Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days

Ephesians 5:18 commands us: "Be being filled with the Holy Spirit." Pastor Derek explains what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and how we can be filled with the Spirit of God, and the difference it will make in our lives.

The Promise of the Spirit in the New Covenant has 2 aspects, as exemplified by Jesus:

(1) The Spirit WITHIN, at the New Birth. (2) The Spirit UPON, at the Baptism in the Spirit. The apostles received the Spirit in 2 stages. (1) In the evening of His resurrection day they received the Spirit WITHIN (John 20:22). (2) Then 50 days later they received the Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), when He came UPON them. Acts 2:33 says Christ only gave His Spirit (within and upon) after His Ascension. But if it was 40 days after His resurrection, how could He give them the Spirit on the resurrection evening? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning (John 20), and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later (Acts 1).

*The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension: *1. To fulfil the Feast of FIRST FRUITS, He had to ascend to Heaven and present Himself to God as the First Fruits from the dead, on the day of His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

*2. To appear before God’s throne to receive ALL AUTHORITY (Daniel 7:13-14). During the 40 days, in Matthew 28:18-19, He claimed He had already received this authority, so He must have ascended at the start of the 40 days. This is confirmed by Ephesians 1:19-22 which connects together His resurrection, ascension and receiving all authority as the result of a single working of God's mighty power. Also Philippians 2:9-11. The authority He received included the authority to receive and pour out the Holy Spirit.

*3. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly Holy of Holies, as the final and full satisfaction for our sin, and for the New Covenant to come into full operation, including the Promise of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:11-15). Although He died and rose again, He had to accomplish the final consummation of His atoning work in Heaven, by taking His Blood into God's throne room and sprinkling it there, where it speaks for our forgiveness and grace (Hebrews 12:24). He had to do this before giving the New Covenant Gift of the Spirit to us. He is given not on our merits, but on the basis of His completed atonement, which was not consummated until His Blood was sprinkled in Heaven. So the giving of the Spirit testifies the Blood has availed for us, to cleanse us from sin and purchase the blessing of the Spirit (1John 5:6). So the Spirit could not be given before the Blood was presented in Heaven at His 1st Ascension (Acts 2:33). Having purchased our redemption, He ascended and presented His Blood in Heaven, for acceptance by the Father as the seal of His completed work. Only then could He receive the Spirit to pour out on all who believe.

*4. To receive the Promise of the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, in order to pour Him out within and upon His people. This required Him to ascend to Heaven (Acts 2:33) and be glorified with all authority, power and glory (John 7:39), which must have happened on the resurrection morning (John 20:22). So He first ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth for 40 days. That is why He was able to impart the indwelling Spirit to His apostles that evening (John 20:22).

The Purpose of this 1st Ascension was to officially inaugurate the New Covenant in Heaven, by presenting His Blood there, making it fully operational, as confirmed by His words to Mary, as He was about to ascend. He revealed He was ascending, and that the purpose of His Ascension was to complete the establishment of our New Covenant relationship with God. John 20:17: “Do not touch Me for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to MY BRETHREN and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father and YOUR Father, and to My God and YOUR God." The reason He did not allow Mary to touch Him was that He was ascending to offer Himself to God as the First Fruits. So it was not appropriate for her to touch Him. This holy offering included many saints who were raised with Him (Matthew 27:52-53).

So, at His 1st Ascension, (1) He offered Himself to God as the First Fruits, the Head of the new creation of humanity, and (2) presented His Blood (which purchased and guaranteed every blessing of salvation and the Spirit for us) as the basis of the New Covenant, He was accepted by God on our behalf as our representative Man. (3) He then received all authority from God, including the right to pour out His Spirit upon all who believe. (4) Therefore, at this time, He also received the Spirit from the Father on our behalf, along with all the blessings in the New Covenant. Therefore, He now has the authority to pour out His Spirit on all those in Christ, who submit to His Headship. That is why, that evening, He was able to impart the Spirit into His disciples (John 20:22). Then He started to PREPARE them to receive the Spirit UPON (Luke 24:49), which they did 50 days later. We have a PURPOSE, for Christ has commissioned and sent us on a MISSION to be His WITNESSES (Luke 24:47), so we need His SPIRIT UPON, to EMPOWER us to fulfil this MINISTRY (Acts 1:4-8).

