Conversation about...Open Heavens

Summary
Questions
Myths
Conversation
Conclusion
Last updated 9/14/2024

• Psalm 110:1, 4 (Event 2A, 3), Kosmos to Heaven: King David offers a Psalm with direct prophecy concerning the enthronement of his Lord in his movement from the kosmos to his position at the right hand of the throne of God (PDF Dissertation, p. 154). The duration is until his enemies become a footstool for his feet. His ministry there serves as a priest after the order of Melchizidek (PDF Dissertation, p. 285-300, 16 pages) in both judgment and intercession of those who present before God.


• Daniel 7:13-14 (Event 2A, 3), Kosmos to Heaven: Daniel's vision includes direct prophecy about one like the Son of Man coming up to the Ancient of Days for judgment to receive his kingdom in heaven at enthronement.


• Eph 4:7-10. Paul lists the main segments of the journey of the Christ.


• 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
  (Events 0-6, with Christ's gift of personal participation in same journey)


• 8a Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
  (Event 2A), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus's journey as an eternal-spirit at death to open heaven.


• 8b HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
  (Event 3), Kosmos to Heaven: Waiting OT believers in Abraham's bosom travel into the open heaven following Jesus as Shepherd)


• 8c AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
  (Event 3), Kosmos to Heaven: OT believers receive salvation and inheritance in heaven)


• 9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
  ( Event 3), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus not only ascended in spirit after death but also descended to the lower parts of the earth in fleshly birth, (Event 1), Heaven to Kosmos:  cf. PDF Dissertation, p. 72, ref. 126. The idea of spirit descent after death was common among Roman and Greek mythology. However, for most Jews (with exception of the Sadducees mentioned above) and Christians in the first-century CE, the spirit after death ascended upwards to God in heaven for prompt judgment. The righteous entered heaven by faith in the Messiah, whereas the wicked with uncovered sin remained outside in outer darkness. The classical Christian idea of descent into Hades for Jesus and others to rescue the dead from hell developed later with the addition of Gentiles to the churches, a change from the concept of the true church/kingdom in heaven to a mistaken eternal kingdom on earth (Dan 7:13-14; John 18:36; Heb 1:8-9, 12:25-29), and subsequent need for another place for unbelievers besides the earthly destiny, since the errant kingdom was conceived to be on earth. I taught the  classical view (link image The Present Heavens, v.3) from 1982 until 2014 and insights from a Masters Thesis about the proper structure of the plural heavens and Jesus's ministry as high priest that is symbolized in the OT tabernacle.


• 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) NASB95
  (Note that Paul views the heavens as plural by his statment, "all the heavens" (cf. 2 Cor 12:1-4). Events 1-3 enable all other promised and prophetic events)


• Rom 10:6-8. Paul, using Deut 30:12 for argument against continuing to wait for the coming of the Messiah, asks rhetorical questions related to the movement segments and topological points of locations in the journey of Christ.


• (Event 0-1), Heaven to Kosmos: "6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)," NASB95.


• (Event 2A, 3), Kosmos to Heaven: "7 or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)” NASB95. This contrast links the Abyss with the kosmos, as the same place where people now live outside of heaven.


• John 17:5 (Event 3), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus requests glorification of the Father and himself to that which "...I was having before this world (Greek "kosmos," (dark creation of the abyss outside the eternal-place of heaven)) to be beside you" (Greek NA28 translation mine). His understanding that God exists as the superior and higher material substance of spirit (John 4:24), rather than fleshly existence of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), suggests a desire for return to his better spirit form after death on the cross (Luke 23:46; cf. 1 Cor 15:42-58).


• John 14:1-8 (Event 3), Kosmos to Heaven then Heaven to Kosmos (Event 4), Heaven to Kosmos : Jesus speaks to his disciples about going away, as the way, truth, and life (John 14:6), in a journey to the Father to prepare a place for them before return to them in flesh as proof of his rising from the dead in atonement and opening of heavenly access after death.


• Matt 24:26-28; Luke 17:24 (Event 5), Heaven to Kosmos: Multiple times, Jesus speaks of his ministry to come promptly as lightning for his people during transformation from their dead flesh to better spirit bodies at death and judgment. The flesh is obsolete and returns to dust in the separated kosmos as noted by the presence of vultures around the corpses (Matt 24:28; cf. Ps 104:29; Ecc 3:20; 12:7; 1 Cor 15:50).


• Matt 8:10-13 (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus contrasts those with faith in his heavenly provision with those in physical relationships focused on earthly hope (Israel in the flesh), with the former later in the kingdom of heaven and the latter later in outer darkness outside the kingdom at judgment (cf. Matt 7:21-23).


• Matt 11:28-30 (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus invites those weary and heavy laden in the world to come to him for rest and ease of living. His statements in Matt 10:34, John 16:33, and Rev 2:10 provide evidence against Jesus's promised for an endpoint of a permanent peace with rest in this kosmos.


