Not about personal salvation but about a bigger Plan

Salvation goes beyond that of the individual. Great minds from the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament have also clearly seen this. When the people of Israel in the wilderness went wrong by making the golden calf, Moses asks God to forgive their sin or to blot him out of the ‘book of life‘ which the Elohim Most High Divine Creator has written.

Exodus 32:32 The Scriptures 1998+ (32) “And now, if You would forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

Moses is so much afraid of the wrong impression of a possible destruction of the people of God (cf.. Vs.10) would make the other nations, and especially in Egypt (verse 12) that he was prepared, if necessary, to give up his own salvation, if only God’s plan will progress.

Exodus 32:9-14 The Scriptures 1998+ (9) And יהוה {Jehovah} said to Mosheh, “I have seen this people, and see, it is a stiff-necked people! (10) “And now, let Me alone, that My wrath might burn against them and I consume them and I make of you a great nation.” (11) But Mosheh pleaded with יהוה {Jehovah} his Elohim, and said, “יהוה {Jehovah}, why does Your wrath burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Mitsrayim with great power and with a strong hand? (12) “Why should the Mitsrites speak, and say, ‘For evil He brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from the heat of Your wrath, and relent from this evil to Your people. (13) “Remember Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yisra’ĕl, Your servants, to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I increase your seed like the stars of the heavens. And all this land that I have spoken of I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” (14) And יהוה {Jehovah} relented from the evil which He said He would do to His people.

The apostle Paul expresses such opinions, as he says of his people:

Romans 9:3-5 The Scriptures 1998+ (3) For I myself could have wished to be banished from Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh, (4) who are Yisra’ĕlites, whose is the adoption, and the esteem, and the covenants, and the giving of the Torah, and the worship, and the promises, (5) whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, Elohim-blessed forever.

We have the kinsmen according to the flesh but also a chosen people or an Israel according to the promise. God’s Promise is not void for mankind or those who are not from Jewish blood. We have the free, unconditioned grace of God, which is given to all mankind by the grace of the ransom offering by the son of God, Jesus Christ.

Romans 9:6-8 The Scriptures 1998+ (6) However, it is not as though the word of Elohim has failed. For they are not all Yisra’ĕl who are of Yisra’ĕl, (7) neither are they all children because they are the seed of Aḇraham, but, “In Yitsḥaq your seed shall be called.” (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are reckoned as the seed.

Even when the apostle Paul for himself would have wished to banish Christ (the Messiah) for the sake of his brothers, willing to give up his personal redemption for those of his people, the relatives according to the flesh (Romans 9: 3), it’s not about their personal salvation. What matters in the Bible is nullifying the curse expressed about the earth in Genesis 3.

In the previous chapters we began by saying that God is working out a consistent plan. This plan makes a preliminary fulfilment in what the Bible calls the last days. This is consistent with the message of the prophets of the Old Testament. They also have much to say about the final phase of God’s plan, billed as “the last days” or “the Lord’s day.” Almost the entire prophecy of Daniel is devoted to this last phase, marked by the theology and eschatology. But also whole sections of Isaiah and Ezekiel speak about it, while many other prophets devote at least several passages to it. Jesus takes up this thread again in his speech on the Mount of Olives, from which we have already quoted (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). And the message is further worked out in the exegetical (interpretive) most abused book of the Bible, Revelation.
Later we also shall come to talk about it (in the chapters about “The kingdom of God”).

Those who read the Bible can not simply evade the purpose of God’s action. It is, as we said, not only for the salvation of individuals but to the perfection of creation as a whole. The Apostle presents the gospel as ‘the power of God unto salvation’, for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Before rabbi Jeshua, Christ Jesus there was the law which looked like a failure for mankind, both in justifying (Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 3) and in sanctifying men (Romans 7). With the Nazarene man Jeshua everything has changed. From his presence onwards people have the choice to following him or to ignore him. They can come to accept he is the son of God and the Way to God or just take him as a fictitious being or as their god, like many take themselves different gods. But the real followers of Christ, who take him to be the son of God and do not mind being in Christ Jesus, not only are justified, but also have a new life in the Holy Spirit. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but the will of Him who subjected it. Jesus was until now the only man who succeeded to do the Will of God subjecting himself totally to the Will of his heavenly Father the Only One True God. Naturally those who take Jesus to be God should know that ‘if’ Jesus is God, Jesus always did his own will. But Jesus not being God, but the son of God, was lower than God and angels who gave himself totally in subjection to God.

