Kolasis - William Barclay

[Truthnightmare]

Dear Truthnightmare,
You asked:
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand.

Is this a spiritual event? When you see…

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Are these wars spiritual events?

Yes, the Abomination of Desolation and the wars are spiritual and they happen within a believer.

Under the New Covenant, a believer becomes the temple of God after they receive the Early Rain of the Spirit. But when the spirit of anti-Christ enters the believer, a spiritual war will develop between the two.

Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Since the Early Rain of the Spirit is given in measure (a small amount), the child of God within the believer will lose the spiritual war. This will cause the believer to "fall away" and become "worse than the first" (Mat 12:43-45). This is when a believer becomes a man of sin/Seven Headed beast (Rev 13).

Please read my last post above. I present a little more on this subject there.

You said:
But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

Where the days of Noah spiritual events?

No. All the events of the Old Testament were actual physical events. But as Paul says, those events are "types" which teach spiritual truths that are fulfilled under the New Covenant.

1Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them (this includes Noah) as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.

The reason Christ mentions Noah in Mat 24 is because the story of Noah is a type for how Christ spiritually converts his Elect.

When Noah received his commission to build the ark, that event represented the Early Rain of the Spirit when a believer is called out from the world. The work of building the ark represents the time when a believer will "work" for his salvation rather than trust Christ to do all the work (faith). When Noah and his family (eight people; eight is the number for a new spiritual condition) entered the ark, it represented when a believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit and when they enter into the rest of Christ. The ark represents Christ who will protect the believer during their time of judgment. In other words, the believer will not experience wrath during their time of judgment. The flood represents the judgment of the believer which will destroy the spirit of anti-Christ and the believer's worsened carnal nature (the world). After the flood ends, all that will remain is the new child of God in the ark (Christ).

The story of Lot teaches the same conversion event and that is why Christ also mentions him. Lot's wife represents Lot's carnal nature and that is why she is destroyed.

Joe

The abomination of desolation shall be seen.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

If this is spiritual, why would you need to flee? And where do you flee to? A different part of your own mind.

You are spiritualizing the Bible away.

 

[FaithWillDo]

The abomination of desolation shall be seen.

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

If this is spiritual, why would you need to flee? And where do you flee to? A different part of your own mind.

You are spiritualizing the Bible away.

Dear Truthnightmare,
Your understanding is carnal and not spiritual and you are not rightly dividing the Word. The Old Covenant is outward and physical. The New Covenant is inward and spiritual.

Because the New Covenant is spiritual, the events of the New Covenant are likewise spiritual and they happen within a believer.

Under the New Covenant, the spirit word "see" means to understand. It does not mean to see physical things with human eyes.

Consider this verse:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The second coming of Christ is a spiritual event and it will happen to every person who has ever lived, including the actual Jews who "pierced him".

This verse teaches the same truth:

1Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

After a believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit, Christ will heal their spiritual blindness so that they can "see" Him. This is when a believer comes unto the knowledge of the truth. In other words, the Word of God (Christ) will open up to their understanding. It is not a physical event - it is a spiritual event that happens between the ears so to speak.

When the Abomination of Desolation happens within a new believer, they will fall away and come under the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ. While the believer is under Satan's deceptions, they do not realized that they are being deceived by him because that is the nature of deception. A person can only realize that they have been deceived after they come out from that deception.

Only after a believer's spiritual blindness is healed by Christ will they be able to "see" that Satan's had been deceiving them. This is the moment when they "see" the Abomination of Desolation which had previously occurred within them.

Joe

 

[Truthnightmare]

Dear Truthnightmare,
The bear, the lion, and the leopard are "spirit" words (symbols) which represent Satan.

Paul said this:
1Cor 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

To understand the spiritual symbols used in scripture, Paul says to compare them with how they are used elsewhere in scripture. We are not to look out into this physical world for understanding but only to God's Word. When we do this with the spirit words bear, lion and leopard, we find that they represent Satan.

Joe

The Bear represents Russia, the Lion has always represented Judah, and the Leopard represents the children of Satan.

Have you ever read any verse that symbolizes Satan as a Bear? Please provide it if you have.

I know where your coming from, this is a spiritual war, but we must rightly divide the word of God.

If you claim the Bear is symbolizing Satan, you have totally destroyed the following..

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

 

[Truthnightmare]

Dear Truthnightmare,
Your understanding is carnal and not spiritual and you are not rightly dividing the Word. The Old Covenant is outward and physical. The New Covenant is inward and spiritual.

