By chronology we mean God deals with measuring time and assigning an arrangement of events to their proper order of occurrence as God plans and directs from the beginning to the end of the world. God is eternal, without beginning and without ending. What is time? Time is a series of pauses and periods in a continuity marching toward eternity; eternity is time without end. Time is counted as before or after. Eternity is counted as past eternity and future eternity; from everlasting to everlasting. The world will come to an end, eternity is world without end. God is beyond time and eternity because God is Self-Existent before time and Eternal beyond eternity. God is beyond eternity. God is not like man who has problems with time: who feels time is too slow, too swift, too long, or too short. God who sits enthroned from ancient times, with WHOM there is no change. The Father of lights, with WHOM there is no variation or shifting shadow. Heb 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” For our Lord Jesus Christ is our God. Eternity resides in God. God is forever
“I AM WHO I AM”.
By revelation we learn to know from the Holy Bible the outline of the chronology of Time and Eternity. God moves and works according to His eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This article is written so that you may know how important it is to know the chronology of time and eternity. This is a chronological outline of things and events past, present and future. This outline is made based on the revealed knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and may help you form a broad general idea of the scheme of things set by God from the very beginning (the everlasting past) to the everlasting future (eternity). God moves according to His time-table. God does whatever He pleases.
A person who does not know the sign of the time is lost. A person who loses eternity loses all. This article is written so that you know how important it is to know the chronology of time and eternity and God who rules time and eternity.
Many Western leaders and politicians falsely call themselves Christians but not knowing they are agents of their father who is the ruler of this world and they do the desires of their father the devil. What they do may affect not only time but their eternity.
I. God existed by Himself eternally before time and space.
Jhn 5:26 , “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.”
Note: Life in Greek is zōē which means the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical and eternal, which belongs to God; – it occurs about 134 times in the New Testament. God has life in Himself means God is eternally Self-Existent. Jesus Christ is the life means only Christ can give you eternal life. Immortality belongs to God; mortality belongs to man, sinful man. No matter by what scientific means, man does not have life in himself. Poor scientists do not even know when they are going to die.
1 Ti 1:17 , “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Note: Eternal in Greek is aiōn which means perpetuity of time, time without end, for ever; – it occurs about 128 times in the New Testament. Immortal in Greek is aphthartos which means imperishable, indestructible, incorruptible , not liable to corruption or decay; – it occurs 7 times in the New Testament.
1Ti 6:16 , “He (God) alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, Whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”
Note: Immortality in Greek is athanasia which describes God only because He possesses it essentially, undyingness, eternity; – it occurs only 3 times in the New Testament. All men are mortal. All things are perishable.
Rom 1:20 , “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
God is invisible, but through the creation of the universe, His eternal power and divine nature have been made known; man is without excuse, he is a fool who says there is no God.
2 Cr 4:18 , “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Scientists can study only things which are see and temporal. Scientists are incapable of studying things which are not seen and things eternal. Now basically there are two kinds of things in the universe: the things which are seen and the things which are not visible. Things which are seen (money, power, and sex) are temporal; but the things which are not seen (faith, hope, and love) are eternal. He is the greatest fool who exchanges the eternal for the temporal.
Note: Eternity belongs to God for God is Eternal Self-Existent. Eternity can be divided into the eternal past, eternal present, and eternal future. The eternal past was when God was before time and space. God always existed because He has life in Himself. God was, God is, and God will always be eternally.
II. God created the universe and the first couple, Adam and Eve.
Gen 1:1 , “In the beginning God created the universe and the earth.”
Note: Create in Hebrew is bara’ which means to make something new out of nothing; – it occurs about 54 times in the Old Testament. See Hbr 11:3 .
Universe in Hebrew is athanasia which means the Heavens. There are three Heavens: first is called the sky where birds and airplanes fly. The second Heaven is commonly known as the universe where galaxies, planets, and innumerable stars are. Since the universe is expanding, no one really knows how vast and infinite the second Heaven is. The third Heaven is the abode of God and where angels are, beyond human imagination. Read 2Cr 12:2 .
The word universe occurs about 420 times in the Old Testament.
Gen 1:27 , “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Note: Image in Hebrew tselem which means likeness or resemblance; – it occurs about 17 times in the Old Testament. Since God is Spirit, it is impossible for man to have God’s image in the physical sense. God’s image refers to His divine nature. The attributes of divine nature include holiness, righteousness and truth.
Isa 42:5 , “Thus says God the Lord, Who created the Heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it.”
Note: Stretch in Hebrew is natah which means to spread out, extend, unfold, expand; – it occurs about 215 times in the Old Testament. The prophet Isaiah knew that the universe was expanding while scientists only know recently.
Isa 40:22 , “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the Heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”
Note: Prophet Isaiah knew the earth was round, and knew about the expanding universe through revelation some 700 years B.C. which arrogant scientists discovered only recently.
Mat 19:4 , “And He (Christ) answered and said: Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female.”
Note: Jesus Christ confirmed and validated the creation of Adam and Eve by direct act of God. Those who claim to be Christians and at the same time believe in evolution run the risk of denying the Word of the Lord. An American president who advertises himself as a born-again Christian but he is an evolutionist. You cannot be a Christian and an evolutionist at the same time. For the scientific theory of evolution contradicts the teaching of creation by Jesus Christ. I would rather believe in the Word of my Lord and my God than the hypothesis of scientists who do not even know the date of their deaths.
1 Ti 2:13 , “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.”
Col 1:16 , “For by Him (Christ) all things were created, both in the Heavens (universe) and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him”
Note: It is un-Scriptural and wrong to say that God created the earth some 6,000 years ago. Only God knows when the beginning was when He created the universe, the earth, and the humankind. All the rest is sheer speculation.