The 2 stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) At salvation, we receive the Spirit within. (2) At the Baptism in the Spirit, we receive the Spirit upon. Jesus is the classic example: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but (2) did not have the Spirit UPON until He was 30. We see these 2 stages with the apostles, for on the day of His resurrection Jesus imparted the indwelling Spirit to them (John 20:22). Then 50 days later they received the Spirit upon (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4). The giving of the Spirit could only happen after His Ascension (Acts 2:33). So, how could He give His Spirit to His apostles 40 days before His Ascension (John 20:22)? The solution is there were 2 Ascensions: (1) His 1st Ascension on the resurrection morning, and (2) His 2nd Ascension 40 days later. (1) First, He ascended, to appear before God and receive the Promise of the Spirit on our behalf, before returning to earth for 40 days, after which (2) He ascended again and sat down at God's right hand. That is why He could impart the Spirit to His apostles later on the same day He rose again (John 20:22).

The 4 Purposes for His 1st Ascension:

*1. To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23).

*2. To present His BLOOD in the heavenly holy of holies (Hebrews 9:12).

*3. To receive ALL AUTHORITY (Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:13-14, Philippians 2:9-11):

*4. To receive the SPIRIT on our behalf, to give to His people (Acts 2:33).

When He appeared to Mary, He said: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ASCENDED to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them: ‘I AM ASCENDING to My Father” (John 20:16-17). The reason He gave her for not allowing her to touch Him was that He was ascending. But later He allowed others to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). It follows He must have ascended for a purpose that required Him to avoid human contact until He fulfilled it, which must have been to present Himself as the First Fruits Offering to God, mandated for that very day and hour. Also, He had to present His Blood in the Heaven. So it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He had made these holy offerings.

He had to fulfil the Feast of First Fruits, which required Him to ascend to the Father on that resurrection morning (always on the Sunday of Passover Week - Leviticus 23:10-11). He had to present Himself to God in the heavenly Temple in the 3rd hour, exactly when the Sheaf of First Fruits was waved before the Lord in the earthly Temple (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits is a sheaf of barley, that had been cut down and then lifted up and waved before the Lord in the Temple. Through God’s acceptance and blessing of the First Fruits, the whole harvest is blessed and guaranteed to come forth just like the First Fruits. This is a picture of Christ, who was killed, but now risen as our Representative Head 'accepted by God on our behalf'. So all who are in Christ are accepted by God as righteous and under His blessing, and our future resurrection is guaranteed. He described His death and burial as a grain of wheat being buried in the earth (John 12:24). Although only 1 seed is planted, the stalk that grows from it contains a whole cluster of grains. Likewise, many new creations will come forth from His death and resurrection. This multiplication is signified in the First Fruits Offering, for a whole sheaf containing many seeds (not just 1) that is waved before the Lord. This was fulfilled in His resurrection, for although He was buried alone, He did not rise alone, but many rose at the same time with Him (Matthew 27:51-53).

He ascended to present Himself and the first fruits to God. At the same time, He took the spirits of the Old Testament saints (the spirits of just men made perfect) to Heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Before the Cross, at death, believers went down to Paradise in Hades, whereas the unsaved went to Torments (Luke 16:19-31, v22). The OT saints could not go to Heaven, as they were not born again. Although righteous by faith, they were spiritually dead. Their spirits had not yet been made perfect by the New Birth, so could not go to Heaven. The New Birth was only available after His Resurrection (1Peter 1:3). So, they could not enter Heaven when they died (John 3:3,5,13). But when He rose, He preached the Gospel to them in Hades, so they might be born again (1Peter 4:6). Then at His 1st Ascension, He led them to Heaven in a triumphal procession (Ephesians 4:8). Now, all born-again believers go to Paradise in Heaven when they die (2Corinthians 12:2,4). The hope of the OT saints was Heaven (Hebrews 11:10,16), but they did not receive this promise when they died, as their spirits could not be made perfect until God provided something better (the New Birth) for His people, when the New Covenant came into operation (Hebrews 11:39-40). But now these spirits of just men have been made perfect and are in Heaven (Hebrews 12:22-24).

