Post Resurrection Commissions - Part 2

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So today we're going to look at Luke, the Acts 1:8 commission and the John commission. Last week we looked at the first two commissions in Matthew and Mark. So we're going to move right into the Luke commission in Luke, chapter 24. So if you'll turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 24, we'll begin reading at verse 44.

And he said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. And he said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of my father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.

So as we move on into Luke's commission here, it's important to understand that Christ is now bringing the eleven disciples up to date as to exactly where they stood at this point in time in God's program for the nation Israel. He explains to them here, those things which they did not understand prior to his death on the cross. And this is such an important concept that I want to briefly scan through all of the gospel accounts to demonstrate what is clearly the most important thing that they did not understand. So turn with me back into the gospel of Matthew and chapter 16. And we'll begin there in verse 21, which says,

From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day, verse 22, Then Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee.

So Peter, as well as the other apostles had no knowledge, no knowledge of, nor were they willing to accept the fact that Christ was going to die. Now I want you and our listeners to appreciate the fact that this failure to accept and believe what Christ has just said to them is verified in all four of the gospel accounts.

So turn now with me to Mark, chapter nine. And we're going to begin there in verse nine.

And as they came down from the mountain, and that's the mount of transfiguration that they had just witnessed. As they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen till the son of man were risen from the dead. Verse ten. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one another what the rising from the dead should mean. Drop down to verse 31. For he taught his disciples and said unto them, the son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after that he is killed he shall rise the third day. Verse 32. But they understood not that saying and were afraid to ask him.

Turn over to Luke's account in Luke, chapter 18. And we'll begin there in verse 31.

Then he took unto him the twelve, and he said unto them, behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the son of Man shall be accomplished, for He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spitted on, and they shall scourge him and put him to death. And the third day he shall rise again. Verse 34. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken to.

Understand that Christ's apostles have been preaching a gospel message for at least two years, probably close to three years at this point in Luke 18. Now, are you appreciating what these verses are saying, what we're reading in these verses? Do you see the significance of the fact that these men did not understand anything at all about the necessary death of Christ? And then let's go to John's record and John, chapter 20, and we'll see what it says there about all this. John, chapter 20.

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark under the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying. Yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie and the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself, then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre. And he saw and believed.

Verse says he saw and believed. What did he believe based on what he saw? Well, he believed what Mary Magdalene had told Peter back in verse two, that someone had apparently come and taken away the body of Jesus. Because look at what the next verse says, verse nine. For as yet, they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. So at this point, the resurrection has already taken place.

And verse ten says that even after they saw that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, these disciples did not understand the fact that Jesus was going to rise from the dead. Well, these passages demonstrate that the closest followers of Jesus Christ, during his earthly ministry to the nation Israel at his first coming, that those followers of Christ who had been preaching the gospel of the kingdom for the entire duration of their ministry with Christ, that they did not even understand that he was going to die and that they did not believe that he was going to die, and therefore that they had no knowledge of anything about his resurrection, and therefore they did not even know the reason why he had to die. And to top it off, when you examine the resurrection accounts, like we just read in verses eight and nine here, you learn that the only thing these men understood was that Christ wasn't in the tomb anymore. They still did not understand that Christ had risen from the dead. So, folks, it shouldn't take much of a Bible scholar to understand that the gospel of the kingdom, which Jesus and his followers had been preaching for three years during their ministry with Jesus Christ, is not the same gospel of the grace of God which saves a person today.

In this dispensation of grace, those things which they previously did not understand, were absolutely critical for them to understand and for any student of the Bible to understand, if they hope to know and understand what God is doing and what God is not doing to accomplish his purpose for the church, the body of Christ, in the heavenly places. So we're about to look at the third post resurrection commission here in the Bible, having to do with Israel's kingdom program, where Christ is going to straighten out his disciples regarding all those things which they previously did not believe or understand. And it would be helpful at this point just to review some of the highlights of what we've seen so far in the first two commissions. In Matthew's commission, we saw clear legalistic law requirements. In Mark's commission, we saw miraculous signs and wonders which the believing remnant will be able to experience or do during the tribulation when they're attempting to fulfill their commission.

