 |
 |
“The Last Day”—Judgment Day
“A Spirit of Judgment...That Sets Ablaze” Isaiah 4:4
Chapter 10, Part 1 Preview: When is Judgment Day? Even more importantly, what is Judgment Day? Precisely why is judgment necessary and who is being judged? What are the rules that the Righteous Judge will use to determine who is “guilty” and who is “innocent”? Rather than just show up on Judgment Day in the future to find out, wouldn’t it be wise to investigate all of these questions now? When that day comes, the righteous won’t have to act as their own defense attorneys, they will greet Elohim (God) in His likeness!
Further, does New Jerusalem “... as a BRIDE adorned for her husband” have anything to do with Yeshua’s (Jesus’) Marriage Supper? Why is it that “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” at the Wedding Supper? How will Yeshua separate the “wheat” from the “tares” at His return? Why does the “dry bones” prophecy, said by some to be one hundred years without children being born, mention “they, their children, and their children’s children, forever”? This chapter addresses all of these questions. The resolution is remarkably simple-and inspiring.
Most Christians believe that Judgment Day occurs for you the moment that you die. But no Christian “has gone up to heaven” (John 3:13). A minority believes that Judgment Day occurs after “the millennium” for the “firstfruits” (Revelation 14:4), but these “144,000” are specifically mentioned in the context of the Great Tribulation! (Revelation 7:14). So when is Judgment Day?
If you were to search the Scriptures and the Testimony of Yeshua for the phrase “Judgment Day” you wouldn’t find it! But there is no escape for the wicked. An alternative Scriptural term is “The Day of Yehovah” [the Lord] and it is used dozens of times.
The closest that you can get to the classic term “Judgment Day” is Jude’s (1:6), “the judgment of the great day”, that is of course a reference to “the great Day of Yehovah”, a synonym for Judgment Day:
Zephaniah 1:14 The great Day of Yehovah is near, it is near and coming very quickly. Just the noise of the Day of Yehovah will be so bitter that even valiant men will cry out. [also Revelation 6:17, 16:14].—The Gabriel Bible
Actually, the Eighth Day, the Day following the Feast of Tabernacles, commemorates this Judgment Day. It is the final Jubilee year that ends this millennium as explained in Israel’s 7 Apocalyptic Days, part 5, beginning about 1/3 of the way down.
Here are some of the assumptions held by my teachers that I accepted. I was taught that Yeshua was simply incapable of judging humanity at His return, because most of humanity had not had a fair opportunity to distinguish themselves from the wicked. My teachers discounted the many parables (analogies) about separating “wheat” from “tares” at His return or sorting the clean fish from the unclean, upon His return and ignored the fact that “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” at the Wedding Supper. I was taught that the “dry bones” regathering of the nation of Israel (Ezekiel 37) had to wait until after the millennium. Others told me that this chapter is purely allegorical or only pertaining to the modern state of Israel! Still other teachers maintain that the “dry bones” prophecy was to last for one hundred years, yet it says:
Ezekiel 37:25-26 They’ll live in the land that He gave to His servant Jacob, where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever, and His servant David will be their prince forever. 26 He’ll make a [New] Covenant of peace with them. It will be an EVERLASTING COVENANT [3] with them, and He’ll establish them and increase their numbers, and set His 'Cherished' Place among them forever.
[3] Learn more about the Everlasting Covenant in
Isaiah 55:3-5,
Isaiah 61:8-9,
Jeremiah 32:40-41,
Jeremiah 50:4-5,
Psalm 105:7-11.d
These all refer to the same FUTURE EVENT! In 2 Samuel 23:5, David essentially explained that the entire plan of the Bible as given to Abraham—and that David had inherited—was yet to be realized! Yeshua was actually crucified and resurrected to ensure the fulfilment of the Everlasting Covenant, and now it is about to actually happen: Hebrews 13:20—The New Covenant, Coming Soon!