• Luke 23:42-43 (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus told the person on the cross beside him, with faith in his ministry, that on the day of their deaths they would be in paradise together. In Rev 2:7, Jesus links the location of the tree of life in paradise and availability to those who overcome judgment after death by faith in his ministry. In 2 Cor 12:1-4, Paul links paradise with the third heaven. An aiōn-field view (PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 4-7)  equates the journey of these terms as spiritual finishing and completeness to the presence of God in the holy of holies of heaven (2 Pet 2:9). There is no inferior state of the soul after death.


• Matt 7:22-23, et al. (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: The invisible transition events that surround the day of transformation by people to a bodily spirit at death, judgment, and entrance to God through the ministry of Christ are commonly expressed in the NT. Jesus and other NT authors comment about "the day of the Lord" (Matt 7:22-23, 10:15, 11:24, 12:36; Acts 2:17-21; 1 Thes 5:2-4; 2 Peter 3:10), "that/last day" (Matt 24:36, 26:29; Mark 13:32, 14:25; Luke 6:23, 17:22-37, 21:25-36; John 6:39-40, 14:20; 2 Tim 4:8) or "the day of redemption" (1 Cor 1:8; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; 2 Thess 1:10, 2:2; Eph 6:13; Phil 1:6, 1:10, 2:16; Eph 4:30; 2 Tim 1:12, 1:18; 1 Pet 2:12; 1 John 4:17). These events are never called in God's speech the "second coming." Still, most listeners relegate these descriptions as a warrant to only a detoured and delayed "second coming" of Jesus for the living (Event 6), Heaven to kosmos, along with an option for delayed and detoured, philosophical ideology about resuscitation of the dead believer's flesh and a general judgment for a kingdom fulfillment limited to the earth. These adherents do not hear the Day of the Lord as repeated, prophesized, visible, typological revelation about both the judgment and blessing of God promptly at death in unseen spiritual realm events. This difference develops in  Conversation 8 - Jesus's Second Coming to Earth for the Living.


• Matt 26:64 and Mark 14:62 (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: Jesus told the high priest Caiaphas and the Council of Elders making up the Sanhedrin, in a reversal, that they would see Jesus himself in judgment at their death with the Son of man coming.


• Matt 24:32-25:46 (Event 5), Kosmos to Heaven: The parables taught by Jesus illustrate his descriptions of the evil and deceptions in the kosmos during his heavenly ministry, where each describe present on going events and not delayed or detoured prophecy.

Atonement Requires A Particular Person
in a Particular Place

In English translation of the Hebrew OT and Greek NT, the gloss "atonement" or more specific sub meanings often appear according to the weight of the context. As common in all languages, specific words rarely keep their original meaning. Over time and varied usage in different people groups, the referents get freighted with additional semantic meaning or changed altogether. Proper biblical understanding of atonement must begin with the first use of the Hebrew verb kāpar and its parent verbal nouns kōper, kippūr, and kappōret. When Moses spoke these terms in the fifteenth-century BCE, the verb kāpar refers to the general activity of providing a ransom or gift to secure favor (e.g., Gen 32:20). The verbal nouns infer either a general use or added specific surrounding details about the verbal activity. Kōper provides understanding of the general verbal meaning of the act of a ransom or gift for favor (e.g. Lev 17:11). Both kippūr and kappōret include understood specific details. The former alludes to the Day of Atonement events (e.g., Lev 23:26-27). The latter refers to the specific place and activity in the holy of holies, where the high priest on the Day of Atonement sprinkled the blood of the proper symbolic sacrifice before the cover layered in gold on top of the Ark of the Covenant to obtain a hopeful judgment of pleasing acceptance for purification of the sins of the people (e.g., Exod 25:17; Num 7:89).

God records the revelation about the fulfillment of the OT symbolism regarding atonement by himself as Christ in the common language of first-century CE Greek. The Septuagint (LXX) OT with added Apocryphal writings served as the common Bible recording the speech of God's revelation in the first century CE, since most Jews no longer spoke Hebrew but Aramaic or Greek. The Greek gloss chosen for the Hebrew OT context, in the second-century BCE by the translators of the Greek LXX, included the cognate verbs exilaskomai and hilaskomai and the verbal-noun hilastērion. The verbs usually referenced the action of seeking the good will of another, or to appease. Other English glosses for this activity include propitiate and conciliate. The verbal noun carried two semantic meanings of the place of atonement and the means of atonement. The LXX OT only considers the place of atonement to reference the place for priestly ministry in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. Common, first-century, Greek usage had two contextual semantic meanings depending on the view of either the person seeking to be appeased (expiation) or God being sought out to appease (propitiation).