And now here in Luke's commission, we're going to see an entirely new piece of information, a very specific geographic stipulation as to where the commission is to begin. So let's go back to Luke's commission in Luke 24, and we'll read again from verse 46.

And he said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

See, it says, they're beginning at Jerusalem. This commission starts in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is where their ministry begins. The fulfillment of the promises which had been preached by the prophets since the world began, must begin in Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? Well, the answer to that question is really given back in the great sermon of the Mount in Matthew, chapter five, verse 35.

Where Jesus refers to Jerusalem as the city of the great kingdom. If you're going to establish a kingdom, you, by necessity, must have a location where the king and the king's throne will be established, and that is going to be in Jerusalem, the city of the great king. Now we're going to continue reading here because of the intimate manner in which Luke's commission here and the Gospel of Luke melds perfectly with Luke's commission in Acts, chapter one. So, as we read on in verse 48,

and ye are witnesses of these things, and behold, I send the promise of my father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them, and it came to pass, while he blessed them, that he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.

Now, all I want to point out here is the fact that this account takes the reader up to and including the ascension of Christ in Acts, chapter one, verses nine and ten. And we'll go there in a minute. But there are many other important things that took place prior to Christ's ascension that are not mentioned here in Luke's gospel commission, but they are mentioned in Acts, chapter one, and they provide the full picture having to do with this particular commission. So turn with me to Acts and chapter one, and we'll begin in verse one, where Luke writes

the former treatise, have I made, o Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach.

Well, that former treatise, of course, is Luke's gospel account. Luke is going to pick up here where he left off in Luke 24:2

until the day in which he was taken up. After that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them. Fourty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

So these opening verses overlap with the information we saw in Luke's gospel account. And here we learn that for 40 days Christ has been bringing them up to date on exactly where they stood at that point in time in God's program for the nation Israel. Verse four.

And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith, ye have heard of me, for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

So here Christ instructs them to wait for a relatively short period of time, which is going to take them up to the day of Pentecost, at which time they will be baptized by Christ with the Holy Ghost.

Well, that's exactly what John the Baptist said that Christ would do for them back in Matthew, chapter three and verse eleven, that baptism with the Holy Ghost will empower them to be the witnesses which he ordained them to be.

And now we're going to see an expansion of the geographic order in which the members of the little flock are supposed to proceed with their commission. Verse eight.

But ye shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come unto you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

So now you have the full scope of this particular aspect of the commission. It begins at Jerusalem, and then it extends out into all Judea. And Judea is basically that part of the land which became the southern kingdom of Judah when Israel split into the northern and southern kingdoms in I Kings. Chapter twelve. As a result of the second course of chastisement from Leviticus, chapter 26.

Now there's an interesting prophecy back in Zechariah 12:7 which says, the Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, and according to this commission, that's exactly how it's going to play out. Then the commission moves out into Samaria, and after that unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Now this was prophesied in that classical passage which Peter quoted at Pentecost in Acts chapter two. Peter quoted from and Joel prophesied

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

So it is the remnant's commission, just as Christ had told them back in Luke chapter twelve, verse 32, he said, fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So historically you had the remnant in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost deliverance, and the kingdom could have been realized then. But as we know, the official and final rejection of Israel's king in Acts chapter seven resulted in the temporary interruption of what would have been this commission.

Now, of course, when Israel's kingdom program resumes again in the future, you're going to see the Lord's remnant gathering in Jerusalem once again. At least that part of the remnant who will be in the land at that time. Remember, there will also be members of the remnant who will be outside of the land at that time. Those members of the remnant who will be outside of the land are those Jews who James, Peter, the apostle John are writing to in their epistles. But just as there was a huge contingent of Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, so will there be great many Jews in Jerusalem once again when Israel's program resumes again in the future, and they will be preparing themselves to fulfill this commission.

