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NOT ALL CALLED AND CHOSEN PEOPLE WILL BE IN THE GOOD BOOKS OF GOD FOREVER

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 [also in Ephesians 5:5; Galatians 5:19-21 & Revelation 21:8] we read, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”

Salvation is very precious and valuable. It’s not something that you get accidentally and, certainly, it’s not something that you lose accidentally. The subject of “eternal security” is a continuous debate among Christians today.

Some people believe in the concept of “once saved, always saved” while others do not. Some people believe that if a person accepts the Lord Yeshua the Messiah as one’s personal Savior through the gift of baptism, one is assured that one has eternal security. However, other people think that salvation is not forever, and one can lose it with sin.

What does the Bible tell us about this? Is salvation permanent throughout one’s Christian life or can it be taken from us even if we have received Messiah? Let us examine the examples in the Bible that talk about salvation and analyze if a person is forever saved, once saved.

2.0 DAN TRIBE- AN EXAMPLE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

Jacob the son of Isaac the son of Abraham had his name changed from Jacob to Israel and the 12 tribes of Israel each came from one of Jacob’s sons. However, DAN, one of the 12 tribes of Israel as a whole was guilty of gross idolatry—even to the point of stealing the idols they used to practice their religion (Judges 18:14-31).

Theirs was the first organized idolatry in ancient Israel, and the longest in duration. It continued “until the day of the captivity of the land,” nearly 500 years later (Judges 18:30). Jewish tradition says that DAN was the first tribe to follow Jeroboam into his sin of idolatry, and in their literature, the term “DAN” is often used to represent idolatry.

The end-time descendants of DAN say, “I have waited for your salvation, O LORD” (Genesis 49:1, 18). The vast majority of Danites must wait for salvation until after the sealing of the 144,000.

2.1 Lost the identity as one of the 12 tribes of Israel

It is interesting to note that the tribe of DAN is also left out of the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 1-9, although the original son of Jacob is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:2 . This historical point of interest helps explain why the tribe of Dan is not mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8. They didn’t keep the Commandments, Laws and Statutes, and lost the 12 tribes’ status of Israel. [Revelation 7:4-8].

They gave up their inheritance on account of their inability (fear/idolatry), to take the territory allotted to them during the conquest [Joshua 19:47]. They lacked courage. They also blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed [Leviticus 24:10-11]. Their sin was tantamount to that of the ten reconnoiterers in Numbers 13 [esp. Numbers 13:31-33]. They forfeited their inheritance on account of their lack of faith.

2.2 Lost the opportunity to be sealed and redeemed from the earth

Revelation 7:4 says that, “I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Israel.” It says every tribe of the people of Israel, however, none of the representatives from DAN tribe was sealed among the 144000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel [Revelation7:4-8].

They were replaced by tribe of Manases [son of Joseph]. Further in Revelation 14:3 we read that “They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who have been ransomed from the world.”

2.3 Lost the opportunity to have Father’s name of the Lamb written in their foreheads

In Revelation 14:1 we read, “Then John looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Tziyon; and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. So none of the representatives from DAN tribe got an opportunity to have Father’s name of the Lamb written in their foreheads.

2.4 Lost the opportunity to occupy one of the 24 thrones [seats] and wearing of gold crowns in Heaven

Revelation 4:4 says, “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders [12 tribes and 12 apostles] dressed in white clothing and wearing gold crowns on their heads.”

Moreover, in Revelation 4:10; 5:14 and 19:4 we read, ^“the twenty-four elders fall down before the One sitting on the throne, who lives forever and ever, and worship him. They throw their crowns in front of the throne and say, “You are worthy, Adonai Eloheinu, to have glory, honor and power, because you created all things — yes, because of your will they were created and came into being!”

2.5 Lost the opportunity to be named as one of the 12 gates of New Jerusalem

Revelation 21:12 states that “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates; at the gates were twelve angels; and inscribed on the gates were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.” If Manases [son of Joseph] is included among the 12 tribes of Israel as above stated for the lost opportunities for rewards, then definitely DAN also lost the opportunity to be named as one of the 12 gates of New Jerusalem.

3.0 JUDAS [Y’hudah] ISCARIOT – AN EXAMPLE FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

Judas [Y’hudah] Iscariot, was the son of Simon and the infamous apostle who betrayed Yeshua. The Bible provides little direct information about the family and background of Judas [Y’hudah]. Both he and his father were called Iscariot.

In John 6:71 Yeshua was speaking of Y’hudah Ben-Shim‘on, from K’riot; for this man — one of the Twelve! — was soon to betray him. The term “Iscariot” has commonly been understood to indicate that they were from the Judean town of Kerioth-hezron.

If this is so, then Judas was the only Judean among the 12 apostles, the rest being Galileans. He was the treasurer for the group (John 13:29), but was known as a miser and a thief (John 12:4-6). Judas is best remembered for his betrayal of Jesus to those who sought to harm Him (Matthew 26:14-47; Mark 14:10-46; Luke 22:3-48; John 18:2-5). 

After this betrayal, Judas felt remorse and tried unsuccessfully to return the thirty pieces of silver he had been paid to betray Jesus (Matthew 27:3-4).  Judas then went and hung himself (Matthew 27:5; Acts 1:18). Judas remained committed to his own selfish plans and desires instead of following Jesus with all his heart.  It is tragic that someone who walked so close to Jesus could miss the truth. 

3.1 Lost the apostleship [among 12] of Yeshua the Messiah

Judas Iscariot lost the position among 12 Apostleship of resurrected Yeshua. He was replaced by Matthias [Acts 1:26].

3.2 Lost the opportunity to occupy one of the 24 thrones [seats] and wearing of gold crowns in Heaven

Revelation 4:4 says, “Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders [12 tribes and 12 apostles] dressed in white clothing and wearing gold crowns on their heads.”

Moreover, in Revelation 4:10; 5:14 and 19:4 we read, ^“the twenty-four elders [12 tribes and 12 apostles] fall down before the One sitting on the throne, who lives forever and ever, and worship him.

They throw their crowns in front of the throne and say, “You are worthy, Adonai Eloheinu, to have glory, honor and power, because you created all things — yes, because of your will they were created and came into being!”

3.3 Lost the opportunity to be named as one of the 12 foundation walls of the city [New Jerusalem]

In Revelation 21:14 we read, “The wall of the city was built on twelve foundation-stones, and on these were the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.” Since Judas Iscariot was replaced by Matthias, he lost this opportunity as well.

4.0 CONCLUSION

In a Christian’s life, the easiest path is accepting the Yeshua the Messiah as our personal Savior and through the gift of baptism, thereby receiving the gift of salvation through faith, but the more difficult path is maintaining faith, and graduating in hope and love unto death.

There is at least one powerful lesson to be gleaned from what we know of the above examples of DAN tribe and Judas.  It is possible to pretend on the outside to be what one is not on the inside.

One can act like a Christian while never experiencing true salvation.  One can also attend church regularly and fellowship with believers, but never truly be a follower of Yeshua. We can commit DAN tribes’ and Judas’ same tragic act today if we are not willing “…to present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship” [Romans 12:1].

As believers in Yeshua the Messiah, we must be ever watchful that we are following God’s will for our lives and not our own selfish will.  Only then can we be sure we are safe from the temptation “of the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life” [1John 2:16].

This is a prompt that, although we have received Messiah as our Savior, it does not mean that we are exempt from sin and temptation and the tendency to give in. We have to be strong so that we are faithful to Yeshua until death. Therefore, there is a greater responsibility to those who have received Messiah in terms of following and abiding in Him.

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