This meaning was unfortunately distorted in English translations as "mercy seat," even though the contextual intent was not mercy and there was no actual seat but only intent to symbolize the place of the priestly ministry of the promised Christ after sacrificial death, when by transformation, his soul life symbolized by the blood carried by the priest (Lev 17:11), ascends for judgment before God. As noted above, the Greek OT of the LXX translated the term as hilastērion with preserved meaning. The Latin Vulgate OT later in 405 CE glossed proper meaning with propitiatorium, which literally means "atonement place." Luther substituted the German Gendenstuhl in Hebrews 9:5 for Greek "to hilastērion" in his 1522 CE September Testament. He and those who assisted him in translation of the OT in 1534 CE also substituted the German Gendenstuhl meaning "mercy seat." Later English translations used Luther's German Bible for English translations. For similar unique translation changes effecting meaning by Martin Luther concerning the Greek word for "heaven," see PhD Research Supplemental Material Excursus B: Martin Luther's Translation Missteps, (PDF Supplement: 27 pages). Subtile changes by translators to new philosophical paradigms occur often, which supports the importance for serious students wanting to hear accurately God's speech to study the languages utilized in the journey to the English translations of that speech used today.

The Link of Atonement in the OT
to the NT Ministry of the Christ

In the NT, the OT and LXX described atonement activity above adds semantic meaning of either expected promise (Luke 18:13) or completed fulfillment (Heb 2:17) by Jesus's ability as the Christ to appease God by his substitutionary death for the sins of the people in the true tabernacle of the heavens that the OT tabernacle symbolized (Heb 9:15-28). The sense meaning of atonement maintains a strong force for the place of the holy of holies in which atonement by the high priest takes place (Heb 9:5), even when testifying about the means of Jesus's ability (Rom 3:25) as the source of atonement. If Jesus does not enter the holy of holies after death, then he is not the promised Christ in the activity of making atonement (Dan 7:13-14). The ability in fulfillment to enter the holy of holies after death as an eternal-spirit and living soul is critical to the complete meaning of atonement in both the OT and NT. There is no source for removal of personal sin of the people without entrance after approach to God at death for judgment by Jesus as the Christ on the cross.

Jesus's Transformation at Death
to a Spiritual Body

Jesus, as the Christ in flesh, experiences normative transformation to a spiritual body at death on the cross and rising of the dead, just as all the dead, to God (Heb 2:9-18; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:18-22). At judgment, Jesus rises from the dead as the complete forerunner and author of salvation into God's dwelling presence in heaven (Heb 1:3-4; 12:1-2; see  Event 2a, 3 and Event 4 videos for illustrated movement of the ministry of Christ claims.)

As previously noted, God's speech in the typology of the OT tabernacle reveals that atonement of the people's sins by God himself requires entrance into the spiritual realm after death to  the place of atonement . Further, proof of pleasing atonement before God for the sins of the people to those who cannot sense the events of the spiritual realm, symbolized by the unseen events by the people outside the tents of the tabernacle, occurs by the priest remaining alive to exit for viewing. These requirements best fit the normative, first-century, postmortem view mentioned above for transformation from flesh to a spiritual body (PDF Paper: p. 17-23; 7 pages) at death for the rapid journey to heaven for judgment before God followed by his proof by fleshly resuscitation/resurrection on the third day. The other diverse after death views of Sadducean philosophy fail to portray these requirements of atonement due to delay and detour to other places besides immediate entrance before God by logical limitations of an imposed requirement for human fleshly resuscitation for living and rising from the dead.

The Completion of Atonement at the Moment of Death on the Cross
with Instant Approach and Entrance to Heaven

The atonement for the sins of the people by Jesus as the Christ completes on the cross (John 19:30). Both Jesus and the NT authors emphasize the cross as the point of victory in both atonement before God and the spiritual powers controlling the consequences of sin (Matt 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27; 24:36; Acts 5:30; 26:23; Rom 1:4; 5:10; 1 Cor 1:17-18; Gal 5:11-14; Eph 2:16; Phil 2:8; 3:18; Col 1:20; 2:14; Heb 2:14-15; 5:7; 9:15; 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18). The supposed possibility for delay of atonement to later times and events creates tension and incoherence in God's speech about the different elements of the ministry of Christ that should harmonize. Other possible candidates for the event of atonement completion could include his final observed fleshly ascension recorded in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11. Another proposed option enfolds Jesus's current ministry of intercession from the throne as a continual repeated atonement. However, these do not preserve truth concerning the separate events of Jesus's onetime atonement and his continual present priestly ministry of intercession.

Proposals suggesting delay for atonement, until ascension or later, overlook the significant cohesive evidence of:

1. Jesus's fleshly appearance on the third day after death. The pattern of the high priest appearing as living on the Day of Atonement, after making an offering in the holy of holies, foreshadowed the living proof of Jesus's fleshly resuscitation/resurrection (see movement Event 4). Jesus himself testified that his continued flesh living after death provides sufficient proof for his completion of atonement as depicted typologically in the tabernacle ministry and offered the priestly event of returning from the holy of holies as a sign to those with questions of his authority over the temple ministry (John 2:18-22).


2. Jesus's comments about going away to prepare a place for his disciples that included his return to them (John 14:1-6).