I was taught that Yehovah the Father had to hide out in an abandoned heaven for one thousand years, because He was too righteous to be with His earthly family. I was further taught that “the 'special' city, New Jerusalem, coming down from Yehovah [who was still supposedly “up there”] out of heaven, prepared as a BRIDE adorned for her husband” had nothing to do with the Marriage Supper of the Messiah at the inception of the Everlasting Kingdom. Rather that ‘other’ Marriage Supper was presumed to follow the “millennium”. I was taught that the earth would be destroyed after Yehovah had spent a thousand years rehabilitating it—despite the fact that the “destruction” verse quoted to support this claim specifically associates the carnage with the soon coming “Day of Yehovah”! I immediately swallowed many of these partially thought out claims and assumptions, while rebounding from the “heaven/hell” fables, concerning what Yehovah had in mind for humanity. Admitting doctrinal error, particularly long standing error, is so difficult to do that it has practically ceased to occur in mainstream Christianity since the Protestant reformation. After about fifteen centuries of Catholicism, there was a revolt that eventually resulted in today’s hundreds of denominations. What might have become a renaissance of truth became a frenzied rush for power. Soon the Protestant Reformation was all about seeking fame and fortune, yet the reformed crowd maintained most of the same mysteriously skewed doctrinal tenets that had been assumed to be true for centuries. Often, new organizations were begun simply to empower a new mass of “founding father” wannabes. (Of course you know that such things could not be why your church exists.) Some truly excellent Biblical truths were established by these reformers, only to be buried by the successors of the movement who liked the former teachings or were more interested in public acceptance, so they simply quit speaking on the subject until the “new” truth simply died out. Change is a prerequisite of spiritual growth leading to eternal life. Perfection in the human realm is not something that any leader, such as even Moses or King David, has attained. Opposition to progress, even among the immediate “followers” of those righteous men was the norm! This chapter examines one of the principal doctrinal issues that I confronted as a youth. You probably were taught differently, but whatever explanation you were taught should be proven to your personal satisfaction by the Bible alone, forsaking all assumptions. Numerous easily understood Bible verses explain the issue, but Revelation 20 is a sticking point for some, so we need to see how this more difficult verse complements, rather than contradicts, all of the other verses. My teachers are to be credited with helping me to dispel the unbiblical notions about plucking on harps or dancing over hot coals for eternity, as a result of Elohim’s judgment. However, having the understanding about what Judgment Day is NOT about (Heaven or Hell) doesn’t explain what it IS about! For that discernment we need to consider “every scripture” relevant to the topic. If you are lucky enough to not have any preconceived notions carved in stone about what is to occur on Judgment Day, and when and why it will occur, or if you are truly objective, then this chapter will provide a logical explanation for these events that does not contradict vast segments of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Every Scripture [1] [literally, ‘writing’] that was written by the spirit is profitable for doctrine for proving convictions, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
17 so that a person of Aloha can become 'very adept' and accomplished in every good work. [1] It is apparent that the Scriptures leading to eternal life mentioned in vss. 15-16 are referring to the Tanak, mistakenly called the “Old Testament”, since all 50 other references to Scripture/s in the Testimony of Yeshua refer to it, including a twisted interpretation of 2 Peter 3:16. Same goes for “The Word of God” (Elohim). No reference to “The Word of God” includes the Testimony of Yeshua. Look them up!The Second Most Important Event Since Time Began!
The context to the references to “the Word of God” are quite easy to see. Keep in mind that when Paul wrote this to Timothy the “New Testament” or “The Testimony of Yeshua” hadn’t been written yet! It was very late in the ‘game’ before anyone realized that a written record was needed for future generations. Even after 70 AD the end was not yet.
MAIN TREATISE
There is a dramatic incident in the Bible, that perfectly illustrates that Yeshua’s true followers can be guilty of not believing the very words of the Messiah. Specifically, when the scribes and Pharisees wanted Yeshua to perform a miraculous sign for them, He replied:
Matthew 12:38-40 Then some of the Torah teachers and Pharisees said to Him, “Sovereign, we want to see a miraculous sign from You.” 39 But He replied, “A wicked and unfaithful people demand a sign, but the only sign they’ll be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, in the same manner, the Human Son will be in the inner part of the earth for three days and three nights.
