It is Enough to be an Israelite, But Enough for What?, Part 4

It is Enough to be an Israelite, But Enough for What?, Part 4 - Our Rebuttal to a Sermon by Bertrand Comparet

We have now taken three of these presentations to both present and critique the entirety of Bertrand Comparet’s sermon, Is it Enough Merely to be an Israelite?, which is contrary to our own view of Scripture, and, at least in our own opinion, we have discredited all of his arguments and all of his witnesses as either being inaccurate or as being irrelevant to the subject of eternal life. As we have seen, all of Comparet’s examples from Scripture concerned only temporal punishment or salvation, whereas he was errantly using them in a context which disputed the basis for eternal salvation.

But it is not sufficient merely to deconstruct what we believe are some of Bertrand Comparet’s errors, without offering support for our own position. So we also offered an allegory as we closed our arguments against him, that since he was a lawyer and we have cross-examined all of his witnesses, now we would present our own case. As we proceed, we shall also provide proof texts which inform us that these are indeed two separate issues, that eternal salvation and temporal salvation are two different subjects. It would be a joy to have Comparet here to cross-examine our witnesses, but of course that is not possible.

So here we shall present our own point of view, and our own witnesses which inform us that it certainly is enough merely to be an Israelite in order to attain eternal salvation. But that alone does not mean that there will be any reward in that salvation, so in our rebuttal we added the question, But enough for what? We will discuss that here as well, even if the full implications are not revealed to us in Scripture. As the apostle John wrote in chapter 3 of his first epistle, “2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” In this area especially, we cannot claim to know anything more than what John had known.

We have spoken on this subject in the past, most recently about 15 months ago in a presentation titled Adamic Eternity: The Greatest Discovery. Here we shall not even cite or source that presentation, or even read it in preparation for this one, as it is more fitting to present the subject from as different and as fresh a perspective as possible.

As it is presented in the Book of Genesis, when Adam was created there was no mention made of death, except as a punishment for a particular sin, where we read in Genesis chapter 2: “17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” But Adam did not die on the very day that he had transgressed. Rather, he lived for hundreds of years more and he had many sons and daughters before he died. So where it says “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”, the act of transgression was only a sure indication that he would die, because he was made to be immortal. When he transgressed, and his punishment was announced, we read in Genesis chapter 3, in part, that “19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” So on account of his sin, Adam was subjected to transientness, or vanity.

Therefore Adam was assured death on account of his sin, but if he had been stricken dead immediately, then the plan of Yahweh for His creation would have failed, since there would have been no purpose for a “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, which is how Christ had described Himself in Revelation chapter 13. Yahweh created Adam for a particular purpose, and would not merely dispose of him and his wife and start over, because His purposes do not fail, and because He knew what would happen, and what He would have to do to preserve Adam, even before Adam was created. Adam was created to be immortal, and that is why we read in chapter 2 of the Wisdom of Solomon: “23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity. 24 Nevertheless through envy of the devil came death into the world: and they that do hold of his side do find it.” Since God does not fail, even when men do, then Adam will ultimately be immortal in spite of his own weakness, and even that weakness had God also created.

Upon the fall of Adam, the first promise of a restoration to eternal life is found later in Genesis chapter 3, where we read: “22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.” So once again, it is manifest that Adam would face death because he had experienced good and evil, because he was created immortal and had evidently lost that privilege when he sinned against God. Then as a result of his punishment, we read further that “23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

In that passage, the text of verse 22 is often interpreted by commentators as a prohibition, and then the cherubs are interpreted as having been placed in order to prevent the man from grasping the tree of life, but that is not true. Rather, the text of verse 22 offers a condition, that “unless the man grasps the tree of life…” and no alternative result is described if he does not, because once it is realized that Christ, the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”, is the Tree of Life, and since God does not fail, there is no other valid alternative which can be offered as a possible result to the condition. This is essentially an “if” without a “then” because there is no “then”, and therefore the clause is intentionally worded to reflect that. Therefore Adam was destined from the beginning to grasp the Tree of Life, and to be restored to immortality through Him who had created him. So Genesis 3:22 also expresses the Sovereignty of God, as He is responsible for His Creation, and as a Father is responsible for His children, there is a “lest”, or “unless”, but in the end there is no possible alternative because God does not fail, and because God does not fail, in the end man himself really has no choice.

Much later in Scripture, in John chapter 15, Yahshua Christ declares for Himself to be the Tree of Life where He says, in part, “1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

Going back to the cherubs, they are an allegory, and their placement is a sign assuring that the man would have a path to the tree of life, because they were to keep the path. So the next time they are mentioned in Scripture, they are found atop the Ark of the Covenant in which were kept the tablets of the law. Therefore the cherubs indicate to us that the keeping of the law is the path to the Tree of Life which the cherubs had guarded. While man has often failed to keep the law, those who had kept it helped to set the circumstances under which Christ had come to redeem His people. As Paul of Tarsus explained in Galatians chapter 4, “4 And when the fulfillment of the time had come, Yahweh had dispatched His Son, having been born of a woman, having been subject to law, 5 in order that he would redeem those subject to law, that we would recover the position of sons.” Later, in Revelation chapter 22, there is no longer a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but there is still a Tree of Life, and we read: “14 Blessed are they washing their garments, that it shall be their license to the tree of life and they may enter into the gates into the city.” They wash their garments in the Blood of Christ by accepting His Gospel and keeping His commandments.