III. Man fell by disobedience and driven out of the Garden of Eden.
Rom 5:19 , “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
Note: Disobedience in Greek is parakoē which means unwillingness to obey; – it occurs only 3 times in the New Testament. You don’t have to kill or rape to be made a sinner, disobedience to God is enough to be sent to Hell. The first sin committed by the first man was disobedience. The wicked even today rebel against God.
1 Cr 15:22 , “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
1 Cr 15:47 , “The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second Man is from Heaven.”
Gen 3:24 , “So He (God) drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”
Rom 5:12 , “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
Note: Sin in Greek is hamartia which means missing the mark, coming short, falling short, wandering from the path of uprightness and honor, doing or going wrong, violation of the divine law in thought, word or in act; sinning by omission or commission; – it occurs about 174 times in the New Testament.
Note: The only proof that you are not sinful is that you must be immortal. For all are sinful, therefore all are mortal.
IV. Men and women sinned greatly; Noah obeyed God to build the Ark.
Gen 6:13 , “So God said to Noah: I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.”
Note: Violence in Hebrew is chamac which means wrong, cruelty, injustice, oppression; – it occurs about 60 times in the Old Testament. Warmongers and white and black supremacists and terrorists fill the world with violence. Drug and sex traffickers do cruel things. In my opinion, the greatest financial injustice has been done the crooks and criminals of Wall Street, bank, mortgage and insurance, and big firm executives who created the economic and financial crisis in 2008 that robbed and looted America and the world US $50 trillions of dollars. Not only no one is punished, (one Jew was reported to have died in jail), they shamelessly used taxpayers’ bailout money to give themselves exorbitant compensation and billions in bonuses. If Wall Street crooks and criminals escape the judgment of human courts, they will not escape the wrath of God.
Gen 7:13 , “On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark.”
Note: Ark in Hebrew is tebah which means a chest, coffer; the ship which Noah made like a chest or coffer; – it occurs 28 times in the Old Testament. Something is most interesting and amazing about the Chinese character for ship. Chinese characters are square. The etymology of the Chinese word
” ship ” 船 , 舟 (big boat) 八 (eight)
口 (mouth). One mouth means one person. So the Chinese character
船 means in a big boat, there were 8 mouths or 8 persons. Thus ship
is written with “boat” on the left, “eight mouths” on the right. In the big ship there were 8 persons, one mouth stands for one person. In counting population, you count how many mouths. It is historically significant because Noah, his wife, their three sons and three daughters-in-law made up a family of 8 persons who entered the Ark and were saved from the Flood or the Deluge. And so the Chinese character “ ship ” is written that there are 8 mouths in the Ark.
1 Pe 3:20 , “ Who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”
Note: Ark in Greek is kibōtos which means a wooden chest or box, Noah’s vessel built in the form of an ark; – it occurs 6 times in the New Testament.
2 Pe 2:5 , “And did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly.”
Note: Was the Flood only a story? Jesus Christ confirmed it as a historical event.
Luk 17:27 , “They were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”
Note: I would rather believe my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, than all the scientists of all generations put together. Jesus Christ died for sinners and rose from the dead and lives forever; all scientists not only will die, they do not even know the day of their death.
V. The ancestors of mankind spread around the globe.
Act 17:26 , “And He (God) made from one blood every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.”
Note: Blood in Greek is haima which means blood of man or animals, the seat of life; – it occurs 99 times in the New Testament. The words hematic and hematology come from the Greek word. Although human blood has four groups (A, B, AB, O), but it is one biological blood. Although humans have various colors, white, black, yellow and red; but they are humankind. Blood composition varies among species. Mammalian blood is composed of plasma, red and white cells (erythrocytes and leukocytes ), and platelets (thrombocytes). Animal blood is of different kind, unsuitable for blood transfusion to humans. Blood in Hebrew is dam which occurs 361 times in the Old Testament. Gen 9:6 , “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man. ” Deu 12:23 ,
“Only be sure not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.”
Gen 9:19 , “These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.”
Gen 10:32 , “These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.”
VI. God called Abraham and promised the coming of the Messiah.
Act 7:2 , “And he said: Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.”
Note: Appear in Greek is optanomai which means to allow one’s self to be seen, to show; – it occurs about 58 times in the New Testament. God is Spirit and so God is invisible; but God can appear and show Himself. God appeared to Abraham. When God became Man in Jesus Christ, He showed Himself in grace and truth.
Hbr 11:8 , “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”
Note: Many do not know the conflict between Israel and Palestinians is unnecessary. In the beginning there was Israel and the Jews, and no Palestine or Palestinians. Palestine was an illegal legacy of the British empire. Some 4,000 years God gave the Promised Land to Abraham and his descendants. During the British colonial period, illegal Arabs moved into the Holy Land and occupied without payment. The Promised Land, when occupied by the British was called Palestine, now the State of Israel. The Holy Land belongs to the Jews forever; no other people or nation has any legitimate claim. Jerusalem is forever the capital of the great king David. God gave the Promised Land to the children of Abraham for an inheritance. No United Nations or any agency or country may have authority to give away the Jewish land. The leaders of the United Kingdom do not have moral character and courage to come out and inform the Palestinians who are actually Arabs that they have no resettlement right, no legal claim to the Holy Land. It is wise for Palestinians to seek statehood or residency in neighboring Arab states. Palestinians should peacefully withdraw from all Jewish land or they are to be evicted by force. The two-state proposal is wrong, it is not a solution. Palestinians can never establish a state in the Holy Land. Although Israel is surrounded by hostile Arab states, but God is the Protector of Israel. God will fight for Jerusalem. Palestinians and Arabs, do not become an enemy of God.
