But the elders who went up with Moses did not die in order to get closer to God.
Not only that, they did not die even when they saw God.
But there was no death of them involved to get closer to God.
The are closer to God by his sovereign choice, not by earning it with death (to self).
The NT does not present God as having two peoples, one faithful, and one not.
The NT presents true faith which saves, and counterfeit faith which does not save (Mt 7:21-23),
but both groups profess faith, while one group does not really have it, and are not the redeemed of God.
God chose the nation Israel, but not all for salvation, only all for his purpose (Ro 9:11).
All may have professed faith in God, but all did not possess true (obedient) faith in God,
and were not the redeemed.
Servants are not sons.
Those who were not ready had the door shut on them and entrance to the kingdom denied to them.
Those who fall away were never, and are not, the redeemed, which is proven by their falling away
(1Jn 2:19).
Not only that, they did not die even when they saw God.
But there was no death of them involved to get closer to God.
The are closer to God by his sovereign choice, not by earning it with death (to self).
The NT does not present God as having two peoples, one faithful, and one not.
The NT presents true faith which saves, and counterfeit faith which does not save (Mt 7:21-23),
but both groups profess faith, while one group does not really have it, and are not the redeemed of God.
God chose the nation Israel, but not all for salvation, only all for his purpose (Ro 9:11).
All may have professed faith in God, but all did not possess true (obedient) faith in God,
and were not the redeemed.
Servants are not sons.
Those who were not ready had the door shut on them and entrance to the kingdom denied to them.
Those who fall away were never, and are not, the redeemed, which is proven by their falling away
(1Jn 2:19).
---
We all believe that God doesn't change as his word says. So you should see the parallels in everything he does, for instance: The following is the structure of God’s temple...
Holiest Place || Holy Place | Court Yard | (gateway/altar)| <outside the temple>
If we consider that the Temple of God is a model of his kingdom/government, notice that in order to enter into the temple a sacrifice (death) was required.
Holiest Place || Holy Place | Court Yard |(death)| <outside the temple>
Now notice the same imagery for the mountain of God...
Highest up the Mt || Higher up the Mt. | Base of the Mt. |(death)| <off the mountain>
There is no possible way for any person to enter into the presence of God without a death because no one is worthy to enter into God’s presence. However, what’s impossible for man is possible for God. *By the blood*, one’s able to satisfy the required death without dying.
- For the temple, a lamb was [1] sacrificed (actual death) to cover sin and [2] one was baptized (death to self/old man; their act of faith) before [3] one could enter in.
- For the mountain, Moses [1] killed oxen (actual death) & sprinkled blood on the people (SEE Exodus 24:8), and [2] because they were baptized in the Reed Sea (death to old man/Egypt; their walk of faith), they were [3] now allowed to touch the mountain. But until Moses covered them by the blood, no one could approach/touch the Mt. Sinai.
- For the kingdom, Christ [1] sacrificed himself (actual death) & covers us with his blood...but to [3] enter in we’re also required to [2] “die to self”, our *act/walk* of faith.
Mark 8:34-35
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
That is the gospel call, which separates the elect from the non-elect,
not the devout from the worldly among the redeemed.
not the devout from the worldly among the redeemed.
Holiest Place || Holy Place | Court Yard |(death)| <outside of God’s temple>
Closest to God || Closer to God | In God’s presence |(death)| <not in God’s presence>
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
Closest to God || Closer to God | In God’s presence |(death)| <not in God’s presence>
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
This isn't a salvation issue but a “reward” issue, where one's placed in the Kingdom/Government; and what responsibilities one's given in reward for obedience.
Your analogy is really beginning to deviate from the NT word of God.
Moses was not, and never was, their savior, he was the mediator between them and God,
who interceded for them.
Only God in Christ Jesus is their Savior.
This is why distinctions between such things as savior, mediator and administrator are so important.
These titles have offices and functions.
To incorrectly use these titles is to incorrectly assign functions, as in making Moses their Savior.
I'm having problems making your picture fit into the NT word of God written.
Moses was not, and never was, their savior, he was the mediator between them and God,
who interceded for them.
Only God in Christ Jesus is their Savior.
