First Peter
Verses nineteen through twenty-two: Here the apostle reminds his readers that while physically dead in the tomb, Jesus, in spirit, went by the power of the Holy Spirit (vs 18) into the bowels (“prison”) of the earth where He had cast certain spirit beings during the time when Noah was building the ark that would preserve him and his family when He (God) would send The Flood upon the earth. Noah’s God was the One Who would later come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth. See The God of the Old Testament. Note whom He went into the earth to address–fallen angels who had enticed the people of earth to sin during the days when Noah, “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5), was speaking God’s gospel to them while building the ark. Note also that, of the masses of people alive during those days, only 8 would survive the wrath of God. That percentage will probably remain true when that same God returns to judge the world at the end of the age (aion). The Flood served two distinct purposes: it cleansed the world of sin and “baptized” Noah and his family. In verse 21 Peter tells us that, just as water baptism saves the soul today, The Flood saved the souls in Noah’s family. He points out that having baptismal water symbolically wash away our sins of the PAST (Rom. 3:25) does not actually save us, but that Christ’s resurrection does save us in that it allows us to walk our post-baptismal, sin-free lives in the righteousness required for salvation at His return. The saint’s rise from the cleansing waters symbolizes Israel going through–being baptized in– the Red Sea and leaving sin (Egypt) behind. The closing of the water on the Egyptian army symbolized Satan’s defeat for those who “… overcome (him) even as I (Jesus) overcame (him) ….” (Rev. 3:21). Jesus noted that only these “few” will sit with Him on His throne in God’s Kingdom (Mat. 7:13,14). Verse 22 reveals that the man Jesus Christ now sits on His throne at the right hand of God in heaven, just as the Apostle Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 2:5.
As noted in an earlier posting, Paul’s words to Timothy contain an incredible message. Just as Jesus Christ walked the earth as a 100% man, lived a holy life through total obedience to God, died as flesh, was resurrected as spirit (born again) and taken into the presence of God, GOD’S TRUE SAINTS WILL EXPERIENCE THE EXACT SAME PHENOMENON AT THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST TO EARTH. True Word-obeying, God-worshiping, Satan-overcoming, continually self-purifying (1 Jn. 3:3) Saints will, as did their elder Brother, die in the flesh, be changed into spirit (born again), then join Him in the air before descending to the Mount of Olives. From there they will walk into Jerusalem where, as kings and priests, they will serve their Lord as co-rulers of the earth (Rev. 22:5). See The Kingdom of God. But there is a caveat spoken by Jesus Christ Himself in Matthew 10:22: “… (only) he who ENDURES (persecution for righteousness’ sake) TO THE END WILL (THEN) BE SAVED.” L.J.
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