There are 2 Stages of receiving the Holy Spirit: (1) When we receive Christ, we are baptised into Him, born again, and receive the Spirit of God WITHIN, for our own personal blessing, holiness and life with God. (2) There is a subsequent experience of the Spirit after salvation, called the Baptism in the Spirit, when we receive the Spirit UPON, for the purpose of empowering us to witness to Christ and for ministry. The PROMISE of the SPIRIT is also called the BLESSING of ABRAHAM (Galatians 3:14), which is a 2-fold BLESSING (Genesis 12:2). Jesus is the prime example of this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, and by the indwelling Spirit, He lived a perfect holy life to God as a man, but (2) He was not empowered for supernatural ministry until He received the Spirit UPON, at His Baptism. The BAPTISM in the SPIRIT is when we are clothed with POWER, by receiving the SPIRIT UPON, enabling us to witness and fulfil our ministry. Jesus’ Baptism in the Spirit is the BLUEPRINT for ours (John 1:33). He already had the Spirit WITHIN from birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe Him with power for ministry. Likewise, we have the Spirit WITHIN, from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit UPON, to clothe and anoint us with power to fulfil the Great Commission. He confirmed when God’s SPIRIT came UPON Him, He was ANOINTED with God’s POWER to minister (Luke 4:17-21). He described His Baptism in the Spirit as the Spirit coming UPON and ANOINTING Him to preach, heal and set the captives free. He also said that once the Spirit came upon Him, He rested and remained on Him, and so God’s power was present on Him to heal them. Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah (Anointed One) in 11:1-3, 42:1, 61:1-3.

In the Old Testament, nobody was BORN AGAIN or had the SPIRIT WITHIN, as this was only made available in the New Covenant. Although certain prophets, priests and kings were anointed with the SPIRIT UPON, this was not necessarily permanent, nor for all believers. But in the New Covenant, the SPIRIT UPON is available to all believers (John 7:38-39, Acts 2:16-18), and is permanent. Jesus described these 2 ministries of the Spirit WITHIN and UPON in His TEACHING. (1) He described the SPIRIT WITHIN us, as an everlasting FOUNTAIN of living water (John 4:10-14). (2) Later in John 7:37-39, He described the SPIRIT flowing out of us as RIVERS of living water, making us channels of blessing to others (v38). In Luke 11:9-13, He taught God will give His born again children more of the Holy Spirit if they ask Him (it's not automatic). In the Gospels, He primarily prepared His disciples to receive the New Birth and the Spirit WITHIN. He taught about the New Birth of our spirit by the Spirit in John 3:3-9,16. Then in John 14:16-17, He introduced the Spirit as another Helper like Himself. This means He is like Jesus, (1) a PERSON, not a force, and (2) GOD. He is a Divine Person, given to us. He also said in the New Birth the Spirit will INDWELL us forever: “He will be WITHIN YOU.” So He taught in the New Covenant the Spirit will indwell all believers forever. He explained the connection between the NEW BIRTH and the SPIRIT WITHIN in Mark 2:22. First, God must make our wineskin (spirit) new, and then He can put the NEW WINE of His SPIRIT WITHIN us. Old wineskins were renewed by rubbing them with oil. Likewise in the New Birth, our old spirits were made new and holy by the application of the OIL of the SPIRIT, making them able to receive the NEW WINE of the SPIRIT WITHIN. Then after they received His Spirit within on the day of His resurrection, during the 40 days He prepared them to receive the SPIRIT UPON, which they did at Pentecost (Acts 2).

On the morning Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended to Heaven, before returning to earth and appearing to His disciples for the next 40 days, before His final Ascension (John 20:16-17). The 4 Purposes for His first Ascension: (1) To fulfil the Feast of First Fruits on the day of His resurrection (1Corinthians 15:20-23). The First Fruits of the harvest must be offered up and waved before God, to be accepted by God on behalf of the whole harvest (Leviticus 23:10-11). Therefore, He had to ascend to Heaven and appear before God to offer Himself as the First Fruits, to be accepted on our behalf. (2) To present His Blood in Heaven (Hebrews 9:12). Thus, it was not appropriate for Mary to touch Him before He made these holy offerings to God. But after He came back from Heaven, He allowed other women and His disciples to touch Him (Matthew 28:9, Luke 24:39, John 20:27). (3) To receive all authority in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18, Philippians 2:9-11, Daniel 7:13-14). (4) To receive the Holy Spirit on our behalf, in order to pour Him out (Acts 2:33). He must have received the Spirit from the Father on the resurrection morning, as already that evening, He imparted the Spirit to His disciples (John 20:22).

