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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS

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A Study in Ephesians
A Study in Ephesians

Introduction:

  This epistle shows the oneness of God’s people in union with Christ:

In It…

1). The church is called a body, with Christ as the head;

2). It is like a building, with Christ as the cornerstone;

3). It is like a wife, with Christ as the husband.

The Author:

The Apostle Paul (1:1).

The City of Ephesus:

(See map).

Its Location:

Ephesus was a great commercial center of Asia Minor. It was located at the mouth of the Cayster River and on the shore of the Aegean Sea. (An arm of the Mediterranean Sea off southeast Europe between Greece and Turkey.). It was about 50 miles south of Smyrna.  Ephesus was noted for the great temple of Diana, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (Acts 19:27).  The site of the city is now covered with ruins.

Its Religion:

The inhabitants of Ephesus worshiped the Goddess Diana. She was called Diana, by the Romans and Artemis by the Greeks. She was the “great virgin goddess” of hunting and childbirth and was traditionally associated with the moon. She was worshipped among heathen nations under various names. (See Hislop, The Two Babylons). She was worshipped as the goddess of fertility. Her most noted temple was that at Ephesus which was built outside the city walls. It was in building about 220 years. It was built of shining marble; was 342 feet long by 164 feet broad and was supported by a forest of columns, each 56 feet high. At the center, hidden by curtains, within a gorgeous shrine, stood the very ancient image of the many breasted goddess. It was made of the ebony tree which was supposed to have fallen from the sky. Behind the shrine was a treasury, where, as in the safest bank in Asia, nations and kings stored their most precious things. The women of Ephesus sold their jewels to help raise funds for the temple. Kings presented columns and gifts of gold from many nations. When it was completed in 323 B. C., it was the most magnificent building ever constructed in the Greek world and was acclaimed one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple, as Paul saw it, stood till A.D. 262, when it was ruined by the Goths. (A member of a Germanic people who invaded the Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era.) (Acts 19:23-41). No doubt the devotion to this temple by the Gentiles was what led Paul to speak of the glorious temple of Christ that is made of living stones and groweth continually.

Paul’s Visits:

(1) His first visit is recorded in.. (Acts 18:18-21).

(2) His second visit, when the Holy Spirit is given to believers, is in (Acts 19:2-7).

(3) His third visit is when he addresses the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:17-35).

The Date: The most probable date for the writing of Ephesians is A.D.  64.

The Place Written:  Written from Rome while Paul was in prison.

(See Eph. 3:1; Acts 21:15; Acts 27-28)

The Purpose of the Book:

To show that all believers are seated in heaven in Christ and are to walk worthy of Christ. Romans, the first doctrinal letter, sets forth the true relationship of the believer to Christ in death, burial and resurrection. Ephesians, the second doctrinal letter, pictures the believer as sitting together with Christ in heavenly places. It contains the highest of church truth, but not church order.

The Key Words:

(1) Together: 1:10; 2:5; 2:6, 21, 22; 4 16.

(2) One: 1:10; 2:14,15,16,18; 4:2,4,5,6,7,25,32; 5:21,31,33.

(3) In Christ: (Eph. 1:1, 3, 6, 12, 15, 20; 2:10, 13; 3:11; 4:21).

(4) In Heavenly Places: (Eph 1:3, 20; 2:6; 3:10).

(5) Riches: of Grace: (Eph 1:7; 2:7); of Glory (Eph 1:18; 3:16); of Christ (Eph 3:8).

The Key Verses:

Eph 1:10, Eph 2:6, Eph 2:14-22, Eph 4:3-16, (especially Eph 4:13)

The following outline will give an overview of our analyses of this epistle.