Jonah’s fishing expedition lasted precisely 72 hours. When Yeshua’s prophecy was fulfilled, by His resurrection from the dead, NOT ONE BELIEVER was there to greet Him when the stone was rolled away from the tomb. All night long the tomb was empty, (precisely 72 hours after His burial) and He wasn’t discovered to be missing until Sunday morning. A Spirit Messenger [angel] had to tell the two Marys, when they finally showed up, that “He’s not here because He has risen, just as He predicted. Come and see the place where our Master was lying.” (Matthew 28:5-6). Could His followers have overlooked the significance of the sign when He revealed it? His enemies didn’t, they remembered exactly what He had proclaimed! They told Pilate:
Matthew 27:62-64 The next day, the day after the Day of Preparation [5], the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, 63 and told him, “Sovereign, we remember that this impostor said while He was alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 So give orders for the tomb to be guarded until the third day, because His disciples might come and steal Him away at night and tell the people that He has risen from the dead. The last delusion would be worse than the first.
So they posted guards! The lesson to be learned is that there is no excuse for three days later. They intended returning to the fishing trade instead of continuing to follow the Assemblies’ (Churches’) “prime directive” of proclaiming the “gospel”, performing miraculous signs, healings and miracles. I believe that most of Elohim’s own people will be just as surprised concerning the events accompanying His return as their predecessors were concerning His departure, because they don’t believe “every scripture”!
Revelation 3:3 Remember the way you received and heard, and obey those teachings and make amends. If you don’t wake up, I WILL COME TO YOU like a thieving false 'minister' and you won’t know which annual time [1] I’ll come to you.
[1] While this word can be translated as simply “day” or hour”, the first meaning of hora is a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year.” This is also how the Scriptural calendar, anchored by the spring barley harvest and visible New Moons is determined. The most important historical events (such as Passover and Pentecost) have occurred on these “annual times”, just as the prophetic events will occur on Israel’s 7 Apocalyptic Days!
Indeed, a great many of the 'special' ones (saints) won’t even be worthy to escape the Great Tribulation (Revelation 2-3) and survive to witness our Elohim’s amazing return.
“The Day of Vengeance”
The Incredible Day of Judgment is going to take place DURING the entire “YEAR” of 6000 (since Adam), just prior to the establishment of the Everlasting Kingdom on earth. The concept of Judgment Day is really an aspect of “the Day of the Lord” which is mentioned thirty-two times by that name.
Isaiah 34:8 It is the Day of Yehovah’s Vengeance, a Year of Payback settling the dispute (retribution) over Zion!
Isaiah 61:2 to proclaim the Acceptable Year of Yehovah [Jubilee] [Yeshua stopped quoting here. the rest is yet to happen], AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE of our Elohim, [Jubilee, 2032/2033 AD!] and to comfort everyone who mourns [due to the end time calamity];
Isaiah 63:4 Becaus the Day of Vengeance was in My heart, and My Year of Redemption [Jubilee] [1] has come.
[1] Israel will be 'purchased', redeemed on the next Jubilee year, beginning with the 144,000 of Revelation 14:1-4.
Judgment Day will be a time of final Judgment not only for many of the living during this year but also for all of those who have ever lived in the past.
Daniel 12:1-2 AT THAT TIME, Michael will take a stand, the great commander who stands for your people, and there will be a time of trouble [the Great Tribulation, worse than 536 A.D, The Worst Year In History], such as there has never been since the first nation up until that time, AND AT THAT TIME [during the “time of the end!”] your people will escape, everyone whose names are still found {niphal} recorded in the Book [of Life]. 2 Multitudes of people sleeping in the dust of the earth will wake up, some of them to everlasting life, and the others to shame and everlasting contempt.
The following verses reveal some surprising events. No one will be left out!