How should we respond to all the things that happen to us in life, especially the bad things. One of the great promises of God is that: "God all things work together for good to those who are loving God, the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). So as long as we keep loving God through the trial, we can thank God that He will work all things (including evil things) together for our ultimate good, the fulfilment of His wonderful eternal plan and purpose for us, which is described in Romans 8:29-30. God does not cause evil things but He can work them all for our good, because on the Cross He paid the change any curse into blessing (Galatians 3:13-14). In view of this truth, that God is greater than all these things that we face in life, Paul asks how should we respond to these things, or more precisely: "What, then, shall we SAY to these THINGS?" (v31a). It is clear that we are not to be a passive doormat, when bad things happen. These things speak to us and try to create negative thoughts in us, which satan will amplify if we let him, saying things like: "you are a guilty failure, under condemnation, God does not love you anymore, you are separated from His love and He will not fulfil His promises to you. We are meant to actively respond by SPEAKING God's Word back to these THINGS (v31a). The famous climactic verses of Romans 8:31b-39 actually describe the things God wants us to proclaim in the face of all these things that come against us. For example, we should say: "God is for me, who can be against Me?" (v31b), "God gave Me His own Son, surely He will also freely give us all things" (v32), He will work all things together for my good" (v28), "Who shall bring a charge against me for I am God’s elect. It is God who has justified me. There is no condemnation for me in Christ, for Christ has died for me and paid the penalty for my sins, and now represents me before God" (v1,33-34), "nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ?" (v35-36,38-39), for: "in all these things I am more than a conqueror through Christ, who loved me by dying for me on the Cross, and who loves me now and forever" (v37).

"SEEK the LORD and His STRENGTH; SEEK His FACE forevermore!” (Psalm 105:1-4). Derek reveals the BENEFITS of SEEKING the Lord. When we SEEK His FACE, His Hand of STRENGTH comes upon our hearts, filling them with His life (like a hand filling a glove), righteousness, love, joy, peace, and wisdom (Proverbs 21:1, John 7:37-39, Ezra 8:22, Hosea 10:12, Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 5:5, Psalm 16:11, 40:16, Isaiah 40:29-31, Amos 5:4, Psalm 69:32). SEEK first His PRESENCE, before His PRESENTS! (Matthew 6:33).

Derek shows how Israel's journey from Egypt into their Promised Land is a picture of our spiritual journey from the kingdom of darkness into the promised land of God's perfect will for our lives. God has given us an inheritance (promised land) both for this life and throughout eternity, which is hidden in Christ in God. Christ is our life, and as we trust, follow and obey Him, He will lead us into our promised land; that is, we will come into the experience and enjoyment of our inheritance in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:4-10).

To possess our inheritance we need to know that (1) God has ordained and defined its boundaries and has GIVEN it to us (legally) through the New Covenant in His Blood, and (2) God Himself is GIVING us (leading us into) our promised land (in our experience), as we walk in fellowship with Him and obey Him, so that as we walk in His footsteps, every place where where our feet tread, has not only been given to us legally in Christ, but also becomes ours experientially, because God is giving it to us, through His Power and Presence with us (Joshua 1:1-4). In this way, we POSSESS the land which the Lord our God is GIVING us to POSSESS (v11). Thus we cannot possess our inheritance without the Presence of God with us (v5), and therefore the key to possessing our promised land is to value the Presence of God in our lives above all things (Matthew 6:33). This vital principle is revealed through a study of Exodus 33, where Moses chooses God's Presence over the Promised Land: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here (to go into the Land)" (v15), and as a result God gave him the great promise of both: “My PRESENCE will go with you, and I will give you REST (in the Promised Land)” (v14).