However, something very interesting is going to happen before this commission is fulfilled, something we're told about. And that very first pre resurrection commission which Christ had given to his disciples back in Matthew ten. So we're going to go back there and take a look at that. Go to Matthew chapter ten.

At the very beginning of this study, I said to you how that this commission in Matthew ten was actually the very first commission that Christ had given to his disciples. How that because of the cutting off of Israel's program in Acts chapter seven, most of that commission was never fulfilled. And because it was never fulfilled, it became prophetic. For when Israel's program would resume again in the future.

And it contains something very prophetic, which is quite interesting. Look at verse 22, where Christ says, and ye shall be hated of all them for my name's sake. But he that endureth to the end shall be saved. They're in the tribulation here and verse 23. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another, for verily I say to you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the son of man become so.

At some point after the remnant has taken their commission out into Samaria, Christ is going to return. Now won't that be a welcome and pleasant surprise? And those members of the remnant who are in the land will have endured to the end, and they'll be entering right into the kingdom. So Luke's commission is basically a geographic itinerary, an order, so to speak, for the believing remnant who find themselves in the land when Israel's prophetic program resumes. All of those horrible events and conditions which we looked at in Mark's commission will probably be primarily directed to those members of the remnant who will find themselves outside of the land when Israel's program resumes again in the future.

So that's the Luke and Acts one commissions, relatively straightforward and easy to understand. So now we'll go and look at the commission found in the book of John, chapter 20.

And we'll begin there, in verse 21, Jesus said to them again, peace be unto you, as my father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy ghost. So in verse 21, Christ says, as my father has sent me, so send I you.

Well, this pretty clearly establishes that what we have here is a commission. But what exactly is that commission? As we dive deeper into this, it would appear that this commission has something to do with apostolic authority, and it brings to mind something that Christ had said to his disciples back in Mark, chapter 13, verse 34, he said, for the son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work.

That's exactly the type of situation we're looking at here, since it's not going to be too long before Christ is going to ascend up to heaven. So it would appear that this commission has something to do with authority given to the apostles to function and to make decisions, while Christ is essentially on a far journey. What's that far journey? He's currently sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting to receive and establish his kingdom. In Luke chapter 22, verses 28 through 30, Christ said to his disciples, ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations, and I appoint unto you a kingdom as my father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And we'll be looking into that more deeply as we go along, because that's a very interesting subject. In that passage we see that his disciples are going to be given the responsibility of judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So then what would this authority and their judging look like? What would this authority and all this judging be all about? Well, there are two key passages in Matthew's gospel account which are probably very much related to what we're considering here, and the first is in Matthew chapter 16.

So let's go back to Matthew's account again in chapter 16, where immediately after Christ had told Peter that he was going to be given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Well, what does it mean that Peter's now been being given the keys to the kingdom of heaven? It means that Peter has been given a position of leadership among the twelve apostles in what will be the messianic church. That position which Peter obviously demonstrated in Christ's absence in Acts chapter two through chapter seven. The messianic church which was established began at Pentecost.

But then listen to what Christ said immediately after he gave Peter those keys. In verse 19 he says, and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. So Peter is given this responsibility to bind or loose things on earth, which will then be considered bound or loosed in heaven.

Now, I'll be explaining what that means in a minute, but let me just say for now that this certainly sounds like a pretty heavy responsibility, wouldn't you say? Now turn with me to Matthew, chapter 18. And we're going to begin reading there in verse 18, where Christ says, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.

So in verse 18, Christ says, whatsoever ye shall bind. So in this passage, Christ is addressing the entire group of apostles. He says, ye, Christ is speaking to the whole group. Back in chapter 16, Christ was addressing Peter, singular.

He said to Peter, thou. But here it's the whole group, ye. And what does he say to the group? He says the same thing to them, to the group that he said to Peter, they can bind and loose things on earth that will then be officially bound or loosed in heaven. But here in Matthew chapter 18, there is an additional condition that needs to be met.

