A Fellowship of Stranded Grace Believers

A few thoughts from brother Ron...

The roll of ministry is to help others understand and enjoy God’s word.  When someone asks me a question about scripture, and I love questions, we are able to reach others with the blessing of technology through YouTube videos, audios and written responses on this blog.  When one person questions a passage, there may be many others who have the same question.  I am set apart to study, teach and preach the word of God and expound on the passage.  

Nehemiah 8:8

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

In addition to technology, thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ and for all those who labor with us who make it possible for us to reach those who do not enjoy live fellowship with other grace believers so that we can help them to come to an understanding of scripture.  We call them stranded grace believers.  I know them all too well and feel for them.

That is one of the reasons we relocated to California.  We were blessed to have brother Josh back in Minnesota to take over.  Before that, when we left Chicago, there were plenty of ministers to step in.  Here in Northern California there was a need for the grace message, and now we have a live fellowship here.  But we think about sisters and brothers who don’t have that and we thank God for the blessing of technology that can bring the message of grace and teaching on the revelation of the mystery to stranded grace believers.

Faithful grace fellowships are hard to find.  There are scattered grace believers who have not encountered one soul outside of their own household that will receive the truth about the gospel of the grace of God and the revelation of the mystery—sound Pauline doctrine.

Acts 20:24

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Titus 2:1

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

People are easily offended and, sadly, pride kicks in to blind them. 

1 Corinthians 14:37

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

We need faithful brethren who will preach and teach the word of truth so that there will be assemblies where we can bring others to hear the gospel of Christ and the word of truth rightly divided.

2 Timothy 2:2

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

We will be praying for that.  Sometimes the saddest part of the ministry of God’s grace is the lack of faithful men.  There are men in the body of Christ who were placed there by God to preach the message of grace; they are just not doing it and they will be held accountable.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones [sound Pauline doctrine], wood, hay, stubble [biblical, but not dispensational];  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

They are just not faithful to their commission to preach the rightly divided word.  For the few who do, it is a labor of love.  It is mentally exhausting because we know we can only do so much.  We can only be in one place at one time.  We use technology, but there is so much work to be done.  I do pray to God that the faithfulness of the stranded grace believers is blessed and that he will send someone to you in person, but until then, I thank God for the blessing of technology!

Unbelievers in the Wilderness

I have a question about Hebrews 4:2.  Who is ‘them’ referring to?  The gentiles?

Hebrews 4:2

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

This is a very interesting passage.  It shows how God’s dealings with the nation of Israel were so consistent.

Hebrews 4:1

Let us [the writer includes himself] therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

The writer could not have been Paul because he did not fear losing his salvation – his justification before Almighty God.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Hebrews 4:2

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

In the context, ‘them’ refers to the people of Israel who came out of Egypt with Moses.  Stephen called them the ‘church in the wilderness.’

Acts 7:38

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Hebrews 3 talks about Moses and how he was a faithful servant in all his house.  Then in verse 8 there is a warning:

Hebrews 3:8

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Those people in the provocation were the Hebrews who were in the wilderness for 40 years with Moses.

Numbers 32:13

And the Lord'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord, was consumed.

That is ‘them.’

Hebrews 3:9-11

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.  So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

The ‘rest’ for them was the land of Canaan where they would get their kingdom.  Israel did enter the land with Joshua and they temporarily possessed their land.  God gave them a taste of the Kingdom through David and Solomon, but everything really went downhill after that.  Hebrews Chapter 3 sets the tone for Chapter 4.

Hebrews 3:18-19

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.  They were the generation that died during those 40 years in the wilderness, particularly the men of war who caused the nation of Israel to fear going into the Promised Land.

Numbers 13:32-33

And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

There were some like Joshua and Caleb who believed that they did not need to fear because God would be with them.

Numbers 14:6-8

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

But the others caused the whole nation to fear and rebel against Moses and God, and to murmur and complain.

Numbers 14:27

How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

 God said that they would not enter into his rest.

Numbers 14:23, 29, 34-35

Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:

Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me.

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. I the Lord have said, I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation, that are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.

The unbelievers died off over the course of 40 years.  That is why we have the book of Deuteronomy, the second giving of the Law.  Many things in Exodus are repeated in Deuteronomy for the new generation that would enter the Promised Land; they were only children when their elders refused to enter the land 40 years earlier.  They were allowed to enter the Kingdom; the unbelievers were not.