We see these principles with Israel, when Joshua (Yeshua) led them into their land. Now, the greater than Joshua, our Yeshua, is leading us into our inheritance. In Joshua 1:5-9, God gave Israel (and us) the Promise of His Presence going with them to lead them into their inheritance (v5), and then used a 4-fold poetic repetition, where He first told them what He expected of them, and then gave them the promise that they will be successful in possessing their land if they fulfil His 2 conditions (v6-9). Four times, He commanded them (1) to be STRONG in faith and through faith, in their heart, through continual meditation on His Word (v8), and (2) to be COURAGEOUS to observe to do (obey) all His commands (v7), and then (3) they will have good success in possessing their inheritance (v6), for the Lord their God will be with them wherever they go (v9). God summarised the same points, when He said through Isaiah: “If you are (1) willing (in your heart) and (2) obedient (in your life), you shall (3) eat the good of the land” (1:19).

The Prophecies of the New Covenant promise a 2-fold provision of the Spirit for all believers (the Promise of the Father): (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, enabling us to live holy lives (Ezek 36:26- 27), and (2) the Spirit UPON at our Baptism in the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29), releasing supernatural gifts and empowering us for ministry. The Promise of the Spirit is the 2-fold Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14): “(1) I will BLESS you (by the Spirit within), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others, by the Spirit upon)” (Gen 12:2). Christ brought this into fulfilment through His death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). He said the Promise of the Father included the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5). The life of Jesus, our perfect example, reveals this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit within from conception, enabling Him to live a perfect life as a man, but (2) it was only later at His Baptism that He received the Spirit upon, empowering Him for ministry (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). John 1:33 says Jesus, who received the Spirit upon from the Father, will also give us the same experience of the Spirit upon, by baptising us in the Spirit. So we must come to Jesus to receive the Baptism in the Spirit (Matt 3:11).

The Blueprint for our Baptism in the Spirit is Jesus’ own Baptism in the Spirit (John 1:33). He had the Spirit within from Birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit upon, to empower Him for ministry (the fact the Spirit came UPON Him at His Baptism to ANOINT Him for ministry is confirmed by His testimony in Luke 4:18). In the same way, we have the Spirit within from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit to come upon us, to clothe us with supernatural power for our ministry and witness to Christ. Thus the Baptism in the Spirit is the Spirit coming on us, clothing us with power - a different and subsequent experience from receiving the indwelling Spirit. The only difference between us and Jesus is He received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He distributes the anointing of the Spirit to each of us by measure, according to our gifts and ministries. This blueprint also tells us there is a close connection between Baptism in Water and Baptism in the Spirit, for God ordained for Jesus that these took place at the same time. In Matt 3:11, John said: “(1) I indeed BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) WATER unto repentance, but He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, will BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) the HOLY SPIRIT.” Baptism means IMMERSION, so to describe any Baptism, one must specify the MEDIUM into which a person is immersed. This is what this verse does. It should be translated as baptism ‘in water’ not ‘with water’, and baptism ‘in the Spirit’ not ‘with the Spirit': “(1) I baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) WATER, but (2) He will baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) the HOLY SPIRIT” (also Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). So, Baptism in Water is a picture of Baptism in the Spirit. Just as John immersed people in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, Christ immerses us in His Spirit, covering and clothing us in His Spirit, who comes and rests on us. He does not sprinkle us, but immerses us in the Spirit. Both baptisms are outward expressions and manifestations of our Baptism in Christ, when we received the Spirit within.

Jesus' experience of being baptised in water and the Spirit at the same time points to the spiritual connection between the 2 Baptisms, which is confirmed by the pattern we see in Acts, where their Baptism in the Spirit normally followed soon after their Water Baptism. This connection is because (1) Dedication comes before (2) Consecration (anointing with the Spirit). When God calls us to serve Him, we (1) respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will. (2) Then He anoints us to fulfil His will, by His Spirit upon us (Luke 1:35-38). (1) Our Dedication to God's will qualifies us to (2) receive His power to do it. This principle is seen at Jesus’ Baptism (the blueprint): (1) His Baptism was an act of obedient Dedication, pleasing to God, to fulfil His ministry, as He was about to enter into it, so (2) God’s response was to baptise Him in the Spirit, anointing Him to fulfil His ministry. Likewise, (1) our Water Baptism is our act of obedient Dedication to God. This kind of Dedication to God is what He needs to (2) empower us for our ministry by baptising us in the Spirit. Jesus' Baptism was His Dedication to God as He was about to enter into His ministry, that resulted in His death, resurrection and exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God to pour out on us. He prophetically acted this all out in His Baptism, and in so doing He was dedicating Himself to God to fulfil His will. Going under water represented His death and burial, and rising again from a watery grave prefigured His resurrection. Then receiving the Spirit upon Him prefigured His exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God, to pour Him out upon us.

