Interesting side note here regarding, 'Benjamin'. He was the second son to Rachel and Jacob. And right off the bat in Matthew 2:18 after God sent Joseph and Mary off to Egypt because the baby killer Herod was offended and commanded all the children in Bethlehem, and in the coasts, from two years old and under to be killed. (Satan works overtime.)
Matthew 2:18 (Paul would have known what "Jeremy the prophet" had foretold in Jeremiah 31:15, but the whole chapter would now be the 'Gospel'.
18 "In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."
Not what? Jeremiah 31 explains, and Christ is in all of the 'who' that was even Written of and about by Jeremiah. And those who claim the 'law' is no longer in effect are deceived.
Like I said above a side note regarding the heritage/lineage of Paul and what he is saying in Romans 11:1.
Romans 11:2 God hath not cast away His people which He *foreknew* (little predestination lingo planted again by Paul) Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias?
(This would be Elijah who along with Moses the lawgiver were shown to the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. An interesting side note, which must mean something to Christians of any time.)
back to Romans 11:2 how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
3 "Lord, they have killed Thy prophets, and digged down Thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."
4 BUT what saith the answer of God unto him? "I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal." (Quoted from IKings 19:10-18, and now part of the Gospel.)
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
What does this mean to Christians this day? Grace was alive and well way back in Elijah's time?
6 And if by grace, then it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. BUT if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it,
and the rest were blinded
8 (According as it is written, "God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear";) unto this day. (Quoting Isaiah 29:10)
9And David saith, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always,"
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to *provoke* them to jealousy.
It is far less important what we want/preach, but rather what God has foretold/forewarned would be.
Oh, one more side note, the devil is the only named entity that has been judge to 'hell'/extinction and he is said to be destroyed from within, as though he never existed. Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick;
therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.''"
Paul tells us in Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Those that choose 'death' are going to get just that, death, as if they never existed. There will not be the wailing and moaning for eternity for those that love God to be reminded of evil.
Good post. I also like your “as if they never existed” meme. It’s also how I see it.
I have a 75 minute commute. This morning I used about half of it to listen to romans again. I was flabergasted at just how often Paul talked about the fate of those that are not Christ’s and over and over again used the word “death”. In the same scripture he even talked about the plain language of Christ’s message. He NEVER mentioned eternal suffering or torture. Just death. Over and over and over...