Every time a generation became corrupt, God chose one person to prophesy about future events. Those chosen by God became his prophets; they spoke and wrote on God’s behalf. People believed in these prophets themselves, but they refused to believe in the words they wrote on behalf of God. Since a significant portion of God’s word is written in figurative language (Hos 12:10; Mt 13:10-11; Rv 5:1), no one can understand God's word until the scriptures are opened.
Among the prophets, the Buddha and Confucius lived 2,500 and 2,600 years ago, respectively. As for the prophets of Christianity—men like Isaiah and Jeremiah—they lived roughly 2,700 years ago. If the history of Christianity is considered to have begun with Jesus, it goes back 2,000 years. If the origin of Jesus is considered, however, its history stretches back 6,000 years. Prophets like Isaiah, Buddha, Confucius, and others were mere men—men with original, hereditary, and personal sins. Jesus, however, was the son of God. He was born from the seed of the creator God. He was entirely without sin (Mt 1:18-23, Mt 3:16-17). God descended on Jesus, who was without sin, and united with him (Jn 1:32-34, Jn 10:30). God did not come down to unite with prophets like Isaiah, Buddha, and Confucius because they still had sin. Instead, God allowed them to see him or hear his voice.
The holy God dwelled with Adam while Adam was without sin (Gn 2). After Adam committed sin, however, God was forced to leave (Gn 3, Gn 6). This departure was not what God wanted. In fact, both God and Jesus long to descend again and unite with humanity (Rv 21:2-3). To make this happen, Jesus, who was without sin, bore the cross to atone for our sins (Is 53; Jn 1:29; Jn 19). None of the prophets, including Buddha, Confucius, Isaiah, and others, could resolve their own sins. Neither did they have the ability or authority to resolve the problem of sin for us.
Humanity has been dying because of sin and because they have lost God, who is life itself. People do not need authority or wealth; people need God and God alone. What good are all the authority and wealth in the world when you die? God and Jesus are all we need. This is why God has been working to redeem people from their sins with the blood of Jesus, the righteous one. God has also been working to seize the devil and lock him up in the Abyss, because the devil is the one causing people to sin.
The Old Testament prophets (e.g. Moses, Isaiah, etc.), Buddha, and even Confucius prophesied in their scriptures about a coming savior, who turned out to be Jesus. Did people believe in Jesus when he came into the world? No. They believed in Moses, Buddha, and Confucius, but they failed to believe in their words, which pointed to Jesus as the savior. Although people initially believed in the words of their teachers, but failed to believe in God spoke through them concerning the promised pastor. Can people who only believe in Moses, Isaiah, Confucius, and Buddha receive salvation if they refuse to believe in the physical fulfillment of the words prophesied and proclaimed by Moses, Isaiah, Confucius, and Buddha? Weren’t they speaking on behalf of God about a coming savior that God would send to save us from sin?
Jesus came into the world according to the prophecies spoken by these prophets (Moses, Isaiah, Confucius, Buddha, etc.). After coming and fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies (Jn 19:30), Jesus himself prophesied in the New Testament about future events. These prophecies, too, point to one pastor who will come in Jesus’ name (Mt 23:39; Jn 14).
At the time of the first coming, God, heaven, and the angels came down to Jesus (Mt 3:16-17; Mt 4:17). Jesus said, "No one comes to the Father except through me," (Jn 14:6). Heaven, God, and Jesus cannot come to anyone who claims to believe in Jesus and yet refuses to believe in the words of God Jesus spoke—the promises regarding the promised pastor. In fact, heaven, God, and Jesus have already come down to the one who overcomes, the pastor promised in the New Testament (Rv 3:12).
Today, those who claim to believe in Jesus and refuse go to the pastor promised by Jesus are no different from those who believed in Moses, Isaiah, Confucius, Buddha, and yet refused to believe in their prophecies, which pointed to Jesus as our savior. Furthermore, since the promised pastor has already come, people who persist in believing only in their own pastor are in the same situation as the people who refused to go to Noah when Adam's generation came to an end. They are in the same situation as those who refused to follow Moses when Noah's generation came to an end. This is also in the same situation as the people who believed only in Moses and who refused to follow Jesus when Moses' generation came to an end.
If we truly believe in Jesus, we must believe in his promises. We can only acquire salvation by believing and obeying the words of the New Testament, which is the new covenant.
link: http://cafe.daum.net/scjschool/E4mY/130
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