Sections for Conversation about Open Heavens

Revelation Mapping Section 1

God's Speech About...

The Past and Present Ministry of Jesus as the Christ

Summary

This section will provide a summary of the biblical mapping topic conversation about the promised ministry of the Christ and Jesus's past and present fulfillment of that ministry to people. This mapping section serves as the flagship of Open Heavens Ministries. It purposes to assist a believer's theological instruction in the great commission [Matt 28:18-20] to teach observation of all things Jesus commanded. A thorough study should take 6-8 hours. If needed, confidential  theological conversation opportunities  are available in weekly one hour blocks to assist in questions and clarifications.

For a fuller experience, it is suggested:

1. Review the questions below to assist identifying areas for improvement regarding conversation about the Christ.


2. Review the myths below to reveal either knowledge gaps or misconceptions by worldly encroachment into views. Any positive myth response assumes a high probability of distorted and muffled hearing.


3. Begin study of the biblical conversation and corresponding mapping . Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions, clarifications, or present alternative views. This interactive process enables fuller learning regarding conversation about the Christ.

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Question(s)

Questions are designed to focus the conversation in the mapping section and reveal either incoherence or knowledge gaps in hearing of God's speech. Each question links to related discussion content into the evaluation of the biblical conversation below.

1. Question: What should we learn about Christ [cf. Eph 4:20]?


2. Question: Does the biblical term "Christ" designate only a title of divinity? Is it freighted with greater meaning?


3. Question: What is the biblical meaning of the term "the Christ" in the first-century CE?


4. Question: In Jesus fulfillment of the Christ promise, is he God, human, or both?


5. Question: Are there first-century CE biblical and historical examples regarding diverse theology, ministry, and purpose for the Christ?


6. Question: In Jesus fulfillment of the Christ promise, how does he move through the  kingdom of the heavens  or the  tabernacle of the heavens ? Where does he begin before becoming flesh? What did he call himself in the Old Testament [OT] before coming into the dark world? Where does he go at the moment of death on the cross? Why does he return in resuscitation of the flesh on the third day after death? Why does he return to heaven in the flesh by ascension? What does he presently do there? Will he return again to the earth for a short period of ministry to harvest the earth and fulfill promises to Israel in the flesh?


7. Question: When was the Christ promised? This Section 1 lightly introduces this question. More in-depth evaluation follows in Section 2C: The Promise of Christ Before the Tabernacle of the Eternal-Places Creation.


8. Question: What is the biblical meaning of atonement?


9. Question: How does atonement in the OT link to the NT ministry of the Christ?


10. Question: Is atonement for the sins of the people by Jesus as the Christ complete on the cross [John 19:30] or sometime later?


11. Question: How many times does Jesus sacrifice himself and enter the holy of holies to complete atonement for the sins of all people?


12. Question:  How does God in atonement on the cross for the sin of all people [1 John 2:2] limit salvation in heavenly entrance only to the elect [chosen] or called at death and judgment?


13. Question: Does Jesus's atonement for sin require literal blood carried later into heaven before the throne of God?


14. Question: Does Jesus, as the Christ in flesh, experience normative transformation to a spiritual body at death on the cross and rising to God as the complete forerunner and author of salvation into God's dwelling presence in heaven?


15. Question: Does Jesus's enthronement, in fulfillment of Psalm 110:1,4; Dan 7:13-14; 2 Sam 7:8-17, occur at his judgment after death on the cross or sometime later?


16. Question: What was the first-century CE imbalance regarding expectation about the coming Christ?


17. Question: How did Jesus link religious false prophets and deceit to teaching about the Christ?


18. Question: Are false prophets religious with aesthetically appealing forms of godliness to the fleshly appetite more than focus on spiritual heavenly truth?


19. Question: What are the main personal, theological, and ministerial attributes of false prophets?


20. Question: Is the ministry of the Christ endpoint for perfection of people earthward or heavenward?

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Myths

Myths consist of earthly focused philosophical and theological claims, which God has not spoken in his word-speech. These are commonly accepted as warrants among some people to flatten heavenly truth for correspondence with errant [supposed] earthly promises applied by adherents either alone or in a group over other people not in their group [Matt 24:4-12; cf. Col 2:8]. Each listed myth links to related biblical conversation in the material below concerning God's speech about the ability of Christ to bring all things to himself in heaven.

1. Myth: The biblical term "Christ" provides only a title that references Jesus's attributes of divine nature as God.


2. Myth: Atonement by Christ in purification and offering of the sin of people is not complete by Jesus on the cross and continues until a later time.


3. Myth: Jesus, after his death, only rises to God later in his flesh.


4. Myth: The enthronement of Christ as King of all creation occurs at Jesus's fleshly ascension.


5. Myth: People pleasing God at his judgment after death only requires linking of Jesus to "Christ," with displeasure in judgment reserved only for those who claim themselves or another as Christ.


6. Myth: The ministry of Christ purposes to restore edenic conditions before the sin of people there.


7. Myth: God accepts all diversity of religion as coming into the promises of the Christ regardless of the teaching and practice by adherents.


8. Myth: Horizontal unity and peace among diverse groups of people on earth is possible without first, in a vertical unity, correctly hearing God's speech about the ministry and purpose of the Christ.

