I’ve come to believe that ‘grace preachers’ have some mathematical issues .... which come from their lack of adherence to the KJV Bible, which they claim to believe are the very words of God preserved in the English language. I think they should practice what they preach!
For example, when the scripture says, “This is the first resurrection,” .... they go ahead and make up ‘a secret, mystery resurrection’ way before the first resurrection. They classify the ‘secret, mystery resurrection’ as distinct and even ‘outside’ what is termed the ‘prophecy program’ .... as if that assignment somehow makes it ‘not count’ in the numerical sequence. It is commonly called the ‘rapture.’ ‘Grace preachers’ are staunch promoters of what they refer to as ‘the integrity of grace’ .... as if to say their ‘right division’ doctrines must be preserved at all costs:
Rev 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
In the ‘grace preachers’ view, the ‘rapture’ is a foundational principal and one of the seven unities of the Spirit listed in Eph 4:3-6, being the ‘one hope.’ Anyone who disagrees would obviously be excluded from their platforms.
While we’re on the subject of oneness in Christ .... here is another number where the ‘grace preachers’ have trouble. Although they recognize the ‘one body’ now for the dispensation of grace .... they take special care to clarify ‘the church, the body of Christ’ as an entirely separate entity from the church, in Israel’s ‘prophecy program.’
Eph 4:3-6 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
What they fail to recognize is that God merged us Gentiles into the church that was primarily made up of Israel. God made us ‘one body’ all right .... but not a different body from the church that was already in existence .... for that would have been ‘two’ bodies .... except they won’t classify Israel’s church as a body because the term wasn’t used before Paul. But they won’t acknowledge the truth in a very passage they tout:
Eph 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
It is clear from verses that we are not a ‘one body’ separate from Israel .... but rather we are ‘one body’ together with them, being among them:
In Acts 26:18, we Gentiles are given ‘inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me’ (Christ).
Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Yet another ‘timing is everything’ event that ‘grace preachers’ invent is the last trump. A hallmark theme of their Bible study method is to let other verses shine light on verses. But they surely don’t follow their own advice on this one:
1 Cor 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Rather than going to the SCRIPTURE to locate a series of trumpets, and then find the last one, they completely fabricate three toots. That is because they do not like where the last trump puts them in the end times. The last trump is the seventh trump that comes after the close of the 70th week of Daniel .... and their paradine will not accept that. So they squirm out and create three trumps not even in the scripture.
I will give credit where credit is due, so I must tell you that ‘grace preachers’ DO recognize the ‘third heaven’ as having two heavens preceeding it. Congratulations!
In summary, ‘grace preachers’ don’t let the first resurrection in the verses be the first resurrection. They don’t let the ‘one body’ in the Bible be the only body. They don’t let the last trump be the last trump in the scripture. Maybe they should go back to kindergarten to pick up some elementary math skills.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
Gal 1:10, Rom 4:3