So man was created to be immortal, but Yahweh God, being God, foresaw what would happen as soon as He had placed Adam in the garden of Eden, where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil had already been. That tree is an allegory for the Nephilim, which are the serpent and the fallen angels. Through envy for that tree Adam found death, and Yahweh must have foreseen that circumstance. However this provenance of God is why Solomon had written in Ecclesiastes chapter 1, where he spoke of vanity and described it as “this sore travail [God hath] given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.” Paul of Tarsus also understood that aspect of Scripture, and explained in Romans chapter 8 that “18 Therefore I consider that the happenstances of the present time are not of value, looking to the future honor to be revealed to us. 19 Indeed in earnest anticipation the creation awaits the revelation of the sons of Yahweh. 20 To transientness the creation was subjected not willingly, but on account of He who subjected it in expectation 21 that also the creation itself shall be liberated from the bondage of decay into the freedom of the honor of the children of Yahweh. 22 For we know that the whole creation laments together and travails together until then.” So the sin and the resulting fall of Adam occurred within the permissive Will of God, and evidently results in the exercise of man in vanity, whereby he learns the consequences of sin, and by that, the divine Will of God for the Adamic man shall ultimately be achieved.

Where Paul used the term creation in that passage, he was referring only to the Adamic creation, as the balance of the chapter reveals. Yahweh God, knowing the circumstances under which he had placed the Adamic man, also foresaw that Adam would fall. However Yahweh God had already created the remedy by which to forgive and excuse His creation, and by which His enemies would stumble and fall, in the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. So for that same reason, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 Paul wrote that “22 Just as in Adam all die, then in that manner in Christ all shall be produced alive.” Then in Romans chapter 5 he wrote: “12 For this reason, just as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the Society, and by that sin death, and in that manner death has passed to all men [the descendants of Adam], on account that all have sinned: 13 (for until the law sin was in the Society; but sin was not accounted, there not being law; 14 but death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not committed an error resembling the transgression of Adam, who is an image of the future. 15 But should not, as was the transgression, in that manner also be the favor? Indeed if in the transgression of one many die, much greater is the favor of Yahweh, and the gift in favor, which is of the one man Yahshua Christ, in which many have great advantage [the same many who died]. 16 And not then by one having sinned is the gift? Indeed the fact is that judgment of a single one [Christ] is for condemnation, but the favor is from many transgressions into a judgment of acquittal. 17 For if in the transgression of one [Adam], death has taken reign through that one, much more is the advantage of the favor, and the gift of justice they are receiving, in life they will reign through the one, Yahshua Christ.) 18 So then, as that one transgression is for all men [all of Adam’s descendants] for a sentence of condemnation, in this manner then through one decision of judgment for all men [those same descendants] is for a judgment of life. 19 Therefore even as through the disobedience of one man [Adam] the many were set down as sinners, in this manner then through the obedience of One [Christ] the many will be established as righteous. 20 Moreover, law entered in addition, that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, favor exceeded beyond measure, 21 that just as sin reigned in death, so then favor shall reign through justice for life eternal, through Yahshua Christ our Prince.” Here Paul excluded no man in his explanation of the ultimate purposes of the Creation of God, and the consequences of man’s fall from grace, that man would be restored in Christ, without exception. In the subsequent chapters, Paul explained the relationship between sin, the law, the flesh and the spirit, and those words which we have already cited from Romans chapter 8 are part of his conclusion: “that also the creation itself shall be liberated from the bondage of decay into the freedom of the honor of the children of Yahweh.”

The Adamic creation shares a common origin in the first man Adam, and therefore it also shares a common destiny in Yahshua Christ. Christ came to partake and suffer in that same vanity to which the Adamic man was subjected, so we read in Hebrews chapter 2: “11 For both He sanctifying and those being sanctified are all sprung from one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: ‘I will announce Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.’ 13 And again: ‘I will be confident in Him.’ And again: ‘Behold, I and the children which Yahweh has given me.’ 14 Therefore, since the children have taken part in flesh and blood, He also in like manner took part in the same, that through death He would annul him having the power of death, that is, the False Accuser, 15 and He would release them, as many as whom in fear of death, throughout all of their lives were subject as slaves. 16 For surely not that of messengers has He taken upon Himself, but He has taken upon Himself of the offspring of Abraham, 17 from which He was obliged in all respects to become like the brethren, that He would be a compassionate and faithful high priest of the things pertaining to Yahweh to make a propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 In what He Himself has suffered being tested, He is able to help those being tested.”