John 5:17-27 The Scriptures 1998+ (17) But יהושע {Jeshua} answered them, “My Father works until now, and I work.” (18) Because of this, then, the Yehuḏim were seeking all the more to kill Him, ‘because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He also called Elohim His own Father, making Himself equal with Elohim.’ (19) Therefore יהושע {Jeshua} responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does. (20) “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He Himself does. And greater works than these He is going to show Him, in order that you marvel. (21) “For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son makes alive whom He wishes. (22) “For the Father judges no one, but has given all the judgment to the Son, (23) that all should value the Son even as they value the Father. He who does not value the Son does not value the Father who sent Him. (24) “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me possesses everlasting life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (25) “Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Elohim. And those having heard shall live. (26) “For as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to possess life in Himself, (27) and He has given Him authority also to do judgment, because He is the Son of Aḏam.
John 14:28 The Scriptures 1998+ (28) “You heard that I said to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming to you.’ If you did love Me, you would have rejoiced that I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

Romans 8:19-22 The Scriptures 1998+ (19) For the intense longing1 of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of Elohim. Footnote: 1Lit. anxiously looking with outstretched head. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not from choice, but because of Him who subjected it, in anticipation, (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage to corruption into the esteemed freedom of the children of Elohim. (22) For we know that all the creation groans together, and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Jesus could not do anything without his heavenly Father, so it was no wonder he could say concerning the creation that it was until now his Father working, and getting his disciples to know he became the 2nd Adam, the first one from the New Creation.
No wonder Jesus regarding the Creation could say:

John 5:17 The Scriptures 1998+ (17) But יהושע {Jeshua} answered them, “My Father works until now, and I work.”

Here lies a major difference with other religions. For example also with Islam. For he who has let the previous chapters penetrate to himself will probably have figured out that Islam is monotheistic, and that Islam is seen as a revelation of God to man. But by many Muslims their God is not concerned with His creation. According to many Muslims and several people who look at Islam, there is no plan, and no connection between the Creator Allah and His creatures. They think only the God of the Bible is so busy. But in the Quran (or Koran) we have the same God of Abraham, Allah, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah, Who is the Most High. He is higher than any prophet, be it Muhammad, Jeshua (Jesus Christ), a.o.. That God is the Supreme Being Who is the Self Sufficient One, Who is not born and can not die.

Allah says:

(Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One. * Allah As-Samadh (the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need). * He neither begets nor is born. * Nor is there to Him any equal. ) (Sura 112:1-4)

Jesus offered himself up to God, being a slave for Him.

Allah says:

(Never would the Messiah disdain to be a slave of Allah, nor would the angels near [to Him]. ) (Sura 4:172)

Iraqi manuscript of the Quran, from Baghdad, written by Ahmad Ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri in 706 H. Page Size 35×47 cm

The angels and Christ Jesus, are created by the Most High to perform certain tasks.

Allah says:

(And they say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ Exalted is He! Rather, they (Those they claim to be ‘children’ of Allah, such as the angels, Ezra, Jesus, etc.) are [but] honored slaves. They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command ) (21:26-27)

Miniature from one of the greatest Arabic illuminated manuscripts, a compendium of tales by al-Hariri of Basra (446-516 A.H. / 1054-1122) illustrated by Yahya ibn Mahmud al-Wasiti: The Maqamat (Assemblies). Paris, Bibl. Nat., MS arabe 5847.

this makes many to think this would only be their main reason to exist, but from many other sayings in the Holy Scriptures, be it in the Torah (The Teaching/instruction or Law), the Nevim [second main division of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh)] the Ketuvim (writings,the third and final section of the Tanakh), or the Kethubim/Ketuvim Aleph (Hebrew Writings), the Kethubim/Ketuvim Bet (Messianic writings) or the Quran (or Koran) (the Mohammedan or Islamic writings) we can come to know god has lots in store for mankind and is looking forward to have with them a good relationship.

Allah, the God of gods, tells us clearly what is expected from man. The Adonai has given His Word to mankind so that people shall not have any excuse at the Last Days. In the infallible Word of God, the Book of books, the Bible is written everything man does have to know to come to see and live in a better world than the present one. It is up to man himself to decide what he wants to do, either to follow the Words of God or to follow the words of men.

People shall come to see that the send one from God, Jeshua, the Messiah, Jesus Christ is the Way to God. He is the one who liberated mankind from the curse of the law and the curse of death and can guide us further through the narrow gate. He is also the one who is authorised by his heavenly Father, the Only One true God, to judge us and to allow us (or not) into the Kingdom of God to bring God’s Plan to fulfilment having the people of God living in peace in His Kingdom.

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Preceding articles

Failing Man to make free choice

Divine Plan and an Imperfect creation

God’s Plan, Purpose and teachings

Divine Plan and an Imperfect creation

A Divine Plan or God’s purpose in creation

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Additional reading

1. Message from the family tree in the Tanakh
2. Old language to confirm the promises
3. Back from gone #2 Aim of godly people
4. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it
5. Learn to read the Bible effectively
6. The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places
7. Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still

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