Church To Stay On Earth

[Ronald Nolette]

When people have no leg to stand on, then they attack personalities. Even if John Nelson Darby had never been born, Bible truth would remain what it was since it was written down.

Davy has no idea about this matter, since he claims that the Church will remain on earth, in opposition to what the Bible says.

What I find so Ironic is that so many here keep crying they should have waited till truth was unsealed (Dan. 12) then when we start moving into the last days and dispensational eschatology with a pre-trib rapture is shown to be the biblical answer- they all start screaming.

They don't look at things in context
They don't compare scriptures with scriptures.

When they do compare they use verses out of context.
They don't bother with the greek and hebrew. Never mind parsing the verbs.
All they can do is hurl ad-hominems, create straw-men, and toss out red herrings in the hope of distracting they have wrongly divided the word.

I love them as brethren (and sisteren LOL), but having been a bible teacher for over 35 years and teachingnin bible college as well as churches, I just can't sit still when the Word is abused by brethren because they have been taught so badly.

 

[charity]

One of the things I've been thinking about is that Paul was nonetheless the apostle to the gentiles, and addressed gentile churches in a number of topics that continue in application to the church in general, and in the specifics of our salvation and God's plan for us, I'm wondering why this doctrine would not?

'These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind,
and searched the scriptures daily,
whether those things were so.'
( Acts 17:11 )

Hello @marks,

I am assuming you are referring to the revelation of the Truth concerning the church which is His (Christ's) Body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all, made known by Paul in the epistles written from prison (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon). The answer to that, I believe, is found in his last epistle, written to Timothy:-

'Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me,
.. in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep
.. by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
This thou knowest,
.. that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me;
.... of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.'
(2Timothy 1:13)​

* Prior to receiving this Divine revelation, all of what Paul had to say was verifiable from the Old Testament Scriptures, and those who heard it, could, like the Bereans of Acts 17:11, 'search the Scriptures' to verify that what they were hearing from Paul was true. Whereas, 'The Mystery' revealed to Paul had been 'hid in God' since the foundation of the world until that moment of revelation, and was therefore not verifiable. Paul refers to what he now has to preach as, 'the unsearchable riches of Christ': for that was the nature of it, it was 'unsearchable'. (Colossians 1:25-29)

'Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,
that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God,
Who created all things by Jesus Christ: ... '
( Ephesians 3:8 )​

* We must also never forget that there is an enemy at work, who seeks to thwart the purposes of God. But this is obviously the time for it's unveiling, for more and more are seeing the truth revealed in those prison epistles, and are receiving it with gladness. It is not without reason that Paul prayed as he did in Ephesians 17+, for - 'the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him' for which he prays, is vital because of the unsearchable nature of the message it reveals .

* The purpose of the church which is the Body of Christ, is found in Ephesians 3:10-11:-

'To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places
might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: ... '(Eph 3:10)​

Praise God! For the wisdom of God, and for His wondrous grace.

Thank you, marks,
Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
Our risen and glorified Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[charity]

Subject:- Church To Stay On Earth
@Davy, @Ron Coates,
@CharismaticLady, @Randy Kluth,
@amadeus, @Nancy,
@marks, @Enoch111,
@Ronald Nolette, @amigo de christo,
@Getitright.

Hello there,

There are three spheres which will be occupied by different companies of the redeemed:-

(1) "The earth" (Matthew 5:5) - The Kingdom
(2) "Jerusalem which is above" (Galatians 4:26) - The Bride
(3) "In heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3) - The Body

* If you wish to know more concerning this, there is a study on Believer.com which is very good. This is the link:-
Three Spheres

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Davy]

This doesn't frighten me, it's just the medium we live in. The heavenly, that is.

I don't see this taking away the veil until the new heaven and the new earth, after the judgment, after the 1000 year reign.

I don't think people have that celestial body like in 2 Corinthians 5 until being born from above, to become a spirit child of God.

Much love!