Then, in Romans chapter 6, Paul wrote, as it is in the King James Version: “5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” That is the origin and destiny not only of the children of Israel, but of the entire Adamic race, as they had all been planted together in the image and likeness of God and subjected to death on account of Him. In Romans chapter 6, Paul was still writing within the context of his words concerning the Adamic race in Romans chapter 5. Christ Himself upholds this prospect of eternal life for the entire Adamic race, where He was speaking of His enemies and we read in the Gospel, as it is recorded in Luke chapter 11: “29 Then upon the gathering of the crowd He began to speak: ‘This race is a wicked race! It seeks a sign, and a sign shall not be given to it except the sign of Ionah. 30 For just as Ionah had been a sign to the Ninevites, so also shall be the Son of Man to this race. 31 The queen of the south shall arise in the judgment with the men of this race and shall condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here! 32 The men of the Ninevites shall be resurrected in the judgment with this race and shall condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Ionah, and behold, a greater than Ionah is here!’”

There we see that both the Assyrians, who were also of Shem, and the children of Ham, ostensibly along with the entire Adamic race, shall be in the resurrection, and they shall certainly not be subjected to vanity once again. As Paul had said in Romans chapter 5, “18 So then, as that one transgression is for all men [all of Adam’s descendants] for a sentence of condemnation, in this manner then through one decision of judgment for all men [those same descendants] is for a judgment of life.” As Paul said there, this is through one decision of judgment, which is the decision that Yahweh had made even before He had created Adam, that upon his fall, Yahweh already planned a remedy, made according to the law, to see to Adam’s restoration.

The apostle Peter confirms this where in his first epistle he had attested that Christ had even gone to Hades, which the Hebrews called Sheol, the underworld abode of the spirits of the dead which had been alienated from God, and there He had preached the Gospel even to those spirits of men which had died in the flood of Noah. Next to Adam, these men were the foremost of sinners, who had all given their daughters over to fornication with the Nephilim, which is essentially the same sin which had caused the fall of Adam in Genesis chapter 3, which was to eat from of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So where we read from 1 Peter chapter 3, the apostle also confirms those words of Paul about one decision of judgement being a judgement of life for all men, where he wrote: “18 Because Christ also suffered once for all sins, the just on behalf of the unjust, in order that He may lead you to Yahweh, indeed dying in the flesh but being made to live by the Spirit. 19 At which also going He proclaimed to those spirits in prison, 20 who at one time had been disobedient – when the forbearance of Yahweh awaited in the days of Noah’s preparing the vessel in which a few, that is eight souls [or lives], had been preserved through the water.” Later, in chapter 4, Peter referred to this once again and wrote: “6 Indeed for this also to the dead the good message has been announced, that they may indeed be judged like men in the flesh, but live like Yahweh in the Spirit.” Those dead had never lived believing in Jesus, as the denominational Christians like to teach, but they certainly must have believed Him in the spirit, so we see that even those eternal spirits of the children of Adam who do not believe in this world nevertheless have an opportunity to do so, and to repent, in the next world.

So with this it should be fully evident that eternal life and temporal punishment for sin, and even by death, are two unrelated subjects. While a man is judged for his works, as Christ attested on many occasions, his sins are forgiven because Yahweh God has promised to forgive them. But punishment is for correction, and not for eternal destruction, and the lessons have no value if they are not taken beyond this world. For that Paul had written in Hebrews chapter 12: “3 Consider He who has endured such great controversy from sinners in regard to Himself, that you not be wearied, your souls giving way. 4 Not yet have you resisted as far as blood, struggling against sin, 5 and you have utterly forgotten the exhortation which with you, as sons He converses: ‘My son, do not esteem lightly the discipline of Yahweh, nor faint being censured by Him. 6 For whom Yahweh loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.’ 7 You endure discipline; as sons Yahweh engages with you. For what is a son whom a father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which you all have become partakers, then you are bastards, and not sons. 9 Accordingly we have had as disciplinarians our fathers of the flesh and we respect them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of Spirits, and we shall live? 10 Indeed they for a few days had disciplined in accordance with that which is determined by them, but He for a benefit, for which to have a share in His holiness. 11 Now any discipline for the present seems not to be of joy but of grief, though later returns peaceable fruit of righteousness to those having been trained by it.”