Hebrews 4:2 deals with the future Little Flock of Jewish believers and reminds them that their ancestors did not enter the land because of unbelief.  The Kingdom and the land are always connected.  Knowing this, the warning in 4:1 makes sense.

Hebrews 4:1

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

That generation didn’t get into the Kingdom in the Promised Land.  The future Little Flock also has a promise for the Kingdom in the same land and they need to hold on in fear lest any should fall away and come short of it.  Why?

Hebrews 4:2

For unto us [the generation of Jews in the time of Jacob’s Trouble Jer. 30:7; the 70^th week of Daniel 9:24) was the gospel preached, as well as unto them:

‘Us’ is the Jews alive at the writing of Hebrews; but the context of Hebrews is future to us during the time of Jacob’s Trouble.  The gospel that was and will be preached is the gospel of the Kingdom.  ‘As well as unto them’ cannot be referring to gentiles; they are not found anywhere in these passages.  ‘Them’ is the church in the wilderness – the assembly of Israelites that came out of Egypt with Moses.

…but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Therefore, ‘them’ refers to the Israelites in the wilderness who did not believe God when he promised to bring them into the land and give them a Kingdom.

Hopefully this helps! 

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

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 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Aquila and Priscilla

Where Do Aquila and Priscilla Fit In?

Acts 18 tells us that Aquila and Priscilla were Jews.  They were also prominent laborers in Paul’s mystery doctrine.  Assuming that they were a part of the Jewish prophetic program prior to Paul’s revelation, does this mean that they were part of the church the body of Christ or the Little Flock?  The transitional stage between prophecy and mystery is confusing.

You are right; the book of Acts in particular is confusing because of its transitional nature, and also because of its cycling format (which we also see in the book of Revelation and even in parts of Genesis). For example, Acts 10 takes place right at the time of Paul’s salvation in Acts 9.  So, was Cornelius in the body of Christ or the kingdom church?  God is not the author of confusion, but of peace (1 Cor. 14:33); but God wrote his scriptures to be studied.  You have to be a workman.

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The scriptures also need to be rightly divided.  You have to understand the book of Acts from a Pauline, dispensational perspective.

Ephesians 3:2

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

You have to understand that Acts is written to the Jews (during that time of transition) and its terminology and focus are Jewish: it is written from a Jewish perspective.  You do see Paul circumcising and baptizing during the infancy of the body of Christ.

Acts 16:3

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

Acts 19:3-5

And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 15 shows the Jerusalem council from the Jewish perspective; but, our perspective as gentiles in the body of Christ is evident in Galatians 2.

Galatians 2:7-9

But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)  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.

You wrote in your email that to be a part of the Little Flock during the transitional period, one had to be a part of the Jewish (law-keeping) program and a believer in Christ as the Jewish Messiah prior to Paul’s ministry.  Exactly!  You said it perfectly.  That is what would identify someone as a member of the Little Flock—the Jewish believing remnant (Luke 12:32).  The main thing was that they had to know Jesus Christ as their Messiah.  That is what made the difference.  All the Jews were under the Law.  They were steeped in the Law from birth; that was part of their culture.  It is the same with Islam today.  If someone is born into Islam it is just part of their culture.  But what separated a Jew and made them a member of the Little Flock was belief that Jesus was Messiah.

John 20:31

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Acts 2:36

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

But this is prior to Paul’s revelation of the mystery.

Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

You wrote, “Given that Aquila and Pricilla were devoted followers of Paul’s Mystery doctrine we can infer that they, although being Jews like Paul, had not accepted Jesus Christ as Messiah prior to the dispensation of Grace.”  That is how I see it. 

Acts can be confusing because of the transitional nature; but we in the age of grace have more clarity now nearly 2,000 years since the infancy stage of the body of Christ.  God changed the program; but there was a gradual diminishing of Israel’s program while Paul’s ministry was increasing.  So there was an overlap of the two programs. 

The transition in the book of Acts is similar to the process of moving from one house to another. There are some days of transition in which you have access to and the use of both houses.

