eBible Fellowship

1^st Question: Could you look at Luke 21:25? It feels to a lot of the believers that we are in the great tribulation today because of the difficulties that we are having, but we know that this is not true. This word for “perplexity” is only used here, but its root word comes from a word that means “to doubt.” We know that the tribulation is over, but this language of “distress of nations, with perplexity” tells us, in a sense, that we are in a time of perplexity, of doubting, a time that is like the tribulation. Can you see where I am going with this?

Chris: Luke 21:25 says:

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

You are making some good points. We know that this would be immediately after the tribulation. Even though it does not say this here, it pinpoints the time in Matthew 24:29. So this is not during the great tribulation. It is “immediately after,” and there is “distress of nations.”

This word “distress” is translated as “anguish of heart” in 2 Corinthians 2:4; and you are right about the word “perplexity.” “Perplexity” is Strong’s #640 and it is related to #639, which is translated as “doubting” in John 13:22 where the disciples were “doubting of whom he spake”; and so this has to do with confusion, which brings trouble of mind or anguish of heart.

Also, we cannot forget the very last part of Luke 21:25:

…the sea and the waves roaring;

This is very important information, because what does this mean? If we see a sea with its waves roaring, is that calm water? No. How would we describe this? It would be a “troubled sea.”

The Bible tells us in Isaiah 57:20-21:

But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Again, when we look at the evidence and compare Scripture with Scripture, which is all that we are doing, it is telling us that the wicked, the unsaved people of the world, have no rest.

What this verse is teaching is that there is no salvation. It is a matter of placing this verse.

The question comes down to whether or not we are in the great tribulation. Has it ended? If it has ended, these verses take effect. If it is continuing on, then it is not time yet.

In Revelation 14, we also read of a lack of rest. In Revelation 14:11, it is speaking of Judgment Day. It says:

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.

Mr. Camping has pointed out that “day and night” is a time reference. This, of course, was applied during the time of the five months of torment.

The fact is that here is a reference to God judging sinners, and what is part of this judgment said to be? It is that they “have no rest.”

This fits perfectly with the statement in Luke 21:25:

…the sea and the waves roaring;

So “the wicked are like the troubled sea” who “have no rest.”

In other words, if the great tribulation ended, the language of the sun being darkened, the powers of the heavens being shaken, and the sea and the waves roaring indicates that there is no salvation available, that it is the judgment of God upon the world, and that it would be here.

2^nd Question (Continued from previous question): Do you think that the language of “the sea and the waves roaring” could also be pointing to the height of evil and of the false gospels, as well as the wickedness of man, getting to its highest strength?

Chris: In Jude 1:13, where it is speaking of false prophets, it says:

Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame…

So, yes, it has that element to it; but more than that, this is picturing a “troubled sea.” Of course, the false prophets are also wicked and unsaved; but here, in this context, I think that it is pointing to all of the wicked, to all of the unsaved people.

Additional Comments: Lastly, Ezekiel 26:18 does link to this as it says, “In the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled.” So this might be a time reference for you to look at at some point.

Chris: We read in Ezekiel 26:18:

Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.

This is something to look at.

 

3^rd Question: I heard you say last week that we would start at 11 A.M. EST. Are we going to stay with 12 Noon EST for a starting time for the fellowship? Also, the Lord said in Matthew not to call anyone a fool. Is this to be taken literally?

Chris: As far as the start time, I think that I did say that and I apologize. What we need to do is announce this and I failed to do this, so this was why we went back to the original starting time. We announce this in certain groups and we would not want someone showing up at 12 Noon because they had not received this announcement, so this was why we continued today at this time. You can look for an announcement. If you do not see an announcement, the starting time will continue to be 12 Noon EST until we can send out that announcement.

As far as the fool, it says in Matthew 5:22:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Yes. God is giving laws. The transgression of any law does what to us? It brings us in danger of destruction. The transgression of the law of God brings the wrath of God upon us, whether it be a little lie, whether it be a curse, whether it be anger in our hearts, whether it be hatred to our brother, and so forth. We would think that it is nothing. We do not think that it is worthy of any punishment, and yet God continually teaches total perfection.

Remember how Matthew 5:48 concluded today:

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

If we have any imperfection regarding the law of God (in other words, sin), we are guilty. We are guilty of all and subject to “hell fire,” a phrase that the Bible uses to refer to destruction, to death, and to complete annihilation.