Therefore Paul of Tarsus wrote of a certain fornicator, in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, and urged the Christian assembly at Corinth to “5 deliver such a wretch to the Adversary, for destruction of the flesh, in order that the Spirit may be preserved in the day of the Prince.” Once again, temporal punishment does not lead to eternal destruction, but rather, we should learn the consequences of sin through our chastisement even if we do not accept the lessons until after we pass from this world. For that same reason, Paul wrote to Timothy in the opening chapter of his first epistle to him, explaining the fate of some of his former colleagues, and he said “18 I commit this command to you, child Timotheos, in accordance with those prophecies which have led the way before you, that by them you may soldier a good battle, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which refusing to accept some have been shipwrecked in regard to the faith. 20 Of which are Humenaios and Alexandros, whom I have surrendered to the Adversary [or Satan] in order that they would be disciplined, not to blaspheme.” Paul’s words concerning the fornicator are an assurance that the spirit lives beyond the body, and so do Peter’s words concerning the spirits in prison, that they died in the flesh, but continued to live in the spirit. Otherwise, they could not have received the Gospel of Christ. Therefore the Wisdom of Solomon is also true, where it says in chapter 2 that “23 … God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.” The spirit which Yahweh instilled into Adam is the image of His Own eternity.

The ancient children of Israel had all sinned, and they sinned in many very grievous ways. Not only did they often commit the same race-mixing fornication of those who died in the flood, but they frequently sacrificed even their legitimate children to the abominable idols of the Canaanite nations. Yet in spite of their sins they were promised salvation and redemption, even from death, and those promises, which Yahshua Christ had come to fulfill, were all made without exception. For those sins, in Amos chapter 3 we read: “2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Here it is evident that the purpose of the punishment is so that those same children of Israel ultimately learn to agree with Yahweh their God. He is not going to agree with them, but He will continue to punish them until they agree with Him. [Unlike most men today, He will not cuck out to a stubborn and rebellious wife.] Then we read likewise in Jeremiah chapter 30: “10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. 11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” While Amos had written just before the children of Israel were taken into captivity, Jeremiah was writing as the captivities were coming to a completion, and we see that in the hundred and sixty year period which intervened, Yahweh God had not changed His mind. Israel would go into captivity for their correction, and they would be saved in spite of their sins.

So after the Word of Yahweh had spoken those words concerning chastisement in Jeremiah chapter 30, and promised both grace and a new covenant to the children of Israel in chapter 31, we read a little further on, in chapter 33: “7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. 8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” With this, it is evident that none of their iniquities are excluded. Then a little further on we read: “14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she [Jerusalem] shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.” So we see that this is a Messianic prophecy, and referring to those nations which had destroyed ancient Judah, a little further on it says: “24 Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them. 25 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.” So only if day and night fail will the children of Israel ever be cast away, which means that Yahweh shall never cast them away, in spite of their sins.

In Isaiah chapter 28, after speaking of the “drunkards of Ephraim” and the general uncleanliness of the people, the Word of Yahweh spoke of teaching them doctrine “precept upon precept; line upon line”, and attested that “11 … with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 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.” So even having the Word of God, it was inevitable that they would sin and suffer punishment. Then we read, on account of their sin: “14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. 15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.” But even in spite of that, we next read in a Messianic prophecy: “16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. 17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. 18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” Therefore, on account of Christ, even if they were punished in this world, their covenant with death and their agreement with hell, things which represent the extent of their sins, would not stand, Yahweh God would abolish death and hell and save them all in spite of their sins.

Earlier in Isaiah, in an enigmatic and apocalyptic prophecy found in Isaiah chapter 25, we read in part where it speaks of Yahweh and says: “7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail [the blindness of prohecy] that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.” Likewise in Hosea chapter 13, the chapter opens by recounting some of the sins of Israel and we read: “1 When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. 2 And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.” Then a little further on Yahweh declares: “4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.” Then after speaking even further of their sins, we read a promise, that in spite of their sins: “14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.”

These two passages, from Isaiah chapter 25 and Hosea chapter 13, were cited by Paul of Tarsus where in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 we read: “51 Behold I tell you a mystery, we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed. 52 In an instant, in a dart of an eye, with the last trumpet; for it shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 This decay wants to be clothed in incorruptibility, and this mortal to be clothed in immortality. 54 And when this decay shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then the word that has been written shall come to pass: ‘Death has been swallowed in victory.’ 55 ‘Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?’ 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but gratitude is to Yahweh, in whom we are being given the victory through our Prince, Yahshua Christ.”

Earlier in that same chapter, Paul attempted to explain how resurrection is possible through the spirit which Yahweh had instilled into the Adamic man, and he wrote: “42 In this way also is the restoration of the dead. It is sown in decay, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in honor. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body; if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual [the same image of God’s eternity mentioned in the Wisdom of Solomon]. 45 And just as it is written, the first man Adam ‘came into a living soul,’ the last Adam into a life producing Spirit. 46 But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural, then the spiritual: 47 the first man from out of earth, of soil; the second man from out of heaven. 48 As he of soil, such as those also who are of soil; and as He in heaven, such as those also who are in heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of that of soil, we shall also bear the likeness of that of heaven.” There Paul used Adam as an analogy for the earthly man, and Christ as an analogy for the man resurrected through the spirit, as all Adamic men have that spirit and shall be resurrected in the same manner as Christ. That is also why he wrote in Romans chapter 6, which we have already cited here, that “5 … if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”