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Related Conversation of God's Speech
through Hearing Revelation of his Word

Introduction

If this site contains truth, which biblically carries force for proper reflection of the unseen heavenly matters of God's speech and the activities of his purposes in Christ [John 1:14; 3:21; 4:23-24; 14:6, 17; 15:26, 16:7, 13; 17:17; 18:37-38; Acts 26:25; Rom 1:18, 25; 2:8; 2 Cor 4:2, 11:10; Gal 2:5; Eph 1:13; 4:15, 21-24, 6:14; Col 1:5-6; 2 Thes 2:10-13; 1 Tim 2:4, 3:15, 6:5; 2 Tim 2:15, 18, 3:7-8; Titus 1:1, 14; James 3:14; 2 Pet 1:12, 2:2; 1 John 1:6, 2:21, 4:6], then the time investment for study about the Christ has great value. Most studies begin with philosophical categories of systematic theology not spoken by God in omission of a proper foundation concerning Christ. While these studies have some value, the methodology allows weak construction of God's speech by integration of philosophical ideology with the traditions of men and worldly concepts [Col 2:8]. As the most important mapping section, it rightfully labels with the ordinal designation "Section 1." The proposed truth contained lays the foundation for all other hearing of God's speech in biblical interpretation and teaching [1 Cor 3:9-11]. The believer's conversation about the purpose and ministry of Christ must be learned from study of the Scriptures that records God's speech [cf. 2 Tim 2:15; 3:10-17]. However, God's spoken truth about the Christ must also be gleaned in a worldly environment often saturated with deception to serve Satan's rather than God's kingdom causes [Matt 24:4-12; Mark 8:28-38; John 17:15; 2 Cor 11:12-15; Eph 4:20]. For this reason, the claims on this site or any other source must be tested, as to whether directionally focused toward God in heaven based on Jesus as the Christ or toward other worldly endpoints [1 John 4:1-6].

Invitation

If you have not yet repented of personal sin before a holy God and believed by faith in his loving provision of eternal life in heaven, you have an  invitation [PDF Dissertation, p. 455-56] to do so at this time. Proper thinking about the spiritual matters of God in his purpose of Christ requires assistance of the Holy Spirit [1 Cor 2:1-16]. This section proposes to outline the biblical foundation that controls proper conversation about the Christ by his believers.

The Meaning of Christ

The Christ was understood as an intercessory prophet, who speaks truth of the unseen matters of God [e.g., John 4:19-26], an anointed priest, who both offers himself and intercedes for the sins of the people after their death at judgment [e.g., Luke 2:25-32; Heb 9:27-28], and an enthroned king over all creation, who rules until all his enemies are put under his feet [e.g., Luke 20:41-44; cf. Israel's earthly flattening in Matt 21:9, 15; John 12:13]. Follow this link for  historical meaning of the referent "Christ" [PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 74-79] in early Israel through the New Testament [NT] period.

The Beginning of the Promise of the Ministry of Christ

This adversarial intervention corresponds to promises for God's intention in the ministry of the Christ before the creation of the  kosmos of Genesis in the tabernacle of the heavens. This precosmic, biblical claim about the Christ is developed in   Section 2C: The Promise of Christ Before the Tabernacle of the Eternal-Places Creation.

Christ's Ministry Promised by God to People After Sin in Genesis

According to Moses's record of the first promise of the gospel to sinful people still in Eden, God would himself provide an "enmity" KJV, NASB95 (Hebrew "êbâʾ," hostile force as an enemy) between the seed of the enticing serpent and the seed of the woman [Gen 3:15]. The serpent questioned the truth of God's speech to those in the "very good" Garden [Gen 1:31] and lured them with a lie about greater wisdom by addition of the knowledge of evil to their experience of God's good [Gen 3:1-4]. God's creation, due to previous rebellion of his created creatures [Mapping Section 3], already was experiencing the effects of this contrasting condition of good and evil [Gen 3:22]. The  tabernacle of the heavens in levels of holiness in relation to sin, the dark, decaying, separated creation without God's light, the fleshly survival of the people in Eden by death of surrounding creation, and access to the tree of life for transformation at life's natural-end existed at the time of this failure in temptation to obey God's Word.    Biblical Mapping Section 5A: The Tree of Life Before Adam's Sin  discusses the change in access to the tree of life from absolute to contingent [Gen 3:22-24] and the limitations of edenic fleshly bodies in relation to the substance of better spiritual bodies. God's solution in this spirit-realm warfare, over debated issues of obedience to God's will or self-will, involved his descending from heaven himself as a person in a flesh body [Isa 7:14; Matt 1:20-23]. By conception with the virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, the child Jesus humbly enters the dark, lesser, separated creation [Phil 2:1-22] as both fully God and man to defeat his enemy of death and decay of people from his eternal-place presence due to sin. [Psalm 110:1; 1 Cor 15:50-58; 2 Cor 1:10; 2 Tim 1:10; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 5:7; Rev 1:18; Rev 2:11; Rev 20:6; 21:4, 8].

