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The Seven Basic Biblical Premises that Provide the Foundation for Reality

In the preceding essay, I wrote on the first four Basic Biblical Premises; reality, as it exists around us, is far different from what our eyes and experience would suggest. Our environment is very deceptive and under the control of our arch-enemy, Satan. When the Bible tells us, “⁷ For we live by believing and not by seeing.” in 2 Corinthians 5:7, living that principle out in practice is totally dependent on the intersession of God, the Holy Spirit!

The Fifth Basic Biblical Premise

During the age of the multi-national church, immediate judgment for transgressions has been deferred; this is the age of grace, not judgment. In John 3:16-17 it is written:

“¹⁶ “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

Salvation, not judgment, is God’s focus during this age of grace! As with all things, this age of grace has come to pass; there is coming a time of severe judgment on this earth and each day that passes brings that time ever closer.

During this age of grace, there is only one sin that has not been paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ; that one sin is rejection of God’s offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord! I have written more on this in, “Is There One Unforgivable Sin?”

This age of grace is marked by a major change in God’s relationship with mankind; those who accept God’s offer of salvation have their dead spirits returned to life and are indwelt by God, the Holy Spirit. This union between God and man is eternal and unalterable.

While Adam was created in the image of God, the Christian is indwelt by God!

This age will be brought to a close by the removal of all born-again Christians.

The Sixth Basic Biblical Premise

While Israel has been set aside during the Church Age, the age of grace, Israel’s restoration will take place according to God’s timetable!

In the Old Testament, God made many promises to Israel; while the fulfillment of some of those promises has been delayed by the mystery of the church age, God will faithfully fulfill those promises at the appointed time. With the removal of the church, God will be ready to place Israel at center stage in world affairs, Jerusalem will become the focus of world attention at a level unparalleled in history.

There is a period of seven years, God promised to Israel, that has yet to be fulfilled; Israel’s rejection of their Messiah, has resulted in a delay of over 1988 years and counting. This period of seven years, called the Tribulation, will be followed by the kingdom age which has been promised to Israel and will last 1,000 years. I have written more on the seven year period in, “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.” , a three-part series.

At the end of the 1,000 years, God will judge those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior at the Great White Throne Judgment, and they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

(A Purification Parenthetical

The following involves some speculation on my part as the Bible is not specific on certain details. My speculation, however, is based on a careful study of scripture.

The Bible reveals two episodes which I have come to see as processes of purification. Sin had left serious scars on both the church, and creation; scars which needed removal. In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 it is written:

¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. ¹² Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. ¹³ But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. ¹⁴ If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. ¹⁵ But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”

In 2 Peter 3:11-13 it is written:

¹¹ Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, ¹² looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. ¹³ But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”

I’m of the opinion these two fiery episodes are intended to purify and not destroy. As a sinner, saved by grace, I have memories of sinful episodes which can, on occasion, resurface in my memory much to my distress. I think it possible the “wall of flames” may be intended to purge my memory of those painful episodes; at the very least, I can hope that is the case. There are certain things best forgotten!

Regarding the heavens on fire and the elements melting away, I refer you to Romans 8:21 in the following section; I’m of the opinion this is part of a process of purification, not destruction.)

The Seventh Basic Biblical Premise

Living one’s entire life on a spiritual battlefield imposes severe restrictions on one’s ability to imagine a time of perfection. From birth to death, mankind is surrounded by sin, suffering and death. While there may be fleeting moments of peace and joy, the overall environment for life is distorted by the Satanic world system in which we live.

One of those fleeting moments came for me, one year, as I entered Wilderness Lodge at Christmas. This was our destination of choice when we visited Disney World for our family Christmas celebration. Tears of joy rolled down my cheeks as I saw the scene pictured below: feelings of peace, joy and contentment filled my mind!

A time of eternal perfection is coming which will surpass anything we can even imagine; everything to this point has been preparatory for the eternity God has planned for his creation! I love the verses in Romans 8:18-25 where it is written:

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

While there has been a terrible amount of suffering and pain for thousands of years, this era is only a brief preface to the vast volume of life and living that is coming! There is coming a time when all creation will join with God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay, a time when there will be no sin and suffering, a time when God’s children will be given their full rights as his adopted children along with their heavenly bodies!

Let us join together as we wait patiently and confidently!

The Bible closes with the following verses:

“²⁰ He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.” Revelation 22:20-21