Even earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, essentially teaching the same thing which he had later taught in Romans chapter 5, albeit from a different perspective, Paul had written: “20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruit of those who are sleeping. 21 Indeed since death is through a man [Adam], restoration of the dead is also through a man [Christ]. 22 Just as in Adam all die, then in that manner in Christ all shall be produced alive. 23 But each in his own order: the first fruit, Christ; then those of the Anointed at His arrival. 24 Then the consummation, when He should hand over the kingdom to Yahweh who is also the Father; when He shall abolish all rule and all license and power. 25 Indeed it is necessary for Him to reign, until He should place all of the enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy abolished is death, 27 therefore ‘all are subjected under His feet.’” There is a verification of this in Revelation chapter 20 where we read: “11 And I saw a great white throne and He sitting upon it, from whose presence the earth and the heaven had fled, and a place is not found for them. 12 And I saw the dead: the great ones and the small ones, standing before the throne. And books had been opened, and another book was opened, which is that of life, and the dead were judged from out of the things written in the books according to their works. 13 And the sea had given over those dead who were in it, and Death and Hades had given over those who were in them, and each are judged according to their works. 14 And Death and Hades are cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death: the lake of fire. 15 And if one is not found written in the book of life, he is cast into the lake of fire.”

Similarly to the prophecies concerning the forgiveness of sins found elsewhere, we read in Micah chapter 7: “18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” But as in all of the promises of the forgiveness of the sins of the children of Israel, it is also evident here, that there are no sins which are excluded from this promise. While men shall be punished and suffer temporally for their sins, which is just, their sins shall nevertheless be forgiven and they shall have opportunity, and ultimately have no other choice but to repent in the spirit.

The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, Yahshua Christ, had come to forgive all of the sins of the children of Israel, because it is sin into which they had sold themselves, so it is sin from which they needed to be redeemed. We read in in Isaiah chapter 44: “21 Remember these things, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant; I have formed thee to be my servant: and do thou, Israel, not forget me. 22 For behold, I have blotted out as a cloud thy transgressions, and thy sin as darkness: turn to me, and I will redeem thee.” Then in Isaiah chapter 50: “1 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.” So Paul wrote in Romans chapter 7: “14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Then in Romans chapter 8: “2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” But in a greater context, Yahshua Christ also came as a remedy for the entire Adamic race, as He is the Tree of Life by which Adam shall eat and live forever. But any of the other transgressions of the wider Adamic race are not imputed, since as Paul also explained in Romans chapter 5, they were never under any law except that one law which was first given to Adam, which is not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the act which had caused His fall in the first place, and the cause behind the wrath which was brought upon man in the flood of Noah.

So there is a consistent theme throughout the Bible concerning the Adamic man and eternal life, and it is found in Genesis, in Solomon, in Isaiah, in Hosea, in Jeremiah, in Micah, in the words of Paul, in the epistles of Peter, and in the Gospel and the Revelation, which clearly teaches us that the Adamic man is an eternal being, and that Yahweh God shall restore His creation to the state and purpose for which it was originally created, as it had been before Adam had transgressed. In the end, upon the coming of the Son of Man, the sheep and the goats are separated by nations, and all of the sheep enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh, without exception. But all of the goats are cast into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, without exception. Origin is destiny, for which reason only those men born from above may enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Adam was of flesh, but his spirit was of God, so Adam was born from above. The spirit is more valuable than the flesh as the object within a vessel is more valuable than the vessel itself. Paul of Tarsus referred to the spirits of men as “treasure in earthen vessels” in 2 Corinthians chapter 4.

On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church teaches a doctrine which is absolutely alien to Scripture, where any man, regardless of his race or origin, may choose God for himself, and make his own choice to do either good or evil, whereby he can merit his way into the Kingdom of Heaven, or demerit his way into eternal hellfire. This belief stands in conflict with much of Scripture, and it is only thinly and superficially supported in a few verses which are taken out of context. Bertrand Comparet tried his best to support salvation by works, in one of his longest published sermons, and he failed. But as we had demonstrated, even he correctly denied salvation by works in certain of his other sermons.

But those of us who cannot depart from their Roman Catholic indoctrination shall always find an excuse in Scripture not to accept this. For example, in the King James Version in Mark chapter 9 we read: “43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” However the word for hell in that passage is not Hades. Rather, it is Gehenna, and it describes the place where the children of Israel had at one time sacrificed their children to Moloch, the Canaanite abomination, in the Valley of Hinnom. Gehenna is a transliterated Greek compound word which was partially borrowed from Hebrew and essentially it means land of Hinnom. So we read of the sins of Israel, in Jeremiah chapter 7: “31 And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.”