Development of Diverse Views About Christ's Ministry and Creation Purpose

The diverse Old Testament [OT] to first-century CE views of people concerning the journey of fleshly life and beyond most often embraced a transformation to spiritual bodies after death and travel  through heavenly places [PDF Dissertation Topics, p. 126-43]  into the spiritual realm before God for judgment at his throne. Second Temple Literature [STL] before the first-century has many examples of heavenly expectation that labels, since the second century CE, as apocalyptic [PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 34-43,  137 esp. n. 77]. A better, more accurate label for the genre is Aiōn-Field [PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 4-7] with translation gloss as "eternal-places." This is due to the often omitted spatial properties of both the Hebrew ʿôlām and the Greek term aiōn that should be added to the now dominant temporal properties. The current, reduced, temporally-limited understandings are expressed in glosses of the Greek term as "forever, everlasting, eternal, etc." to better fit flattened ideology for earthly hope. No single English term carries both features in semantic meaning since the semantic understanding of the Hebrew ʿôlām and the Greek aiōn has been antithetically divided into separated spatial and temporal properties by the educated before English was spoken and recorded. A majority of first-century CE witnesses held characteristics of an aiōn-Field view that included God's creation of both visible and invisible heavenly creation [cf. Rom 1:20; Eph 6:12; Col 1:12-20; Heb 11:1-3].

The Jewish Pharisees and Scribes in the first-century CE provide an example of a religious schools of thought that  adheres to an unseen spatial existence and normative experience of people's transformation after death to spiritual bodies in heaven [PDF Paper: 32 pages]  [cf. Phil 3:17-21; Paul as a Pharisee]. However, according to Jesus, the advanced proponents of these sects more often close that entrance into heaven by impossible, burdensome requirements other than the simple repentance and faith in the ministry of Christ to provide the way [Matt 23:1-36; esp. Matt 23:13]. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee and confirmed teacher of Israel by Jesus, that he should understand the necessity of being born again of the spirit [John 3:3-7]. A Pharisee would likely consider Jesus's meaning as transformation to a bodily spirit at death to enter the kingdom of God [John 3:1-21].

The sect of the Sadducees, as mainly the educated ruling class [PDF Paper: 32 pages], denied resurrection and rising of the fleshly dead at death into the spiritual realm, or even the possibility of any spiritual creation existence [Mark 12:18-27; Acts 23:6-8]. In the first century CE, the terms "resurrection" or "rising of the dead" for Pharisees embraced a reference to rising as a complete, bodily spirit to God after death by transformation for judgment. The dominant view, with the exception of Jesus, was not fleshly resuscitation of all people until the late second-century CE. The Sadducees closed hope for heavenly entrance by errant theology and philosophy against open heavens in God's plan for people. Both deviations of the Sadducees and Pharisees still exist in religious groups in multiple alternative forms. Autonomous independent churches/local assemblies of believers, who simply follow the sufficiency of God's speech in biblical Scripture above traditions, more easily maintain by faith a proper view of the ministry of the Christ than those steeped in long-inherited, ecclesiastically controlled, second-century CE traditions. As evidenced in historical writings, epitapths, burial rites, music, and later cinematography, basic believers almost always believe they will see Jesus at death and enter into heaven complete in his presence. The risk of changes, in destiny or delay, develop by listening to the traditions of men more than the speech of God in his Word.

Point Locations and Motion Segments of the Ministry of Christ

In the NT, reflection on Jesus's ministry fully embraces the full language of an aiōn-field [apocalyptic] expectation [PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 4-7] of promptly rising to God in heaven after death with continued living in God's presence for the righteous by faith in the coming Christ as intercessor for personal sin. For example, deceased righteous people by faith in Christ already waited with God for completion of the ministry of Christ to open the way into the holy of holies [cf. Matt 27:51-53; Mark 12:24-27; Luke 23:43; Heb 2:9-18; 4:14-16; 6:18-20]. Jesus also shared the common ideology of waiting for Christ ministry in language the people would understand [cf. Luke 16:19-31]. Jesus fulfillment of the Christ promise, moves through the kingdom of the heavens, also called the  tabernacle of the heavens. 

Key Movement Points and Segments Described in OT and NT

(Event n tags link to video illustrated movement)

Atonement Requires A Particular Person in a Particular Place

In English translation of the Hebrew OT and Greek NT, the gloss "atonement" or more specific sub meanings often appear according to the weight of the context. As common in all languages, specific words rarely keep their original meaning. Over time and varied usage in different people groups, the referents get freighted with additional semantic meaning or changed altogether. Proper biblical understanding of atonement must begin with the first use of the Hebrew verb kāpar and its parent verbal nouns kōper, kippūr, and kappōret. When Moses spoke these terms in the fifteenth-century BCE, the verb kāpar refers to the general activity of providing a ransom or gift to secure favor (e.g., Gen 32:20). The verbal nouns infer either a general use or added specific surrounding details about the verbal activity. Kōper provides understanding of the general verbal meaning of the act of a ransom or gift for favor (e.g. Lev 17:11). Both kippūr and kappōret include understood specific details. The former alludes to the Day of Atonement events (e.g., Lev 23:26-27). The latter refers to the specific place and activity in the holy of holies, where the high priest on the Day of Atonement sprinkled the blood of the proper symbolic sacrifice before the cover layered in gold on top of the Ark of the Covenant to obtain a hopeful judgment of pleasing acceptance for purification of the sins of the people (e.g., Exod 25:17; Num 7:89).

