them, Ye are not my people", is in America, in England, in Holland and France or where ever a nation that calls themselves "Christian" exists. It is there that they call themselves Christian. We know today that it is surely not in Jerusalem or the tiny dependent nation in Palestine we call Israel today. The tiny nation of Israel today forbids you to teach their people of Christ, or bring the Word of God to their nation. God is a God of love, and jealousy, and when the house of Israel strayed completely into idolatry, God was angered and set out to scatter them. Though God disciplined the House of Israel, He also loved them to the point of sending His Son to die that we could be brought back to Him, and when we turn and repent of our sins then we become the sons of the living God, or Christians. Romans 9:27 "Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:" The "remnant" will be explained in detail in the eleventh chapter. Paul was quoting from Isaiah, This remnant are those that were used throughout all times to fulfill the plan of God. The remnant shall be saved for the kingdom out of Israel, even during the reign of Satan, the Antichrist. God is always fair in His wisdom. Romans 9:28 "For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." The finish work will be cut short for the elect's sake, who are the "righteousness". Jesus told us that the Father would shorten the time of the tribulation, in Mark 13:20; "And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days." Here again we see that the elect will live and exist during the Antichrist's reign right on this earth. They will be God's witnesses at that time and they will know Satan the Antichrist for who he is, and they will not be deceived. Revelation 9:4 "And it was command them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neith any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads." The "seal of God in their foreheads" is the knowledge of the prophecies of the events and things to come in our generation. They know the Antichrist is Satan and not Jesus Christ. The "elect" are those that have prepared themselves with God's Word. Revelation 9:5 "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months:..." Though Daniel prophesied that this time would be seven years, Jesus has alerted us that the time period would be shortened "for the elect's sake". For the sake of those that stood against Satan in that first earth age, and were judged, predestined and adopted then. Romans 9:29 "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha." The "Lord of Sabaoth" is the "Lord of His Army". This Lord is God the Father. The Father has always provided a seed, or remnant in every generation so that His Word could be passed on from generation to generation. There has always been a remnant of people that have kept God's Word before the people, or the men of the earth would have turned into Sodomites, and ended up in destruction as did Gomorrah." That remnant, or the elect protected the morals, and truth and knowledge. Knowledge is important for it is from knowledge from God's Word that we get our blessings. Paul is saying more that what appears on the surface. He is telling us to go back and search the scriptures to understand what that seed, or remnant of God's army has written for us. Romans 9:30 "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith." What is the conclusion that we can reach on these matters? There are many Gentiles that followed not after righteousness, but they will have attained righteousness once they hear the word, and by faith repented in Jesus name and believe on Him. Remember, to those that lived before Christ's death, were preached to while His body lay in the tomb, and many that were not righteous in the flesh bodies, and ignorant of His Word, will accept once the Word of God is know to them. Romans 9:31 "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." The "law of righteousness" is the traditions of men as well as the law itself. Why did they not attain to the law of righteousness? Romans 9:32 "Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at the stumblingstone;" They sought not after God by faith, but by their works of the law. They stumbled at the stumbling stone that God had placed before them. What stumbling stone is that? Romans 9:33 As it is written, "Behold. I say in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." "Sion" is mount Zion, and that "stumbling stone" was Jesus Christ. It was prophesied, and Jesus taught that whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ], that whosoever believeth in Him [that stumbling stone] should not perish, but have everlasting life." Whosoever believeth on Christ will not be confused or ashamed because the truth of God's Word is within him or her. This is a cornerstone that Christians of today must be aware of, for we are entering the time when a false rock [Satan the Antichrist] will appear, and many will think of Him to be the true Christ. He will appear and reign exactly as they expect the true Christ will come, at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The Antichrist will have supernatural powers, and his policies will appear to be good and righteous, but they are not. As the House of Judah allow the Kenites to slip into their midst and take over the duties of scribes and priests, the laws given by Moses began to change. These Kenites added words, and changed the meaning of many others to where by the time of Christ, the law had become little more than a set of man's traditions. The absolute nature of the laws of God and His commandments had become shades of the law and of truth. That is exactly how these end times are becoming, to where most Christians are relying on traditions and fairy-tales rather then the Word of God, given by the prophets. Most Christians today are believing the traditions now being taught, and these traditions of their images in their false doctrine has become what they believe Christ is and should be. Those false teachings and traditions will become their own stumbling block. They are relying on the traditional thought of flying out of here [the rapture theory] to some far off place and escaping the deceptions of the Antichrist. So when the Antichrist does arrive in his supernatural form appearing to be in the body of a man, they will think Satan to be the true Christ, Jesus. They do not have the patience to wait for the last and final trump, but are taken at the sixth trumpet. They have not studied the Word to know when the true salvation comes. Paul is saying, read Isaiah and all of God's Word and you will know that the false messiah comes first. The stumbling stone [Christ] and your impression of who Satan that is made up by man's traditions, can lead you right to the Antichrist.
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