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Has Yahweh required more of some to gain a better resurrection? Is immortality the only reward of the saved? Why are those to be saved in the Millennium not required to war against Satan?

Today’s War against Satan

In this age believers must fight in a spiritual warfare against the wicked spirits. Notice Ephesians 6:12, “For our conflict is not with flesh and blood, but with principalities, and with those in authority, and with the possessors of this dark world, and with the evil spirits [the margin reads wicked spirits] that are beneath heaven. But in the world tomorrow everything will be different!

Yahshua Messiah, and those of us born into the family of Elohim, will be ruling this earth! Peace will come. Satan and his demons will no longer deceive the nations! There will be no more religious confusion. “And they shall no more teach each one their neighbor, and each one his brother, saying, know YAHWEH; because all shall know Me, from the least of them to their great ones” (Hebrews 8:11).

Yes in that happy day there will be no more persecution from relatives or neighbors. Everyone will know the ways of Yahweh!

But why has Elohim allowed Satan and his demons to fight against believers today? Why this added warfare?

Yahweh has required us to go through more trials today to receive eternal life than will be required of those to be born in the Millennium! Why? Notice the examples of Abraham, of David, and of the prophets. Abraham looked far beyond what many of us do today. He had more prophetic vision than most of us today.

These worthy men of old went through many terrible things in their lives of obedience to Yahweh. Notice verse 34 and 35 of Hebrews 11: “quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouths of the sword, acquired power from weakness, became strong in war; made armies of foreigners to yield. Restored to women their sons, raised people from the dead; but others were beaten to death, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a BETTER RESURRECTION.”

Did you notice that? Here is one answer to this enigma. Here is why Yahweh has required more from some than others! Those called and chosen in this age – and all past ages – are called to a better resurrection!

Yahweh has not required more of some and less of others to gain immortality, but HE has called some to HIGHER OFFICES in a better resurrection. These have required more training, more experience and more overcoming to qualify for higher offices. Remember the gifts and the calling are of Yahweh! Yahweh does at times call some to higher office than others.

Have you ever thought that one resurrection might be better than another? The first resurrection of which this refers, is to immortality and rulership in the Kingdom of Yahweh.

A Higher Calling

Yahweh has in general called those of this age to higher positions in His kingdom, than those who come after. Notice in your Bible, how Yahweh millenniums ago selected the man to rule over Israel. Later, He added the twelve apostles to rule various tribes. Now He is calling or inviting others to fill lower positions under these men. Yahweh usually calls those with the highest office first. He is calling us to positions of authority above those who will come in the ages to follow. They too will have opportunity to rule in the Kingdom of Yahweh, but, in a lesser way.

Think of the billions of people who have either lived and died before us, or who will live after us in the millennium. And yet, how few in comparison He has called in this age. He is now calling out just a few to serve in these higher places. On the other hand, some who are called now, may not overcome as they should and not attain to the high office that Yahweh has called them to. Possibly some who follow after, who do overcome more will be over them in authority.

Yahweh has provided a better, a higher calling for us, “YAHWEH having foreseen something better concerning us, that they should not be perfected without us” (Heb 11:40). In other words, those for the resurrection consist of a definite number. Those of past ages are not complete without us. The bride of Yahshua is being selected in this age and is a complete body. When it is complete, when it becomes the bride of Yahshua, others will not be added to it. Rev 19:7 tells us of the marriage of the Lamb to His wife. The others that come after will have their reward; however, they are nowhere called a part of the bride of Messiah. This may have much greater significance than you realize.

Congregation of the Firstborn

Read on through Hebrews 12, and notice particularly verse 23. Here is mentioned “and to the congregation of the first-born.” Remember that in ancient times it was the custom for the firstborn to receive the greater share of the father’s estate. Yahweh is to make us heirs of all things. And yet who will receive the greater share?

The Firstborn! They will have greater opportunity for service. They will be in higher positions of authority in Yahweh’s Kingdom. The one, who has the highest office, can more effectively help more people.

In this place the word “firstborn” is somewhat misleading. The word in the Greek is plural. In other words, if we were to translate it correctly in English, we would say the “firstborn ones.”

There are more than one who will be firstborn. At the resurrection many sons will be born at once. These all will be the first-born ones. They will have an earlier opportunity for service in the Kingdom of Yahweh. They will have a greater opportunity of serving than those that come afterward.

In ancient times Yahweh called the firstborn of each family to serve Him. The firstborn failed and Yahweh had to call others to do this service. In the millennium, Yahweh will again use this same principle of using the firstborn for His special service in governing the world.

Ruling is Serving

When we first come into the Congregation, we often think that we do not want to rule in Yahweh’s Kingdom. All we want is to be given eternal life. How selfish we are! We want to receive the benefits of eternal life, and yet we do not want to serve others.

The higher the position in Yahweh’s Kingdom that we might attain, the more we will be able to serve and help others. It is even so today. Yahshua is the greatest servant of all, and that is because Yahweh has given Him the highest office. Those who will be in much lesser positions of authority are less able to as effectively help as many people as those in higher positions. And so, it is in Yahweh’s Kingdom. You should want to qualify for the highest office possible in Yahweh’s Kingdom. If you are faithful over a few things in this life, Yahweh will make you ruler over many things in the one to come.