This is why distinctions between such things as savior, mediator and administrator are so important.
These titles have offices and functions.
To incorrectly use these titles is to incorrectly assign functions, as in making Moses their Savior.
I'm having problems making your picture fit into the NT word of God written.
Exodus 7:1
And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
Holiest Place || Holy Place | Court Yard |(death)| <outside of God’s temple>
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
Moses || The Elders | The Children of Israel |(death)| <The Pagan nations>
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
Moses || The Elders | The Children of Israel |(death)| <The Pagan nations>
Moses prefigured Christ to the Children of Israel (and Aaron was his prophet), like Christ is Messiah to God’s people (and John the Baptist his prophet). The picture had to be perfect because Christ had to fulfill it, and so that we would have our parallel example to know what happens...because not one stroke of the pen is removed from the Torah until ALL is fulfilled. Until all is finished, all of it still applies. God isn’t linear like we are, because God is “he who was, is, and is to come” all at once.
This is why I can say Moses was their “savior” and “mediator”, because he had to perfectly prefigure Christ. The same way we say Christ is “savior” of the world (the fulfillment of that scripture)...and ultimately God is the one who saves in both counts. Again, everything that happened to Israel is a living parable; a prophecy so it *had to be perfect in imagery*. It is only in this perfect imagery that Christ could fulfill being the prophesied messenger “like unto Moses”.
Moses glowed as the result of being with God.
Peter, James and John did not glow.
Peter, James and John did not glow.
Okay, any interpretation of unfulfilled symbolic prophetic riddles is necessarily uncertain.
Only interpretation of fulfilled symbolic prophetic riddles is certain, as in Dan.
But one thing we can know about the meaning of any unfulfilled symbolic prophetic riddle.
It will always agree with the NT word of God written.
Now having stated the Biblical principle, do you mean Rev 14?
I find no indication there that only a few covered by the blood follow the Lamb where he goes.
Revelation is highly symbolic (e.g., chps 12, 13, 17), and I find the numbers therein to be likewise.
The number of completion (12, X 12,000) is symbolically assigned to those redeemed (Rev 14:13) in
the blood of the Lamb, while the others (Rev 14:14-20) are the unredeemed.
The redeemed follow the Lamb, the unredeemed do not.
That is just not stacking up with the NT word of God for me.
I find nothing in the NT that warrants two different peoples of God, the elite and the common.
The NT everywhere states that only the faithful have true saving faith and are redeemed,
while the unfaithful were never redeemed (e.g., Mt 7:21-23).
Only interpretation of fulfilled symbolic prophetic riddles is certain, as in Dan.
But one thing we can know about the meaning of any unfulfilled symbolic prophetic riddle.
It will always agree with the NT word of God written.
Now having stated the Biblical principle, do you mean Rev 14?
I find no indication there that only a few covered by the blood follow the Lamb where he goes.
Revelation is highly symbolic (e.g., chps 12, 13, 17), and I find the numbers therein to be likewise.
The number of completion (12, X 12,000) is symbolically assigned to those redeemed (Rev 14:13) in
the blood of the Lamb, while the others (Rev 14:14-20) are the unredeemed.
The redeemed follow the Lamb, the unredeemed do not.
That is just not stacking up with the NT word of God for me.
I find nothing in the NT that warrants two different peoples of God, the elite and the common.
The NT everywhere states that only the faithful have true saving faith and are redeemed,
while the unfaithful were never redeemed (e.g., Mt 7:21-23).
Mark 4:20
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown."
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
100% || 60% | 30% |(seed sown/Christ's death/the gateway)| <Dry ground>
100% || 60% | 30% |(seed sown/Christ's death/the gateway)| <Dry ground>
See the structure of God’s kingdom in the parable? Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) gives roughly the same structure...
Christ || The “first fruits” | The Great Multitude |(death)| <The unrepentant world>
The Rewarder || 5 Talents (went to 11) | 2 Talents (went to 4) |(obedience)| <1 Talent (taken away)>
The Rewarder || 5 Talents (went to 11) | 2 Talents (went to 4) |(obedience)| <1 Talent (taken away)>
1 Corinthians 3:11-13
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work
12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work