And that condition is that at least two of the other apostles must agree on whatever issue it is that is going to be bound or loosed in verse 19. So then if there arises a need to officially bind or loose something on earth, this can be done either by Peter alone or by a quorum consisting of at least two other of the apostles without Peter. So then the obvious question becomes, what types of things, what types of issues are we talking about with this binding and loosing? And fortunately, we have an excellent example of this, of such an issue in Galatians chapter two, and we're going to go there. So turn with me to Galatians chapter two.

In Galatians chapter two, we have the account of a meeting which took place in Jerusalem involving Paul and the apostles which were associated with Israel's kingdom program. And we'll begin here in verse one, which says, then, 14 years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run in vain. So at the time of this meeting, Paul's ministry and the Gospel of the grace of God, which Paul has been preaching, has been going on for over 14 years. Israel's prophetic kingdom program has been completely off the scene for just as many years, ever since Acts chapter seven.

And by the way, that's why all the apostles associated with Israel's prophetic kingdom program are all still there in Jerusalem. What are they doing in Jerusalem? Why haven't they taken their message out to all of Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth according to their commission in Luke 24, and in Acts chapter one? Why haven't they done that? Why aren't they teaching all nations, baptizing those nations in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy ghost, teaching those nations to obey all the things which Christ had commanded them under the law.

As we read in Matthew's commission, they aren't doing any of these things. Why not? Because their prophetic kingdom program is no longer going on. It was temporarily put on hold in Acts chapter seven here at this meeting, Paul is fully aware of everything pertaining to Israel's prophetic kingdom program, past, present and future, because the risen Lord Jesus Christ had given to Paul all that information. Now, at some point, Paul is going to write all about Israel's prophetic kingdom program, past, present and future.

He's going to do this when he writes Romans nine, chapter 9, ten and eleven. But Paul hasn't written Romans yet. So the apostles in Jerusalem don't understand very much at all about Paul's ministry or the doctrines that Paul is teaching and how all of that relates to Israel's prophetic kingdom program. So the Lord orchestrates this meeting in Jerusalem by revelation. As it says in verse two, it's the Lord who wants this meeting to take place.

Why? Because there are things pertaining to Paul's ministry that the leaders of Israel's prophetic kingdom program need to know and understand. Verse two speaks of those who seem to be somewhat. Who are they? They are the leaders in Israel's prophetic kingdom program.

Well, in verse nine, we're going to see that this included at least Peter, James and John. And I would assume that most of the other apostles were there as well. And what about those leaders? What about them? Look at verse six. It says,

but of these who seem to be somewhat whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me. God accepteth no man's person. For they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.

The verse says, they, these leaders from Israel's program added nothing to me. The leaders in Israel's program could not give Paul any information that he already did not know all about.

On the other hand, the leaders of Israel's prophetic program come to see and understand that Paul is now responsible for a different gospel message for all people, all people who had not become members of Israel's prophetic kingdom program when that program was active, when that was the only program in town. Look at verse seven. But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter. Let me stop there for a minute, because you see two different gospel messages being referred to here. One is for the Gentiles, the uncircumcision the other is for the Jews, the circumcision.

Then verse eight goes on to say that Paul's ministry and message was just as important and just as necessary to all those people who are not members of Israel's prophetic kingdom program. Just as important and just as necessary as Peter's ministry and message was to those who were members of Israel's prophetic kingdom program. Verse eight. For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles.

Now then, here's what we came to see. We're about to see some loosing and some binding here in the next verse, verse nine.

And when James, Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen and they unto the circumcision.

So do you see what takes place here? Peter, James and John come to understand that Paul has now been given the ministry and message of salvation for all people who had not previously achieved salvation through Israel's prophetic kingdom program, when that was the only program that was going on. By the way, the heathen in this verse would now include any unsaved gentiles, but also, of course, any unsaved Jews who failed to become saved in Israel's program, because now there's only one way to receive justification unto eternal life, one gospel through which any man can be saved.