Because the New Covenant is spiritual, the events of the New Covenant are likewise spiritual and they happen within a believer.

Under the New Covenant, the spirit word "see" means to understand. It does not mean to see physical things with human eyes.

Consider this verse:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The second coming of Christ is a spiritual event and it will happen to every person who has ever lived, including the actual Jews who "pierced him".

This verse teaches the same truth:

1Tim 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

After a believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit, Christ will heal their spiritual blindness so that they can "see" Him. This is when a believer comes unto the knowledge of the truth. In other words, the Word of God (Christ) will open up to their understanding. It is not a physical event - it is a spiritual event that happens between the ears so to speak.

When the Abomination of Desolation happens within a new believer, they will fall away and come under the influence of the spirit of anti-Christ. While the believer is under Satan's deceptions, they do not realized that they are being deceived by him because that is the nature of deception. A person can only realize that they have been deceived after they come out from that deception.

Only after a believer's spiritual blindness is healed by Christ will they be able to "see" that Satan's had been deceiving them. This is the moment when they "see" the Abomination of Desolation which had previously occurred within them.

Joe

Ok… If the new covenant is spiritual, and the events thereof are also, that means Christ never actually bleed, Stephen was never actually stoned to death… why even take communion, heck since we’re going all out, why even eat food since bread and water are spiritual I can make you a metaphysical Turkey for Christmas.

Want a plate…. But there’s no food on it, yes it is you just can’t see it because we’re in the new covenant and everything is spiritual.

 

[FaithWillDo]

The Bear represents Russia, the Lion has always represented Judah, and the Leopard represents the children of Satan.

Have you ever read any verse that symbolizes Satan as a Bear? Please provide it if you have.

I know where your coming from, this is a spiritual war, but we must rightly divide the word of God.

If you claim the Bear is symbolizing Satan, you have totally destroyed the following..

Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

Dear Truthnightmare,
You asked:
Have you ever read any verse that symbolizes Satan as a Bear? Please provide it if you have.

You are disregarding what Paul said to do to find the meanings of spiritual symbols. We are NOT to look out into this physical world for understanding. Paul says to look to God's Word.

1Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Pro 28:15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Lam 3:10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

Amos 5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Dan 7:5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

Ribs/bones in scripture represent the spiritual nature of a person. In man's case, it represents our carnal nature. Eve was made from Adam's rib and she represents the carnal nature of mankind. When Satan deceives mankind, he does so through our carnal nature and that is why scripture shows Eve as being the one who was deceived by Satan in the Garden. In the verse above, the bear (Satan) is shown to be eating three ribs. This represents that Satan deceives mankind through our carnal nature. The number "three" represents a spiritual process. In this case, the spiritual process represents when a new believer becomes worse than the first; a man of sin.

Joe

 

[FaithWillDo]

Ok… If the new covenant is spiritual, and the events thereof are also, that means Christ never actually bleed, Stephen was never actually stoned to death… why even take communion, heck since we’re going all out, why even eat food since bread and water are spiritual I can make you a metaphysical Turkey for Christmas.

Want a plate…. But there’s no food on it, yes it is you just can’t see it because we’re in the new covenant and everything is spiritual.

Dear Truthnightmare,
The literal events of scripture, either in the OT or the NT are physical types. Those physical types have spiritual fulfillments under the New Covenant.

Also, the prophecies which show Christ going to the cross were fulfilled under the Old Covenant. Because they were, they were physically fulfilled and not spiritually fulfilled.

Physical communion is a type which foreshadows its spiritual fulfillment. It is spiritually fulfilled when Christ comes to a believer with the Latter Rain. At that time, the believer will have their spiritual blindness healed so that they can start consuming the true bread from heaven (Christ, the Word of God) and the New Wine (New Covenant). This is when the Word of God will open up to their understanding.

Christ teaches this here:

Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Spiritual communion is also called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It will occur after Christ gives a believer the Latter Rain and heals their spiritual blindness. It is at that time that Christ will dine with the new child of God and feed them his truth (bread and wine).

Water baptism is also a physical type which foreshadows its spiritual fulfillment. When Christ gives an unbeliever the Early Rain of the Spirit and calls them out from the world, they are to be baptized in water. The water baptism is spiritually fulfilled when Christ comes to them a second time and baptizes them with the Holy Spirit (the Latter Rain).

Joe

 

[Truthnightmare]

Dear Truthnightmare,
The literal events of scripture, either in the OT or the NT are physical types. Those physical types have spiritual fulfillments under the New Covenant.