Mark recorded that Yeshua made a statement that cost Him his life. What exactly did He say? Many people know that He said in response to the interrogation by the high priest when He was asked: “Are you the Messiah?” However, very few people have considered what He said, in the same breath that SEALED HIS FATE. Read the account carefully. In Mark 14, Yeshua had been betrayed by Judas and arrested. He was brought before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest was looking for an excuse to have Him killed. The high priest asked:
Mark 14:61-64But Yeshua was silent, He wouldn’t reply. Again the high priest demanded an answer, “Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 Yeshua replied, “I AM. And you will see the Human Son sitting on the right hand side of the Power, when He comes on the clouds in the sky!” 63 The high priest tore his clothes and asked, “Why do we need more witnesses? 64 Look, you’ve heard the blasphemy from His own lips. What do you think?” And they unanimously condemned Him to death.
A Spirit of Judgment...That Sets Ablaze Lev. 23:36-37
Could some of the wicked be brought back to physical life to suffer before being terminated in the lake of fire? Think about it, if we take this literally, as I do, then THAT high priest will be raised from the dead 2000 years later, to witness Yehovah And His Messiah return, and see Him where?—“sitting at the right hand of THE POWER” (His Father! He is not returning alone)! This would also be during The Great and Awesome Day of Yehovah, that is the Biblical way to denote Judgment Day. Do you believe Yeshua’s plain statement about “those who sleep in the dust of the earth”. Read it again, it is a clear reference to the two resurrections of Daniel 12:2! This was an intense “eyeball to eyeball” confrontation, His “moment of truth”. Yeshua didn’t lose His life due to a slip of the tongue! His premeditated response directly led to His death! Did Mark misunderstand something? Well, Matthew said the same thing! However, Matthew emphasized the high priest’s statement:
Matthew 26:63 But Yeshua was silent. Then the high priest said, “I adjure you by the living Aloha [God] to tell us if You are the Messiah, Yehovah’s Son.
Yeshua swore that His profound testimony was true!
John further elaborated on this truth when he BEGAN the incredible book of Revelation by saying:
Revelation 1:7 He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Yes, Aw-main'. [4]
[4a,b] The fact that this warning was made indicates that people could and would alter parts of the Bible. Fortunately it’s possible to backtrack and spot the alterations. [5] They’ll actually experience the Day of Yehovah! (the Day of the Lord)They too will be alive to see Yehovah and His Messiah return, and they will personally endure the seven last plagues of “the Great and Awesome Day of Yehovah” that Luke referred to those who were responsible for killing the Messiah. He said:
Acts 3:17 Now friends, I know that you did this in ignorance, just as your rulers did.
He warned them to repent and continued by warning that:
Acts 3:20-23 and He’ll send Yeshua Messiah, the One who was appointed [4] for you. 21 He must be warmly welcomed [not marooned] in Heaven until the time when every prophecy is completed [5] that Yehovah spoke about by the voices of His 'cherished' prophets, recorded from antiquity [6]. 22 As Moses said, ‘Yehovah will raise up a Prophet like me [7] for you from among your brothers. Listen to Him in everything He tells you.’ 23 When this happens, anyone who won’t listen to that Prophet will be 'removed' from his people [8].
[4] The Greek says “to announce or proclaim or herald beforehand.” [5] The Greek means something entirely different: “The restoration of all things.” [6] The word ‘antiquity’ refers to the Tanak—the ‘Old Testament’, so some comments in Revelation, as in reference to Satan and the thousand years are not included in this statement. Yeshua limited “every prophecy” to things happening prior to the destruction of the Israelite nation. Matthew 24:34. [7] “A Prophet like me”—The quotation is from Deuteronomy 18, the context concerns opposition to pagan practices. Yet the Jews (John 6:14, John 7:40) and the envoys (Acts 3:22 & Acts7:37) knew this to be a Messianic prophecy. [8] This is the equivalent of the Hebrew expression “cut off from his people”, which is banishment. It literally means “destroyed.”