And that, of course, is Paul's gospel of the grace of God. And so Peter, James and John now agree that their ministry will now be confined to those people, to those Jews and proselytes who were and still are members of Israel's prophetic kingdom program. Well, how will they be doing that? What will that ministry be? Well, one of the things that they're going to be doing is to be writing the books of instruction and information which those people in Israel's prophetic kingdom program will need when Israel's prophetic kingdom program resumes again. I'm talking about the books of Hebrews through Revelation. Maybe those books of instruction will still be needed during the lifetime of Peter, James and John and all the other apostles. Maybe they won't be needed until much later. And of course, now we understand that that is the case, but nobody knows at that point. But those books will be needed.

Those books are being written by them. So what Peter and James and John have effectively done is to loose themselves from engaging in any aspects of the gospel commissions which they had been given, which is perfectly consistent with the fact that over the course of 40 years in the Acts period, you never see any of the circumcision apostles in Israel's program ever ministering to a single gentile according to the dictates of the so called great commission. And at the same time, they are binding the legitimacy of Paul's ministry and message for the rest of unsaved mankind, which, by the way, as I said, would now include any Jews who had not been saved in Israel's prophetic kingdom program. This is the binding and loosing which Christ referred to in Matthew chapter 16 and 18. This is a clear example of what that is all about. And now we can go back to John's commission in John 20, and we will read again verse 21.

Then said Jesus to them again, peace be unto you, as my father has sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and saith unto them, receive Ye, the Holy Ghost.

So in verse 22, Jesus breathes on them and says, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Well, receiving the Holy Ghost is obviously something that will give them the power that they will need to carry out their commission. As Christ told them in Acts chapter one and verse eight, God would never give out a commission without empowering the recipient of the commission to carry it out. Now, Jesus has already informed them in at least five previous passages in John's account, beginning all the way back in chapter 14 and verse 16 that they're going to receive the Holy Ghost at some point after he leaves them. Now, we generally recognize that the receiving of the Holy Ghost by the apostles is that which occurred at Pentecost.

But Pentecost hasn't occurred yet. We're in the book of John. So why would Jesus be giving them the Holy Ghost at this time? What sense does that make, especially since he told them in Acts, chapter one, verse eight that they would be, future tense, receiving the Holy Ghost. Well, there appear to be only two possible explanations for this.

Number one, when Jesus breathes on them here in John's account, some people might presume that they are receiving the Holy Ghost right then and there, but that the truth may be that this is simply prophetic of what will be fulfilled at Pentecost. That's one theory that some people would use to explain this verse, but I don't buy it at all, and I'll be explaining why. The other possibility is that this empowerment by the Holy Ghost is for an entirely different commission than the empowerment which they are going to receive on the day of Pentecost. And I believe that this is the correct answer to the problem. And I'm going to explain why I believe this is the case.

Remember, in Israel's program, the Holy Ghost has empowered many people for many different commissions at many different times. Even King Saul in the Old Testament, he was empowered by the Holy Ghost for a while. Then he lost the Holy Ghost. Those who built things for the temple were empowered to do that by the Holy Ghost.

So it could just be that this particular empowerment is intended to be for commission, that the apostles will be given long, long after Pentecost, perhaps not even until Israel's prophetic kingdom program resumes in the future. But then what could that future commission be? Well, the verses which follow may shed some light on that question. So let's pick it up here at verse 23 now, which says, whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. Well, this seems to be getting even more complicated, doesn't it?

So what I'm suggesting is that this is not simply prophetic of what is going to take place at Pentecost. And verse 23 speaks of remitting sins. Now, in keeping with the presumption that this commission is related in some way to apostolic authority, the permission to remit or retain sins sounds like a pretty huge issue of authority. And our first thought might be that it is only God alone who is able to remit sins. Now, the Roman Catholic organization, of course, they love this verse, because they believe that this verse legitimizes the confessional where their priests are able to forgive the sins of their members.