God records the revelation about the fulfillment of the OT symbolism regarding atonement by himself as Christ in the common language of first-century CE Greek. The Septuagint (LXX) OT with added Apocryphal writings served as the common Bible recording the speech of God's revelation in the first century CE, since most Jews no longer spoke Hebrew but Aramaic or Greek. The Greek gloss chosen for the Hebrew OT context, in the second-century BCE by the translators of the Greek LXX, included the cognate verbs exilaskomai and hilaskomai and the verbal-noun hilastērion. The verbs usually referenced the action of seeking the good will of another, or to appease. Other English glosses for this activity include propitiate and conciliate. The verbal noun carried two semantic meanings of the place of atonement and the means of atonement. The LXX OT only considers the place of atonement to reference the place for priestly ministry in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. Common, first-century, Greek usage had two contextual semantic meanings depending on the view of either the person seeking to be appeased (expiation) or God being sought out to appease (propitiation).

This meaning was unfortunately distorted in English translations as "mercy seat," even though the contextual intent was not mercy and there was no actual seat but only intent to symbolize the place of the priestly ministry of the promised Christ after sacrificial death, when by transformation, his soul life symbolized by the blood carried by the priest [Lev 17:11], ascends for judgment before God. As noted above, the Greek OT of the LXX translated the term as hilastērion with preserved meaning. The Latin Vulgate OT later in 405 CE glossed proper meaning with propitiatorium, which literally means "atonement place." Luther substituted the German Gendenstuhl in Hebrews 9:5 for Greek "to hilastērion" in his 1522 CE September Testament. He and those who assisted him in translation of the OT in 1534 CE also substituted the German Gendenstuhl meaning "mercy seat." Later English translations used Luther's German Bible for English translations. For similar unique translation changes effecting meaning by Martin Luther concerning the Greek word for "heaven," see PhD Research Supplemental Material Excursus B: Martin Luther's Translation Missteps, [PDF Supplement: 27 pages]. Subtile changes by translators to new philosophical paradigms occurs often, which supports the importance for serious students wanting to hear accurately God's speech to study the languages utilized in the journey to the English translations of that speech used today.

The Link of Atonement in the OT to the NT Ministry of the Christ

In the NT, the OT and LXX described atonement activity above adds semantic meaning of either expected promise [Luke 18:13] or completed fulfillment [Heb 2:17] by Jesus's ability as the Christ to appease God by his substitutionary death for the sins of the people in the true tabernacle of the heavens that the OT tabernacle symbolized [Heb 9:15-28]. The sense meaning of atonement maintains a strong force for the place of the holy of holies in which atonement by the high priest takes place [Heb 9:5], even when testifying about the means of Jesus's ability [Rom 3:25] as the source of atonement. If Jesus does not enter the holy of holies after death, then he is not the promised Christ in the activity of making atonement. The ability in fulfillment to enter the holy of holies after death as an eternal-spirit and living soul is critical to the complete meaning of atonement in both the OT and NT. There is no source for removal of personal sin of the people without entrance after approach to God at death for judgment by Jesus as the Christ on the cross.

Jesus's Transformation at Death to a Spiritual Body

Jesus, as the Christ in flesh, experiences normative transformation to a spiritual body at death on the cross and rising of the dead, just as all the dead, to God [Heb 2:9-18; 1 Peter 2:21; 3:18-22]. At judgment, Jesus rises from the dead as the complete forerunner and author of salvation into God's dwelling presence in heaven [Heb 1:3-4; 12:1-2; see  Event 2a, 3 and Event 4 videos for illustrated movement of the ministry of Christ claims.]

As previously noted, God's speech in the typology of the OT tabernacle reveals that atonement of the people's sins by God himself requires entrance into the spiritual realm after death to  the place of atonement . Further, proof of pleasing atonement before God for the sins of the people to those who cannot sense the events of the spiritual realm, symbolized by the unseen events by the people outside the tents of the tabernacle, occurs by the priest remaining alive to exit for viewing. These requirements best fit the normative, first-century, postmortem view mentioned above for  transformation from flesh to a spiritual body [PDF Paper: p. 17-23; 7 pages] at death for the rapid journey to heaven for judgment before God followed by his proof by fleshly resuscitation/resurrection on the third day. The other diverse after death views of Sadducean philosophy fail to portray these requirements of atonement due to delay and detour to other places besides immediate entrance before God by logical limitations of an imposed requirement for human fleshly resuscitation for living and rising from the dead.