John 5:28-29 reveals the "resurrection of damnation" comes forth also on the day of Christ's 2nd coming. Just the fact that Jesus mentioned a resurrection for them too reveals they also will have the "spiritual body", otherwise He lied, because that is exactly what the idea of resurrection means, i.e., being raised to the incorruption body. Eccl.12:5-7 and Matt.10:28 are still the hard evidence though. The "spirits in prison" ought to be hard evidence for us also, that certainly didn't have to wait until the new heavens and a new earth, nor did those who resurrected and appeared to many in Jerusalem when Lord Jesus died on the cross. What Lord Jesus said to the malefactor crucified with Him also stands as hard evidence because God's Paradise is a real place in the heavenly dimension, not a metaphor. Men's traditions can get in the way of this, which can cause fear to believe it as written.

What I understand happens with being 'born again' is The Holy Spirit changing our 'soul' condition that is attached to our spiritual body, not the giving of a spiritual body. We have 3 parts per God's Word, our flesh body, our house which is a building of God which is about our spirit body, and our soul which is our Id or individual person. The soul with spirit (i.e., spirit body) cannot be separated. But our flesh can be separated from our soul/spirit, which is what Eccl.12:5-7 revealed early on. This is why Apostle Paul in 1 Cor.15 declared that as we have borne the "image of the earthy" we shall also bear the "image of the heavenly", and that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

 

[Davy]

Yet Paul says that he didn't know whether this fellow went to bodily or not.

?

Paul obviously knew enough about the existence of the two dimensions and two different bodies to say what he did in 2 Cor.12. Afterall, he specifically taught about the two bodies in defining the resurrection body of 1 Cor.15. So there's really no reason to think he meant something else when talking about the subject of being either out of the body (flesh) or in the body (flesh). I'm not pushing new age ideas, God's Word declares we have two separate body types, and that the resurrection is not one of flesh.

Nor would Paul have said this if he didn't understand about the two different bodies...

2 Cor 5:6-8
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7(For we walk by faith, not by sight

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
KJV

 

[Davy]

Corruptible = subject to the law of sin and death
Mortal = subject to the law of sin and death

Spiritual we have become incorruptible and immortal. Then it will be physically.

Much love!

If you mean a physical "spiritual body" with soul, yeah, but that's not a flesh and blood type body, but an angelic type body. Like Jesus said in Matt.22, those of the resurrection are as the angels of God in heaven.

That spiritual body is not exposed until we put off our flesh. And it is a glorified body if in Christ Jesus.

 

[Davy]

The sheep and goats are separated according to whether they did or didn't care for Jesus' brothers. Who are Jesus' brothers in this text?

That idea is a Jewish idea crept into some denominations today. All those in Christ Jesus are His brethren. This should have been obvious by what Jesus said in Matthew 12.

Christ's sheep represent His Church of all peoples and nations. Like He said in Matthew 25, and Paul said in Ephesians 1, that is who His kingdom is prepared for before the foundation of the world.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

That idea is a Jewish idea crept into some denominations today. All those in Christ Jesus are His brethren. This should have been obvious by what Jesus said in Matthew 12.

Christ's sheep represent His Church of all peoples and nations. Like He said in Matthew 25, and Paul said in Ephesians 1, that is who His kingdom is prepared for before the foundation of the world.

The biggest problem with your hypothesis is this:

First let us look at the passage.

Matthew 25:31-45
King James Version

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The sheep are definitely believers in Christ during the tribulation period! They are not the church for the church has long been raptured and returns with Christ from heaven for this judgment!

The only people who will help "Jesus brethren" are those who do not take the mark! All others on earth will accept the mark and be damned forever. they are the goats.

So who are the "brethren"? They can only be the Jews! Believers are helping to hide Jews or keep them from beheading at teh hands of the antichrist government. We lknow from Scripture that of all Jews who enter into the tribulation period, only 1/3 will survive and they all will call upon Jesus as Messiah!

So to say it is believers helping believers is not possible. It would imply (for they said to Jesus when did we help you) that believers did not even recognize other believers in teh tribulation period!

 

[marks]

That idea is a Jewish idea crept into some denominations today. All those in Christ Jesus are His brethren. This should have been obvious by what Jesus said in Matthew 12.