That is similar to the transition between Israel’s prophecy program and the dispensation of grace.  God had been doing one thing with Israel for 1,500 years under the Law.  But now there is a new program that began with Paul’s salvation.  The Jewish leaders of the Little Flock (Peter, James, John and others) had to learn about it over time from Paul, and also from witnessing what God was doing and seeing that his dealing with them was diminishing.

Romans 11:12

Now if the fall of them [Israel] be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

So there was a transition period and, therefore, there will be some confusion if you don’t rightly divide the word.

Notice that the account of Aquila and Pricilla says that they lately come from Italy.

Acts 18:2

And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto them.

That is significant. They had been away from Jerusalem.  That tells me that they were not privy to everything that had been happening, and that they had not trusted Jesus as their Messiah.  They heard about Jesus as Messiah from Paul; and not just that he was Messiah, but that it is faith in the cross of Christ that saves them – the gospel of grace.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Acts 20:24

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Therefore, we can assume that they did not trust Jesus as their Messiah prior to Paul’s salvation, so therefore they were not members of the kingdom church; rather they were members of the body of Christ with Paul because they heard the preaching of the cross from Paul.

Hopefully this helps! 

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Christ’s Mystery Ascension

I think that Christ’s ascension to be high priest (Acts 1:9) is not the same as Christ’s mystery ascension having to do with his position as head of the body far above all heavens (Eph. 4:10).  What do you think?

There is an ascension of Christ in prophecy (before the mystery; before Paul is saved):

Acts 1:9

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Daniel 7:13

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven [angels], and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Luke 19:12

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

That is his ascension as high priest according to the book of Hebrews, according to prophecy.

Hebrews 4:14, 19-20

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession…Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

His mystery ascension as head of the church, his body comes later.  Looking back we know that when he ascended in Acts 1 to be high priest, doctrinally it was in regard to prophecy.

Hebrews 8:1b

We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

We learn later that the physical, bodily resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ has a deeper and additional meaning.  We know from Paul and the revelation of the mystery in the dispensation of Grace that he would begin to do something different.  Luke 13 makes it clear that for one year following his ascension, Christ was looking ‘for fruit.’

Luke 13:6-9

He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree [a type of the religious element of the nation of Israel] planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.  Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?  And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:  And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

This additional year was in response to Christ’s prayer for Israel:

Luke 23:34a

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

He was saying, “Give them this year also.”  So from Acts 1 to Acts 7-9 (the stoning of Stephen and Saul’s salvation),  God gave a one-year period of grace to Israel that was prophesied by the Lord in Luke 13; but no one understood it until after the fact.  During that year he sat as high priest; or you could say, as the rejected King or Messiah or Israel.  That is what that ascension was all about.

Israel’s rejection of Christ was culminated in the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7.  They were sending a message.

Acts 7:57-59

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.  And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

This is what Christ was talking about in his parables:

Luke 19:12-14

He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.  And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.  But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

That is what they were doing when they stoned Stephen.  They were saying that they did not want that man to reign over them (John 19:15).  According to prophecy, after that one-year grace period, the Lord was going to begin to pour out his wrath.

Psalm 2:4-5

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Psalm 110:1, 5

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool…The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

But we now know from Paul that when Stephen looks up and sees the Son of man standing on the right hand of God…

Acts 7:55-56

But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 (remember, he was to sit until God made his enemies his footstool)

Mark 12:36

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

 …the Lord was to pour out his wrath and judge and make war.

Revelation 19:11

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

But now we know that when Saul shows up in Acts 7, 8 and 9…

Acts 7:58

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Acts 8:1, 3

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles…. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 9:1-2

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,  And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

…the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to confront Saul…

Acts 9:3-4

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Instead of pouring out his wrath on the chief of sinners, he pours out his grace and brings in a new dispensation.  It is at that time after the Lord appears to Saul that he ascends back into the heavens. 

Now God is doing a new thing; he is forming the church the body of Christ.  He is dealing with the heavenly places.

Notice that his ascension in Acts 1 was to be high priest of Israel according to Prophecy; he fulfilled that for a whole year.  When he stands up in Acts 7 a year later at the stoning of Stephen, he comes back, not to pour out his wrath, but to do something that God didn’t make know before—the mystery (Rom. 16:25)—and to pour out his grace.  He saves the chief of sinners and begins the dispensation of grace.