3. Jesus's affirmation of apocalyptic [aiōn-field] language (PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 4-7)  to describe postmortem events in different destinies of the righteous and wicked (Luke 16:19-31).


4. Jesus's affirmation to the Sadducees that God is the God of the living and not the dead inferring Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were living with God as Jesus spoke to them (Mark 12:24-27; cf. Heb 6:14-15).


5. The typological events occurring around the time of Jesus's death, such as the three hours of darkness (Matt 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; Luke 23:44), the tearing of the veil (Matt 27:51a), the earthquake (Matt 27:51b), and the bodily appearance of people from the tombs (Matt 27:52-53). In typological revelation, the earthly institutions, people, nations, and events represent a method of revelation about unseen heavenly matters (1 Cor 10:11; Heb 8:1-6). This method of revelation is further discussed in  Conversation 4: First-century, Aion-Field (apocalyptic), Temple-of-the-Heavens Based Background Revelation.


6. Jesus's language supporting anticipated normative transformation in death from flesh to spirit in the hands of the Father (Matt 27:50; Luke 23:46; cf. 1 Cor 15:35-58; Phil 3:21) that is also portrayed by other NT authors (Matt 17:1-3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30-31; Heb 9:11-14; 1 Pet 3:18-22)


7. The typological event of darkness for three hours that is linked with Jesus's observation in a change in relationship with the Father concerning his bearing of sin on the cross (Matt 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; cf. 1 Pet 2:24).


8. The trilology in Psalms 22-24, where David typologically depicts Jesus's suffering as substitionary death for atonement for the sins of the people (Ps 22), his transformation in the journey to dwell in God's house for eternal-place (Ps 23), and his enthronement as king (Ps 24).

When added together, the evidence overwhelmingly supports Jesus's completion of his sacrifice for the sins of all people on the cross with subsequent immediate access into the holy of holies.

The Atonement Movement Only Completed One Time by Jesus
But Ministry of Intercession Movement Many Times

In cohesion with the completion of atonement in the place of the holy of holies before the Father in appeasement for the sins of the people, the Pastor also emphasizes how God's sacrifice in the Son only occurs "once" (Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27; 9:12, 26-28; 10:10; 1 Pet 3:18; Jude 3). Jesus only had to suffer once in bodily fleshly death and after bodily transformation enter heaven once for judgment by the Father (1 Pet 3:18). His own prayers with tears and supplications were heard before the Father (Heb 5:7). This heavenly atonement by the Son of God for all sin of all people needs never to be repeated like the symbolic typology of the daily sacrifices and the annual Day of Atonement sacrifice (Heb 10:1-3; 1 John 2:2). However, Jesus's ministry for salvation by intercession occurs repeatedly at each individual person’s death and judgment (Heb 7:25). God does not speak in Scripture of a collective general judgment for everyone at once, another Straw Man assembled in closed-heaven philosophy for people, but Jesus as Shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to rescue the one in need (Matt 18:12-13) .

The Atonement Available For All People But Intercession Only Effective
For Those Who Believe in God's Personal Ministry as the Christ

It must be remembered that atonement by Christ is a onetime event for all people (1 John 2:2). There is no Word from God that speaks directly about a limited atonement. The concept of limiting Jesus's atonement arises from reconstruction of God's speech in an earth-limited hope for humanity into a philosophical, strawman concept  that is noted below. Atonement is about a place in heaven where literal salvation takes place before God at judgment both for Jesus and his brethren, not just a predetermined legal justification on the earth that includes hope for future fleshly resuscitation. Philosophical terms of false prophecy should be avoided by focused consideration of God's spoken terms in his context as the solution to the tension between atonement for all people against limited access. Intercession for salvation at individual death and judgment does reserve only for those who repent of sin and call on the Lord with faith in the ministry the Christ, the Son of God who we now known as Jesus, for intercession at approach in death and judgment (Heb 7:25; 11:6).

