|
This letter is in response to part of a book at
http://www.sevenseals.com/salvation.html
that the survivors of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX endorse. I have looked at part
of your study and have found things in error and one is that you are calling Christ our Lord,
Michael the archangel who sets upon the throne.
(Col 2:18-19 NIV) "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize.
Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. {19} He
has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows
as God causes it to grow."
Christ is so much better than the angels.
(Heb 1:2-14 KJV) "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; {3} Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all
things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
{4} Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. {5} For
unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a
Father, and he shall be to me a Son? {6} And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all
the angels of God worship him. {7} And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
{8} But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy
kingdom. {9} Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows. {10} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are
the works of thine hands: {11} They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; {12} And as
a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. {13} But to
which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? {14} Are they not all
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
We have got to be careful when we get away from the word of God and try to explain our
assumptions. I would like to know what scripture of the Bible refers to Christ as Michael.
Michel's name means "Who is like God" but he is not God. If he is, either I
have missed reading some of the Bible or I am blind. Michael the archangel has to fight to
win over evil and the devil,
(Rev 12:7 KJV) "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,"
at one time had to ask the Lord to rebuke the devil;
(Jude 1:9 KJV) "Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee."
but Jesus Christ our Lord who is the Son of God, the Word
does not have to fight. For all He has to do is give the word or command and it is done. This
was so when He cast out devils and healed the sick during His ministry on earth.
(Mat 8:16 KJV) "When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:"
And at the appearance of His glorious coming again, with a shout or command, the dead shall rise.
(1 Th 4:16$ KJV) "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
He has such glorious Almighty power just with His appearance.
(2 Th 1:9 KJV) "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"
He was not an angel but was made a little lower than the angles for us when He left His throne in Glory.
(Heb 2:9 KJV) "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory
and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
He came not to give aid to the angels but to man.
(Heb 2:16 KJV) "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham."
Other things I would like to mention is that there is only one Messiah
(John 1:41 KJV) "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the
Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."
and not two -- although there are other anointed ones -- and only one sacrifice that could ever
take away our sins and that is Jesus Christ: The one
(Heb 10:9-14 KJV) "Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the
second. {10} By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. {11} And every
priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: {12} But this man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; {13} From henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. {14} For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."
and only perfect Lamb of God.
(John 1:29 KJV) "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world."
(1 Pet 1:18-19 KJV) "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your
vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot:"
After Jesus went into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to abide with us forever. We have
become His body, we should never forget that,
(Eph 5:29-30 KJV) "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
{30} For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."
and we are not our own.
(1 Cor 6:19 KJV) "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God,
and ye are not your own?"
Being the body of Christ does not mean there is going to be another sacrifice for sin. We are
to become more like are Savior. Becoming a living sacrifice, living holy, giving our lives for Christ
does not give us the power to take away sin.
(Rom 12:1-2 KJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. {2} And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
If we are worthy in any way,
(Rev 3:4 KJV) "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in
white: for they are worthy."
it is because the Lamb has made us so (Without Him we would have nothing).
(Rev 5:8-10 KJV) "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders
fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which
are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book,
and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out
of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; {10} And hast made us unto our God kings
and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."
Also we need to be careful not to add to the book of Revelation.
(Rev 22:18-19 KJV) "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: {19} And if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from
the things which are written in this book."
There have been and are many deceivers in the world.
(Mat 24:5 KJV) "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
(Mat 24:11 KJV) "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."
We are told not to be deceived nor to be led off course.
(2 Th 2:3 KJV) "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
(2 Pet 3:15-17 KJV) "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; {16} As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other
scriptures, unto their own destruction. {17} Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."
I hope I have said some things to get you more into the word of God. I try to prove my points
with the word.
(2 Tim 2:15-16 KJV) "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. {16} But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the devil twisted the word against Jesus, but He warded
off the deceiver with the proper interpretation and use of the scripture.
(Mat 4:10 KJV) "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
|