Also, the prophecies which show Christ going to the cross were fulfilled under the Old Covenant. Because they were, they were physically fulfilled and not spiritually fulfilled.

Physical communion is a type which foreshadows its spiritual fulfillment. It is spiritually fulfilled when Christ comes to a believer with the Latter Rain. At that time, the believer will have their spiritual blindness healed so that they can start consuming the true bread from heaven (Christ, the Word of God) and the New Wine (New Covenant). This is when the Word of God will open up to their understanding.

Christ teaches this here:

Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Spiritual communion is also called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This supper is the same as the spiritual communion. It will occur after Christ gives a believer the Latter Rain and heals their spiritual blindness. It is at that time that Christ will dine with the new child of God and feed them his truth (bread and wine).

Water baptism is also a physical type which foreshadows its spiritual fulfillment. When Christ gives an unbeliever the Early Rain of the Spirit and calls them out from the world, they are to be baptized in water. The water baptism is spiritually fulfilled when Christ comes to them a second time and baptizes them with the Holy Spirit (the Latter Rain).

Joe

I have much information concerning the articles of belief you have presented… but my time will be limited over the next couple of weeks.

However, I believe we can take a step back and find a common truth that will aid us in our discussion. You have studied much, well done! And you are a believer (most important) But don’t forget to decompress, enjoy the season Joe… and I will talk to you soon.
Merry Christmas Bro!

 

[FaithWillDo]

Three is the first of four perfect numbers (see p. 23).

• Three denotes divine perfection;
• Seven denotes spiritual perfection;
• Ten denotes ordinal perfection; and
• Twelve denotes governmental perfection.

With the holidays approaching I will be limited to my time and responses. You have done a great deal of studying, don’t forget to decompress and enjoy this season.. Enjoy the holidays, and we will speak soon.. Merry Christmas Joe!

Dear Truthnightmare,
Your spiritual understanding of numbers is not correct.

Here is a list of the main numbers used in scripture:

One: Unity

Two: The Elect, witnesses of God.

Three: a spiritual process.

Four: Whole measure.

Five: Pathway to God - by man’s work or by Grace through Faith.

Six: Mankind, short of perfection.

Seven: Perfection.

Eight: New Spiritual State.

Nine: Christ’s chastening judgment

Ten: Completeness.

Eleven: True apostles, chosen, full of New Wine.

Twelve: Kingdom of Heaven.

Fifteen: Spiritual resurrection, birth of the Child of God.

Twenty Three: Fornicating with Satan, loss of salvation

Thirty: (3 x 10) A complete spiritual process .

Forty: Tribulation

Forty Five: (3 x 15) The spiritual process of conversion and birth of a Child of God.

Ninety Nine: Called Out believers, Early Rain believers.

You said:
This proves that the "leaven" is a type of error, evil, and sin. While the "three measures of meal" with which it was mixed and hidden typified the truth and purity of Christ and His Truth, and not the corrupt mass of mankind amongst whom it was introduced. The popular interpretation reverses the types of the meal and the leaven, and makes the leaven that which is good, and the meal that which is evil. But the great Teacher made no such mistake. "Church doctrine" is not "Bible truth," but it is leavened meal.

This is the parable:

Mat 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

All the "Kingdom of Heaven is like" parables are teaching on certain aspects of the pathway to salvation.

This parable applies to a new believer who has only received the Early Rain. The "woman" in the parable represents the believer's carnal nature. She takes "leaven" (false teachings/deceptions) from Satan and hides it in three measures of meal (truth). This will result in the whole loaf of bread being leavened. When the new believer eats this bread, a spiritual process (three) will occur which will make the believer "worse than the first". Also, since the leaven is hidden in the bread, the believer does not know that Satan is deceiving them. This spiritual process is what caused the apostasy in the churches.

The parable of the mustard seed (Mat 13:31-32) basically teaches the same spiritual message.

Joe

 

[FaithWillDo]

I have much information concerning the articles of belief you have presented… but my time will be limited over the next couple of weeks.

However, I believe we can take a step back and find a common truth that will aid us in our discussion. You have studied much, well done! And you are a believer (most important) But don’t forget to decompress, enjoy the season Joe… and I will talk to you soon.
Merry Christmas Bro!

Dear Truthnightmare,
I am nearly always on the forum. If there is a particular subject you would like to discuss later, start a new thread and message me on it.