The Completion of Atonement at the Moment of Death on the Cross with Instant Approach and Entrance to Heaven

The atonement for the sins of the people by Jesus as the Christ completes on the cross [John 19:30]. Both Jesus and the NT authors emphasize the cross as the point of victory in both atonement before God and the spiritual powers controlling the consequences of sin [Matt 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27; 24:36; Acts 5:30; 26:23; Rom 1:4; 5:10; 1 Cor 1:17-18; Gal 5:11-14; Eph 2:16; Phil 2:8; 3:18; Col 1:20; 2:14; Heb 2:14-15; 5:7; 9:15; 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18]. The supposed possibility for delay of atonement to later times and events creates tension and incoherence in God's speech about the different elements of the ministry of Christ that should harmonize. Other possible candidates for the event of atonement completion could include his final observed fleshly ascension recorded in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11. Another proposed option enfolds Jesus's current ministry of intercession from the throne as a continual repeated atonement. However, these do not preserve truth concerning the separate events of Jesus's onetime atonement and his continual present priestly ministry of intercession.

Proposals suggesting delay for atonement, until ascension or later, overlook the significant cohesive evidence of:

1. Jesus's fleshly appearance on the third day after death. The pattern of the high priest appearing as living on the Day of Atonement, after making an offering in the holy of holies, foreshadowed the living proof of Jesus's fleshly resuscitation/resurrection [see movement Event 4]. Jesus himself testified that his continued flesh living after death provides sufficient proof for his completion of atonement as depicted typologically in the tabernacle ministry and offered the priestly event of returning from the holy of holies as a sign to those with questions of his authority over the temple ministry [John 2:18-22].


2. Jesus's comments about going away to prepare a place for his disciples that included his return to them [John 14:1-6].


3. Jesus's affirmation of apocalyptic [aiōn-field] language [PDF Dissertation Topic, p. 4-7]  to describe postmortem events in different destinies of the righteous and wicked [Luke 16:19-31].


4. Jesus's affirmation to the Sadducees that God is the God of the living and not the dead inferring Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were living with God as Jesus spoke to them [Mark 12:24-27; cf. Heb 6:14-15].


5. the typological events occurring around the time of Jesus's death, such as the three hours of darkness [Matt 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; Luke 23:44], the tearing of the veil [Matt 27:51a], the earthquake [Matt 27:51b], and the bodily appearance of people from the tombs [Matt 27:52-53]. In typological revelation, the earthly institutions, people, nations, and events represent a method of revelation about unseen heavenly matters [1 Cor 10:11; Heb 8:1-6]. This method of revelation is further discussed in  Section 4: First-century, Aion-Field [apocalyptic], Temple-of-the-Heavens Based Background Revelation.


6. Jesus's language supporting anticipated normative transformation in death from flesh to spirit in the hands of the Father [Matt 27:50; Luke 23:46; cf. 1 Cor 15:35-58; Phil 3:21] that is also portrayed by other NT authors [Matt 17:1-3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30-31; Heb 9:11-14; 1 Pet 3:18-22]


7. the typological event of darkness for three hours that is linked with Jesus's observation in a change in relationship with the Father concerning his bearing of sin on the cross [Matt 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; cf. 1 Pet 2:24].


8. The trilology in Psalms 22-24, where David typologically depicts Jesus's suffering as substitionary death for atonement for the sins of the people [Ps 22], his transformation in the journey to dwell in God's house for eternal-place [Ps 23], and his enthronement as king [Ps 24].

The Atonement Movement Only Completed One Time by Jesus
But Ministry of Intercession Movement Many Times

How many times does Jesus sacrifice himself and enter the holy of holies to complete atonement for the sins of all people?

The Atonement Available For All People But Intercession Only Effective
For Those Who Believe in God's Personal Ministry as the Christ

It must be remembered that atonement by Christ is a onetime event for all people [1 John 2:2]. There is no Word from God that speaks directly about a limited atonement. The concept of limiting Jesus's atonement arises from reconstruction of God's speech in an earth-limited hope for humanity into a philosophical, strawman concept  that is noted below. Atonement is about a place in heaven where literal salvation takes place before God at judgment both for Jesus and his brethren, not just a predetermined legal justification on the earth that includes hope for future fleshly resuscitation. Philosophical terms of false prophecy should be avoided by focused consideration of God's spoken terms in his context as the solution to the tension between atonement for all people against limited access. Intercession for salvation at individual death and judgment does reserve only for those who repent of sin and call on the Lord with faith in the ministry the Christ, the Son of God who we now known as Jesus, for intercession at approach in death and judgment [Heb 7:25; 11:6].