Gal 3:8 , “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying: All the nations will be blessed in you.”
Gal 3:16 , “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, and to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, and to your Seed, that is, Christ.”
Note: Christ in Hebrew is Messiah.
Gal 3:29 , “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Note: Those who belong to Christ are the true Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the divine promise.
VII. God spoke through Mosaic Law and the Prophets.
Jhn 1:17 , “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
Note: Law in Greek is nomos which means rule, precept, principle or command established by God, the Mosaic law; – it occurs about 197 times in the New Testament. Law in Hebrew is towrah which means direction, instruction, body of legal directives; – it occurs about 219 times in the Old Testament. Exd 24:12 ,
“The LORD said to Moses: Come up to Me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tables of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”
The Mosaic Law summed up in the Ten Commandments is the basis of all human civilizations.
Mat 17:3 , “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him (Christ).”
Note: Moses represents the Law, while Elijah represents the Prophets.
Jhn 1:45 , “Philip found Nathaniel and said to him: We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Note: Moses and the Prophets wrote about Jesus the Messiah.
Act 3:22 , “Moses said: The Lord God will raise up for you a PROPHET like me from your brethren; to HIM you shall give heed to everything He says to you.”
Act 28:23 , “When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the Kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.”
Note: This covers the period from Moses to Malachi, from Genesis to Malachi, the Old Testament.
VIII. Messiah appeared in the person of Jesus Christ – the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.
A.) Incarnation
1 Ti 3:16 , “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.”
Note: Mystery in Greek is mystērion which means secret, hidden thing, the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly; – it occurs about 27 times in the New Testament. Incarnation can be Scripturally defined as “God manifested in the flesh” or “God became Man.” God became Man in Jesus Christ was the mystery of godliness.
1 Jo 5:20 , “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
Jhn 1:18 , “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed Him.”
Note: Reveal in Greek is exēgeomai which means to unfold, declare, interpret things sacred and divine; – it occurs 6 times in the New Testament.
Jhn 6:46 , “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.”
Luk 1:35 , “The angel answered and said to her (Mary): The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”
Note: Overshadow in Greek is episkiazō which means to envelop in shadow like a cloud as symbolizing the immediate presence and power of God; – it occurs 5 times in the New Testament.
Simply, Incarnation means God became Man in the Person of Jesus Christ.
B.) Crucifixion
Hbr 9:26 , “Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Note: Put away in Greek is athetēsis which means to abolish, reject, disannul; – it occurs 2 times in the New Testament. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was to put away our sins.
1 Jo 3:5 , “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.”
Note: Take away in Greek is airō which means to carry off, remove, to cause our sins to cease; – it occurs about 102 times in the New Testament.
1 Jo 3:8 , “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
Note: Destroy in Greek is lyō which means to set free, undo, dissolve, dismiss, break up, annul, subvert, overthrow, demolish; – it occurs about 43 times in the New Testament.
Mat 20:28 , “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Note: Jesus Christ did not die a victim’s death, but a substitutionary death – the Righteous for the unrighteous. Come in Greek is erchomai which means to appear, make one’s appearance, come before the public, to come into being; – it occurs 635 times in the New Testament.
Come in Chinese is 來 which has an etymological meaning as follows:
十字架 十 （ cross )， 人 （ man ）。
Jesus was crucified on the cross, there was a little man (thief) on the left and a little man on the right (robber). In the center there was a big Man (Jesus). Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the cross for sinners, this was an invitation of God to man:
Isa 1:18 , “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.”
Mat 18:11 ,“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”
Mat 11:28 , “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jhn 6:37-38 , “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from Heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
Note: John Calvin was a false teacher who taught a wrong doctrine that God predestinated a certain group of people to go to Heaven, and another group of people to go to Hell. Jesus says clearly and plainly, the one who come to Jesus He will certainly not cast out. No matter who you are, if you come to Jesus He will not kick you out.
Act 3:15 , “But put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.”
Rom 5:10 , “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
Hbr 9:14 , “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
(I). Jesus Predicted the Crucifixion.
Mat 20:17-19 ,“As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them: Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.”
Note: Whenever Jesus predicted His death, He unmistakably also predicted His resurrection. The Greek word for “crucify” is stauroō which means to stake, drive down stakes, fortify with driven stakes, palisade, hang; to crucify the flesh, destroy its power utterly (implying that the destruction is attended with intense pain); – it occurs 46 times in the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
Mat 17:12 ,“But I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Note: Crucifixion was a part of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.
Mat 17:22-23 ,“And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day. And they were deeply grieved.”
Mat 26:24 ,“The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
Note: That man was Judas, the traitor, the son of perdition.
Mar 8:31, “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”
Note: The Greek word for suffer is paschō which means to be afflicted, undergo evils, suffer sadly and badly; – it occurs 42 times in the New Testament. The life of Jesus on earth was the life of suffering for sinners. The Greek word for reject is apodokimazō which means to disapprove, repudiate, disallow; – it occurs 9 times in the New Testament. The religious establishment rejected Jesus Christ.
The political establishment handed Jesus over for crucifixion. When the establishment sings praises of a preacher, you know something is wrong with him. The Herodian Palace did not welcome John the Baptist. A godly preacher will suffer persecution. Do you think the American presidents would like me if I say I don’t believe they are Christians and preach against the sins and crimes of American presidents?
Luk 9:44 ,“Let these Words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.”
Note: The Words of Jesus could not sink in because the disciples had a different concept of Messiah, glorified and exalted, never to be humiliated. The Words of Jesus not only sink into our ears, let them sink into our hearts also.
Luk 24:7 ,“Saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
Note: Jesus must die so that repentant sinners may live.
(II). Jesus Did not Die the Death of a Victim.
Mar 15:14-15 ,“But Pilate said to them: Why, what evil has He done? But they shouted all the more: Crucify Him! Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”
Mat 27:22 ,“Pilate said to them: Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said: Crucify Him!”
Mar 14:55 ,“Now the chief priests and the whole council sought testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none.”
Note: Those who sought to kill Jesus manufactured false witness against Him.
Luk 23:21 ,“But they kept on calling out, saying: Crucify, crucify Him!”
Jhn 19:6 ,“So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying: Crucify, crucify! Pilate said to them: Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him. ”
Note: Pilate could not find any guilt in Jesus, and Jesus had done no evil. Evil here means crime or wrong or putting others to trouble. Yet the crowd shouted to crucify Jesus. This was the mob rule, not the rule of law. In many Western legal systems, lengthy trial is intended to enrich the legal professionals and fake evidence and false presentation are a travesty of justice. Pilate wanted to please the crowd and handed Jesus over to be crucified. On the surface, it may appear Jesus was a victim of injustice, mob rule and unjust judge.
Act 2:22-24 ,“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
Note: Peter testified that Jesus was delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. Predetermined in Greek is horizō which means to define, ordain, appoint, mark out; – it occurs 8 times in the New Testament. Plan in Greek is boulē which means counsel, purpose, will; – it occurs 12 times in the New Testament. The death of Jesus was not a victim of circumstances; it was predetermined by God. Foreknowledge in Greek is prognōsis which means forethought, pre-arrangement, forethought; – it occurs 2 times in the New Testament.
Hbr 10:9-10 ,“Then He said: BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL. He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Note: Jesus had come to do God’s will. God’s will was believers sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Mat 26:39 ,“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying: My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Mat 26:42 ,“He went away again a second time and prayed, saying: My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
Mat 26:45 ,“Then He came to the disciples and said to them: Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
Note: In Greek betray is paradidōmi which means to give into the hands of another, deliver up treacherously, jeopardize; – it occurs 121 times in the New Testament.
In the last 500 years European supremacists and in the last 300 years American white and black supremacists have done great evil in the world and they lied, killed, and robbed many nations and peoples and above they discredited Christianity and dishonored the Lord Jesus Christ. Because they claim and pretend to be Christians.
Luk 23:23 ,“But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.”
Note: The most corrupt former leader of Taiwan was convicted of high crimes involving billions of dollars and worthy of death, yet its shameless party members make loud voices to demand special pardon on the phony pretext of societal harmony. His wife uses the list of names of those former corrupt officials who got payoff from the corrupt leader to blackmail its party members to demand special pardon or their names would be released. If they prevail you will know what kind of immoral government and useless legal system. In Jesus’ case, the loud voices of mob wanted to condemn and crucify the Righteous One.
Jhn 19:10-11 ,“So Pilate said to Him: You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You? Jesus answered: You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
Note: No one had authority over Jesus, not even the governor or Caesar of the Roman Empire. How?
Mat 26:53-54 ,“Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
Note: Legion in Greek is legiōn which means a body of soldiers whose number may have consisted of 6,826 men. Twelve legions of angels as the army of God may be 81,912 angels. The Lord who commanded wind and sea would have no problem in destroying the Roman soldiers. Even one mighty angel could destroy the whole Roman army. This simply says that Jesus was obedient to God’s will even to death willingly.
Jhn 10:15 , “Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
Note: Believers are the sheep of Jesus. Jesus died for His sheep.
Jhn 10:18 , “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Note: Jesus willingly and voluntarily died for sinners as commanded by the Father before the foundation of the world.
Eph 1:4 , “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.”
(III). The Sufferings of Jesus.
Mar 9:12 ,“And He said to them: Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”
Note: In Greek to treat with contempt is exoudeneō which means to hold as of no account, utterly to despise, set at naught, insult; – it occurs only once in the New Testament. Even today there are unbelieving scientists and scholars who insult Jesus Christ. They will be judged on the Day of Judgment.
Mar 15:20 ,“After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him.”
Note: The Greek word for mock is empaizō which means to play with, trifle with, make fun of, deride, ridicule; – it occurs 13 times in the New Testament.
Mat 27:31 ,“After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.”
Note: The scarlet robe was the royal robe which they used to mock Jesus because He claimed to be the King of the Jews.
Luk 9:22 , “Saying: The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”
Many were the sufferings of Christ; the following were just some examples:
Mar 7:34 ,“And looking up to Heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him: Ephphatha! that is: Be opened!”
Note: As God who became Man, Jesus sighed.
Jhn 11:35 ,“Jesus wept.”
Luk 22:44 ,“And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”
Note: The perspiration of Jesus became like drops of blood falling down on the ground.
Mat 26:67 ,“Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others hit Him.”
Note: They spat in Jesus’ face, beat Him with their fists and hit Him.
Mat 27:29-30 ,“And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews! They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head.”
Note: They put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head, they mocked Him, spat on Him and beat Him on the head.
Isa 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Note: Jesus was wounded, bruised, chastened, and scourged for us.
Mat 27:26 ,“Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”
Note: Jesus was scourged.
Mar 15:32 ,“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe! Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.”
Mat 27:44 ,“The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.”
Note: Even the robbers who had been crucified with Him insulted Him.
Jhn 19:34 ,“But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”
Note: One Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear and immediately blood and water came out.
Mat 27:35 ,“And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots.”
Jhn 19:23 ,“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece.”
Note: By casting lots they divided up Jesus’ garments among themselves.
Mat 8:20 ,“Jesus said to him: The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Note: Jesus had nowhere to lay His head while He was on earth. Something is seriously wrong with American evangelists and mega-church pastors who become rich through preaching of the gospel, live in mansions and a luxurious lifestyle; having private planes, driving Mercedes-Benz, and large bank accounts.
(IV). The Meanings of Jesus’ Death.
Mat 20:28 ,“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Note: The Greek word for ransom is lytron which means the price for redeeming, the price paid or demanded, penalty of sins; – it occurs twice in the New Testament. Jesus gave His life as the price for redeeming sinners. Salvation is available to all, but effective only to those who accept and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Luk 9:56 ,“For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went on to another village.”
Note: The Greek word for save is sōzō which means to rescue from danger or destruction, deliver from the penalties of sin, save from eternal damnation, make one a partaker of the salvation of God; – it occurs 110 times in the New Testament.
To save is the opposite of to destroy. The devil destroys lives; Jesus saves believers from eternal death.
Act 2:36 ,“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ –this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Rom 6:6 , “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”
1Cr 1:23-24 , “But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Note: To those who are called, the crucifixion of Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ is the power of God who saves me from sins and eternal punishment. Christ is the wisdom of God because men who cannot be justified by law and good deeds, can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
1Pe 3:18 , “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.”
Gal 2:20 , “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Note: Jesus loved me and died for me. One word can describe the meaning of Jesus’ death is substitutionary. Jesus died for you and me. Christianity is personal. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not membership in a megachurch or any church. You can be the pastor of a megachurch or its member and do not have personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Eph 1:11 , “Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will.”
Note: The death of Jesus was predestined according to God’s purpose and His will so that Christians may obtain an inheritance in the Kingdom of God.
(V). Jesus accomplished the work of salvation.
Jhn 19:28-30 ,“After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said: I am thirsty. A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said: It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
Note: In Greek accomplish is teleō which means to bring to a close, to finish, to end; to perform, execute, complete, fulfill; – it occurs 26 times in the New Testament. “It is finished” means that Christ has satisfied God’s justice by dying for all to pay for the sins of all believers. These sins can never be punished again since that would violate God’s justice. Sins can only be punished once, either by a substitute or by yourself. Accomplish and finish in Greek here is the same word.
Roman Catholic church has many un-scriptural traditions and legacies. Reenactment of crucifixion of Jesus Christ is one of the blasphemous and ridiculous practices; for Jesus Christ before His death declared: It is finished.
Jhn 19:30 , “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” It is wrong to use a bloody annual ritual to mark Good Friday as some Filipinos do annually. The spectacle does not glorify the Lord and fails to understand the true meaning of crucifixion, vicarious death of the Righteous for the unrighteous. Carrying wooden crosses does not dramatize Christ’s sacrifice and fails to proclaim the forgiveness of sins as a result of Christ’s completed redemption. No matter how devotees undergo the hardships and pains, such extreme sacrifices are no way to atone for their sins; and they do not attain miracle cures for illness or give thanks to God. Such pagan practices are not in line with Biblical teaching, abhorrent in the sight of God, and it offends the God of Salvation. It is superstitious to believe in good luck. Hammering stainless steel nails into the palms and feet of a pretender is both sadistic and masochistic which is condemned by the Bible and against the will of God.
Jhn 1:29 ,“The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ”
Note: All the sacrifices in the Old Testament symbolized the better sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God when He died on the cross to take away your sins and my sins, the sin of the world.
Hbr 7:27 , “Who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.”
Note: Jesus Christ offered up Himself once for all. The salvation is completed. The Roman Catholic Church holding of mass as the reenactment of Jesus’sacrifice is un-Scriptural. The sacrifice of Jesus was completed and no more sacrifice is needed.
Hbr 9:26 ,“Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
Note: The sins of all believers are put away for good once and for all.
Hbr 10:12 ,“But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”
When we celebrate the Good Friday, we do it in remembrance of Jesus’ death some 2,000 years ago. The Roman Catholic Church still has Jesus Christ on the crucifix, but Jesus Christ rose from the dead, ascended to the highest Heavens, sitting down at the right hand of God, and He is coming again to redeem the bodies of Christians and to judge the world and to reign with the saints for eternity.
Eph 2:8 ,“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Note: This is the living message of Good Friday and Easter. You can be saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the gift of God, not what you can accomplish. Would you now accept the gift of God who is Jesus Christ? To accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is to receive the eternal life.
C.) Resurrection
Act 4:33 , “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.”
Note: Power in Greek is dynamis which means strength, inherent power; – it occurs 120 times in the New Testament. By the power residing in God and by virtue of the supernatural nature of resurrection (the resurrection was a dynamic event), the apostles testified to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was not a spiritual resurrection, but a real bodily resurrection. Founders of all religions are dead and buried, except Jesus Christ who died for sinners and rose from the dead and He lives forever to save those who believe in Him.
Rom 1:4 , “He (Christ) was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Note: The power of the apostles in Act 4:33 was derived from the power in Rom 1:4 . Declare in Greek is horizō which means to define, determine, appoint, ordain; – it occurs 8 times in the New Testament. Although Jesus Christ was the Son of God before His resurrection, yet He was openly officiated such among men as the Son of God by this transcendent and crowning event of His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ defined the Son of God.
Act 26:23 , “That the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Note: Proclaim in Greek is kataggellō which means to announce, declare, promulgate, make known, proclaim publicly with the idea of celebrating, commending, and openly praising; – it occurs about 17 times in the New Testament.
