MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (á½…σοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
Eschatology
Written by: Max Klein
Views on the nature, purpose, and timing of the Rapture, Millennium, and Second Coming of Christ.
Chronological Order:
1. The Church Age from the Day of Pentecost to the Resurrection of the Church (Rapture).
2. The Tribulation or Daniel’s 70th week lasting nearly seven years,
3. The 2nd Advent of Christ which will usher in His millennial reign.
Rapture:
“Rapture” is a technical theological word for the resurrection of the church age believers. The Promise of the Rapture is found in John 14:1-3, “If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself.” 1 Corinthians 6:14, “Now God has not only resurrected our Lord, but He will raise us up through His power.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, “But we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep [dead] that you may not grieve, as to the rest of the world who have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again [and we do], even so God [omnipotence of God the Father] will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this doctrine we communicate to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord [Rapture] shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God; in fact, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then, we who are living who remain on the earth shall be caught up together with them [dead believers] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort each other with these doctrines.”
In John 11:25, Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall live even if He dies." So, why are you weeping and wailing about the death of Lazarus!
Just as the death of the believer is the Lord's victory, so the resurrection of the believer is the Lord's victory. The resurrection of the believer is the wise and sovereign decision of God. This means that the believer's volition, cognition, and individual merit are not factors in the resurrection namely the Rapture of the Church. The resurrection is strictly the Lord's victory. For just as we have no control over the manner or time of our death, so we have no control over the manner or time of our resurrection. This is completely a matter of the wisdom and sovereignty of God.
Your resurrection does not depend in any way on your merit or life. Winners and losers alike receive a resurrection body equally. No distinction is made between winners and losers at the point of receiving resurrection bodies. The Rapture will never occur by the merit of any Christians. So, resurrection is far greater than we can imagine for in resurrection, God makes no distinction between those who completely fail to execute the Christian way of life and those who succeed in executing the Christian way of life. It has everything to do with who and what the Lord is!
The time, place, and manner of the resurrection of the Church is God's perfect decision based on the completion of the body of Christ, called the royal family of God. Just as the believer has no control over the time, manner, or place of his death, so he has no control over the time, manner, and place of the resurrection. Like the death of the believer, resurrection or the Rapture is the decision of the sovereignty of God. Therefore, it is His victory alone. It is strictly a matter of grace.
Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour [of the 2nd Advent] no one knows, not even the [elect] angels of heaven nor the Son [speaking from his humanity], but the Father alone.”
No one knows when the Rapture and the 2nd Advent will take place. Obviously, if one knew when the 2nd Advent would occur, he could merely subtract the length of the Tribulation and know also the time of the Rapture. So, if one doesn’t know the date of the 2nd Advent, he also doesn’t know the date of the Rapture.
Since Jesus addresses God the Father as “Father,” he is speaking from his humanity. Obviously, both God the Son and the Holy Spirit know these dates since they are omniscient. The Father is in view here since he is the author of the plan.
Some pastors think that they are like God and think that they know the date of the Rapture. They think that they have information that not even the humanity of Christ possesses!
Second Advent:
Zechariah 14:1-4, “Behold, a day is coming [2nd Advent] for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.” Revelation 19:11-15, “Then [the first day of the second Advent of Christ] I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse [represents victory], and He who is mounted upon it is called, 'Faithful and True;’ and with justice He will judge and He will make war [The Lord will make war against all the nations invading Israel. Between the Valley of Esdraelon and Edom there are many armies and millions of soldiers.] (12) And his eyes (were) a flame of fire [ready to destroy the enemy] and on his head are many crowns. And he has a royal title which has been written which no one understood except himself. (13). Furthermore, he was wearing a military cloak which had been splattered with blood [after defeating the invading armies]. And his title has been called “The Logos of God”. (14) And the armies [Army of Elect Angels, Church Age believers, Old Testament Believers and Martyrs of the Tribulation] in heaven were following Him [the procession] on white horses, and they were clothed with fine linen, white and pure [eternal bodies with uniforms]. (15) And [at the 2nd Advent] a sharp broad sword comes out of His mouth, in order that with it [the sword] He should strike down [to kill with great violence from his integrity] the gentile nations [the enemy armies of many nations]. Then [after the slaughter of many armies] He will rule them with an iron scepter [crime will be punished by perfect jurisprudence]. And He treads the winepress of the wine of the wrath even the anger of God, the Omnipotent One.”
The Millennial Reign of Christ:
I hold to the Pre‑millennial view namely the orthodox view that the visible and personal return of Jesus Christ will precede His one-thousand-year reign which will occur after the Tribulation. So, the 2nd Advent will occur after the Tribulation to begin His Millennial reign.