The author of Hebrews tracks four major themes concerning the present ministry of Christ that should be part of proper conversation to others about the Son as Christ. These topics are death, judgment, intercession, and salvation. All four themes occur for people in a moment promptly at death, just as they were experienced by Jesus in death for atonement and subsequently salvation as the first-born into the holy of holies. Only believers who have personally called on the Lord [cf. Heb 5:7; Rom 10:13] experience a literal salvation reality, which limits heavenly entrance to his elect [chosen] who hear his call at death and judgment. At judgment in a transformed spirit body after death, a person either lifts their eyes in God's presence by hearing Jesus's call in intercession or finds themselves outside of heaven in outer darkness, based upon a personal decision made in their lifetime after hearing conversation about the ministry of the Christ [Rom 10:17, διὰ ῥήματος Χριστοῦ, "through conversation of Christ"; cf. Matt 7:21-23; Eph 1:9-13; Heb 3:12-19]. God never speaks of irresistible grace in either directly choosing or not choosing individual people for his offer of salvation. The idea salvation as a one-sided sovereign choice also arises as a philosophical, strawman concept not found directly in God's speech that is noted below. For example, Romans 8:26-30, in context, discusses the experience of the believer at judgment [Rom 8:1; Heb 9:27-28] after death. At the moment of entering the hope of the unseen realm [Rom 8:24-25], the Spirit intercedes for the "saints" [Rom 8:26-27, Greek hagiōn, "holy ones"]. All things experienced, for those called through deaths experience to intercession and salvation, work for the good of God's purposes [Rom 8:28]. Those who before the experience of death that God "foreknows" [Rom 8:29, Greek proegnō, have foreknowledge, chose beforehand], he "predestined" [proōrisen, "predestined, decided beforehand"] that they would be conformed to the image of the Son, which defines as following Jesus's lead as firstborn among many brethren into heaven [cf. Heb 2:9-18; 6:18-20]. God predestined that those who are foreknown in their life before death and judgment and who await the ministry of the Christ in belief [John 5:24; Heb 4:12-16], since Jesus's opening the way, receive subsequent justification and glorification into God's presence of the holy of holies [cf. John 5:25-29; Heb 9:27-28]. OT believers awaited Jesus's opening of the way.

Atonement By Jesus's Sacrificed Life/
Not a Container of Blood Carried by Jesus into Heaven

God has not directly spoken any revelation that the Christ must carry his own blood into the presence of God for atonement of the sins of the people. However, due to disconnection of the symbolism of the Day of Atonement from the intended reality that it symbolizes, many claim that Jesus's atonement for sin required his literal blood carried later into heaven before the throne of God. These omit the fact that on that day in the earthly tabernacle, the high priest entered the holy of holies four times and sprinkled blood a total of forty-three times. In the OT typological symbolism given to Moses concerning the high priest ministry on the Day of Atonement, a container of the blood of the ram that was sacrificed was carried into the holy of holies and sprinkled seven times before the altar [Lev 16:1-34, esp. Lev 16:14-16]. It must be remembered that the presence of the blood in the earthly copy of the holy of holies symbolized the soul and life of the Christ standing before God for judgment after death [Lev 17:11]. Atonement before God is not effective because Jesus carried his literal blood in a container into the holy of holies; atonement is effective because of Jesus's ability as an eternal-place spirit to enter the holy of holies after the giving of his life in substitution for sin [Heb 2:9-18; 9:11-14; cf. PDF Masters Thesis, p. 111, 157-61]. Atonement is about location, location, location, as noted in the meaning of atonement above. God's purpose in the symbolism does more than provide legal justification to exist on earth but opens a path, following Jesus as forerunner and shepherd, for him to lead believers to the presence of God in heaven at death and judgment.

Enthronement of Jesus Promptly After Death

Does Jesus's enthronement, in fulfillment of  Psalm 110:1,4; Dan 7:13-14; 2 Sam 7:8-17, occur at his judgment after death on the cross or sometime later?

The Errant Location for Expectation of the Coming Christ

What was the first-century CE imbalance regarding expectation about the coming Christ?

The Ministry of Christ and False Prophecy

Jesus in Matt 24:4-12 lays blame for the chaos among people in this kosmos directly upon many false prophets who mislead many. A prophet speaks accurate truth about God's speech but a false prophet corrupts with falsehoods that are contrary alternations of the truth. His teaching about the claim by false prophets that "I am the Christ" [Matt 24:5] has two possible meanings. One interpretation is a self-elevation on earth as God's fulfillment of the Christ, which was in reality prophesized as fulfilled by the person of the Christ rising before God for enthronement in heaven [Dan 7:13-14]. A second possible meaning suggests that false prophets admit that "I," as Jesus, is the Christ but then misapply the truth about Jesus's ministry and purpose [e.g., Matt 16:21-24]. Both options have often historically been observed. The common denominator of either option is a focus on earthly fulfillment rather than heavenly fulfillment at death and judgment [Heb 9:27-28; 11:13-16].

The Methodology of False Prophecy

There is a common methodology for building on another foundation other than that Christ laid, as wood, hay, and stubble, so as to suffer loss at judgment (cf. 1 Cor 3:9-15). Many common elements of false prophecy execute in the "crafty" thinking of the Serpent's methodology for the temptation of Eve in Genesis 3 and the Devil's temptation of Jesus in Matt 4:1-11.

1. Omit/disconnect the concept considered from its symbolism/typology of the eternal realities and the foundation of the work of Christ in bringing people to heaven by repentance and faith, for refocus only on the interesting and appealing earthly distraction(s) themselves.
   
   Gen 3:1. The Serpent topics "every tree" of God’s earthly provision in omission and disconnection of the single most important tree of eternal-place life in for God's heavenly provision. Eden was symbolic of God’s provision to teach about his available heavenly access after death of the flesh. This claim develops in  Section 5A - The Tree of Life Before Adam's and Eve's Sin.


2. Question and redefine biblical terms with added philosophical layers of semantic claims foreign to the contextual meaning in the words of the actual text of God's speech.
   
