Give Unto Caesar...

Hi Friends,

Amazing! God is amazing!  I have to share with you what the Lord has just done for me! 

I was praying yesterday and the Lord gave me six visions.  So today, I was planning to spend time praying to understand their meanings and to know which one or ones he wanted me to share with you.  Out of the six, I believed that I understood the meanings of four of them.  I asked the Lord which of the six he wanted me to write about.  Of those I saw, a few were very personal, and I really didn’t want to share something so intimate about myself.  I wanted to be careful about my selection, but felt strongly that the last of the six visions was the one the Lord wanted me to share. So I asked the Lord if he would confirm this, by giving me one specific passage of scripture. So, I grabbed my Bible and I simply opened the book.

My thumb nail held down the page that I had opened, but a cluster of many pages fell back upon my thumb.  I decided to read the top two pages that were open, but I kept my thumb on the page that it held.  There was nothing that related to the visions on the top two pages, so I turned to the page that was still held down by my thumb, and there it was!  The very passage I was looking for to confirm the selection!  God is so good!!  He is so faithful!  He tells us to call on him.

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’  Jeremiah 33:3

Now let me share the vision:

The Tax Form

In the vision, I saw a page from a federal tax form.  There was a blank line that was filled in by hand with the word, “Heaven.”  I saw the tax form as representing “paying taxes,”  and the word “Heaven” as representing God.  So the scripture that came to mind was Jesus’ words “Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

So on the very page where my thumb was, there were these specific words!  My goodness!  God is so good!  He is faithful, and He confirms his messages.  Hallelujah!  God is so personal.  In the whole Bible, of 1316 pages of text, He had me open to page 1070 where this scripture was found: Luke 20:25!

Wow!  If we could only trust him in every situation, we would surely please him, for his word says:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him.”  Hebrews 11:6

The Lord wants to talk with us and make his will known.  He wants us to seek him for all that we need, so that our faith in him grows stronger.  He wants an intimate relationship with us, to walk with him as Enoch did.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”  John 10:27-28  

  I can’t say enough.  I am so thankful that the Lord shows us his love in such wonderful ways. There is no denying his personal interest in us.  We belong to him!

This is why the Lord gave us his Holy Spirit, so that we could talk with Him and understand His heart.  Hallelujah!  When he died on the cross, the temple curtain that separated man from the presence of God was split in two, so that we are no longer separated from him. It was the Lord’s own blood which purchased our salvation. We can now walk with him and hear his voice.  

The separation that had previously existed was caused by Adam and Eve’s sin. This separation is what we call spiritual death. But when we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, our spiritual eyes are opened and we walk in the newness of life.  We are able to have direct access to the Lord, to talk with him.  We do not need a go-between, like a pope, a bishop, a pastor or priest, to tell us what God says.  No—on the contrary! We, the believers, the church are a royal priesthood!

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Jesus made a way; his salvation changes everything.

 Jesus answered, “I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  John 14:6

The Father appointed only one person to be our mediator:

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all—the testimony that was given at just the right time.  1 Timothy 2:5-6

Jesus came in the clouds, bringing judgment in AD 66 - AD 70 against the religious leaders of Jerusalem who had continually provoked God to anger.  He came to revoke the Old Covenant and to establish the New Covenant.  No longer are animal sacrifices needed to atone for sins. When the curtain of the Most Holy Place was split in two, he made it possible, by his precious blood, to be reconciled to the Father.  He re-established our ability to enter into His presence when we call upon him and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. 

For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.  I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.  No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.  For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.”  Hebrews 8:10-12 (quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34)

We are living in the New Covenant Age, now that the Old Covenant has been nullified and the new established.  Now the dwelling place with God is with man, and in man, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We are the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, and the body of Christ, for he is our head.

If only people would read and study the Bible for themselves, they would be able to discern truth, and see clearly to judge whether man’s actions, doctrines and traditions align with the word of God or oppose God himself.  What or who is our authority?  Should we trust in man’s traditions or the very words of God, recorded by prophets and inspired by the Holy Spirit?  Do we trust men and the weaknesses of the flesh, or do we believe that God’s words are eternal, true and never fail?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

Now let’s return to the vision.