His murderers will receive punishment during The Great and Awesome Day of Yehovah! This issue is not out on a limb; this is a trunk of the tree issue. The “eternal judgment” is the seventh of the “preliminary teachings about the Messiah” that form “the foundation” of the Assembly (not “the church ”). These seven points of “doctrine”, for those of us who were immersed, form the “gift from Heaven” and “the wonderful Words of Aloha, and the powers of the age to come”, and there is even more to this passage. (Hebrews 6:1-6)
There is another person whose comeback is mentioned:
Revelation 17:8,11The predatory beast that you saw who was, and is not, is 'destined' to reascend before long from the bottomless pit and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth will be amazed (everyone whose names are not written in the Book of Life [1] that was written from the creation of the world), when they see the predatory beast that was, and is not, and yet is coming... 11 The predatory beast that was, and is no longer, is an eighth king. He belongs with the seven, and is headed for destruction.
[1] The Greek seemingly says “were not”, as virtually every translation from it says. The Aramaic says “Are not.” But names are in the Book of Life unless they are blotted out. Revelation 3:5; Exodus 32:33; Deuteronomy 29:20. Weymouth may be the only translator who understood this verse—that it doesn’t contradict the other verses about the Book of Life. His version says, “Whose names are not in the Book of Life, having been recorded there ever since the creation of the world.” The Weymouth was freshly translated from the Greek in the nineteenth century, without reference to previous versions. It wasn’t simply a revision of the Tyndale, like virtually every other Greek translation appears to be.
Will he go into perdition alone? That is a focal point of this chapter! Notice:
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 Then finally THE Torah breaker [Gr. anomos] will arrive, who our Sovereign Yeshua will terminate ‘with a single breath’ at His return. 9 His coming is by the supernatural work of Satan, with great power, miracles and deceitful illusions, 10 using every kind of lawlessness action to deceive those who are dying, because they refused to love the truth that could rescue them. 11 This is why Yehovah will send the superhuman power of deception to them, so that they could believe the lie. 12 Then anyone who refuses to believe the truth and delights in injustice will be summoned for judgment.
Notice: deluded yet “condemned”. Maybe that was not specific enough. Try this: Paul consoled the early Assembly of the 'special' ones by explaining that:
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 It is right for Yehovah to compensate those who are persecuting you now with tribulation as well! 7 Those of us who are suffering tribulation now, He’ll cause to live again [1] with us, at the revelation of our Sovereign Yeshua Messiah from Heaven, with a powerful array of His spirit messengers. 8 He’ll execute vengeance with burning fire [2] on those who don’t pay attention to Yehovah, and refuse to heed the Good News of our Sovereign Yeshua Messiah. 9 Their sentence is condemnation—eternal destruction, being banished from the presence of Yehovah and from the splendor of His power, 10 when He comes to be honored by His 'chosen ones' [saints], and to be held in admiration by His faithful ones. That is the Day when our testimony (that also concerns you) will be believed.
[1] The Aramaic is in agreement with 1 Corinthians 15:1-2, about the dead being raised! The Greek translations only promise “rest”, “relief” or “repose” at this most critical time, but up to hundreds, or even thousands of years in the grave should be enough rest!
[2] There is a unique (so far as I know) disagreement among translators as to where to put the “burning fire”—either verse 7 or 8. But even more important is the disagreement about WHO IS IN THE FIRE! The 16 Greek versions I looked at had Yeshua and the “angels” in the fire, while the three Aramaic versions I checked had the wicked in the fire, as so many prophecies explain, such as Malachi 4:1-3. The context of this verse explains that the “vengeance” is for those who won’t “submit”.
Do these statements seem to contradict other; more “easily understood passages”? Is there any doubt about when Judgment Day occurs? Again, this Resurrection/Judgment Day is clearly explained by the prophet Daniel:
Daniel 12:1-4 “AT THAT TIME, Michael will take a stand, the great commander who stands for your people, and there will be a time of trouble [the Great Tribulation, worse than 536 A.D, The Worst Year In History], such as there has never been since the first nation up until that time, AND AT THAT TIME [during the “time of the end!”] your people will escape, everyone whose names are still found {niphal} recorded in the Book [of Life]. 2 Multitudes of people sleeping in the dust of the earth will wake up, some of them to everlasting life, and the others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
4 But Daniel, keep this message a secret, and put a seal on the book until the time of the end. Many will travel around quickly, and knowledge will greatly increase”.