1 Timothy 1:15

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Ephesians 3:2

If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

When Christ goes back up into the heavens after appearing to Saul, positionally, he is at the right hand of the Father; but doctrinally he becomes the head of the church, the body of Christ.  Right now God is dealing with the heavenly places and not the earth.  Up until Acts 7 he was just dealing with the earth.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

1 Corinthians 15:48

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

From Genesis 1:2 until the events with Saul in Acts 7, 8 and 9, God was only dealing with the earth. 

When do I believe that he actually ascended in his position as 
head of the body?  It was not the ascension in John 20 with the Old Testament saints.

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

It was not even the ascension in Acts 1 when he went up to receive the physical, earthly Kingdom and then return.  But, it was a year later, after saving Saul on the road to Damascus, he went up to the right hand of the Father and now, with Israel temporarily set aside, God is dealing with the church the body of Christ…

Ephesians 2:6

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

…that he might fill all things.

Ephesians 4:10

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

Hopefully this helps!

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David’s Ascension

In Acts 2:34 Peter states that David is not ascended at that point in time.  I see this as David’s ascension with Christ.  Do you agree that Christ’s ascension with paradise is different from his ascension to be high priest in Acts 1:9?

Acts 2:34

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

You are correct in saying that Christ’s ascension with paradise and the souls of the saints is different from his ascension in Acts 1 to be high priest.  I believe that paradise had been transferred to heaven before Acts 2:34.  In Acts 2, Peter is dealing with the men of Israel, the Jews who were assembled in Jerusalem to worship at Pentecost.

Acts 2:22a

Ye men of Israel, hear these words;

Peter gives proof of the messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth—that God raised him from the dead.  Notice what he says:

Acts 2:25

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

David is prophesying about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 16:10

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Hell is the place of the departed dead in prophecy/Old Testament times.  It contained paradise or Abraham’s bosom on one side (for believers) and torment and flames on the other side (for unbelievers) with a great gulf fixed (Luke 16:22-26).  It was all hell.  Today, paradise is not down in the heart of the earth; it is in the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.  And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Now the only thing down in the heart of the earth is the flames of hell – the place of torments.

Matthew 25:41

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Revelation 14:11

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

Acts 2:27

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Corruption, in the bible, has to do with the physical body.  That is the point.  Peter is dealing with the physical, bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:29-36

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you [Jews] of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

David is dead and buried; his physical body was still there in his sepulcher.

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

The issue is not David himself, but the fruit of his loins – the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ

The issue is the physical, bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Watch this:

that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

So when Christ’s soul went to hell (Paradise), it wasn’t left there; and his flesh in the grave did not corrupt.  His body walked out of that tomb with his soul and the Spirit of God.  He was Spirit, soul and body when he came out of the grave.

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,

That is the key:  the physical resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ was to exalt him.

and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.  For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.  Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Peter is saying that when David is giving those prophecies in the Old Testament, they weren’t about David; he wasn’t the issue.  He was prophesying about the Son of David – the Messiah.

Matthew 1:1

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 9:27

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

Your question states that Peter is not saying in Acts 2:34 that David ascends at that point time.  I believe that Paradise and the Old Testament saints went up into the third heaven sometime between Christ’s death on the cross and his soul going down into Paradise, and soon after his resurrection when he ascended unto his Father.  He tells Mary he couldn’t be touched until he had ascended.

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary could see the resurrected Christ, but obviously she wouldn’t see the souls of the Old Testament saints that he would take to heaven with him.  We know that after eight days he was touched by hands:

John 20:26-27

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

I believe it was after Christ spoke with Mary outside the tomb that he took the saints and Paradise with him to the third heaven, but there is no verse that actually says that.  We do know that between the time Christ went into the heart of the earth at his death and the writing of 2 Corinthians 12 by the Apostle Paul years later, Paradise had been moved from the heart of the earth to the third heaven.

So regarding David’s ascension mentioned in Acts 2…

Acts 2:34

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

…I believe that David’s soul was already in the heavens at this time; but his soul is not the only issue.  David won’t receive his resurrected body until Christ returns at his second coming/advent to the earth and the earthly Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 15:22-24

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.  Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

Daniel 12:13

But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

Hopefully this helps!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

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