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Some Characteristics of the Millennium:
1. The millennium starts out with Jewish and Gentile believers only, yet many of their children turn out to be unbelievers. Israel is regathered and restored as a client nation, Isaiah 10:20-21, “Now in that day [the 2nd Advent] the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. (21) A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.” Isaiah 11:11-12, “Then it will happen on that day [the 2nd Advent] that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. (12) And He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
2. Jesus Christ will rule the World as the King over kings and the Lord over lords.
3. There is a great population explosion since the environment will be perfect and death will take a holiday so that by the end of the millennium millions of unbelievers will exist on the earth who will have rejected the gospel and who will have joined the Gog revolution of Satan against the rule of Jesus Christ even though there is perfect objectivity in the administration of justice.
4. Spirituality in the millennium will function under two powers namely metabolized doctrine and the Filling of the Spirit which will be characterized by ecstasy. Joel 2:28-29, " It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy; your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (29) Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
5. The ferocity of animals will be removed. Isaiah 65:25, "The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the Lord.”
6. During the Millennium, Satan is bound and demons are removed. For that reason, there will be no religion in the Millennium. Revelation 20:1-3, “Then I saw [a vision] an angel descending from Heaven, having the key of the abyss [the fourth compartment of Hades] and a great chain [giant handcuffs] in his hand. (2) And he [the Officer of Arms] seized [with violence] the dragon [initial a term for beauty, but was distorted to mean a large snake in Classical Greek], that ancient serpent [so named because he indwelt the serpent to tempt the woman] who is the Devil [slanderer, accuser, defense attorney] even Satan [the Hebrew for devil], and bound him [with the chain] for a thousand years. (3) And he cast him into the abyss and shut and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years have been completed. After these things [the closing statement of Jesus Christ and other events of the Millennium], he must be released for a short time [for his closing statement].”
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7. There is universal peace, Psalm 46:9, “He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.” Isaiah 2:4, “And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war [under His rulership].” Also, universal peace is confirmed in Hosea 2:18 and Micah 4:3.
8. There will be universal knowledge of God, Isaiah 11:9, “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.”
9. There will be longevity in the human race, Isaiah 65:20, “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” There will be perfect health, so that people will have capacity for perfect environment (but this is not the same as capacity for life). The only reason people will die is capital punishment.
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10. There will be a perfect world government under the leadership of Christ and the delegation of authority to invisible heroes of the Church Age to rule nations, Zechariah 14:9, “And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.” Revelation 2:26-27, “He who is victorious [in the spiritual life] and keeps My assignments until the end [of his life], To him I will give authority over the nations, [as a blessing in the Millennium]; (27) And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces [swift and just punishment of criminals], as I also have received authority from My Father;”
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11. There will be perfect environment in nature. Creation is released from the bondage of man’s sinfulness, Romans 8:19-22, “For the confident expectation of creation [the material universe] waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God [the royal family and the Old Testament believers at the Second Advent]. (20) For the creation [nature] was subordinated [at the Fall] to futility [void of purpose] against its own will, but because of Him [God the Father] who has subordinated it in the time of hope [Jesus Christ at the 2nd Advent]. (21) Therefore, the material universe itself also shall be set free from the slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory [at 2nd Advent] with reference to the children of God. (22) For [explanatory] we know [perception of Bible doctrine in the past with the result that we know] that [delineates the content] the entire material universe groans [from great suffering] along with us [adult and mature believer in undeserved suffering] and suffers the pains of childbirth together with us until now.” Isaiah 35:1, 2, “The desert and the wilderness will be ecstatic [to dance around in a circle] in great happiness; and the desert will rejoice and blossom like a crocus. (2) It will blossom profusely, it will both rejoice with rejoicing and sing with happiness; the glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the majestic royalty of our God.” Isaiah 11:6-8, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. (7) The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. (8) The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child will put his hand into the viper's nest.”
What judgements will occur in the future? Who will be judged at each judgement, and for what will they be judged? For what will people be rewarded?
Two judgments regarding the unbeliever and one evaluation regarding the believer will occur.
1. At the 2nd Advent, all unbelievers will be removed from the earth through the Baptism (identification) of Fire. Matthew 25:41-46, “Then He also shall say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire [Baptism of Fire] prepared for the Devil and his angels. (42) For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; (43) I was a stranger and you did not take Me in; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me. (44) Then they will also answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You? (45) Then, He shall answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these [144,000 Jews] you did not do it to Me. (46) And these [the individual gentile unbelievers] shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous [believers with imputed righteousness] into everlasting life.”