The author of Hebrews tracks four major themes concerning the present ministry of Christ that should be part of proper conversation to others about the Son as Christ. These topics are death, judgment, intercession, and salvation. All four themes occur for people in a moment promptly at death, just as they were experienced by Jesus in death for atonement and subsequently salvation as the first-born into the holy of holies. Only believers who have personally called on the Lord (cf. Heb 5:7; Rom 10:13) experience a literal salvation reality, which limits heavenly entrance to his elect (chosen) who hear his call at death and judgment. At judgment in a transformed spirit body after death, a person either lifts their eyes in God's presence by hearing Jesus's call in intercession or finds themselves outside of heaven in outer darkness, based upon a personal decision made in their lifetime after hearing conversation about the ministry of the Christ (Rom 10:17, διὰ ῥήματος Χριστοῦ, "through conversation of Christ"; cf. Matt 7:21-23; Eph 1:9-13; Heb 3:12-19). God never speaks of irresistible grace in either directly choosing or not choosing individual people for his offer of salvation. The idea salvation as a one-sided sovereign choice also arises as a philosophical, strawman concept not found directly in God's speech that is noted below. For example, Romans 8:26-30, in context, discusses the experience of the believer at judgment (Rom 8:1; Heb 9:27-28) after death. At the moment of entering the hope of the unseen realm (Rom 8:24-25), the Spirit intercedes for the "saints" (Rom 8:26-27, Greek hagiōn, "holy ones"). All things experienced, for those called through deaths experience to intercession and salvation, work for the good of God's purposes (Rom 8:28). Those who before the experience of death that God "foreknows" (Rom 8:29, Greek proegnō, have foreknowledge, chose beforehand), he "predestined" (proōrisen, "predestined, decided beforehand") that they would be conformed to the image of the Son, which defines as following Jesus's lead as firstborn among many brethren into heaven (cf. Heb 2:9-18; 6:18-20). God predestined that those who are foreknown in their life before death and judgment and who await the ministry of the Christ in belief (John 5:24; Heb 4:12-16), since Jesus's opening the way, receive subsequent justification and glorification into God's presence of the holy of holies (cf. John 5:25-29; Heb 9:27-28). OT believers awaited Jesus's opening of the way.

Atonement By Jesus's Sacrificed Life/ Not a Container
of Blood Carried by Jesus into Heaven

God has not directly spoken any revelation that the Christ must carry his own blood into the presence of God for atonement of the sins of the people. However, due to disconnection of the symbolism of the Day of Atonement from the intended reality that it symbolizes, many claim that Jesus's atonement for sin required his literal blood carried later into heaven before the throne of God. These omit the fact that on that day in the earthly tabernacle, the high priest entered the holy of holies four times and sprinkled blood a total of forty-three times. So must Jesus sprinkle blood a total of forty-three times? Of course, no. In God's revelation by typology, the earthly antitypes of God's revelation do not always exactly equal the heavenly types. At times, the earthly typological revelation may through one event (e.g., Day of Atonement), by recapitulation (multiple views of the same event), may reveal different aspects of the same heavenly truth that cannot be seen or sensed on earth. In the OT typological symbolism given to Moses concerning the high priest ministry on the Day of Atonement, a container of the blood of the ram that was sacrificed was carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled seven times before the altar (Lev 16:1-34, esp. Lev 16:14-16). It must be remembered that the presence of the blood in the earthly copy of the holy of holies symbolized the soul and life of the Christ standing before God for judgment after death (Lev 17:11). Atonement before God is not effective because Jesus carried his literal blood in a container on some later day (adherents claim after flesh resurrection or later ascension) into the holy of holies; atonement is effective because of Jesus's ability as a bodily transformed, eternal-place spirit to enter the holy of holies for judgment by God after the giving of his life (symbolized by the animal blood) in substitution for sin (Heb 2:9-18; 9:11-14; cf. PDF Masters Thesis, p. 111, 157-61). Atonement is about location, location, location, as noted in the meaning of atonement above. God's purpose in the symbolism does more than provide legal justification for a delayed future existence on earth but opens a path, following Jesus as forerunner and shepherd, for him to lead believers to the presence of God in heaven at death and judgment.

Enthronement of Jesus Promptly After Death

Jesus's enthronement, in fulfillment of  Psalm 110:1,4; Dan 7:13-14; 2 Sam 7:8-17, occurs at his judgment after death on the cross and not sometime later after fleshly resurrection or ascension. God's revelation does not speak of a delay. The Pastor in Hebrews writes God's speech in hearing OT Scripture for Jesus's enthronement as the Son by the Father (Heb 1:8-13). He further highlights the ability of Jesus's "endless life" (Heb 7:16, Greek akatalytos, meaning literally life that cannot be dissolved or broken up). Jesus must die in the flesh but even a moment of spiritual death means the living God himself is dead. The Pastor shares concerning Jesus, "...by his own blood he entered in once into the holy-place having found eternal/perpetual-place redemption" (Heb 9:12). He links Jesus's blood sacrifice of his life with finding redemption in heaven. No context in God's revelation speaks of any delay between judgment at death, symbolized by the sacrificial language of Jesus's blood, and heavenly entrance for in fulfilled enthronement as the Son of Man.

The text in John 20:17 does not support a delay of Jesus ascent before the Father since his fleshly death. Rather, it supports Mary's actions of clinging as a delay to his present ministry before the Father as intercessor at death and judgment. A literal translation is, "Jesus said to her, 'Please do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go before my brethren and tell them. I continually ascend to my Father and your Father, and your God and my God'" (John 20:17, translation mine. The perfect tense "I have not yet ascended" does not indicate that Jesus had never previously been to the Father, but in context, addresses that Mary's actions were preventing Jesus from continuing his ministry of mediation before the Father from his position on the throne. For illustration of the potential meaning, consider the statement, "I have not yet ascended the stairs." "Go tell my brethren that I continually go upstairs." In context, I have work to do upstairs and the person I am speaking is delaying that work by holding to me. The adverb "not yet" is not the same as the adverb "never." The adverbial duration force for delay in "not yet" must be determined by context. My statement does not mean that I have never been upstairs to work. The force of the delay comes from the activity of the one holding on to me. In context of Jesus's statement to Mary, the delay source is Mary's touching, not his speculated inactivity since death. No other possible source duration is mentioned in context. Also, the adverb "not yet" does not mean "never" unless the context says it directly.