But that's not it at all. This has nothing to do with anything that's going on today. This word remit is a very interesting word, and if you want to look into it and study it out, it's strong's number 863, remit. And it's worth looking into. And something that we need to take note of here is that the greek word for remit is not always synonymous with forgiveness.

As we think of forgiveness now, it can imply forgiveness, but in a much weaker sense, more along the lines of something that can be let go or something that can be let alone, something that might be able to be passed over, something that can be permitted, something that could be laid aside or put away. And if you want to see what I'm talking about here, you might study out on your own Romans chapter three, verse 25. And that'll give you a little more insight on this word remit. We won't go there. We don't have time for that.

But I want to say that this is a concept which can be extremely pertinent to those believers in Israel's program who fail to endure to the end of the tribulation. Remember those folks from the mystery kingdom parables in Matthew chapter 13? Those folks who were believers, they believed what needed to be believed at that time in order to have individual justification unto eternal life. But they did not endure to the end of the tribulation. So what happened to them?

They were cast out into outer darkness. And remember, what is outer darkness? Well, outer darkness is not hell and it's not the lake of fire, but rather everything or every place geographically outside of what will be Israel's kingdom. Those folks who failed to endure to the end did not make it into the kingdom, at least not at that point at which Christ initially establishes that kingdom, his kingdom. So there will be a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth among those believers who now realize all the rewards and the blessings which they missed out on the which are now being bestowed on those believers who did endure to the end.

Now, for anyone who is not familiar with this whole concept of those believers who fail to endure to the end and who will be cast out into outer darkness, you can learn all about that in the Matthew 13 mystery kingdom parables series on our website So then, to get right to the point, there is going to come a time after Christ establishes his kingdom, when those believers who were not admitted into the kingdom because they failed to endure to the end of the tribulation, there is going to become a time when they may still be admitted into the kingdom. Now, when I've taught on this before, people have asked me if there are any verses in the Bible which suggest that this is the case. And it turns out there are many verses which do.

And I would suggest to you that if what I'm saying about these believers who were cast out into outer darkness because they did not endure to the end of the tribulation, if that is true, then an understanding of what all that means and how it will play out in the future will provide great light and understanding on many unclear and obscure verses which we come across in the Bible, including this concept of the remission of sins. So it's worth spending a little time on this proposition. And we're going to do that by looking at two particular passages, and the first one is in Matthew chapter eight.

In Matthew chapter eight we have this well known account of the Roman centurion over whom Jesus marveled, because this Gentile man appeared to have a better understanding of his place and an understanding of God's kingdom program for the nation of Israel, better than the Jews had. So let's look at what Jesus says about all this in Matthew chapter eight, beginning in verse five.

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home, sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof.

See, he understood his place in relation to the nation of Israel.

But speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh, and to my servant do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to them that followed, verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you that many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

I'm going to stop there for a moment. In verse eleven, Jesus speaks of many who will come from the east and the west and who will sit down with Israel's patriarchs in the kingdom. Well, who would these people be? Well, these would be gentiles, just like this Roman centurion.

Now, as shocking to some folks as that might be, listen to what Jesus has to say in the next verse, verse twelve. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The children of the kingdom. Who are they?

The children of the kingdom are Jewish members of the little flock. The children of the kingdom are the good seed, as Jesus describes them in the parable of the wheat and tares in Matthew chapter 13, verse 38. We're very close to that, so turn over to Matthew 13 and look at what Jesus says about the children of the kingdom in the parable, the wheat and tares.

In verse 38, Matthew 13, he's defined some terms from the parable here. He says, the field is the world. The good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one. So this is Christ's explanation of the wheat and tares and the good seed are the children of the kingdom. But we just read in Matthew chapter 8:12 that some of the good seed, some of the children of the kingdom are going to be cast out into outer darkness.

Why? Because they succumbed to one of the three phases of the Satanic policy of evil against them during the tribulation, and they failed to endure to the end, and so they were cast out into outer darkness. They're somewhere out there among the Gentile nations. Now turn with me to Isaiah, chapter 56. Isaiah 56.