In a business or corporation of this world, the man at the top must have the best training and background. The man who is a janitor, or a door- keeper does not need the training or the experience of the president of the company. In like manner so is the Kingdom of Yahweh.

Those who have overcome the most, and surrendered the most in submission to Yahweh, and who have had the greatest experience, who have proved themselves more effectively than the others will have the highest position. Meaning, he has qualified to the highest position of service to others. The one with the most experience is Yahshua Messiah. And He will be the King over that kingdom.

The others who have high positions will be those who have the best experience, who have overcome more, and who have grown more spiritually and have borne the most fruit for the Kingdom.

Now maybe you can begin to realize why some must go through more in this life than others. They have been invited or called to a higher office in Yahweh’s Kingdom. Yahweh has not put a different price on immortality, but He does require more of some than of others to qualify for the high position that He has called them to.

Think how much more experience those in the first resurrection will have than those who will come after. They will have 1,000 years more experience in ruling in Yahweh’s Kingdom than those to come later.

Marvelous Prophecy About Our Congregation

It is impossible for us who are now mortal to fully realize the great high calling to which Yahweh has called us. We can only see a few of the more obvious things about this high calling. Notice Rev 3:12. Here is a prophecy concerning our Congregation. Those that overcome of this Congregation will be “pillars in the temple of Yahweh at Jerusalem.”

We refer to a strong person in the Congregation as a pillar in the Congregation. And so, it is in this case too. Those of this Congregation have been called to be at the temple in Jerusalem, the headquarters on this earth of the Kingdom of Yahweh. Our calling and office will be at Jerusalem. That will be our abode, our dwelling place. Just as Yahweh in heaven has His dwelling place so will we be at Jerusalem where we can be with Yahshua Messiah personally.

Reading on in this verse notice that we who overcome are to have the name of Yahweh upon us.Yahweh names things what they are. If we have the name of Yahweh, then we will be Elohim. Here is another of the many, many places indicating that those who attain to the resurrection will be a part of the very family of Yahweh.

We also will have the name of this city of Yahweh – that is – the New Jerusalem. Does this make any sense to you? The city of the New Jerusalem you may think, is that city which Yahshua is preparing in heaven.

Yes, that is true, and yet a city is more than the buildings and the streets which it contains. A city is composed also of those people who live there. At the beginning of this verse Yahweh says that we will no more go out of the temple of Yahweh. We then will be residents of that city.

For more proof turn to Rev. 20:9. Here is a time pictured which follows the 1,000-year period. This is after the old heavens and the old earth are destroyed and a new heaven and new earth are made. The New Jerusalem comes to this earth, and Yahweh the Father comes to dwell on the earth. In this verse the angel tells John, “Come, I will show you the bride.”

Now remember that we of this age are called to be a part of that bride – those in the first resurrection. But what does the angel show John? A woman? No, he shows him the city the New Jerusalem. Why does he do this? He does this because the bride of Yahshua not only lives with Him in the New Jerusalem, but also rules from that city!

Here is where the saints of this age, those who overcome, and are a part of the bride of Messiah, will be centered.

In the previous age, those who overcame and had the spirit of the Philadelphian are to be at the temple in Jerusalem, Israel. The headquarters of the world.   During the time of the new heavens and the new earth, we will be at the very headquarters of the UNIVERSE.

What a glorious opportunity and joy to look forward to! To be at the very headquarters of the universe, at the same place where Yahweh the Father, where Yahshua Messiah and many of the Holy Angels will dwell.

Yet Other Offices

But there are many more who will make up Yahweh’s Kingdom at that time. We find them mentioned in the 24th   verse of Revelation 21 “And the nations of the ones saved will walk in its light; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Yes, there are still rulers and kings in Yahweh’s Kingdom. And they are not all at the New Jerusalem. They will come to the New Jerusalem, to visit it, and bring their gifts into it.

We certainly will not all look exactly alike. We certainly would expect to look in shape and form similar to what we look like today. The great change will be that we then will be divine, radiant, like Yahshua Messiah Himself, as we find described in Rev 1:13-15.

For example, a grandfather may have several families that have come from him. He possibly has several children who have their own families, and they in turn have families. They may look quite different and yet be of the same family.

Yahweh has called many of us who were the foolish, the weak, the lowborn, and the despised to an exceeding “high calling” (1st Cor 1:26-31, Lamsa translation). He has called us to confound the wise. He will confound them through us in the ages to come.

Think how great a responsibility Yahweh has offered to us, the firstborn! By serving in a greater position of authority, we will be able to help and to serve more people more effectively. And not as mere servants or workers, but as literal children of the great Creator, Yahweh.

Because of the joy that was set before Him, Yahshua Messiah endured His crucifixion. Maybe you too can now see better the joy that is set before you. Yahweh will not require of you more than you are able to bear. You can endure to the end! The way may seem difficult and hard at times. And yet you need not fall! “Therefore, brothers, rather be diligent to make your calling and election sure; for doing these things, you will not ever fall” (2nd Peter 1:10).

If you do the things Peter mentions in this chapter, you will never fall. You will endure to the end. You will be in that better resurrection. You too will be a pillar in the temple at Jerusalem, Israel. You too will be an eternal resident of that Holy City, the New Jerusalem.