The Errant Location for Expectation
of the Coming Christ

The first-century CE imbalance, held by most Jewish schools of thoughts regarding expectation about the coming Christ, continues in the present day for many people groups that are part of the "many"/"they" in Matt 24:4-14. Since before writings of the NT, rational conceptions have plagued possible messianic understanding (cf. Matt 11:25; Mark 8:33; Luke 19:11; 24:21; John 3:10; 12:34; Jas 2:5). Jesus corrected those with the common messianic expectation hopes for a completion in an earthly kingdom (Luke 17:20; 19:11). The Sadducean rational conclusion, also dominates a large cross section of Christianity, so-called, as mainly toward a moral, social, kingdom emphasis on earth, with no apocalyptic, aiōn-field, background reality creatively existent beyond this visible world. This messianic cosmic-field option continues since before the writings and the gospel events of the NT (cf. Matt 23:13; 24:5; John 9:39; Acts 23:8; 1 Cor 3:19; see  PDF Dissertation, p. 75-76 ). When these earth-centric groups believed in Jesus as the Christ, many did not reorder their previous views of Christ eschatology. John does share how Jesus will rule on earth (Rev 20:1-6), however, that rule functions typologically before people on earth to reveal attributes of the final rule of Christ in heaven. The truth typologically shadowed, like all other earthly revelation (Israel in the flesh, Flood), will fail in a massive earthly decay and rebellion (Heb 1:10-12; Rev 20:7-10). Of everything seen in the earthly kingdom, only that with Jesus will remain (John 18:36; Heb 1:12).

The Ministry of Christ and False Prophecy

Jesus in Matt 24:4-12 lays blame for the chaos among people in this kosmos directly upon many false prophets who mislead many. A prophet speaks accurate truth about God's speech but a false prophet corrupts with falsehoods that are contrary alternations of heavenly truth (John 4:24). His teaching about the claim by false prophets that "I am the Christ" (Matt 24:5) has two possible meanings. One interpretation is a self-elevation on earth as God's fulfillment of the Christ, which was in reality prophesized as fulfilled by the person of the Christ rising before God for enthronement in heaven (Dan 7:13-14). A second possible meaning suggests that false prophets admit that "I," as Jesus, is the Christ but then misapply the truth about Jesus's ministry and purpose toward worldly kingdom ends (e.g., Matt 16:21-24). Both options have often historically been observed. The common denominator of either option is a focus on earthly "truth" fulfillment rather than heavenly "truth" fulfillment at death and judgment (Heb 9:27-28; 11:13-16). Since earthly "truth" in a nebulous, diverse target, chaos and conflict erupts by multiple entities claiming they are the "true ..." approved by God. In heavenly "truth," local earthly assemblies function as images or symbols of the true heavenly reality when operating in God's design (PDF Dissertation p.374, esp. n267)).

The Methodology of False Prophecy

There is a common methodology for building on another foundation other than that Christ laid, as wood, hay, and stubble, so as to suffer loss at judgment (cf. 1 Cor 3:9-15). Many common elements of false prophecy execute in the "crafty" thinking of the Serpent's methodology for the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3 and the Devil's temptation of Jesus in Matt 4:1-11.

1. Omit/disconnect the concept considered from its symbolism/typology of the eternal realities and the foundation of the work of Christ in bringing people to heaven by repentance and faith, for refocus only on the interesting and appealing earthly distraction(s) themselves.

   Gen 3:1. The Serpent topics "every tree" of God’s earthly provision in omission and disconnection of the single most important tree of eternal-place life in for God's heavenly provision. Eden was symbolic of God’s provision to teach about his available heavenly access after death of the flesh. This claim develops in  Conversation 5A - The Tree of Life Before Adam's and Eve's Sin.



2. Question and redefine biblical terms with added philosophical layers of semantic claims foreign to the contextual meaning in the words of the actual text of God's speech.

   Gen 3:1. The Serpent questions, “Has God said…?” The “Indeed” indicates claim of agreement with God. Also, the verbal activity of "eating" redefines only as “every tree.” The Serpent omitted in redefinition the “tree of life” in spiritual food that allows eternal life. The Serpent then further discusses the newly defined philosophical subject of earthly eating in Gen 3:2-3. Eve dialogues with the Serpent on the matter and reminds him, according to God's previous speech, about the tree of knowledge of good of and evil and the consequences of death by eating from it.
   Matt 4:3-4, "If you are the Son of God..." The Devil questioned Jesus identity as the promised Christ (cf. Dan 7:13-14) and tempted Jesus to exchange his spiritual mission for a focus only on his need of earthly food. This crafty bait-and-switch from spiritual mission to an imbalanced earthly only fulfillment is a common temptation by the Devil (cf. Matt 16:21-23; Mark 4:15; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:31; Acts 5:3; 1 Cor 5:5; 7:5; 2 Cor 2:11; 12:7; 1 Thess 2:18; 2 Thess 2:9; 1 Tim 5:15; Rev 2:13; 3:9).