Also, if you find you have time over the holidays, you can find what I believe and teach on my website shown below my username.
Joe

 

[Truthnightmare]

Dear Truthnightmare,
I am nearly always on the forum. If there is a particular subject you would like to discuss later, start a new thread and message me on it.

Also, if you find you have time over the holidays, you can find what I believe and teach on my website shown below my username.
Joe

Will do… here is a more ad advanced study.

Untitled

 

[The Learner]

Dear Learner,
The Latter Rain movement is just another false teaching of the apostate church. It has nothing to do with the Early and Latter Rain teaching in scripture.

This verse applies:

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 "signs and wonders" within the apostate church are coming from the spirit of anti-Christ and not the Holy Spirit. This is certainly true of the "signs and wonders" of the Latter Rain movement.

This scripture also applies:

Rev 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

The second beast of Rev 13 is a symbol for the spirit of anti-Christ. The first beast is a symbol for a fallen away believer who has the indwelling of the spirit of anti-Christ. The first beast is also called a "man of sin". The 10 crowns on the head of the first beast represents Satan's rulership over the thoughts and beliefs of the man of sin.

Also, the first beast is said to have a deadly head wound by a sword. The sword is a symbol for the Word of God who is Christ.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

When a unbeliever receives the Early Rain of the Spirit and is called out from the world, Christ delivers a blow to their head because He will become the person's new head.

This verse applies:

Col 1:18 And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

But because the Early Rain of the Spirit is given in "measure" (Deu 32:2, Job 37:6 & Joel 2:23), Satan will win the spiritual war within the believer between the Holy Spirit and the spirit of anti-Christ.

Rev 11:7 And when they (the Two Witnesses, a symbol for all the Elect) shall have finished their testimony, the beast (Satan) that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

When the believer is "killed" (loses their salvation), the deadly wound to their head by the sword of Christ is healed. Now Satan becomes the head of the believer who has become a man of sin/first beast.

Joe

Thanks Joe, I never heard of it before.

 

[FaithWillDo]

Thanks Joe, I never heard of it before.

Dear Learner,
The Early and Latter Rain is at the core of the "great mystery of Christ and his church" (Eph 5:32). It is very concealed in scripture until Christ gives a believer "eyes that can see". After He does, they will find the Early and Latter Rain taught in many, many places of scripture.

Here is one such teaching:

Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Can you see the Early and Latter Rain in the above verse?

The stone is Christ. After a person receives the Early Rain, they will remain spiritually blind and carnally minded. Because of such, they will trip over the stone and be "broken" (lose their salvation).

To understand more on being "broken", we must look to other scripture:

Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another language will he speak to this people. 12 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Believers who have only received the Early Rain are not weaned from milk and cannot learn knowledge or understand doctrine. This happens because the new believer remains spiritually blind and can only try to understand God's Word in a carnal way. However, the truth of God's Word cannot be understood in a carnal way.

God's Word is purposely written in this concealed manner to satisfy the purposes of God. When a new believer cannot understand God's Word, it is through no fault of their own. It just wasn't meant to be.

As the scripture above says, God's Word is written in Christ's spiritual language (another language). It utilizes the Hebrew and Greek languages but the meanings of the words have definitions that are different than what man's wisdom teaches (1Cor 2:13). Then to make its messages of truth even more concealed from new believers, God's Word teaches its truth "here a little and there a little" which requires truth to be assembled from other places of scripture.

Because a new believer cannot understand and receive the truth of God, they will be broken (lose their salvation). Mat 12:43-45 also teaches this truth.

However, if the believer is "chosen", Christ will "come again" to them and give them the Latter Rain. With the Latter Rain, the child of God will be born. It is the child of God who has "eyes that can see" the truth of God's Word. From that truth, the believer's carnality will be ground to powder. In other words, they will be converted. It is truth (brightness of Christ's appearing) that destroys the man of sin and sanctifies the believer.

From my example above, can you see how truth must be assembled from different places of scripture so that a person can understand what is actually being taught?

It is not an easy process to find the truth:

Prov 2:1 My son (a converted believer/a child of God), if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Most apostate believers find it hard to accept the teaching that the truth of God's Word is concealed from everyone but the converted Elect. That teaching goes against their belief in the false doctrines of Free Will and Hell. Those doctrines don't make any sense if God's Word is taught in a concealed way. After all, doesn't God want to save everyone? Since God does, why would He keep His truth concealed from them if their eternal destiny depends upon their understanding it? This is quite a problem for the apostate church so they usually reject the concept that God's Word is concealed.

Joe