POWER STUDY - A62

[Albert Finch]

Predestined For Glory

(Read Romans 9 Ephesians 4)

Revelation 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been £written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

(God’s timeless zone effects the glorious call on our life. According to earth’s perspective Jesus was crucified almost 2000 years ago, however the bible says Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world.)

2 Peter 3:8 - But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

(Three aspects of God in time:
1. God lives outside of time.
2. The spirit world lives in the timeless zone.
3. God is not bound by time.)

Jeremiah 1:5 -  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

(Long ago the Lord spoke to Jeremiah from eternity which confirms that He does not live in the same time zone that we do.)

Hebrews 2:10 - For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.

Ephesians 1:18 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

(Writer of Hebrews says Jesus died to bring many sons to glory. We know that we have an incredible inheritance in God, but do we realize that we are His glorious inheritance.)

Ezekiel 32:21-22 21“The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, ‘They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’22“Assyria is there and all her company; her graves are round about her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword,

Luke 16:19-31 19“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20“And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22“Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23“In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw* Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24“And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’ 27“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29“But Abraham said*, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Ephesians 4:8-10 8Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men.”9(Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

(When Jesus died on the cross he descended into Sheol and rescued all there who were imprisoned there by the devil. He was gone from earth for three days, yet he past from a time zone to a timeless zone. We understand from the story of Lazarus in Luke 16 that sheol was the holding place for all those that died before Jesus paid the price for their sins with His blood. It had two areas with a chasm separating each; on one side was hades which was for people waiting to go to hell. On the other side was Abraham’s bosom, which was the holding place for the righteous. Because Sheol was an eternal place existing outside of time we were also captive there!)

Ephesians 2:6 6and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

(When Jesus descended into Sheol, He took the last of the captives and ascended to heaven. We were with Him! Paul goes on to say that we were seated with Christ in heavenly places – meaning now! Though we are here on earth, God is speaking to us from the timeless zone. He always speaks to us as if it has already happened because in His word it has!)

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY