This Good Way

I love the Word of God because, when the Holy Ghost helps us see the depth of God’s love and His plan of salvation – of the destiny that God has planned for His children – it is more exciting than any science fiction book or movie ever produced.

Think of the deepness of Jesus’ words as recorded by Matthew: “…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40. Christ so identifies Himself with those He has chosen that He calls them “brethren” in this Scripture. Not servants. Not even sons (or daughters). Brethren. Co-equals. Can we comprehend such a thing? Christ saw them in an already glorified state when He made this statement. Right now we are servants, but what we are to become – is so glorious that Jesus could relate to them as “brethren.”

Christ created the entire universe – not just this earth. Many Scriptures verify this – but the one I always like to quote because of its clarity, is Hebrews 1:1-2: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” It couldn’t be more clear than that.

Christ was clothed with the glory of His Father, even before His first advent and ascension back into Heaven. Philippians 2:6 says, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” The center column reference (Oxford Bible) says He “counted not equality with God a thing to be grasped at.” The author of the book of Hebrews says of Christ before His first advent – He was in “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3. The prophet Isaiah said, “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1. The first chapter of Hebrews shows that Christ was made much higher than the angels – He was the Son of God. The angels were created by Him. How can the human mind with its severe limitations because of the Fall comprehend that glory. I try, but I know I cannot come anywhere close.

Then try to comprehend this Great Being coming to this earth in the form of a man. Not a full-grown man – but a baby dependent upon its mother for its very life – to redeem us from sin. He took “not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:16-17. He took upon Himself the whole experience of humanity. The birth, the suffering, and the death. That is why any individual, regardless of age, can relate to Him as their Advocate. Also, there are those words again – “like unto his brethren.” Amazing!

What does that really mean? It means, among many other things, that being “brethren” puts us in a standing with Him to where we will inherit what He inherits. The apostle Paul said, “if children, then heirs ; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:17.

What has Christ inherited, and what is He yet to inherit? Hebrews 1:2 states that God has appointed Christ “heir of all things.” One of those things is – He has inherited immortality – life within himself. Paul, speaking of Christ, said in II Timothy 1:10, “…who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and  immortality  to light through the gospel.” He could not have had immortality before His first advent – He attained this after He rose from the dead and ascended back to His Father.

There are 144,000 chosen individuals that will inherit immortality, being joint-heirs with Christ. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1. Revelation 17:14 says “they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Paul speaks of these who will inherit immortality: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” I Corinthians 15:53-54.

Another thing that He will inherit is the throne of His father David. “The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.” Psalm 132:11. Verse 13: “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.” The angel told Mary, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” This didn’t happen at the first advent – but it will happen at the second advent when Christ returns, along with His Bride, to Jerusalem, the City of David. Where was David’s throne? In Jerusalem! Not out in space somewhere!

The second phase of the first resurrection adds many souls to the kingdom with angelic bodies that will reign with Him during the next 1000 years. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6. Jesus speaks of this phase of the resurrection in Matthew 22:30: “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

Satan will be bound for this 1000-year period of time – Revelation 20:1-3 – and the age as we now know it will be changed as a vesture, Hebrews 1:12, into an age we cannot come close to imagining with our feeble intellect. Revelation 21:1 says, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Isaiah prophesies of this millennial age: “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:7-9. Even those that have come through the plagues spoken of in the book of Revelation, the judgments of the tribulatory period, and are still clothed with a human body, will enjoy an entirely new existence – such as they never dreamed about. “They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:22-23.

So you can see that whatever place someone has in the Kingdom – it will be perpetual joy!  Selah!  Think about that!

My words are so very inadequate – so weak – so feeble – in trying to describe what Christ has in store for His elect. The apostle Paul, quoting from Isaiah, said, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” I Corinthians 2:9. Bro. Lloyd Goodwin was a great visionary, and painted wonderful word-pictures in his many messages and books, but it still could not convey to us the glory of the reward that awaits us. Bro. Glenn Goodwin has done an excellent job in his efforts to express it to us, but it is still insufficient. How is it possible for finiteness to explain infinity?  What did the apostle Paul know that we cannot comprehend? He was caught up to Paradise and heard “unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” II Corinthians 12:4. He was stoned and left for dead by those of Antioch and Iconium, so he went to Derbe, but went right back to Antioch and Iconium. Acts 14:19-21. What did Paul know that we do not know? He said “I reckon…”  He said, “I have given this a lot of thought.”  He said, “I  reckon  that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”  Romans 8:18.

Someone penned the song, Amazing Grace. Someone else wrote and produced a movie called, The Greatest Story Ever Told. They could not even begin to explain it! The apostle Paul said, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Think about that! Selah!

Again the apostle Paul said, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. Again he said, “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Hebrews 9:28. The reward is great!

And that too, my friend, is part of this good way.

(For a more comprehensive explanation of the first resurrection, see Brother Lloyd Goodwin’s books The First Resurrection and/or Prophecy Concerning the Second Advent and/or Bro. Glenn Goodwin’s books, End Time Events and/or The Feasts of Redemption.)