The term “everyone” above literally means, “an abundant number”. It doesn’t imply that some will not “awake”, nor does it contradict what John said:
John 5:28-29 Don’t be amazed at this, because the time is coming when everyone in their graves will hear His voice 29 and come out—those who have done good things to a Resurrection resulting in life, and those who have committed evil to a Resurrection resulting in Condemnation [4].
Judgment Day statement (12:1-3). Judgment Day will occur during the most horrific time in world history. Yet “at that time your people [Israel] will be saved.”
Could this be Judgment Day? My teachers taught me that a one thousand year time span was hidden in this account, that postpones Judgment Day by a thousand years! The context eliminates that possibility. A spirit messenger “swore by the One who lives forever that it will be for a time, times, and a half [the time of trouble]; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the 'special' [holy] people, all these things will be finished. (v.7) The shattering of the 'special' people signals the ending of all these events. Even the resurrection and initial stage of the Great Judgment “Day” (period) will be “finished” after the Day of Yehovah!
The “White Throne Judgment” is for people who live during the seventh millennium.
Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a 'large' white throne, and the One who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled for safety [7], but their location [or place] wasn’t known. 12 I saw the dead, those of lower status [small] and the highly esteemed [great] standing in front of the throne, and the books were opened [8], including the Book of Life. The dead were judged by the 'records' in the books based on what they had done [their ‘works’]. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and sheol gave up the dead in them. Everyone was judged based on what they had done [their ‘works’]. 14 Death and Sheol [9] [Ar/Heb meaning grave] were thrown into the lake of fire. The second death is the lake of fire. 15 If after a thoro search, anyone’s name wasn’t found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Those who lived during the first six millennia will have been judged when Yeshua and His Father returned (Matthew 25:31-46).
With reference to that same eventful time consider Malachi’s account:
Malachi 3:1-7,17-18 & 4:3 Watch out! I’m sending My messenger [Elijah Ch 4:5], and He’ll prepare the way before Me, and the Sovereign who you’re looking for will suddenly come to His 'Temple', the Messenger of the [New] Covenant who you desire. He’s coming, says Commander Yehovah. 2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can 'survive' when He appears? He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap, 3 And He’ll sit like a refiner and purifier of silver. He’ll purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they’ll bring Yehovah offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yehovah as in the old days and as in previous years.
5 I’ll come to judge you. I’ll be quick to witness against sorcerers and adulterers, against perjurers and those who cheat wage earners out of their wages, and cheat widows and orphans, and those who deprive foreigners of their rights and don’t revere Me,” says Commander Yehovah. 6 Because I, Yehovah, don’t change. That’s why you descendants of Jacob haven’t been destroyed. 7 “From the days of your ancestors you’ve turned away from My regulations and haven’t obeyed them. Return to Me and I’ll return to you,” Commander Yehovah says... 17 They’ll be Mine,” says Commander Yehovah, “on the day when I make up My treasured possession [on Judgment Day], and I’ll spare them as a 'father' spares his own son who serves him. 18 Then once again you’ll be able to distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve Elohim and those who don’t serve Him.”... 4:3 You’ll trample down the wicked; they’ll be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when this is done,” says Commander Yehovah.
Wheat and Tares
The Analogy of the Wheat and Tares was specifically recorded in Matthew 13:24-30 to elaborate on the little understood truth about the Judgment. Notice the exact order of events in the conclusion:
Matthew 13:30 They must both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I’ll tell the harvesters to gather the tares out first, and tie them in bundles to be burned, and then bring the wheat into my granary.
Did you notice that the tares are burned before we even enter our proper place?
Now who exactly are “the wheat” and who are “the tares” and what are their fates?
Matthew 12:38-40 Then some of the Torah teachers and Pharisees said to Him, “Sovereign, we want to see a miraculous sign from You.” 39 But He replied, “A wicked and unfaithful people demand a sign, but the only sign they’ll be given is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, in the same manner, the Human Son will be in the inner part of the earth for three days and three nights.