3. Add claims of uncontrolled historical reconstruction that are not found in the text of God's speech.

   Gen 3:4-5. The Serpent changes God's historical narrative of God's speech that was previously provided. There is a denial that God spoke about consequential death by "You surely will not die!" His statement is true regarding fleshly death but, without doubt, God's original speech inferred spiritual death with loss of heavenly access by the tree of life (cf. Gen 3:22-24). The Serpent, upon his new earth-centric, limited philosophy, builds speculative information in a statement, "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The statement is true from a heavenly perspective of God but the Serpent's meaning is limited to Eve's earthly experience to the exclusion of the current heavenly realities. God's kingdom then dealt with the problem of evil in a tabernacle/Temple in levels of holiness with plural heavens. The Serpent claims Eve could be "like God." Eve often had experienced God's presence when he came from heaven to visit the kosmos and his creation. The implication to Eve by the Serpent is an available path for instant, accelerated transformation to heavenly access, "in the day," without the wait and hard service in the Garden (Gen 3:5, "in the day...your eyes will be opened"). The Serpent also implies for Eve a better situation than the good Garden by access to God's heavenly state by addition of the knowledge of evil to her current experience of God's good on earth. Further, she could be elevated in authority over the Garden just "like God." God never spoke of the necessity of the knowledge of evil for being like himself but the Serpent's new philosophy speculated that this might be possible.
   Matt 4:5-7. Jesus could have accelerated his death for early transformation into heaven. After fleshly death, the angels would have carried him to the Father before completion of atonement as the Christ.
   Matt 4:8-11. Jesus was offered all the earthly kingdoms without having to die as the Christ. Jesus only had to serve the Devil, as his God, as he would God. The Devil's fabricated, historical tour makes it appear that these earthly kingdoms are more valuable than the heavenly kingdom Jesus is building with the Father in heaven, without all the trouble and suffering.



4. Apply combined new fabricated Straw Man narrative of philosophically redefined words and historical reconstructed background as warrants back to biblical text, as if factual.

   Gen 3:5. With the claim "God knows," the new Straw Man is presented to Eve as factual, as if the new interpretation is what God really meant and spoke.
   Matt 4:3. "If you are the Son of God...". By denial of the truth about who Jesus is, the Devil opens the door to substitute, alternative, historical possibilities with his Straw Man construction for a kingdom on earth. Jesus would only have to deny who he really is and his mission in the kosmos.



5. Expand the fabricated, Straw Man, application diachronically to later biblical cognate terms in God's speech.

   Gen 3:6. Eve considers the future, Straw man, outcome possibilities by the Serpent as realistic fulfillment of her fleshly desires and decides to try it out on herself and her husband.
   Matt 4:8-11. The Devil "showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." This includes not only the past and present kingdoms of the world but also the forecast possibilities of future kingdoms that fit the Straw Man philosophy proffered by the Devil.



6. Apply newly created Straw Man narrative to modern people as knowledge to make one wise in greater blessings from God.

   It does not appear that Eve was concerned about her future seed on the earth at the time of the decision for the new Strawman philosophy that she deemed as better. God's focus on "her seed" (Gen 3:15) and his comment, for both pain in child birth and desire for her husband who will rule over her, sets up a framework for the tension of sin's effects upon her role in the family God had designed.
   Matt 4:8-11. The new Straw Man projection by the Devil included a general application to all people in kingdoms at any time. The generality makes it easy to personalize to a particular place and time. The use of general terms allows more flexibility to make specific applications encountered later when tensions arise.



7. Avoid connection of the Straw Man to known pejorative language for greater acceptance.

   The Serpent omits and negates the negative activity "to die" with conversation refocus on a better state "like God."
   Matt 4:1-11. The Devil makes no mention of the consequences of the Son of God rebelling against God's purpose for himself in exchange for instant gratification in his flesh.

In modern application, other Straw Man concepts, such as dispensationalism, Landmarkism, and others, easily lose focus on their connected heavenly realities for refocus only on isolated earthly aspects of God's speech. For example, the method is used by those adhering to the modern Straw Man of reformed covenant theology, or Calvinism, often so-called. This earth-centric philosophy follows the above method to...

1. Change focus on heavenly covenant reality provided by God after fleshly death for access to heavenly realities (Heb 9:15-28) to only earthly covenants and earthly benefits.


