Matt. 24:3, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the ”𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙
“But that day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗦 shall pass away with a great noise; and 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧…,❞ 𝟮𝗣𝗲𝘁. 𝟯:𝟭𝟬.
Looking at the above passage, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵. Observe that they “shall melt“ as at the time of Peter’s writing, meaning it was to come ahead. Reason being, he wrote between AD 62-64 anticipating the judgment to come on Jerusalem in AD 70 according to the word of the Lord in Matt. 24:1++.
Now one of the confusing aspects of the teaching of the Church, in relation to the application of the words ❞𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨” as it connects the so called ‘𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲’ is the belief that the PLANET EARTH will one day go up in SMOKE and the ELEMENTS in it such as gold, silver, precious stones, crude oil, etc., in their thinking, will have to melt with fervent heat.
But may I quickly draw your reverent attention to the fact, that the scripture just quoted above never said the elements to be melted are in the earth, but rather “IN THE HEAVENS;” and this fact makes a whole world of difference to the meaning and thoughts revealed in the scripture.
Please read it again for yourself with the help of the Spirit of Truth. And then you will see the fallacy that is in the church today because of the way we have chosen to interpret the Word of God to suit our narrow minded sectarian belief system, instead of looking at the scripture through the eyes of the Spirit in consonant with the plans and purposes of God in creation.
Don’t forget that, the ‘elements’ are in ‘heaven’ and that heaven speaks of a controlling power, a realm of authority in and over a people not necessarily a location.
WHAT THEN ARE THE ELEMENTS IN THE HEAVENS THAT SHALL MELT?
The Greek word for ELEMENT is STOICHEION, which means ORDERLY IN ARRANGEMENT, FUNDAMENTAL, INITIAL CONSTITUENT, PROPOSITION – ELEMENT, and RUDIMENT.
This is a clear and very simple definition. The elements have nothing to do with gold, silver, Bauxite, crude oil, etc., in the earth, but rather, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱. And these include the dietary and moral laws as found in the Book of Leviticus and the Ten Commandments, hence the “initial constituents.”
In the second place, these elements constitute the wisdom of man, which has to do with his educational and religious attainments that he has fashioned out for himself that now controls him; e.g., Psychology, Philosophy, Esoteric studies, Eastern religion, Yoga, Transcendental meditation, superstition, witchcraft, Masonic order, Rock and Roll, ESP, Crystal Ball gazing, Psychometric, Psychic, Horoscope, Pentagram, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, etc𝙚.𝙜., 𝙋𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮, 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮, 𝙀𝙨𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙔𝙤𝙜𝙖, 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙛𝙩, 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙍𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙡, 𝙀𝙎𝙋, 𝘾𝙧𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙋𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘, 𝙋𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙘, 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙚, 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢, 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝘾𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙚𝙩𝙘., which are all inspired means of living instead of God’s true Spirit.
Thus, Paul in defining these elements says, “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and 𝘽𝙀𝙂𝙂𝘼𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain,” Gal. 4:8-11.
❞…𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨, 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨…❞ 𝘾𝙀𝙑.
Can you see something here? Those things, which Paul referred to as beggarly elements, in the King James Version, is herein referred to as weak and pitiful powers. And all these stand for modes and instruments of worships, outside of God, such as moon, sun and seasonal observance of religious rites and festivals. And of cause, as it relates to the Jewish order, it has to do with all the rituals and the Sabbath keepings.
Do you understand what I am talking about? These are the elements that Peter was talking about. And because they were the source by which man lived by, the controlling factors that make them elements in the heavens; because the heavens do rule (“….known that the heavens do rule,” Deut. 4:26).
So these were the things that were going to ‘melt off’ as the coming judgment to Israel once the law is abolished and the Temple destroyed. By implication, the ruling powers over Israel was to be done away with, “melted.” Nothing whatsoever to do with the earth please.
To be continued…