We have a passage here in Isaiah 56 which begins describing Gentile people from outside of the nation, Israel, people who will be coming from the east and the west, people who will actually become members of the kingdom. Just as Jesus spoke about when he marveled at the Roman centurion in Matthew, chapter eight. And we're going to pick it up here in Isaiah 56 at verse three, we're in the kingdom here. And it says, neither let the son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord hath utterly separated me from his people. Neither let the eunuchs say, behold, I am a dry tree.

So we pick up this context here in verse three, where we see the lamenting of certain people because they are sons of the stranger. Well, what does that mean? It means that they are not part of the nation of Israel. The strangers are foreigners in scripture. So they are lamenting over the fact that it doesn't look like they're ever going to be eligible to be part of Israel's kingdom.

Continuing on in verse four. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbath and choose the things that please me and take hold of my covenant, even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Well, I'm not sure what the significance of being a eunuch is, but the fact is that if they adhere to Israel's statutes and choose to do those things which please the Lord, they will be given a better name than of sons and daughters. And again, sons and daughters are the natural descendants of Abraham.

They're the Jews. So perhaps these eunuchs do in some way represent people from outside the land, outside of the nation, Israel as well. But, but things clear up a little bit more as we continue to read on verse six.

And the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the name of the Lord to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my covenant, even them will I bring to my Holy mountain.

And of course, the Holy Mountain is a millennial kingdom.

And make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar, for mine house shall be called in the house of prayer for all people.

So in verse six, we see again the sons of the stranger. And of course, these are clearly foreigners. These are people who are not Jews, just like the Roman centurion in Matthew, chapter eight.

And the verse explains how that some of them serve and love the Lord God of Israel. And because they do, what will be the result? Verse seven says that God will bring them to his holy mountain, and they will be joyful participants in the sacrifices and the temple activities that will be going on during the millennial kingdom. And then finally, who do we see in verse eight? The Lord God, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel, saith, yet will I gather others to him besides those that are gathered unto him.

So here we have the outcasts of Israel. And I would suggest to you that these are those believers who have been cast out into outer darkness because they failed to endure to the end of the tribulation. And the verse explains that both these outcasts of Israel and those from outside of Israel, those that we read about in the preceding verses, are that the Lord will be gathering both of these groups unto him. Now let's look at this in another place. Go to Isaiah, chapter eleven.

And again, the context here is the millennial kingdom. We're in the millennial kingdom. You could read from chapter one to confirm that if you want. But I'm going to pick it up in verse eleven. And it says,

and it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

It says here that in that day the lord shall set his hand again a second time to recover the remnant of, of his people. Well, the question then is when did the lord recover the remnant of his people? He did it the first time before the kingdom was established. That was a feast of trumpets. And the gathering together of all those who would be entering into the kingdom just before the kingdom begins, because they endured to the end of the tribulation and they moved right into the kingdom.

And now the lord is going to recover the remnant of his people a second time. But look at the additional description of this remnant. It says, the remnant of his people which shall be left, his people. Who are these people? Who are the remnant who are still left?

Well, I believe the answer is in verse twelve. And that says, and he shall set up an ensign for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. So here again we have the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Now there's one more passage that is really important that we need to look at, and that is in Zephaniah, chapter three. The context here is the millennial kingdom once again. And we'll begin in Zephaniah, chapter three, verse 18. So pay close attention here.

I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

A lot of things to see here. What do you suppose the solemn assembly is referring to? Well, I would suggest to you that that is the kingdom. Everyone who has made it into the kingdom when it was initially established. The solemn assembly is the kingdom of believers who endured to the end, and of course, all those Old Testament saints who were resurrected up into the kingdom. So there are some people in this verse who the verse says are sorrowful for the kingdom. Why are they sorrowful? Well, they are sorrowful because they didn't make it in, at least not yet. They are aware now of the blessings and the rewards and the greatest honor and privileges which have been given to those who did endure to the end.