2. Redefine God's covenants with people, Hebrew berîṯ and Greek diathēkē. A covenant requires agreement of both parties in offer and acceptance, whether the provisions/obligations of the covenant are absolute (I am doing …) or contingent (If you…then I will…), and whether the agreement of both parties is stated or implied. A claim for an 'unconditional' covenant based upon no textual record of agreement by both parties is an argument from silence. Also, God has two main categories for covenants in Scripture of his speech, that of Promise and Fulfillment (Heb 9:15). All earthly covenants with OT people provided typological revelation about how God would fulfill his eternal-place, heavenly, covenantal, promise himself in Christ (e.g., 1 Peter 3:18-22, Noah's Ark through flood experience shows heavenly salvation provided by Christ). OT people were saved at their death and judgment into heaven by calling in repentance and faith on the Lord’s ability to do as he covenantally promised in Christ.


3. Add ancient near east (ANE) history of covenant customs not in the text without critical evaluation. Divide these into categories that are also not in the text. The evidence is very limited and ANE people did not have modern customs. When an agreement is no longer required, the result is no longer by definition a covenant but a Devine fiat dictated to people.


4. Claim God uses the developed ANE customs ( fabricated Straw Man) in his covenant making with people. Relook at the original covenants with OT people in the text in the newly constructed lens, that is not in the text, as an unquestioned warrant, with no direct Scripture support. Straw Man arguments are not always positive. Some Straw Men are negative associations to provide an antithetical concept contrary to a desired ideological tradition that does not have direct scriptural support of God's speech.


5. Apply new straw-man concept about covenants to New Covenant, which was completed by Jesus, to support levels of Heaven on earth by practice of believing.


6. Add other NT concepts by writing about comfort in new knowledge of “in Christ” as wisdom for those who will accept it.


7. Avoid mentioning unconditional election or result of double jeopardy. Also, avoid calling on the Lord in acceptance of his offer in a bidirectional agreement, covenant biblically defined, since already obtained. Many reformed adherents do not offer invitations to repent and call upon the Lord in faith for salvation but state to listeners if they feel God has called them in election for salvation, then they should exercise their belief in commitment to perseverance in God's service for better earthly living. The philosophical teaching offers no real hope for specific heavenly access after death by following the way of the ministry of Christ but assures listeners to comfort by very vague knowlege of being "in Christ".

The Form of Godliness of False Prophets

Similar variants also appear in many modern Straw Man claims used as lenses to interpret God's speech. The product of this method has a "form of godliness but denies the ability (power)" (2 Tim 3:5). In 2 Tim 3:1-5, Paul foretold the contributing attributes of people who make times difficult in their relationships together on earth. He sums their lifestyle as "having a form of godliness but have been denying his ability (Greek 'dynamis,' usually translated with more general term 'power')" (2 Tim 3:5, Greek NA28 translation mine). The denial here by false prophets does not concern God's ability in us by his Spirit but God's ability for us by the ministry of the Christ. The concerns of false prophets are more toward personal righteous compliance with religious traditions of established philosophical ideology than conversation about repentance and faith in the ministry of the Christ. Their introverted testimony of personal compliance is described in 2 Tim 3:1-5. The proponent of false prophecy by their personally defined forms of religiosity and godliness appears as an "angel of light" (2 Cor 11:12-15).

Truth that peacefully unites people in love of God and others must not only embrace both the who Jesus is as the Christ of God himself but must also include a proper conversation about his ability in his present heavenly ministry in relation to the promise of salvation at death and judgment into the presence of God in heaven. The error of religious escalation of other forms of godliness in appealing worldly traditions, aesthetic beauty, and grand earthly prosperity, often with endpoints without proper focus on the ability of Jesus's ministry as the Christ, fractures the desired peace of people working together (cf. Matt 10:34).

The Different End Point of False Prophets

Truth about the ministry of Jesus as the Christ requires more understanding than just a religious theological and philosophical link between Jesus and the Christ. In Matt 16:16 after Peter's confession that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus added information about building his church beyond the strength and capabilities of the gates of Hades (Matt 16:18). The referent Hades functions in the New Testament as an adopted Greek mapping designation for the dark creation of the Abyss outside of heaven. The biblical basis of this claim is developed in   Biblical Mapping Conversation 4: First-century, Aiōn-Field (apocalyptic), Temple-of-the-Heavens Based Background Revelation.   A biblical mapping rendition may be viewed at the link   Ministry of Christ  Jesus's claim to build beyond Hades' gates infers the assembly of his people in heaven at death and judgment (Heb 2:9-18; 9:27-28; 12:22-24). This claim does not include any churches on earth. These, if they function with proper conversation about Jesus as the Christ, in love of God and others, simply mirror the true church in heaven. The struggle to prove oneself as the true church in comparison to others on earth by any philosophical criteria other than the foundation of the proper conversation about Jesus as the Christ is futile and leads to the chaos mentioned by Jesus in Matt 24:4-12 (cf. 1 Cor 3, esp. 1 Cor 3:10).

© 2002-2024 Open Heavens Ministries

Contact Link