There are 3 Morning Star scriptures. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus said: “I am the Bright Morning Star.” In Revelation 2:28, Jesus promised: "I will give him the Morning Star." 2Peter 1:19 says: "you do well to heed (God's prophetic word) as a light that shines in a dark place, until (1) the DAY DAWNS, and (2) the MORNING STAR arises in your hearts.” This speaks of 2 different future manifestations of Christ's Glory, compared to 2 natural lights, associated with the start of a new day. *(1) The DAY DAWNS at SUNRISE when the SUN appears and lights up the whole world. This is a picture of the manifestation of Christ in His 2nd COMING, when He will rise upon the whole world, and all shall see Him in His Glory (Malachi 4:2, Hosea 6:3). *(2) The MORNING STAR is a different manifestation of Christ, which will be for believers only, when His glory will be released within us, and will arise in our hearts - at the RAPTURE. Christ will give us the Morning Star, which is Himself - His Glory which will transform our bodies and glorify us, completing our salvation (Hebrews 9:28), so that we will shine like the Morning Star.

The MORNING STAR appears shortly BEFORE the Dawn, while it’s still dark. It is a sign heralding the coming Dawn. It only appears to those who are awake and watching (believers), not to those asleep in the kingdom of darkness (unbelievers) - Hebrews 9:28. Thus it is a manifestation to true believers before Christ appears to the whole world in the 2nd Coming. After the Morning Star appears (the Rapture), the world remains in darkness (the Tribulation) for a short time, before the Sun of Righteousness appears to bring in a new Day of history, by reigning over all the earth in His glory.

The Morning Star is the promise of Jesus, the Bridegroom to His Bride that He will give her Himself (the Morning Star) in all His Glory. This is the Wedding Day, when He will give her everything that He has promised at their covenant betrothal (Ephesians 1:13-14). Thus, Jesus will first appear in His Glory to His Bride as the Morning Star (the RAPTURE), and then after a time of darkness on earth, He will appear in His Glory to the whole world (the 2nd Coming). This confirms the truth of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

The Lamb's Book of Life is God's Family Album with the names of all those saved through the Blood of the Lamb. At the Great White Throne at the end of time, Christ will open this Book to verify that the names of those who had rejected God and His salvation were not included in it (Revelation 20:11-15). So they are judged according to what is written in the books of their lives. Whether or not you are written in the Book of Life defines your eternal destiny (Revelation 20:12,15, 21:27). It is the Lamb’s Book, for if anyone's name is included, it is because they have been redeemed by His Blood. Derek goes through the various Scriptures that refer to this Book (Daniel 12:1, Revelation 3:5, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Isaiah 49:16). On the one hand, the Bible talks about changes being made in this Book as time goes on, which reflects human freedom of choice. Many assume that our name is written in the Book of Life when we trust in Christ, but that is not supported by Scripture, which only talks of names of people being blotted out for rejecting God (Exodus 32:32,33, Revelation 22:19). In fact, everyone who is alive physically is written in the Book of Life at their conception, but if they die in a state of sin (having reached the age of accountability) their names are blotted out (Psalm 69:28). On the other hand, the Bible says that the final list of names in the Book has been foreknown and fixed by God from eternity, and so these names were written in His Book from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8, 13:8), which reflects God's Sovereignty. Thus the Book can be seen from the 2 viewpoints of eternity and time, from God's eternal viewpoint and from man's temporal viewpoint. The eternal Book of Life is unchanging, but its manifestation in time necessarily changes, because of human free-will. At the end of time, as time moves into eternity, the temporal form of the Book will assume its eternal (fixed) form, which was written by God from the foundation of the world. Either your sins will be blotted out by the Blood of Christ (Isaiah 44:22, Acts 3:19), or your name will be blotted out of His Book (John 3:16,36).