Who said anything about being in a place of many?
You appear to be in a group of 1.
Your make it up as you go.
That's not the way to go. that is not even the few..
Once again, I highly recommend you find a good bible believing body of Christ to become a part of. and let them teach you.
Dear Eternally Grateful,
You have not heard the words of Paul when he said:
Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Though Paul did not warn of the coming apostasy very often in his letters, he did verbally warn his churches "with tears" for three years.
2Thes chapter 2 is Paul's main teaching on the coming apostasy. It applied to the churches shortly after Paul's death. It is not a future end-time event that many in the apostate church believe. The man of sin is what Paul calls a fallen away believer who has the spirit of anti-Christ. That term comes from the "Old Man" being made spiritually "worse than the first" because of Satan's spirit indwelling them.
Christ said this about the coming spirit of anti-Christ and how powerful its deception will be:
Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
The "very Elect" (the Apostles) were all converted prior to the coming of the spirit of anti-Christ. If they had not been converted, they, too, would have been deceived and would have fallen away from faith.
After Christ comes to an unbeliever and gives them the Early Rain, they remain
spiritually blind and cannot "see" Christ (God's Word). Paul "typed" the receiving of the Early Rain when Christ came to him on the Damascus Road. It is there that Paul was "called out" and first called Jesus "Lord". It is after this Early Rain event that a person will enter the church.
Also, at that time, Paul became blind which was a "type" for his spiritual blindness. Paul could hear the voice but had to ask who it was that was speaking to him. Christ remained veiled from Paul's understanding. Paul was then "led by the hand" (the blind leading the blind) into Damascus where he remained blind and unable to eat or drink for "three days". The number "three" is a symbol for a spiritual process. Paul's inability to eat or drink represents Paul's inability to receive the truth of God's Word (bread) or to drink Christ's blood of the New Covenant. It is at that time that Paul "typed" falling away and becoming a man of sin. Paul was no longer saved.
After Paul's three days of great tribulation had been fulfilled, Paul is shown to be praying. Paul's prayer represents his repentance from "works". It is the same repentance that John the Baptist called for with the Nation of Israel.
Repentance from works is what causes a fallen away believer to make the pathway "straight" for Christ to "come again" to them with the Latter Rain.
As Paul prayed, Ananias (type for Christ) was told to go to Paul who will living at a house owned by Judas. Judas is a "type" for the man of sin who Paul had become. The house was located on a street called "straight" which represents that Paul repented of his works and that the pathway for Christ was made "straight". Ananias then travelled to straight street and gave Paul the Latter Rain. Immediately Paul's scales fell off his eyes and he was able to "see". This represented that Paul's spiritual blindness was healed. Paul was then baptized in water to represent his receiving of the Latter Rain (Baptism of the Holy Spirit). After these events, Paul was told to "eat meat" (the strongest and deepest truth of God's Word).
Paul later made this statement to Timothy to reinforce that his conversion experience is a "type" (pattern) that all the Elect will experience from that point going forward.
1Tim 1:16 Howbeit for this cause, I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
Christ said this about how a new believer becomes a man of sin:
Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself SEVEN other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
The spiritual symbol of an unclean spirit represents a spirit which teaches Satan's false truth through lies and deceptions.
Since a new believer remains
spiritually blind (
Mark 8:21-25) after receiving the Early Rain of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit of Promise,
Eph 1:13-14), they cannot replace their worldly false beliefs with the truth of Christ. ONE unclean spirit leaves but comes back with SEVEN more. The number "seven" represents perfection. In this case, the number seven represents the perfection of Satan's lies/deceptions which come to a believer by the indwelling of the spirit of anti-Christ. Now, instead of ONE unclean spirit within the believer, they now have EIGHT. The number eight is a spiritual symbol which represents a
new spiritual condition. In this case, the new spiritual condition is
worse than the first.
This "worse than the first" spiritual condition causes the believer to become a
False Prophet, a
Man of Sin, a
Minister of Satan and a
Seven Headed Beast with Ten Horns & Crowns.
In the parable of the Ten Virgins, the ten virgins represent called out believers who have received the Early Rain. It is at that time a person is betrothed to Christ and must wait for him to return for the marriage (the Second Coming for salvation). Paul made this statement which is related to a called out believer's time of waiting:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
When Christ first appears to a person and gives them the Early Rain, they remain spiritually blind. Because of this, they see Christ in the flesh (carnally). When He appears a second time to "those who are waiting for Him", He will appear spiritually and bring them salvation. This is what happens at the Marriage of the Lamb.
Also, in the parable of the Ten Virgins, notice that ALL ten virgins fall asleep at night while waiting for the Bridegroom to return. Their "sleeping" represents that they have spiritually died and the night represents their spiritual blindness. All believers (including the Elect) will experience a time of falling away and losing their salvation. Then at "midnight" (the deepest part of a fallen away believer blindness when they have become a man of sin), the call will go out that the Bridegroom is returning. This represents the call of Elijah to repent from works. Those who have the extra flask of oil (represents the Latter Rain) are made ready for the Bridegroom's return. Those without the extra oil (the called but NOT chosen) have to turn back from where they came.
The parable of the Wheat and the Tares teaches the same truths using the farming analogy. After Christ plants His seed (the Early Rain) with a person, Satan will come at night (represents the person's spiritual blindness) and plants his seed, too (the spirit of anti-Christ). At the time of the harvest (Latter Rain and Second Coming), the tares (man of sin) is burned (judged). The wheat (child of God) is then harvested into the barn (Kingdom of Heaven).
There are more examples of the apostasy that the church must experience prior to their salvation. The "many" who are not chosen will not experience Christ's return before they die. For the Elect "few" though, Christ will shortened their days as a man of sin and will come "quickly" to them before they die.
Below is a verse which supports the truth that
all the Elect and those not chosen must experience a time of great tribulation:
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Man's does not live (salvation) just by consuming the true bread from heaven, we must also eat Satan's leavened bread (Mat 13:33).
Consider this:
When Christ came to the Jewish Nation, out of the whole nation (100's of thousands of people), only 120 people were chosen and saved. As I said, remaining with the "many" is not a good place to be.
Joe