So because we cannot interpret this passage in a way which conflicts with all of the promises of God, we must interpret it to be a reference to temporal punishment and destruction, which agrees with how the Valley of Hinnom was used by Israelites in the Old Testament. With that interpretation, the fact that “their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” represents the fact that the torment of their punishment shall never be forgotten. This is also how we have interpreted the torment of Revelation chapter 14 where we read: “9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” The fact that the torment is forever remembered is indicative of the truth of our assertion, that the lessons of the consequences of sin and punishment in this life are taken into the next. So we would interpret the words of Christ as a warning, that a man should rather prefer to go through life maimed, than to suffer as a result of punishment for sin.

So this is where we shall attempt to answer our question: But enough for what?, and in treating this question we must ask another: Does Yahweh God abrogate His Own promises? Even Paul of Tarsus, in that same passage in Romans chapter 11 where he had paraphrased Isaiah and wrote that “26 … all Israel shall be saved”, had also written “29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance”, meaning that God does not change His mind, and He does not abrogate His promises. So we believe with confidence that our position on eternal life is the Scriptural position, that every single Adamic being is inherently eternal, as it was created by God. Yes, Christ had warned, as it is in the King James Version in Matthew chapter 10, that His disciples “28 … fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The word for hell there is also Gehenna, and we may also argue that there we see the word ψυχή, which is generally soul or life, rather than πνεῦμα, which is generally spirit, and that may also help our position, we would rather revert to our question, does Yahweh God abrogate His promises? And then, would Yahweh God change His purpose for the man which He had created? These questions are not merely emotional appeals or the faulty logic of man, but rather, the promises and purposes of God which were before announced in the prophets must stand, and to dispute them is an emotional appeal and the faulty logic of man.

So as the apostle John had said, “it doth not yet appear what we shall be” and in this respect we shall first cite the words of the prophet Daniel, in Daniel chapter 12: “1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” We interpret this passage to mean that those who awake in order to suffer everlasting shame and contempt shall nevertheless continue to exist for eternity. Otherwise, there would be no “shame and everlasting contempt.”

In the New Testament, we can cross-reference this to certain of the parables of Christ, but we prefer to cross-reference it to Paul’s more detailed explanation in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 where he wrote: “11 For another foundation no one is able to place besides that which is established, which is Yahshua Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds upon that foundation gold, silver, precious stones, timber, fodder, straw, 13 the work of each will become evident; indeed the day will disclose it, because in fire it is revealed; and of what quality the work of each is, the fire will scrutinize. 14 If the work of anyone who has built remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If the work of anyone burns completely, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be preserved, although consequently through fire.” We would assert that having no treasure in heaven, having no reward in the Kingdom of God, a man is resurrected to “shame and everlasting contempt.”

But we would not cross-reference either passage, that of Daniel 12 or of 1 Corinthians 3, to Matthew chapter 25 and the parable of the servants. In that parable, three servants were each given an amount of money, one ten talents, one five, and a third only one talent, before their lord traveled abroad. While he was gone, those who received the higher amounts had earned a proportionate sum in his absence, for which they were later rewarded. But the third servant purposely earned nothing, and for that he was called both wicked and slothful, and the others were told to take what he had from him, “30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Removed from its context, it may appear that this parable contradicts certain of the promises of God. However in the very next verse, without any break in the context, Christ explains the situation with another parable, which is that of the sheep and the goat nations. Therefore the unprofitable servant must have been a goat, and the thought evokes the words of Christ in Matthew chapter 7 where we read: “21 Not all who say to Me ‘Prince, Prince!’ shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he doing the will of My Father who is in the heavens. 22 Many shall say to Me in that day ‘Prince, Prince, have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and have done many works of power in Your name?’ 23 And then shall I profess to them that ‘Never have I known you! Depart from Me, those who are working at lawlessness!’” The wicked servant was apparently not a child of Yahweh.

But the resurrection to everlasting contempt may be the same as the resurrection to judgment which we see in John chapter 5: “24 Truly, truly I say to you that he hearing My Word and believing in He who has sent Me has eternal life and does not come to judgment, but has passed from death into life!” Those of His who believe Him already have eternal life, but this alone does not condemn those who have not believed, who are ignorant of or who do not understand the Scriptures. So Christ continued and said “25 Truly, truly I say to you that the hour comes and is now, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Yahweh and those hearing shall live! 26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, thusly also He has given the Son to have life in Himself. 27 And He has given authority to Him to make judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be astonished at this, because the hour comes in which all those in the tombs shall hear His voice, 29 and they shall go forth: those having done good things to a resurrection of life, but those having practiced wicked things to a resurrection of judgment.” Yet even this does not negate all of the promises of mercy and forgiveness of sins. As it says here, “those hearing shall live”, even if they must face judgement.