The Tax Form 

In the vision was a page from a federal tax form where a blank was filled in with a hand written word: “heaven.”  The tax form represents man’s authority, and heaven is the seat of God’s all encompassing authority.  Before reading the passage in Luke regarding taxes, it is important for us to recognize that all authority, whether good or bad, is ordained by God.  The word tells us to pray for our leaders and to be subject to them.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Romans 13:1

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,  for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  1 Timothy 2:1-4

The following passage of scripture is the very one that I had asked the Lord to show me as confirmation of his selection in the six visions. This is the occasion when Jesus was questioned about paying taxes to Caesar: 

When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people. So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.  “Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that you speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people.  And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.  Luke 20:19-26

In the vision the word “heaven,” was hand written.  Generally on tax forms there are questions asked about investments, deductions, income sources and the number of dependents. But the word “heaven,” was given as an answer.  Heaven answers all questions, for heaven represents God and his providence.  Heaven is our source of all good things.  Heaven is our source of peace, blessing, joy and contentment.  

So to answer the question, “Who is our source?”  We declare that the Lord God Most High is whom we seek, for heaven is the source of all good things.  

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:25-33

What and where are our investments?  Our investments are found in heaven.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

How do we earn our reward?

We can’t!  The Lord paid for our salvation.  It is a free gift.  But does God have expectations for us?  Yes.  Because the Holy Spirit indwells us, he has prepared in advance, works for us to do:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.  Philippians 2:13 

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’  Matthew 25:35-40

Do we pay penalties for filing late or improperly?  The penalty for sin is death:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 6:23

Are there certain deductions as tax credits?  The Lord credits to us righteousness when we believe and trust in Him. 

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”  Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb. Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham, but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.  Romans 4:18-25

The vision of the tax form and the word “heaven,” brings to mind the two kingdoms: the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God, or of heaven.  These kingdoms operate on different principles and on different values. The kingdom of this world was ruled by man, who then gave up his authority on account of sin, to demonic powers and entities in the heavenly realm.  

Satan tried to tempt Jesus with power and authority over the kingdoms of this world.  It sounds ludicrous to think that Jesus could be tempted, being the Son of God.  But Satan was trying to appeal to his weaker flesh, as he was both man and God.

Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. “I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.”

But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”  Luke 4:5-8

Jesus taught much about the kingdom of heaven demonstrating its value through his parables and similes.  His disciples asked him why he spoke to the crowds in parables. 

He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.  This is why I speak to them in parables:  though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.   In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.  For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.  Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”  Matthew 13:13-15

Jesus began his parables speaking of the kingdom of heaven:

“Hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.”  Matthew 13:18-19

Jesus explained that people whose faith is not deeply rooted will fall away because of difficulties, persecution, worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches.  But the one who hears the word, and understands it, will yield a crop:  thirty, sixty or a hundred fold. (Matthew 13:1-23)

The parable of the weeds explains that those of the kingdom of heaven, which are planted by God will mature in their faith alongside those who align themselves with the world and its values. The weeds will be gathered together and burned, and the wheat will be gathered into the barn (heaven).  (Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43)

The parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value are similar.  They both speak of the kingdom of heaven as being of the utmost value. Because it is worth more than anything on this earth, when we find it, we should sell everything in order to attain it.  (Matthew 13:44-45)

The parable of the fishing net describes the kingdom of heaven like a net that catches fish of all sorts, but are then separated.  The good fish, representing the righteous, are saved and the bad fish, representing the wicked, are thrown into a burning furnace and destroyed.  (Matthew 13:47-50

Jesus spoke of the kingdom of heaven, but not as the Pharisees expected and believed. They believed that the Messiah would bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, so as to rule the nations from an earthly Jerusalem.  But he spoke of his kingdom as being a spiritual kingdom, that would not be visible.  