Christ's sheep represent His Church of all peoples and nations. Like He said in Matthew 25, and Paul said in Ephesians 1, that is who His kingdom is prepared for before the foundation of the world.

It's basic logic.

You have a group of people who are separated according to two different sorts, and the difference between them is according to their treatment of a special group. That group can't be the same as the group being identified, that is, the sheep are not determined according to how they treated the sheep, because they hadn't been selected to be sheep yet. This was a mixed group with different sorts of works, and their works were approved or rejected, they were approved or rejected, as to whether those works helped or not this special group, Jesus' brothers.

Jesus returns, and the chosen are gathered. He takes His throne, and the nations are gathered, judged, separated, according to whether they helped care for Jesus' brothers.

Look at the difference in the judgment from what Christians receive. If their works were of a certain sort they were declared righteous.

When I go with the simplest understanding of the prophetic narrative, just the plainness of what it says, I find a very coherent prophetic revelation.

much love!

 

[marks]

Paul obviously knew enough about the existence of the two dimensions and two different bodies to say what he did in 2 Cor.12. Afterall, he specifically taught about the two bodies in defining the resurrection body of 1 Cor.15. So there's really no reason to think he meant something else when talking about the subject of being either out of the body (flesh) or in the body (flesh). I'm not pushing new age ideas, God's Word declares we have two separate body types, and that the resurrection is not one of flesh.

Nor would Paul have said this if he didn't understand about the two different bodies...

2 Cor 5:6-8
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7(For we walk by faith, not by sight

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
KJV

You had said . . .

and he saw God on His throne in Heaven, that was his spirit that saw that, not his flesh. Same thing here...

2 Cor 12:2-4
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
KJV

You declared that his spirit was seeing this, not his flesh, that this supports the idea that all men have a flesh and spirit body, and that the flesh body would fall away to reveal the spirit body.

I'm saying not even Paul would make such a declaration when someone he knew was taken into heaven. So how are you so certain?

Again, what I read is that the flesh body is transformed, not removed, and that we are dead spiritually until rebirth, and that is when we begin living in the heavenly realm.

But I know I'm repeating myself, no need for that!



Much love!

 

[marks]

The sheep are definitely believers in Christ during the tribulation period! They are not the church for the church has long been raptured and returns with Christ from heaven for this judgment!

The only people who will help "Jesus brethren" are those who do not take the mark! All others on earth will accept the mark and be damned forever. they are the goats.

You can't have the sheep the same as the elect, else there would be no sheep, they would have been already gathered.

Much love!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

You can't have the sheep the same as the elect, else there would be no sheep, they would have been already gathered.

Much love!

that would be incorrect.

Let us look and consider!

From MAtt. 24:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

In these passages we see Jesus return and the elect gathered! Where are they gathered to??? Jesus has returned to earth! Let us look further to see.

From Matt. 25:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

See!!!! In Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of His coming in glory with His angels (like in MAtt. 24 and REv. 1) sit in his glory .

See in chptr 25? All peoples are gathered to Jesus , not just the elect.

The sheep are tribulation believers who survived until the end, aided the elect of Israel and enter into the Millenial Kingdom! Just remember in chptr 25 these sheep didn't know they were serving the Lord when they fed, and gave drink to Jesus "brethren". that would force us to conclude that believers di dnot recognize other believers in the tribulation period. As we tend to know believers in all the church age, it seems farsical believer wouldn't recognize believer, especially in teh 2nd half of the trib. period when all but believers will wear the mark.

So the elect are the believers who aided the Jews who became believers at the end of the Tribulation period. that is the only biblical conclusion we can draw given all the little facts so many overlook.