1 Pe 1:3 , “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
Note: Living in Greek is zaō which means having vital power in itself, active, blessed, endless; – it occurs 143 times in the New Testament. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the guarantee of a living hope. The word “Easter” does not exist in the Bible. Our purpose here is not to trace the origin of the word and its etymology. For the purpose of this article we use Easter to mean a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on the third day after His crucifixion as written in the New Testament. We do not accept any connotation or denotation from any church tradition or history. We repudiate and reject the Roman Catholic Church tradition as un-Biblical. We only accept and believe in the teaching of the New Testament on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not accept Easter as a part of the commemoration of martyrs, or customs include egg hunting, the Easter Bunny, and Easter parades whatever their origin or meaning maybe. It needs to be said; the death of Jesus Christ is closely linked or tied to His resurrection. Every time Jesus predicted about His death, He invariably stressed that He would rise again on the third day.
GOD vindicates and validates the divinity of Jesus Christ by the power of resurrection. Jesus bodily rose from the death with spiritual, glorious and immortal body.
Mat 16:21 , “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” Crucifixion has to do with the death of Christ, please see CRUCIFIXION .
(I). Jesus was physically dead and His resurrection was bodily.
There are some unbelievers who spread the false gospel that Jesus Christ did not really die, He only fainted. This was a lie and not a historical fact. Liberal theologians also teach a false doctrine of Jesus’ spiritual resurrection. The spirit does not die, there is no need for a resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus was bodily, it means His dead body rose again from death by the power of God, and He is alive sitting on the right hand of God.
Jhn 19:30-42 , “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, “NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN.” And again another Scripture says, “THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED.” After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
Note: the death of Jesus Christ was real, He was buried in a tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus brought a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes for body of Jesus.
(II). The Resurrection of Jesus Christ was with incorruptible body.
Rom 1:2-4 , “Which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of Holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Note: God promised the coming of Messiah through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of Holiness.
Rom 6:4-11 , “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Note: Through the death and resurrection of Christ, the salvation of God is accomplished for all who have become united with Christ.
(III). There were eyewitnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Act 2:22-24 , “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”
Act 2:31-33 , “He (David) looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”
Note: Witness in Greek is martys which means one who is mindful, a spectator in a historical sense, in a legal sense; – it occurs 34 times in the New Testament. The apostles and early disciples were all eye-witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. That was the motive and power of their preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the face of persecution, imprisonment and even death.
Act 3:14-15 , “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.”
Jhn 20:24-31 , “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you. Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God! Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed. Therefore many other miracles Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Note: The apostles and early disciples had seen the Lord and believed. Blessed are they who did not see and yet believed.
1Cr 15:5-11 , “and that He appeared to Cephas , then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me (Paul) also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”
(IV). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is NOT according to man.
Gal 1:11-24 , “For I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ . For you have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, how I used to persecute the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it; and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions. But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus. Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days. But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying. Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which were in Christ; but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy. And they were glorifying God because of me.”
(V). The Core and Content of the Gospel.
1Cr 15:1-4, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Note: The first importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that Christ died for our sins according the Scriptures. Jesus Christ did not die because He was a good man persecuted. Jesus Christ did not die as a victim. Jesus Christ did not as a martyr. Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures – for your sins and for my sins and for sins of the world. Not only Jesus died for our sins, He was buried. It was not the spirit of Jesus who died, you cannot bury a spirit. Jesus was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Jesus was raised by the power of God to be declared the Son of God. The core and content of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ died for our sins in order to atone for our sins and to redeem us from our sins. Jesus Christ rose from the dead for our justification. Because Jesus Christ died for our sins so we may have forgiveness of sins. Because Jesus Christ rose from the dead so that we are counted by God as righteous. God justifies believers on account of the sinlessness of Christ and on account He is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior.
1Cr 15:13-28 , “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the Kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”
Note: The resurrection of Jesus Christ insures He is able to destroy the last enemy that will be abolished is death. Jesus Christ reigns when He puts all His enemies under His feet. All things shall be put in subjection to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
(VI). The Ultimate Victory.
1Cr 15:44-58 , “It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly , so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable . Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”
Note: The Resurrection of Jesus Christ insures the spiritual will triumph over the natural, the heavenly over the earthly, the imperishable over the perishable, and the immortal over the mortal – the Victory .
Jhn 3:16 , “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
D.) Ascension
Act 1:2 , “Until the day when He (Christ) was taken up to Heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.”
Note: Taken up in Greek is analambanō which means to be received up into; – it occurs 13 times in the New Testament.
Act 1:9 , “After He (Christ) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.”
Note: Taken up here in Greek is epairō which means to be raised on high, to be lifted up with pride, to be exalted; – it occurs 19 times in the New Testament. Just as the resurrection officially declared Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, so the ascension exalted Jesus Christ to the highest heaven. Ascension means Jesus Christ who came down to the earth from Heaven and returned to Heaven, it was a historical fact. Just as Jesus Christ went up to Heaven, He is coming again.
Act 1:11 , “They (angels) also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
Jhn 14:2 , “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
Note: Place in Greek is topos which means a place or spot where one can settle, abide, dwell; a place to dwell in; an inhabited place, as a city; – it occurs about 92 times in the New Testament. The city that the Lord Jesus has prepared for His followers is the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.
Eph 4:10 , “He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the Heavens, so that He might fill all things.”
Note: Ascend in Greek is anabainō which means to go up, move to a higher place; – it occurs about 82 times in the New Testament. Not only had Jesus Christ ascended to the highest Heaven, but far above all the heavens.