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'Behold here,' or 'There.' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."  Luke 17:20-21

The kingdom of heaven is within the believer.  We carry the very presence of the Holy Spirit.  He is given to us as a deposit, and a taste of heaven on earth.  For we can experience the Lord’s power in our prayers, and in the gifts of the Spirit.  

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.  Ephesians 1:13-14

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ.  He anointed us, placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.  2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Since the Lord came  in AD 70 to end the Old Covenant age by destroying the temple and Jerusalem, and to usher in the New Covenant age, we are now in the kingdom of God and we are promised eternal life with him now.  And at the time of our natural death, we will join Him in heaven, never having died a spiritual death, which is a separation from God.  

Jesus promised that at his return, death would be swallowed up in victory. He did come, and he kept his promise: Hades, (Sheol), and death (the grave) would be thrown into the lake of fire. For all who are born again, when we die physically, we go  immediately into the Lord’s presence, as members in the kingdom of God.  For those who die without Christ, they do not go to the grave, (Hades or Sheol) but suffer the second death and are destroyed in the lake of fire. 

It is important that we take note that the common idea of people going to hell to suffer for all eternity is a traditional teaching of the church, but is not sourced in the Bible.  Having an “eternal soul” is a Greek concept taught by Plato.  The lake of fire was designed for the devil and his angels, to be kept forever in eternal torment, because they were eternal spirit beings.  People, on the other hand, do not live eternally unless they are born again.  

If we go back to Genesis, we see the result of Adam and Eve’s sin.  God forced them to leave the garden, because He did not want them to have access to the tree of life, and live forever.

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.”  Genesis 3:22-23

Because of sin God did not want man to live forever.  But the Lord did send Jesus to offer eternal life to those who believe in him.  The unbelievers have always been destined to perish.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

Eternal life is offered only to those who believe.  Because non-believers do not have an “eternal soul,” they perish in the flames of the lake of fire, they do not suffer eternally.

And books were opened, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds.

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.  And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:12-15

The idea of “eternal conscious torment” came from embracing the Greek idea of people having an eternal soul which could not be destroyed.  The church Fathers reasoned that if everyone had an eternal soul, then in order to punish someone who could not die, he would have to suffer as the fallen angels and the devil do in everlasting flames. 

But we know that the Old Testament teaches that the “soul” simply refers to a living being.  People and animals are souls.  They do not have souls, they are souls. Today there are churches that teach that we have a body, a soul and a spirit, but it is not supported by scripture. This is unfortunate, for the results of this erroneous philosophy, cause people to misunderstand spiritual death, resurrection, and punishment.  They also misinterpret Jesus’ words regarding the judgment against Israel, the very reason and timing of his coming. 

So many disregard the time statements of Jesus, that he is “coming soon,” and “within that generation” of those standing in front of him.  Instead they propose that Jesus’ idea of “soon” is 2000 plus years into the future.

They misrepresent the word Gehenna, and translate it as “hell.”  No where in the bible should the word hell appear.  Gehenna is the proper translation. It is an actual place outside Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom, where “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched,”  These are prophetic words which Jesus spoke against Israel.  He was never talking about eternal judgment, rather He was speaking of national judgment against Israel.  The corpses, (dead bodies) would experience the worm that does not die and the fire that is not quenched during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.  Jesus was not speaking of eternal conscious torment in “hell.”

The Hebrew scriptures do not support the idea of Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT).  They do however support the idea of the wicked “perishing” and being “destroyed.”  Gehenna was called the valley of slaughter, a place where pagans sacrificed their children to Molech. 

There is much to what I am writing, but this is only a short post.  I would ask that if you were interested in learning more about the preterist view of eschatology, which is supported by the Bible and the historical eyewitness accounts by historians as Josephus, then you may find these as excellent sources:

Berean Bible Church - Does Eschatology Matter?

Why is Preterism so Important?

Edward Fudge - The Fire that Consumes - a Biblical and Historical  Study of Hell

The Jewish War - Josephus (historical eyewitness account of the Roman siege of Jerusalem)

Thanks for reading and sharing.  God bless you on your journey to know the truth. God’s Word is truth!