This is real hell fire. The Messengers will cast the wicked “into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and clenching of teeth.” (v.42). “Then the righteous will shine like the sun, in the Kingdom of their Father.” This bringing “the wheat into my granary” (v.43) symbolizes the “first [best] resurrection”. The Israel of Elohim will be “in the kingdom”, just as “wheat” belongs in “My granary”.
In the Analogy of the Dragnet Yeshua said:
Matthew 13:49-50 So it will be at the end of the age. The spirit messengers will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into a blazing furnace. There will be wailing and clenching of teeth.
There is no one thousand year time lapse here as some teach! Furthermore, the conclusion of the Analogy of the Wicked Vine dressers states:
In the following Judgment Day parable (analogy), we see the Father coming to His vineyard to avenge His Son!
Matthew 21:33-44 Here’s another analogy. “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, enclosed it with a hedge, dug in a winepress and built a tower. Then he leased it to sharecroppers and traveled abroad. 34 When it was time to harvest the fruit, he sent his servants to the sharecroppers so that they could collect his share of vintage. 35 The sharecroppers grabbed his servants and beat one, stoned another and killed another. 36 So he sent another group of servants, more than the first time, and they did the same thing to them. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them, because he thought, ‘Surely they’ll respect my son.’ 38 But when the sharecroppers saw his son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they grabbed him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard COMES [His Father!], what will he do to those sharecroppers?” 41 They replied, ‘He’ll utterly destroy them and lease the vineyard to other sharecroppers who will give him his share of the harvest.’
42 Yeshua asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the uppermost cornerstone. Yehovah brought this about, and it’s astounding to 'see'’ [Psalm 118:22-24] 43 That’s why I’m certain that Yehovah’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and given to people who will produce fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this Stone will be broken, but anyone it falls on will be ground into powder.
Apparently, even those evil priests and elders understood the timing!
When is the Wedding Feast?
Matthew 22:2-7 The Kingdom of the Heavens can be compared to a king who prepared a supper [1] for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. 4 Then he sent more servants instructing them to tell the prospective guests, “I’ve prepared my dinner, my bulls and my cattle have been butchered and everything is ready. Come to the banquet.” 5 But they were contemptuous, and went away, some to their farms, and others to their businesses. 6 The rest grabbed his servants, abused them and killed them. 7 When the king heard about it he was furious, so he sent his military forces and destroyed those murderers and burned their town.
[1] In this analogy, neither Etheridge or Murdock mentions a wedding in verses 2,8,10,11 or 12. The Aramaic’s “place of feasting” in verse 10, was filled with “recliners.” The Greek says “wedding banquet”, but there is no mention of a bride or groom. The Greek even indicates that they were 'lying at tables', so they may have just been there for a meal.
The literal truth is very thinly disguised as a story. This Judgment begins just prior to the Wedding Feast! (v.8) Furthermore, even at the wedding ceremony, someone typifying the undeserving is judged. It will be asked:
v.13 Then the king told his “deacons”, “Tie his hands and his feet and throw him into the outer darkness, there will be crying and grinding of teeth.
As Jude 13 and several other passages show, this darkness is “forever”. Matthew’s account continues by stating: “Many are invited [Strong’s 2822] [called to be a Kings and Priests], but few are Selected”, (due to responding appropriately). Again, this separation is done at the end of this present evil age, just prior to the seventh millennium.
In the Analogy of the Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, the conclusion is consistent with the other analogies in that Yeshua will return and kill the evil servants:
The Olivet Prophecy, as it is often termed, is very misunderstood. You may want to consider the explanation in this link. For the purpose of Judgment we’ll just look at that part:
Matthew 24:50-51 THEN His master will arrive on a day when he isn’t expecting him and at an hour that he isn’t considering, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him his destiny with the pretenders. There will be wailing and clenching of teeth.
If this fate isn’t Judgment Day, then what is? A hypocrite, by definition is one who knows the truth and chooses not to act responsibly on the information. Again “There will be wailing and grinding of teeth”. (v.51) for those not “expecting him”, when He comes during an “hour”...“he isn’t considering”. This is beginning to sound as if Yeshua was trying to make a point!