Perhaps at least some of those who may be found among those who are resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt may have been identified in Matthew chapter 12, where Yahshua Christ had said: “31 For this reason I say to you, every error and blasphemy shall be remitted for men, but blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be remitted. 32 And whoever should speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be remitted for him, but whoever should speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be remitted for him, neither in this age nor in that which is coming!” These are the words of Christ, that every sin is forgiven unto men, and if every sin is forgiven unto men, then every man has eternal life. There we also see that even men who blaspheme the Holy Spirit will be in the world to come, because their spirits are eternal, but they shall not be forgiven of their blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

In Matthew chapter 19, Christ is encountered by a young man who was evidently seeking to be justified, and we read: “16 And behold, one having come forth to Him said ‘Teacher, what good shall I do that I would have eternal life?’ 17 But He said to him ‘Why would you speak to Me concerning good? There is One who is good! But if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ 18 He says to Him ‘Which?’ And Yahshua said: ‘That you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not testify falsely, 19 honor father and mother, and you shall love he who is near to you as yourself.’ 20 The young man says to Him: ‘I have kept all these things! What more do I want?’ 21 Yahshua said to him: ‘If you wish to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in the heavens, and come, follow Me!’ 22 And hearing this word the young man departed grieving, for he was holding much property.”

Here Christ set an example, that ultimately every knee shall bow to Yahweh, and therefore all men shall keep His commandments. Hearing the Gospel, especially from the mouth of Christ Himself, they certainly should desire to keep them. But the example does not preclude any of the promises of mercy and forgiveness extended to the children of Israel for their sins. However the reward, the treasure in heaven, is offered to the man if indeed he would seek to love his brethren, by sharing his wealth with the poor, and by following Christ. That was too much for the young man at that time, but we never learn of his ultimate fate. He would live, but perhaps if he had never heeded those words later in life, he may have no reward in the Kingdom of Heaven. Having been wealthy, but selfish, he would have failed in his obligations to God and to his brethren.

But while Christ had challenged the young man to do better, that does not mean that even a wealthy man must sacrifice all of his wealth to please God. In the account of Zacchaeus, recorded in Luke chapter 19, we read, where Christ was traveling to Jerusalem from Galilee: “1 Then entering in He passed through Iericho, 2 and behold, a man by name called Zakchaios, and he was chief tax-collector and he was wealthy. 3 And he sought to see Yahshua, who He is, and was not able because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 Yet running ahead to the front he went up into a mulberry tree that he may see Him, since He was about to pass through there. 5 And as He came by the place, Yahshua looking up said to him: ‘Zakchaios! Hurry, you must come down! For today it is necessary for Me to stay at your house!’ 6 Then hurrying he came down and welcomed Him rejoicing. 7 And all those seeing it murmured, saying that ‘With a sinful man He has entered in to lodge!’ 8 Then stopping Zakchaios said to the Prince: ‘Behold, half of my property, Prince, I give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything of anyone, I return it fourfold!’ 9 And Yahshua said to him that ‘Today has preservation come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham! 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which has been lost!’” That preservation for Zakchaios is temporal, not eternal, as it is for his house and not his person, although a personal temporal preservation is implied. But nevertheless, if Zakchaios fulfilled his promise, he would certainly have treasure in heaven.

The people only imagined Zacchaeus to have been sinful because of their own perception of appearances, that he was a tax-collector and he was wealthy. In those days, tax-collectors were independent agents and operated as businesses. Zacchaeus, being wealthy, would still be wealthy after giving away half of his property, and even that may have been beyond what may have been expected, and Christ Himself was pleased. But there can be no numerical formula for charity because wealth is relative to many diverse factors, and because in itself it is not sinful to have wealth. Both Abraham and Jacob had been given wealth, and in Deuteronomy chapter 8 Yahweh proclaims that it is “he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Yahweh God alone can judge the hearts of men.

The Roman Catholic Church, and many others, have historically taken advantage of these verses and have leveraged them to get people to give their money to the Church, whereby the popes and bishops have greatly enriched themselves. They have even taught the heresy of indulgences and convinced the ignorant or unlearned that through them, they can purchase an entry into the Kingdom of Heaven for themselves or for their loved ones. But even giving away all of one’s wealth, a man cannot justify himself, or purchase his way into the Kingdom of Heaven. So in Acts chapter 8 we read of a certain Simon, a sorcerer: “13 Then Simon himself also believed and being immersed was adhering to Philippos, astonished seeing both the signs and great works of power being produced. 14 And the ambassadors in Jerusalem hearing that Samareia received the Word of Yahweh, sent Petros and Iohannes to them, 15 who going down prayed concerning them, that they would receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for not yet had it fallen upon any one of them, but they had only been immersed in the Name of Prince Yahshua. 17 Then they laid the hands upon them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 And Simon seeing that through the laying on of the hands of the ambassadors the spirit is given, offered them money 19 saying ‘Give also to me this authority in order that upon whom I should place the hands he would receive the Holy Spirit.’ 20 And Petros said to him ‘Your silver with you would be for destruction, because you have believed that the gift of Yahweh is to be acquired with money. 21 There is no part nor portion for you in this Word, for your heart is not forthright before Yahweh. 22 Therefore repent from this evil of yours and entreat of the Prince, if then the intention of your heart shall be remitted for you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of unrighteousness.’ 24 And replying Simon said ‘You entreat on my behalf to the Prince that not anything of what you spoke would come upon me.’” Any answer given by the apostles was not recorded.