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

 

[charity]

'When the Son of man shall come in His glory,
and all the holy angels with Him,
then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
And before Him shall be gathered all nations:
and He shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats:
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand,
but the goats on the left.'
(Mat 25:31-32)

Hello @marks and @Ronald Nolette,

These are NATIONS (Gentiles). There is no resurrection here (so no reference to Revelation 20). This gathering is to be on the earth (Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel 3:1-2; Joel 3:11-12). There are three 'classes' and not two. The test is not 'works', but the treatment of 'brethren' by the other two. No believer, ie., those who 'received the word' (Acts 2:41; 1 Thessalonians 2:13), for these will not yet be 'taken out of the nations'. (Acts 15:14), Israel not gathered here, because, 'not reckoned among the nations' (Numbers 23:9). The church of 'the Mystery' not here, because the reward here is 'from the foundation of the world' (v.34); while the Church was chosen 'before' that (Ephesians 1:4). The 'throne' is that of David (Luke 1:32).

* This was taken from the notes in the margin of my Bible.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[marks]

That idea is a Jewish idea crept into some denominations today. All those in Christ Jesus are His brethren. This should have been obvious by what Jesus said in Matthew 12.

Christ's sheep represent His Church of all peoples and nations. Like He said in Matthew 25, and Paul said in Ephesians 1, that is who His kingdom is prepared for before the foundation of the world.

I get the idea simply from the passage itself.

If the sheep=Jesus' brothers, you have a serious conflict between these two gathering.

Much love!

 

[marks]

'When the Son of man shall come in His glory,
and all the holy angels with Him,
then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
And before Him shall be gathered all nations:
and He shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats:
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand,
but the goats on the left.'
(Mat 25:31-32)

Hello @marks and @Ronald Nolette,

These are NATIONS (Gentiles). There is no resurrection here (so no reference to Revelation 20). This gathering is to be on the earth (Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel 3:1-2; Joel 3:11-12). There are three 'classes' and not two. The test is not 'works', but the treatment of 'brethren' by the other two. No believer, ie., those who 'received the word' (Acts 2:41; 1 Thessalonians 2:13), for these will not yet be 'taken out of the nations'. (Acts 15:14), Israel not gathered here, because, 'not reckoned among the nations' (Numbers 23:9). The church of 'the Mystery' not here, because the reward here is 'from the foundation of the world' (v.34); while the Church was chosen 'before' that (Ephesians 1:4). The 'throne' is that of David (Luke 1:32).

* This was taken from the notes in the margin of my Bible.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

That's interesting! Which Bible is that?

Much love!

 

[marks]

that would be incorrect.

Let us look and consider!

From MAtt. 24:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

In these passages we see Jesus return and the elect gathered! Where are they gathered to??? Jesus has returned to earth! Let us look further to see.

From Matt. 25:

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

See!!!! In Matthew 24 Jesus speaks of His coming in glory with His angels (like in MAtt. 24 and REv. 1) sit in his glory .

See in chptr 25? All peoples are gathered to Jesus , not just the elect.

The sheep are tribulation believers who survived until the end, aided the elect of Israel and enter into the Millenial Kingdom! Just remember in chptr 25 these sheep didn't know they were serving the Lord when they fed, and gave drink to Jesus "brethren". that would force us to conclude that believers di dnot recognize other believers in the tribulation period. As we tend to know believers in all the church age, it seems farsical believer wouldn't recognize believer, especially in teh 2nd half of the trib. period when all but believers will wear the mark.

So the elect are the believers who aided the Jews who became believers at the end of the Tribulation period. that is the only biblical conclusion we can draw given all the little facts so many overlook.

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Tell me if I'm understanding this correctly. Your view is that Jesus returns to earth, takes His throne, and all peoples of the earth are gathered to Him, including the elect, also known as Jesus' brothers, the sheep, and the condemned, all who did not care for Jesus' brothers, the sheep.

And that the telling in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 of people being gathered are the same gathering, told in different ways.

Do I have this right?