 

4^th Question: In 1Peter 3:19, is the Bible teaching us in this verse that people are spirits?

Chris: We read in 1Peter 3:18:

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [brought to life] by the Spirit:

“By which” in verse 19 is referring back to the Spirit. 1Peter 3:19 says:

By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

Who went? Christ went by the Spirit of God and preached. Then verse 20 tells us that it was during the construction of the ark that this took place.

How did Christ, by the Sprit, preach to “spirits in prison”? He did this through Noah, just as God preaches to the world through His people at any time. He used Noah to build the ark, He used Noah to warn the world, and it was through this that He preached. This is why Noah is called “a preacher of righteousness” or a preacher of Christ.

Did Noah preach to “spirits in prison”? Yes; he preached to the souls of men, and those men were in the spiritual dungeons of sin, taken captive by sin and by Satan. Those were the ones who were preached to in the days leading up to the flood.

 

5^th Question: Would you please look at Luke 21:28? Is “lift up your heads” to be taken literally? If not literally, what might this mean spiritually?

Chris: We read in Luke 21:26:

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth…

Notice that it is not there yet. They are looking on that which is coming. It continues:

…for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Again, here is that phrase that we also found in Matthew 24:29.

It continues in Luke 21:27:

And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Dunamis has other aspects to it. It describes many things about God. For instance, it tells us in 1^st Peter that we are “kept by the power of God.” When Christ comes, He is also coming with dunamis.

It continues in Luke 21:28:

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

What redemption is this speaking of? Romans 8:23 says:

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

This is indicating that the children of God have the earnest of the Spirit, the down payment, but this is only to tell them that the promise will come to pass.

With God indicating that there are signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars, and that this all that took place immediately after the tribulation, that this is actually an indicator or a sign that the redemption of the body will soon be here.

In other words, let us say that the great tribulation ended on May 21. For now, I think that it did, but I really am trying to look at everything and at the possibility that it did not. I do not see any evidence that it did not. All I see is evidence that it absolutely did. But let us say that the great tribulation ended and that, spiritually, the light of the Gospel went out in this world, and that the powers of heaven were shaken.

These are signs of the coming of the Son of Man, and so God is indicating here in Luke 21:28:

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up…

But this is not literal. We are not to walk around with our heads up. We are to look up in expectation of Christ’s coming, as it says in Acts 1:9-10 when Jesus was taken away:

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Then it says in the next verse that He will “come in like manner.”

So we see this phrase here:

…they looked stedfastly toward heaven…

Spiritually, where do we look when we are looking “stedfastly toward heaven”? We look in the Bible. We are to look “stedfastly toward heaven” in the Scriptures at this time because Christ will soon be here.

 

6^th Question: Could Luke 11:24 be understood as follows? The “unclean spirit” is a representation of Satan, and he “walketh through dry places.” For example, the “dry places” are without water, water being a representation of the true Gospel. He is “seeking rest” and will not find this rest because this rest is reserved only for God’s people through Jesus Christ, as in Matthew 11:29; whereas Revelation 14:11 indicates that those who “worship the beast [Satan] and his image” will not have rest. Could you explain this, please?

Chris: It says in Luke 11:24-26:

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

God views or takes individuals at their word who say that they are saved. We can find evidence of this in the Bible.

For instance, we see this in the parable of the man who was forgiven a great debt. In that parable, the man was forgiven a great debt goes to another person who owes him a very little bit, especially in comparison to this man’s great debt, and yet he takes that person by the throat. At the end, after this is made known to the one who had forgiven him the great debt, the Bible says that he “delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him,” indicating that he was under the judgment of God.

Spiritually, we know that God never forgives sins and then takes away that initial forgiveness of sins from someone who does not forgive another. No; once saved, always saved. But the way this works out with the Gospel is that many are called.

So there are those who say that they are a child of God, they say that they are a true believer, but God sees how they live, whether or not they live accordingly. This is as though “the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,” but, however, the truth is that this person never became saved.

So even though someone might clean up their life a little bit, what happens is that the unclean spirit comes back. Since that person did not have the Holy Spirit indwelling him, this is why it says in Luke 11:25:

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

There is no one inhabiting that dwelling. The Holy Spirit is not there, and so then he, the unclean spirit, is free to come back and more evil accompanies him.

This is how it is with men. This is how it is especially with those who profess to be Christians. There is nothing that truly took place inwardly in their hearts, and so, ultimately, they end up worse than ever.