So while Christ had challenged the young man to give away his wealth, and while He had accepted the magnanimity of Zacchaeus with gladness, the charitable dispensation of wealth is not even required for a man to enter eternal life. The young man was told that he would have life by keeping the commandments, but he was not required to give away his wealth for that reason alone. Likewise, Christ only required His disciples to keep His commandments and to love one another, and the apostle John had explained that keeping the commandments is the way to demonstrating love for one another, where he wrote in chapter 5 of his first epistle: “1 Each believing that Yahshua is the Christ has been born from of Yahweh, and each loving He who engendered loves he having been engendered by Him. 2 By this we know that we should love the children of Yahweh, when we would love Yahweh and we would keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of Yahweh, that we should keep His commandments: and His commandments are not burdensome!”

Neither is the giving away of one’s wealth the only way to gather treasure in heaven, even if it is a good way. Although it is the only explicit example in the Gospels, throughout history many men had not even a modest sum for which to give to anyone in need. Most men cannot, as they have no wealth to give away. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Christ gives other examples where he tells the sheep: “35 ‘For I hungered and you gave Me to eat; I had thirst and you had given Me drink; I was a visitor and you had taken Me in; 36 naked and you had clothed Me; I had been sick and you watched over Me; I was in prison and you had come to Me.’ 37 Then the righteous shall respond to Him saying: ‘Master, when have we seen You hungry and nourished You, or thirsting and had given drink? 38 And when have we seen You a visitor and had taken You in, or naked and had clothed You? 39 And when have we seen You being sick or in prison and had come to You?’ 40 And replying the King shall say to them: ‘Truly I say to you, for whomever of the least of My brethren have you done one of these things, you have done them for Me!’” So apparently, men may gather treasure in heaven by caring for their brethren in many other ways, in many smaller ways which are not so drastic as giving away all of one’s weath, or perhaps in any other way which may be possible for them.

A man is judged not by how much he accomplishes, but by how much he has the ability to accomplish. Speaking of another particularly wicked servant, in Luke chapter 12, Christ concluded: “47 ‘Now that servant who knowing the will of his master and not preparing or doing according to his will shall be clubbed much. 48 But he not knowing yet doing such worthy of blows shall be clubbed little. All to whom much is given, much shall be sought from him, and to whom much is committed, far more shall be demanded of him.” On the other extreme, returning to the parable of the servants who were given the money as it is recorded in Matthew chapter 25, or in Luke chapter 19, The servant who was given the most had returned the most, and he that was given less had returned less in proportion, for which both servants were commended and their master promised to entrust them with even more. Note even further, that here Christ had said “But he not knowing yet doing such worthy of blows shall be clubbed little.” All of the children of God who had never received these lessons of Scripture will not necessarily be punished for that, since they did not know. We cannot take pride in our knowledge, but with the knowledge comes an even greater responsibility. Then with that, we must also understand that we cannot imagine to know how Yahweh God shall judge the ignorant.

So now perhaps we may see how it is that we gather treasure in heaven, or how we may be resurrected to eternal shame and contempt. There are many other examples which may be made, but unless we understand the fundamentals of Scripture, the sands of interpretation are forever shifting and even Bertrand Comparet was forced to contradict himself.

The promises of God are not a proposition which we may win or lose. No man can pluck the children of God out of the hand of the Father, as Christ professed in John chapter 10. Neither can men try to purchase favor with Yahweh God with their works so that they may somehow earn eternal life, and hope that He buys it from them. We cannot work for it, we cannot attain it for ourselves. It is a product of the spirit which God had implanted into the Adamic race, and if one is not of Adam, then one is not of Him; one is a bastard, and not a son. If we have that spirit, we shall all believe, whether in this life or in the resurrection, as Christ Himself proclaimed in John chapter 5.

Rather, if we are children of Adam, then we should seek to please Him knowing that He has already gifted us with eternal life from the beginning, and we seek to do His will and love and assist our brethren because we do not want to endure eternity in shame and contempt. John had written in chapter 5 of his first epistle that “13 These things I have written to you in order that you would see that you have eternal life, to those believing in the Name of the Son of Yahweh.” Of course, those believing in Yahshua Christ are expected to believe all of His words, as well as those of His apostles and prophets, and no stranger or bastard can honestly do that because those words exclude them.

Of this, the end result is that men should be focusing on their brethren and their communities, instead of continually worrying about their own personal salvation, and then they may be much better equipped to develop lasting Christian communities which “may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”, as the King James Version has the words of Paul at Ephesians 6:11.

This concludes our answer to Bertrand Comparet’s sermon.