   Gen 3:1. The Serpent questions, “Has God said…?” The “Indeed” indicates claim of agreement with God. Also, the verbal activity of "eating" redefines only as “every tree.” The Serpent omitted in redefinition the “tree of life” in spiritual food that allows eternal life. The Serpent then further discusses the newly defined philosophical subject of earthly eating in Gen 3:2-3. Eve dialogues with the Serpent on the matter and reminds him, according to God's previous speech, about the tree of knowledge of good of and evil and the consequences of death by eating from it.
   
   Matt 4:3-4, "If you are the Son of God..." The Devil questioned Jesus as the promised Christ [cf. Dan 7:13-14] and tempted Jesus to omit his spiritual mission for focus only on his need of earthly food. This crafty bait-and-switch from spiritual mission to earthly fulfillment is a common temptation by the Devil [cf. Matt 16:21-23; Mark 4:15; Mark 8:33; Luke 22:31; Acts 5:3; 1 Cor 5:5; 7:5; 2 Cor 2:11; 12:7; 1 Thess 2:18; 2 Thess 2:9; 1 Tim 5:15; Rev 2:13; 3:9].


3. Add claims of uncontrolled historical reconstruction that are not found in the text of God's speech.
   
   Gen 3:4-5. The Serpent changes God's historical narrative of God's speech that was previously provided. There is a denial that God spoke about consequential death by "You surely will not die!" His statement is true regarding fleshly death but, without doubt, God's original speech inferred spiritual death with loss of heavenly access by the tree of life [cf. Gen 3:22-24]. The Serpent, upon his new earth-centric, limited philosophy, builds speculative information in a statement, "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." The statement is true from a heavenly perspective of God but the Serpent's meaning is limited to Eve's earthly experience to the exclusion of the current heavenly realities. God's kingdom then dealt with the problem of evil in a tabernacle/Temple in levels of holiness with plural heavens. The Serpent claims Eve could be "like God." Eve often had experienced God's presence when he came from heaven to visit the kosmos and his creation. The implication to Eve by the Serpent is an available path for instant, accelerated transformation to heavenly access, "in the day," without the wait and hard service in the Garden [Gen 3:5, "in the day...your eyes will be opened"]. The Serpent also implies for Eve a better situation than the good Garden by access to God's heavenly state by addition of the knowledge of evil to her current experience of God's good on earth. Further, she could be elevated in authority over the Garden just "like God." God never spoke of the necessity of the knowledge of evil for being like himself but the Serpent's new philosophy speculated that this might be possible.
   
   Matt 4:5-7. Jesus could have accelerated his death for early transformation into heaven. After fleshly death, the angels would have carried him to the Father before completion of atonement as the Christ.
   
   Matt 4:8-11. Jesus was offered all the earthly kingdoms without having to die as the Christ. Jesus only had to serve the Devil, as his God, as he would God. The Devil's fabricated, historical tour makes it appear that these earthly kingdoms are more valuable than the heavenly kingdom Jesus is building with the Father in heaven, without all the trouble and suffering.


4. Apply combined new fabricated Straw Man narrative of philosophically redefined words and historical reconstructed background as warrants back to biblical text, as if factual.
   
   Gen 3:5. With the claim "God knows," the new Straw Man is presented to Eve as factual, as if the new interpretation is what God really meant and spoke.
   
   Matt 4:3. "If you are the Son of God...". By denial of the truth about who Jesus is, the Devil opens the door to substitute, alternative, historical possibilities with his Straw Man construction for a kingdom on earth. Jesus would only have to deny who he really is and his mission in the kosmos.



5. Expand the fabricated, Straw Man, application diachronically to later biblical cognate terms in God's speech.
   
   Gen 3:6. Eve considers the future, Straw man, outcome possibilities by the Serpent as realistic fulfillment of her fleshly desires and decides to try it out on herself and her husband.
   
   Matt 4:8-11. The Devil "showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory." This includes not only the past and present kingdoms of the world but also the forecast possibilities of future kingdoms that fit the Straw Man philosophy proffered by the Devil.


6. Apply newly created Straw Man narrative to modern people as knowledge to make one wise in greater blessings from God.
   
   It does not appear that Eve was concerned about her future seed on the earth at the time of the decision for the new Strawman philosophy that she deemed as better. God's focus on "her seed" [Gen 3:15] and his comment, for both pain in child birth and desire for her husband who will rule over her, sets up a framework for the tension of sin's effects upon her role in the family God had designed.
   
   Matt 4:8-11. The new Straw Man projection by the Devil included a general application to all people in kingdoms at any time. The generality makes it easy to personalize to a particular place and time. The use of general terms allows more flexibility to make specific applications encountered later when tensions arise.


7. Avoid connection of the Straw Man to known pejorative language for greater acceptance.
   
   The Serpent omits and negates the negative activity "to die" with conversation refocus on a better state "like God."
   
   Matt 4:1-11. The Devil makes no mention of the consequences of the Son of God rebelling against God's purpose for himself in exchange for instant gratification in his flesh.

In modern application, other Straw Man concepts, such as dispensationalism, Landmarkism, and others, easily lose focus on their connected heavenly realities for refocus only on isolated earthly aspects of God's speech. For example, the method is used by those adhering to the modern Straw Man of reformed covenant theology, or Calvinism, often so-called. This earth-centric philosophy follows the above method to...