IX. The Holy Spirit came and works as the sole Representative of Christ on earth.
Jhn 14:16 , “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
Note: Comforter in Greek is paraklētos which means one who pleads another’s cause with one, an intercessor, succorer; – it occurs only 5 times in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit is the Helper because Jhn 16:13 , “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.” Rom 8:26-27 , “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
Right now the Holy Spirit represents Jesus Christ on earth, not the pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
Note: Help in Greek is synantilambanomai which means to lay hold along with, to strive to obtain with others, to take hold with another, help in obtaining; – it occurs only 2 times in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness by taking hold of us. Without the help of the Holy Spirit, no one can know the will of God.
Luk 24:49 , “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are endued with power from on high.”
Note: Endued with in Greek is endyō which means to be put on, clothed with, furnished with, adorned with; – it occurs about 29 times in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit is the Power from on high.
Act 1:8 , “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Note: To be endued with the Holy Spirit is to be received with power. To receive power is not to show off one’s spirituality, but to witness for Jesus Christ. The Pentecostal church falsely teaches that the receiving the power of the Holy Spirit is to speak in tongues. You can tell whether a preacher is filled of the Holy Spirit or not when he preaches.
Act 2:33 , “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”
Act 4:31 , “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness.”
Note: The Church of Christ was formally established at the Pentecost.
Act 9:31 , “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
Note: Comfort in Greek is paraklēsis which means consolation, solace; that which affords comfort or encouragement; – it occurs 29 times in the New Testament. Those who fear the Lord will know the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Jhn 15:26 , “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
Note: The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost and lives in the hearts of believers, who solely represents Jesus Christ on earth (not the pope) until the Kingdom comes.
This is the age of grace under the leading of the Holy Spirit. If you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you, you do not belong to Christ. The only proof that you are saved is the fact the Holy Spirit lives in you.
X. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed all over the world, full of grace and truth.
Jhn 1:14 , “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Note: Word in Greek is logos means the sayings of God, the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, through whom God created the universe, for the procurement of man’s salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead; the Divine Expression, the Living Word and the Written Word of God; – it occurs about 330 times in the New Testament Grace in Greek is charis which means good will, loving-kindness, favor of God towards men; preeminently the idea of God’s kindness bestowed upon unworthy sinners; – it occurs about 156 times in the New Testament. Truth in Greek is alētheia which means the truth as taught in the Bible, respecting God and the execution of His purposes through Christ; the truth which the Gospel presents; – it occurs about 110 times in the New Testament.
Jhn 14:6 , “Jesus said to him, “I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Note: Way in Greek is hodos which means the path, road; with whom all who seek God must enter into closest fellowship; – it occurs about 102 times. Jesus Christ is the way to God, the way to salvation, the way to life, the way to Heaven.
1 Jo 1:2 , “And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.”
Rev 14:6 , “And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal Gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people.”
Note: Gospel in Greek is euaggelion which means the glad tidings of salvation through Christ; the good news of Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to obtain salvation for all who repent and believe in His name; – it occurs about 77 times in the New Testament.
2 Ti 1:10 , “But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel.”
Note: Immortality in Greek is aphtharsia which means incorruption, perpetuity, life without end; – it occurs 8 times in the New Testament.
2 Cr 6:2 , “For He (God) says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Note: We now live in this period of grace, the dispensation of grace, the age of good news, covering from the birth of Jesus to just before the Second Coming of Christ. These are the last days, waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ to judge the world and reign with the saints in the Kingdom of God. This website is dedicated to proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world absolutely free. Today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time for sinners (whether you are a Jew or a Gentile) to repent and believe in Jesus Christ before the Judgment Day. The time is coming when it is no longer acceptable. Historically speaking, we are now at the dispensation of grace. When Jesus Christ returns, this period will be over. Therefore, repent and believe in Jesus Christ and be saved while you can.
XI. The rapture and the first resurrection shall take place when believers meet Christ in the space.
Jhn 6:40 , “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Note: The last day of the world is the day when Jesus Christ returns. The rapture has not taken place yet. The second coming of Christ has two stages: the first is Rapture and the first resurrection of the saints to transform the bodies of believers so that to meet the Lord in the space; the second stage is to descend with the Lord to the earth and reign with Christ for one thousand years.
Dan 12:2 , “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”
Note: Those who died in Christ will rise first and enter into everlasting life in Heaven. Those who reject Christ will go into disgrace and everlasting contempt in Hell.
Jhn 5:29 , “And will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”
Note: There are two resurrections: a resurrection of life for Christians, and a resurrection of judgment for unbelievers.
2 Cr 5:4 , “For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.”
Note: Christians will have eternal life in Heaven forever. Immortality will swallow up mortality.
Col 3:4 , “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
Note: One word to describe the second coming of Christ is glory.
1 Th 4:16-17 , “For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the space, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
Note: The rapture and the first resurrection are parts of the Second Coming of Christ. When Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise first with spiritual and glorious and immortal bodies. Those believers who are alive when Christ returns will be transformed into spiritual and glories bodies to meet the Lord in the space.
The Second Coming of Christ is the most important event to take place in the whole universe. The Lord is near.
XII. The Great Tribulation shall begin on earth.
Mar 13:19 , “For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will.”
Note: Tribulation in Greek is thlipsis which means oppression, affliction, distress, straits; – it occurs about 45 times in the New Testament. According to the sequence of events, the Great Tribulation will take place only after the Rapture (believers are caught up in the space to meet the Lord).
Mat 24:29 , “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the Heavens will be shaken.”