OUTLINE:

  1. 1-3; THE BELIEVERS PERFECT STANDING
  2. The  Salutation To Believers
  3. The  Standing Of  Believers
  4. The  Sagacity Of God Toward Believers
  5. The  Sealing Of  Believers
  6. The  Supplication For Believers
  7. The  Spiritual Death Of  Unbelievers
  8. The  Spiritual Resurrection Of  Believers
  9. The  Strangers Who Became Fellow-Believers
  10. The  Slaying Of The Enmity Against Believers
  11. The  Special Revelation For Believers

 

 

 

ISRAEL’S FIVE SUCCESSIONS OF PUNISHMENT

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THE FIFTH SUCCESSION OF ISRAEL’S PUNISHMENT

punishment

The fifth succession of Israel’s punishments is found in Lev. 26:27-39. The fifth succession begins with the Assyrian/Babylonian captivities, (Some believe it began with Egypt,) and continues until the Second Advent of Christ, which ends the “times of the Gentiles” and the Day of the Lord. (Tribulation.) All the curses in Leviticus 26:27-39 will be found from the captivities until the Second Advent.

As one reads these warnings and promises, he cannot help but be appalled. We post them here. “And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me;  Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.  And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.  And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.  And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.  And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.  And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.  Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.  As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.  And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.  And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.  And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.  And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.” Leviticus 26:27-39.

Most of these are behind them and can be found in those books which cover this period. As one reads the book of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and Ezekiel, he can see the unbelievable misery Israel endured. However, Jesus warns Israel the worst is yet to come upon them.

In Matthew 24 Jesus describes some of the things the Jews can expect in the Day of the Lord. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:21-22. The end of this fifth succession of punishments on Israel will be worse than all that has preceded it. In fact, if those days were not limited to the seven year period, no Jew would be left alive. The Bible tells us that only one third of the Jews will survive the Tribulation. As the wickedness of Israel exceed the nations around them, so is it now and will be through the Tribulation. Israel is give the name, Sodom and Egypt in the Revelation. God’s two witnesses will be killed by the unbelieving Jews and their dead bodies will be left in the street to rot. The corrupt city is designated, “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:8.

God’s fury and wrath will allow their Gentile enemies to slaughter them until only one third remains. “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” Zechariah 13:8-9.

Jesus will lead this third in battle and defeat all the nation that come up against Israel. “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.  And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.  In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.  And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.  In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.  The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.  In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.” Zechariah 12:2-8. Thus, the five succession of punishment will end. (Leviticus 26:14-39).

This remnant will repent and accept Jesus as their Messiah King. The reign of the Gentiles over Israel will end forever. Jesus will begin to organize and establish His Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT #12 – Kingdom of Heaven

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MARRIAGE, MORALITY AND DIVORCE IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

lion and lamb

27  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 31   It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 32  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matthew 5:27-32

This is the seventh of the Ten Commandments. It was given to Moses on stone, but Jesus reveals that adultery is a heart matter. He who has a heart of lust, will lust for another, and has already committed adultery in the heart. The believer should understand that all with God is a heart matter. We can assume that the lust is not speaking of a one-time event, but of a heart that is controlled by lust.

Since this sermon is located in Matthew, the book of the King of Israel, and Kingdom of Heaven is the subject, there is no reason one should spiritualize verses 29-30. I am aware that this is so foreign to Western thinking, that our minds have difficulty grasping it. There is no record of this practice In the Old Testament. Therefore, this must be a law for entrance into the Kingdom.  One need not spiritualize verse 29-30, while taking the other verses to be literal. As drastic as the action may be, it will be better than going to hell.

Divorce and remarriage was granted under the Law, although that was not God’s intent when Adam and Eve were created. In the beginning, God’s plan was one marriage only. Had sin not corrupted man that would still be the case, but God later allowed divorce. Paul, in the church epistles also allows divorce and remarriage. Under the Law, a bill of divorcement was sufficient to release the wife from her former husband, and she was free to marry another. (Deuteronomy 24.)

Under the Kingdom of Heaven rule, a man may not divorce his wife except she is found to be sexually impure. To do so causes her, and her new husband to committee adultery.

We are not informed of any further punishment on the two. Perhaps they will be expelled from the opportunities granted other citizens of the Kingdom. It is also possible that they are banished beyond the boundaries of the “Holy Land,” thus “cast out.” The full extent will be known in that time.