Before we proceed I feel that I must say this. I have small books all ready written for the Hebrew study outline but with each new posting the Holy Spirit opens up more than we have already written. He does this as this is the way in which we're to learn the Truths of God and the mysteries or secret things. In the same way that the Prophets, Jesus, John and even Paul received revelation of the dynamics of God's Grace through the person of the ascended Lord Christ Jesus. We've said it before that if we have not the Holy Spirit our spiritual eyes and ears remain closed and unfruitful. Closed because of the sin nature which resides within our flesh and covers or shields us from the Truth, Light and knowledge of God as revealed through Christ. Our prayer is that of Paul's and that is that your eyes and ears be opened to receive the Truth of this Gospel of Grace as revealed through Christ Jesus our LORD.
Now back to our study and we're in Matthew chapter 15 and the Lord's here speaking:
Matthew 10:15
"Verily I say unto you, it shall be (what?) more tolerable (what does that mean? It’s not going to be as hard on some) for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah, than for that city."
Those wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are going to have an easier time of it at the judgment day than for that city where He had performed miracles and had preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, where they rejected it and Him. He goes on to say in verse 16:
Matthew 10:16
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves."
That was the instructions to the Twelve. Now let’s go over to chapter 11 and He enlarges on it a little more. He names a couple of the cities that He’s speaking of Jewish cities, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum is also mentioned in verse 23. But, first look what He says starting in verse 20:
Matthew 11:20-22
"Then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, (why?) because they repented not. (they refused to believe Him. Now look what He says in the next verse.) Woe unto thee Chorazin.! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! (now these were all Jewish cities.) for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, (which were basically Roman cities on the Mediterranean Sea coast and consequently were pagan and wicked – it would be more tolerable because) they would have repented long ago in sack cloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you."
What do we get out of this? That it’ll be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida. Now verse 23, Capernaum, once a beautiful city up there on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The ruins are still beautiful.
Matthew 11:23
"And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven, (because it was such a beautiful city) shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day."
What’s he saying? Jesus performed miracle after miracle in these cities. They should have believed in a minute Who He was. But what did they do? They did everything they could to trick Him. They accused Him of being demonic. They accused Him of everything blasphemous. And what’s the result? Their judgment is going to be worse than the vile, immoral people of Sodom.
That stands to reason. God’s going to judge according to His merit scale, not humanity’s. Let’s come back again to Revelation 20. The Great White Throne is going to be awful. I think preachers should be preaching how awful it’s going to be at least two times a month. But instead they soft-soap it. They water it all down and don’t let people know that this is in their future. They are part of the great cover up or conspiracy of Satan because he does not know the day or the hour of the departure of the mystical Body of Christ. He don't know who they are or where they are all he knows is the they are still here. Why? Because of their prayers, though he does not hear their voices but only knows the results of them.
Revelation 20:12b-13
"…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."
Or we could say according to their faith because works is NOT what mere men interprets it. For they only look at the external and physical realm and don't discern the spiritual.
They are to be judged by the Righteous Judge, Christ the Son of God, Christ and He’s never going to be unfair. Now you have to remember, we’re dealing with hundreds No thousands of billions of people but we’re not in ‘time’ as we know it. We’re in eternity and I have to rack people’s thinking – you know in eternity that would probably take, well I’m going to stretch it a little – things that may take a million years in time on earth, will take a twinkling of an eye in eternity. So don’t ever think for a minute that God won’t have time to judge every individual. Oh, yes He will. That will not be a problem for Him, not a bit. They’re all going to be judged individually according to their works or faith. In many locations He is quoted as saying, "be it according to your faith" and in each case it was in relation to a request for mercy or a physical healing. Which ties this to our being healed by His strips as shown in Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 where it means our being joined, or conjoined to Him. And these relate to the Passover, Marriage Feast of the Lamb which took place during the last days of natural Israel's history.
Now this may seem to be a stretch but hear what Paul says to the Galatians in his introduction in this Epistle. Listen to his choice of words and their arrangement because if anything he is out ragged with them and those who are attempting to lead them astray. By truing to a mixture of Grace and the Law, he knows first hand that this will not work and actually nullifies the Grace of God as seen or found in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 1:1-12
"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
As we've said not far back that mans own self is the root of all evil and this is the judgment of God upon those who practice deception, and are obstacles and hindrances to His Gospel of Grace and the New Covenant as found in His Son Christ Jesus. And now we'll continue with our study in Revelation 20:
Revelation 20:14
"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
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