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Ephesians 1Here we read how the same grace which has wrought redemption and
forgiveness for His people, has also caused us to abound in all wisdom and
knowledge.
Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to
the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
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An apostle "by the will of God".
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He was chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ
to his Christian brothers.
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
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Or, because you believe in Christ and accept
Jesus Christ, God blesses you in all these
things.
4 According as He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
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He talking about the first earth age.
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Long ago before the foundations of this world
ever were, God chose us to be His servants
without blame.
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Now understand the predestination indicated
here.
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He chose the very elect in the spiritual world before
the foundations of this world were lain.
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Many deep scholars find it very difficult to
understand that He chose this group of people,
but the very elect are wise enough to understand that
this is written to two levels.
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We take that of it that pertains to us, and let
them that of it which they can accept.
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It will fall in place as we go along.
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The phrase "foundation of the world" in the
Greek language is "katabole". "Katabole" means
overthrow. Satan rebelled against God in the
first earth age, and he was overthrown.
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The chosen, God's very election, stood with God. They
weren't deceived then, and they won't be
deceived in the future.
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They know that antichrist is Satan.
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
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He chose you not by the good deeds or the great
things you did, but according to His will.
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Before we go further however, let's clarify one
thing.
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God chose you because you earned the right in
that spiritual war in which Satan rebelled
against God and a third of God's children
followed him.
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At that time, the very elect stood firm and loyalty
remained with God.
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They stood with Michael and earned the right to
be the elect, to be the chosen on this earth.
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You will not understand this epistle unless you
totally see that.
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Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow,
he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did
predestinate, them
he also called: and
whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified.
Justified, or He judged that they were worthy
because of their loyalty and the stand that they
had taken.
31 What shall we then say
to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?
We see beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is
foreordained or predestined.
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved.
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The Beloved is Christ, making us the first
fruits with Him.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
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You have heard this many times, but don't skip
over it.
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And should you ask now why the very elect, if they be
saints, need redemption. It is because on this
earth, they are in the flesh and therefore
subject to the sins of the flesh.
- Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not
made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
- The tabernacle here is His body, the actual temple.
- 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own
blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained
eternal redemption for us.
- 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of
an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying
of the flesh:
- 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
- Just prior to verses 9-15, it is talking about the altar.
- Hebrews 9:5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the
mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
- Now Paul is saying here, I cannot go into deeper detail at
this time.
- The mercy seat (being mercy or salvation) meaning the seat
of Christ, and what or who was that protecting cherub that
covers the mercy seat?
- Ezekiel 28 tells us the protecting cherub that covereth
the mercy seat, was Lucifer.
- It is part of that mystery, hidden from the foundations of
the world, that you fought against him and earned the right to
understand these things.
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
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He has given us great wisdom.
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Prudence in the Greek means mental activity.
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Probably a better word in the English would be
insight.
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He has given us wisdom and insight to know who
that cherub is, to know God's perfect plan and
our place and duties in it.
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
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This word will is God's plan and God's pleasure
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Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also
himself likewise took part of the same; that
through death he might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil;
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The devil... the same cherubim we spoke of in
verse 7.
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and
which are on earth; even in him:
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This is the entire purpose.. to gather all back
to Christ and God. Because all souls that accept
Him shall have an everlasting peace under His
kingdom.
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All souls that do not accept
Him will be destroyed, after the millennium.
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will:
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Again the word "predestinated". We are chosen
for His purpose.
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All things happen exactly as He decided a long
time ago.
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Make no mistake; it is saying He sent Jesus
Christ to gather His servants, who were chosen
along time ago before the foundations of this
world, and together they will bring all beings
that will believe on Him into His kingdom.
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It shall happen.
12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in
Christ.
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The elect were the first that trusted in Christ
and they shall always hold that place, but the
next verse show the magnitude of God love.
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
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Paul is speaking to the Gentiles and the
deceived Israel.
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He says, you also believed and so you came into
your own inheritance of the kingdom of
God.
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If you break the word promise back to the Greek,
it is "inheritance".
14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
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This is put awkwardly in the English.
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What is means is that, Christ came to us thereby,
fulfilling is what God has promised.
15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and
love unto all the saints,
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Note that Paul is talking here to the Gentiles
about the elect of Israel.
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There is a great difference between these two.
16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers;
17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
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We see now that Paul's primary purpose was to
spread the gospel to the Gentiles as well as the
lost sheep of the house of Israel, that were
mixed in with them.
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It is a two-fold message.
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That's why people (even deep scholars) say these
are the three hardest chapters of Paul's writing
to understand.
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They do not realize it is written to two totally
diverse peoples.
18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints,
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Now again, the saints or the very elect.
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They were teachers.
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They were the holy ones.
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What does Paul mean by the "eyes of your
understanding being enlightened"?
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He is saying, I hope your hearts will be flooded
with light and that God will relate this wisdom
to you.
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set
him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
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Do not overlook the magnitude of that miracle,
Christ's resurrection!
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Our Father took Christ back Himself.
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which
is to come:
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Above everything and everyone.
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Do you see the power involved in this?
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
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The church is His body, or all the people on
this earth and in heaven.
Exactly 2520 years from the exile of
Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.
The first tribe to be conquered by the
Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly
2520 years later America became a nation on
July 4, 1776.
Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant,
(A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt -
page 25
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