There is one more analogy that I want to use to describe the resurrection of the just and the unjust. The Analogy of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-29) unmistakably refers to the time when Elohim will reward His servants and punish those who could have been true servants. In this analogy, Yeshua is giving His servants rewards in the Everlasting Kingdom:
Matthew 25:19,23 After a long time their master returned and reviewed their accounts... 23 His master replied, ‘You have done well, good and faithful servant. Since you’ve been trustworthy with a little, I’ll put you over much more. Enter into the joy of your master!
But to the “wicked and lazy servant” (v.26) He will say: “Throw this worthless servant into outer darkness; there will be weeping and clenching of teeth” (v.30).
Luke’s account phrased it as Minas instead of Talents. He concluded the account by rewarding the righteous, but concerning the wicked, Yeshua said:
Luke 19:27 But as for my enemies who didn’t want me to be their king, bring them here and kill them in front of me.
Many of passages concerning Judgment Day are directly tied to the resurrections that immediately precede the Kingdom of Elohim!
The Analogies Summarized!
Matthew’s account reveals that immediately after Yeshua had finished giving His long series of analogies, He concluded with a commentary. He summarized all of His analogies by explaining, in no uncertain terms, the literal fulfillment of the analogies just quoted. I have always pictured the following scenario as people just standing around waiting to see which group they would be assigned to. Perhaps it will be more like Moses at the Red Sea, with Israel (on Elohim’s right hand) scurrying for safety, while Pharaoh’s army (on the left) is bent on destruction, but instead is being destroyed themselves.
Matthew 25:31-46 When the Human Son comes in His splendor, and all His spirit messengers with Him, He’ll sit on the throne of His splendor. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of Him, and He’ll separate them from each other, just like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He’ll put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father! Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you gave Me some food, I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink, I was a stranger and you took Me home. 36 I needed clothes and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you cared for Me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 And the righteous will ask Him, ‘Sovereign, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see that You were a stranger and take You home, or needing clothes and give You some? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and come to You’ [5]? 40 The King will reply, ‘I can say with certainty that whenever you did anything for one of My brothers, who others thought of as insignificant, you did it for Me.’
41 Then He’ll say to those on His left, 'Go back to your journey away from' Me. You are doomed to the everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 When I was hungry you didn’t give Me any food. When I was thirsty you didn’t give Me anything to drink. 43 When I was a stranger you didn’t take Me home, when I needed clothes you didn’t give Me any, when I was sick and in prison you didn’t visit Me. 44 Then they’ll reply, ‘Sovereign, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and not help You?’ 45 Then He will reply, ‘I am certain that whenever you didn’t do anything for one of those 'insignificant' ones, you didn’t do anything for Me. 46 They’ll go away for an eternal punishment [6], but the righteous to eternal life.’”
[5] See why these “righteous” are ignorant about the Kingdom! Are the Unsaved Lost? [6] The Gr. root word of “penalty” is kolazo: “to cut off or prune, as trees and wings.”
Jude referred to this “eternal fire” as “the judgment of the great day.” (vs.6-7) Notice that the “sheep” and the “goats” represent “All of the nation’s” and not the dead in this instance.
Yeshua was alluding to the entire 34th Chapter of Ezekiel when He mentioned “sheep” and “goats”. This prophecy, given to the shepherds of Israel, extends beyond the modern nations of Israel to include “All of the nations”. When this prophecy was given, Elohim had not yet specifically addressed the other nations of the world with this message, yet Yeshua explained that His Judgment is applicable to “All of the nations”. Elohim also said: “And as for YOU, O My flock....I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.” (v.17) He also said: You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; YOU ARE MEN, and I’m your Elohim, says the Sovereign Yehovah (v.31). The “sheep” of Matthew 25:37-39, as discerned by their questions, are not familiar with Elohim’s Judgment, but they are relatively “righteous” people!
(Tho they are not the spirit composed 'special' ones of the “first resurrection” they are still accounted worthy of Life, as will be explained.)