They probably understand at this point that it would have been better if they had been killed trying to endure to the end. So there has been a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth among this particular group of believers. And what else do we see about this group of believers who didn't make it in initially. It says in the verse, they are of thee. They are people who are of the people who did endure to the end and who did make it into the kingdom.

They are believing members of the little flock, but they did not endure to the end. And what does the verse say about this people? What caused them to fail to make it in? It says, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

So the Satanic policy of evil against them during the tribulation was too much of a burden for them to bear at the time, and they did not endure to the end. So what's going to happen to these folks now? Verse 19 behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee, and I will save her that halteth and gather her that was driven out, and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. The verse says, behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee and gather her that was driven out. Here's that second gathering of the remnant again.

What could it mean that God will undo all that afflicts them? Could this mean that whatsoever these folks did which caused them to be cast out into outer darkness and to miss out on the kingdom, that whatever they did would be remitted? Remitted? That whatsoever sin they committed at that time will be remitted, which we learned is not necessarily the same thing as what we consider forgiveness of sins like we have. Remember when we looked at that word remit in the John 20 commission, how that that word can imply forgiveness, but in a much weaker sense, more along the lines of something which can be let go or that can be let alone, something that could be permitted, something that could be laid aside or put away.

Again, I refer you to Romans, chapter three, verse 25. So the question is whether this remitting of sins by the apostles is going to be one of their responsibilities in the future, to see who among those who were cast out into outer darkness will still be allowed to make it into the kingdom. And then the verse goes on to describe the gathering of her that was driven out. So those who had been driven out, those children of the kingdom who failed to endure to the end, are going to be evaluated by the apostles to determine if what they had done, if what sin they had committed, was not serious enough to prevent them from now being admitted into the kingdom. But remember also the John 20 commission also gave the apostles the authority to retain the sins of some now, I'm not exactly sure what those sins might have been, but they may very well have been something related to taking the mark of the beast, or whatever those sins unto death were that John was referring to in I John 5:16.

So you can see how that the John 20 commission could very easily pertain to something the apostles have been ordained to do way off into the future. You could easily look at this as something that Jesus told the apostles in Matthew 13:19, that they would be doing during the kingdom. What did Jesus say that they would be doing in Matthew 19:28? They would be judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So then, in summary, looking at all of the post resurrection commissions collectively, we see how that they all contain certain responsibilities or certain protocols or particular empowerments, which will be needed at various points in time when Israel's prophetic kingdom program resumes again in the future, all the way through the tribulation and even on into the millennial kingdom.

We can even arrange these commissions in a chronological order, which will span the entire remainder of Israel's prophetic kingdom program. The Luke 24 commission. Well, that would be the first one. It actually begins with instructions to start in Jerusalem. So that commission even began to be fulfilled before Israel's prophetic kingdom program was temporarily set aside in Acts chapter seven.

And the Acts one eight commission then expands on the Luke 24 commission by outlining the precise geographical order by which they're to go out and fill their commission. Now, we know that that won't happen until Israel's prophetic kingdom program resumes again. Then the Mark 16 commission then deals with the difficulties which the little flock will have to face during the tribulation, primarily those members of the little flock who are outside of the land after the tribulation is over and the kingdom program becomes a reality. The John 20 commission, which we've just been looking at, deals with the responsibility of the apostles, the responsibility that they're going to have in judging who among those who had been cast out into outer darkness for failing to endure to the end, who among that group will be eligible to be admitted back into the kingdom? And then finally, after the king and his kingdom are clearly present in the millennium, the Matthew 28 commission will have the apostles and Israel's kingdom of priests going out to all nations according to the Abrahamic covenant to bring God's blessings to all the families of the earth.

So I hope you can see from all this how beautifully all these commissions fit right into Israel's prophetic kingdom program. And it should be just as easy to see how that none of these commissions in the gospel accounts and in Acts chapter one eight have anything to do with believers today.