Much love!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

'When the Son of man shall come in His glory,
and all the holy angels with Him,
then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:
And before Him shall be gathered all nations:
and He shall separate them one from another,
as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats:
And He shall set the sheep on His right hand,
but the goats on the left.'
(Mat 25:31-32)

Hello @marks and @Ronald Nolette,

These are NATIONS (Gentiles). There is no resurrection here (so no reference to Revelation 20). This gathering is to be on the earth (Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel 3:1-2; Joel 3:11-12). There are three 'classes' and not two. The test is not 'works', but the treatment of 'brethren' by the other two. No believer, ie., those who 'received the word' (Acts 2:41; 1 Thessalonians 2:13), for these will not yet be 'taken out of the nations'. (Acts 15:14), Israel not gathered here, because, 'not reckoned among the nations' (Numbers 23:9). The church of 'the Mystery' not here, because the reward here is 'from the foundation of the world' (v.34); while the Church was chosen 'before' that (Ephesians 1:4). The 'throne' is that of David (Luke 1:32).

* This was taken from the notes in the margin of my Bible.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Well as for the timing of the first resurrection? That is for saints of the Tribulation period only, for the NT saints will have been raptured and rejoined with their now bodies that glorified! And OT saints were taken out of Abrahams bosom when Jesus ascended into heaven and closed paradise.

Anyone not a Jew is a gentile. So if one is an American believer in the tribulation period- He is a gentile believer.

As for teh from the foundation and before the foundation? That is a red herring!

The reward was prepared from the foundation of the world, but the Body of Christ was chosen before the foundation. The reward is from teh foundation, those who recieve the reward were picked before the foundation!

Church of the Mystery? Are you referring to the mystery parables? If so then the church is already with Jesus and beside His throne!

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Tell me if I'm understanding this correctly. Your view is that Jesus returns to earth, takes His throne, and all peoples of the earth are gathered to Him, including the elect, also known as Jesus' brothers, the sheep, and the condemned, all who did not care for Jesus' brothers, the sheep.

And that the telling in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25 of people being gathered are the same gathering, told in different ways.

Do I have this right?

Much love!

Almost!

In my not so humble opinion, the elect are tribulation believers, and the brethren are the 1/3 Jews who survive the tribulation and get saved three days before the Lord returns.

And yes teh accounts in 24 and 25 are the same event (When the son of man returns in all His glory) and 25 adding more information than 24. There is only one physical return of Jesus so these by default have to be the same event!

 

[marks]

Almost!

In my not so humble opinion, the elect are tribulation believers, and the brethren are the 1/3 Jews who survive the tribulation and get saved three days before the Lord returns.

And yes teh accounts in 24 and 25 are the same event (When the son of man returns in all His glory) and 25 adding more information than 24. There is only one physical return of Jesus so these by default have to be the same event!

OK, I think I understand!

I see the differences, one before and one after Jesus sits on His throne, one of a single group, one of a mixed group, the names for each matching the cultural references of the time. I see one being a known group - the elect. The other is an unknown mixture - Jesus separates them. They don't know why they are separated so.

Joel 3
1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

Of course, "plead with them" should be understood as a judge entering a judgment.

Here in Joel is the same thing, a restoration of Israel to their land, and the gathering of the nations for judgment.

Much love!

 

[Davy]

It's basic logic.

You have a group of people who are separated according to two different sorts, and the difference between them is according to their treatment of a special group. That group can't be the same as the group being identified, that is, the sheep are not determined according to how they treated the sheep, because they hadn't been selected to be sheep yet. This was a mixed group with different sorts of works, and their works were approved or rejected, they were approved or rejected, as to whether those works helped or not this special group, Jesus' brothers.

Jesus returns, and the chosen are gathered. He takes His throne, and the nations are gathered, judged, separated, according to whether they helped care for Jesus' brothers.

Look at the difference in the judgment from what Christians receive. If their works were of a certain sort they were declared righteous.

When I go with the simplest understanding of the prophetic narrative, just the plainness of what it says, I find a very coherent prophetic revelation.

much love!

Like I said, Lord Jesus' usage of "brethren" in Matthew 25:40 was not talking about His genealogical brothers or sisters. He was speaking of believers on Him, His Church, for that is what He called those of His Church in Matthew 12...

Matt 12:47-49
47 Then one said unto Him, "Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with Thee.

48 But He answered and said unto him that told Him, "Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?"

49 And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, "Behold My mother and My brethren!"
KJV