Rev 7:14 , “I said to him: My lord, you know. And he said to me: These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Note: The blood of the Lamb has power to wash our sins and make them as white as snow. Under the cover of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, believers are no longer condemned but saved from the wrath of God.
XIII. Jesus Christ shall return and reign with the saints for 1,000 years on earth.
Jhn 14:28 , “Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love Me, you will be very happy for Me, because now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am.”
Note: For Christ to ascend to Heaven was to go to the Father.
Mat 24:30-31 ,“And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Note: Power and great glory will characterize the second coming of Christ. The angels of the Son of God will gather together His elect from four winds. Four winds mean the four principal or cardinal winds, hence the four corners of Heaven.
2 Th 1:7-10 ,“And to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”
Note: The great marvel is that the Lord Jesus will be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.
Jud 1:14-15 ,“ It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Note: Jesus Christ is coming to execute judgment upon all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way. The ungodly way of Wall Street, Washington, Hollywood and terrorists will be judged of their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way.
Rev 20:2-3 , “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the Pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while.”
Note: Dragon in Greek is drakōn which means a great serpent, a name for Satan; – it occurs 13 times in the New Testament. Unfortunately, the emperors of China identified themselves as sons of the dragon. The dragon is that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan. After the Devil is bound and thrown into the pit, shut and sealed, the millennium will begin. Saints will reign with the King of kings and the Lord of lords for a thousand years. The dragon, the ancient serpent, Satan are the names of the devil.
Rev 20:4 , “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”
Note: Children of God will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. Reign in Greek is basileuō which means to be king, to exercise kingly power; – it occurs about 21 times in the New Testament.
Rev 20:6 , “Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years.”
Note: There are two resurrections: The first resurrection is the resurrection of all saved souls and the will receive spiritual and glorious bodies to be with the Lord for eternity. Death has no power over them because they will receive eternal life.
The second resurrection is the resurrection of unbelievers and evildoers who will suffer body and soul in Hell forever and ever.
XIV. The Devil and his followers and unbelievers shall be judged and sent to Hell forevermore.
Rev 16:14 , “For they are spirits of demons, performing miracles, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
Note: The spirits of demons can also perform miracles to deceive people. The devil is the chief of demons, and demons are the agents or servants of the devil.
Rev 16:16 , “Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon .”
Note: Armageddon in Greek is Harmagedōn which means the hill or city of Megiddo, a place of great slaughter, the scene of a terrible retribution upon the wicked; – it occurs only once in the New Testament. Armageddon is the place where the kings opposing to Christ will be finally destroyed with unprecedented slaughter.
Rev 17:14 , “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.”
Note: Warmongers and aggressors are children of darkness. Overcome in Greek is nikaō which means to conquer, come off victorious; – it occurs 28 times in the New Testament. Christ will ultimately conquer His foes and destroy the wicked altogether once and for all.
Rev 19:19-21 , “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
Note: Beast in Greek is thērion which means the wild beast, animal; the Antichrist; – it occurs about 46 times in the New Testament.
Mat 25:46 , “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Note: There will be two destinies for all the peoples of the world of all ages and generations. The first destiny is for all unbelievers and ungodly peoples who will go away into eternal punishment. The second destiny is for all believers and children of God and all who received the righteousness of God through Christ our Lord will go into eternal life in the Paradise of God. The first group will go to Hell for eternal punishment. The second group will go to Heaven and dwell with our Heavenly Father forever and ever where righteousness and peace and love dwell for eternity.
Eternal in Greek is aiōnios which means without end, never to cease, everlasting; – it occurs about 71 times in the New Testament. Punishment in Greek is kolasis which means correction, penalty, torment, affliction; – it occurs only 2 times in the New Testament. Eternal punishment means eternal torment and suffering in Hell. The devil and his agents will never again be able to do evil, put away forever without a chance of release. Eternity is time without end; an idea too wonderful for the blessed to enjoy, but too terrible for the cursed to contemplate.
XV. The dawn of the new Heavens and the new Earth – the eternal Kingdom of God.
2 Cr 5:1 , “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.”
Note: The earthly tent refers to our human body. The bodies of Christians will be transformed into spiritual and glorious bodies eternal in the heavens where there will be no pain or sickness or sorrow; and where there will be no predatory and fraudulent doctors and hospital owners and insurance and drug companies. The children of God will be free at last, and free for eternity.
Rev 3:12 , “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the City of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.”
Rev 21:1-4 , “Then I saw a new Heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying: Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Note: The state of the Holy City, New Jerusalem, is where there will be no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain – the old things will be gone for good.
Rev 21:21-26 , “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the City has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.”
Note: The street of the City is made of pure gold is not a figment of imagination. In this world people fight and die for gold (wealth or money); but in the world to come the blessed walk on the streets of gold. The gold is so pure that it is like transparent glass. Have you ever seen pure gold like transparent glass? The lamp of the City is the Lamb who shines and illumines the glory of God for eternity.
You have learned a lot from the Word of God, the chronology of time and eternity, and you know what time is the world now. You now live in the dispensation of grace, the last age.
What is the point even if you know the chronology of time and eternity, but you are lost. You do not need to be lost, by this you know this is the age of grace, you can be saved from the judgment to come by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The bell is ringing to remind you now is the accepted time and now is the day of salvation.
According to the Scriptures, it is the last days. These are the last hours. The end of the world is near. The second coming of the Lord Jesus is at the door. Do you want to enjoy glory with Jesus Christ for eternity?
All you have to do is to repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
No matter where you are or who you are, will you come now?
WILLIE WONG THOUGHT
WILLIE WONG
AUGUST 4, 2025
https://williewong.cw.center