1. Change focus on heavenly covenant reality provided by God after fleshly death for access to heavenly realities [Heb 9:15-28] to only earthly covenants and earthly benefits.


2. Redefine God's covenants with people, Hebrew berîṯ and Greek diathēkē. A covenant requires agreement of both parties in offer and acceptance, whether the provisions/obligations of the covenant are absolute (I am doing …) or contingent (If you…then I will…), and whether the agreement of both parties is stated or implied. A claim for an 'unconditional' covenant based upon no textual record of agreement by both parties is an argument from silence. Also, God has two main categories for covenants in Scripture of his speech, that of Promise and Fulfillment [Heb 9:15]. All earthly covenants with OT people provided typological revelation about how God would fulfill his eternal-place, heavenly, covenantal, promise himself in Christ [e.g., 1 Peter 3:18-22, Noah's Ark through flood experience shows heavenly salvation provided by Christ]. OT people were saved at their death and judgment into heaven by calling in repentance and faith on the Lord’s ability to do as he covenantally promised in Christ.


3. Add ancient near east (ANE) history of covenant customs not in the text without critical evaluation. Divide these into categories that are also not in the text. The evidence is very limited and ANE people did not have modern customs. When an agreement is no longer required, the result is no longer by definition a covenant but a Devine fiat dictated to people.


4. Claim God uses the developed ANE customs ( fabricated Straw Man) in his covenant making with people. Relook at the original covenants with OT people in the text in the newly constructed lens, that is not in the text, as an unquestioned warrant, with no direct Scripture support. Straw Man arguments are not always positive. Some Straw Men are negative associations to provide an antithetical concept contrary to a desired ideological tradition that does not have direct scriptural support of God's speech.


5. Apply new straw-man concept about covenants to New Covenant, which was completed by Jesus, to support levels of Heaven on earth by practice of believing.


6. Add other NT concepts by writing about comfort in new knowledge of “in Christ” as wisdom for those who will accept it.


7. Avoid mentioning unconditional election or result of double jeopardy. Also, avoid calling on the Lord in acceptance of his offer in a bidirectional agreement, covenant biblically defined, since already obtained. Many reformed adherents do not offer invitations to repent and call upon the Lord in faith for salvation but state to listeners if they feel God has called them in election for salvation, then they should exercise their belief in commitment to perseverance in God's service for better earthly living. The philosophical teaching offers no real hope for specific heavenly access after death by following the way of the ministry of Christ but assures listeners to comfort by very vague knowlege of being "in Christ".

The Form of Godliness of False Prophets

Similar variants also appear in many modern Straw Man claims used as lenses to interpret God's speech. The product of this method has a "form of godliness but denies the ability (power)" (2 Tim 3:5). In 2 Tim 3:1-5, Paul foretold the contributing attributes of people who make times difficult in their relationships together on earth. He sums their lifestyle as "having a form of godliness but have been denying his ability [Greek 'dynamis,' usually translated with more general term 'power']" (2 Tim 3:5, Greek NA28 translation mine). The denial here by false prophets does not concern God's ability in us by his Spirit but God's ability for us by the ministry of the Christ. The concerns of false prophets are more toward personal righteous compliance with religious traditions of established philosophical ideology than conversation about repentance and faith in the ministry of the Christ. Their introverted testimony of personal compliance is described in 2 Tim 3:1-5. The proponent of false prophecy by their personally defined forms of religiosity and godliness appears as an "angel of light" (2 Cor 11:12-15).

Truth that peacefully unites people in love of God and others must not only embrace both the who Jesus is as the Christ of God himself but must also include a proper conversation about his ability in his present heavenly ministry in relation to the promise of salvation at death and judgment into the presence of God in heaven. The error of religious escalation of other forms of godliness in appealing worldly traditions, aesthetic beauty, and grand earthly prosperity, often with endpoints without proper focus on the ability of Jesus's ministry as the Christ, fractures the desired peace of people working together [cf. Matt 10:34].

The Different End Point of False Prophets

Truth about the ministry of Jesus as the Christ requires more understanding than just a religious theological and philosophical link between Jesus and the Christ. In Matt 16:16 after Peter's confession that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus added information about building his church beyond the strength and capabilities of the gates of Hades [Matt 16:18]. The referent Hades functions in the New Testament as an adopted Greek mapping designation for the dark creation of the Abyss outside of heaven. The biblical basis of this claim is developed in   Biblical Mapping Section 4: First-century, Aiōn-Field [apocalyptic], Temple-of-the-Heavens Based Background Revelation.   A biblical mapping rendition may be viewed at the link   Ministry of Christ  Jesus's claim to build beyond Hades' gates infers the assembly of his people in heaven at death and judgment [Heb 2:9-18; 9:27-28; 12:22-24]. This claim does not include any churches on earth. These, if they function with proper conversation about Jesus as the Christ, in love of God and others, simply mirror the true church in heaven. The struggle to prove oneself as the true church in comparison to others on earth by any philosophical criteria other than the foundation of the proper conversation about Jesus as the Christ is futile and leads to the chaos mentioned by Jesus in Matt 24:4-12 [cf. 1 Cor 3, esp. 1 Cor 3:10].