2. After human history is brought to a close, all unbelievers including all true humans and the Nephilim will face the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 21:11-15, “Then, I saw [constantive aorist: the eschatological vision of the last courtroom of human history] a great [the importance of the judge] white [the integrity of the judge] throne, and he [the Lord Jesus Christ] who was sitting on it [the judgment bench] from whose presence [face] planet earth and heaven [earth’s atmosphere and stellar space] fled [ingressive aorist: will attempt to escape figuratively from the justice of the Lord. Since the earth and heaven were the locations of many sins, pseudo good and evil, they must be destroyed.] Consequently, no place was found for them [culminative aorist: The earth and heaven (earth’s atmosphere and stellar space) will be destroyed. They will be replaced by the New Heaven and the New Earth]. (12) Then, I saw the dead [all unbelievers of human history arraigned before the Supreme court in heaven], the great [famous and successful] and the insignificant [losers in history] standing [unbelievers in their resurrection bodies as a result of the 2nd Resurrection] before the throne [the Great White Throne]. Then, the books [which register the deeds of the unbelievers] were opened (to function as evidence that they are not righteous enough), and another book was opened which is the Book of Life [to verify that they do not possess eternal life]. Then, the dead [unbelievers] were judged from the things which had been written in the books according to their deeds [good deeds and accomplishments]. (13) Then, the sea [the sea prison of the Nephilim who have never been judged: half human-half angelic] gave up their dead which were in it, also Death [apparently those unbelievers, involved in the Gog-Magog revolution upon death (1st death) are changed from their mortal bodies directly into their eternal bodies (no need for them to be sent to Torments and given interim bodies, and then a short time later have their interim bodies changed into everlasting bodies) are arraigned before the Great White Throne Judgment ] and Hades [all unbelievers in Torments will be changed from their interim bodies to their everlasting bodies] gave up the dead which were in them [two locations: Death and Hades] and they were judged each one of them [individually] on the basis of their deeds [good deeds]. (14) Then Death [apparently those unbelievers, involved in the Gog-Magog revolution upon death (1st death) are changed from their mortal bodies directly into their eternal bodies (no need for them to be sent to Torments and given interim bodies) are arraigned before the Great White Throne Judgment] and Hades (the temporary location of the unbelievers now in their eternal bodies) were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the 2nd death, the Lake of Fire. (15) And, if anyone’s name having been written in the Book of Life [at birth] was not found in the Book of Life [at the Great White Throne Judgment], he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.”
3. Evaluation of the Christian after the Resurrection of the Church: The Evaluation Platform of Christ after the Rapture, the only evaluation that counts:
Romans 14:10, “You there, why do you [the weak believer] judge your fellow believer? Or you also, why do you [the strong believer] regard your fellow believer with contempt? For we shall all stand before the Evaluation Platform of God [the Judgment Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ].”
For what will Christians be rewarded?
1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time [the Rapture of the Church followed by the Evaluation Platform of Christ], but wait until the Lord comes [the Rapture of the Church] who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness [the tremendous repercussions of the teaching of the Word] and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.”
A few points regarding our future Evaluation:
1. Every believer is a royal priest and represents himself before God. After the Rapture of the Church, he will have to give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Each one of us must stand before the Judgment Seat [Evaluation Platform] of Christ alone. Just as we have to learn how to live our own lives and how to die alone, so we will stand alone in resurrection body before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account of ourselves to Him.
3. You are responsible for your own decisions. Ignorance is no excuse before the Judgment Seat of Christ. You must give an account for your own thoughts, motives, actions, and decisions. You cannot blame anyone else at the Judgment Seat of Christ for you yourself will be evaluated, judged by Jesus Christ whose evaluation of the believer will be perfect. So, why should any believer judge another when that judgment is imperfect.
4. Do not try to evaluate the work or life or function of another believer. This is the prerogative of Jesus Christ both now and after the Rapture.
5. Each believer must live his own life as to the Lord and avoid meddling in the affairs of another believer.
6. The life of every believer will be evaluated by the Lord Jesus Christ for the purpose of destroying human good and rewarding the advance to maturity and the passing of Evidence Testing.
7. The judgment seat of Christ never implies loss of salvation but only evaluation of your life after salvation.
Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me to decorate each winner according to his accomplishments.” This verse says that the winners will receive their escrow blessings for eternity at the Judgment Seat of Christ [the Evaluation Platform of Christ].
1. The main purpose of this evaluation is to decorate the mature believers “My reward is with Me”.
2. Sin is neither mentioned at the Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers nor at the Evaluation Platform of Christ for believers. The issue at the Evaluation Platform of Christ will be whether you will receive your Escrow Blessings or not.
3. The issue at the Evaluation Platform of Christ will be the quality of your production. Will you have gold, silver and precious gems or will it be wood, hay and stubble!
Eternal punishment
Satan and all fallen angels who have rejected God’s plan for their lives, and all human creatures of human history who have rejected the salvation message will spend all eternity in the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:10, “And the Devil [the enemy] who had deceived [durative present] them, was thrown [culminative aorist] into the Lake of Fire and burning sulfur, where the beast [the dictator of the Revived Roman Empire] and the false prophet [the false dictator and messiah of Israel] were. And they [the three just mentioned] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Revelation 20:15, “And, if anyone’s name having been written in the Book of Life [at birth] was not found in the Book of Life [at the Great White Throne Judgment], he was thrown into the Lake of Fire [an eternal judgment].”