My Blog

“The Lake of Fire!”

August 20th, 2008 by kleminems

"The Lake of Fire!"

Part 1

A Scriptural Journey
Through the Lake Burning with Fire and Brimstone,
Which is the SECOND DEATH

[The first installment - Look for new parts
until completion]

Some time in the last half of the first century AD,
the apostle John (whom Jesus loved) was on the Isle of Patmos when he found himself
"in spirit on the Lord’s day." Among his many remarkable visions he saw
this:

Revelation 19:20, "And the beast
   was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he
   deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.
   These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."

Rev. 20:10, "And the devil that
   deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,
   where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever
   and ever."

Rev. 20:14-15, "And death and
   hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
   whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake
   of fire."

Rev. 21:8, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
   abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
   shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the
   second death."

Concerning the "Second Death," John also has this to
report:

Rev. 2:11, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
   Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second
   death."

Rev. 20:6, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in
   the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be
   priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

And finally this one:

Rev. 14:10, "…and he shall be tormented with fire
   and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
   Lamb."

These are all the Scriptural references in the
entire Bible that mention the "lake of fire and the second death."

Theologians and clergymen by the thousands have been
telling the world that this lake of fire is little more than an eternal torture chamber.
It is the final HELL of eternal separation from God accompanied by unfathomable pain,
torture, and despair.

We have been told that there is absolutely no
possibility of ever being rescued from this hellhole of suffering and human misery where
there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth, as real fire barbecues their bodies, and
while worms will be eating their flesh. This hideous scene is to continue day and night
for trillions of billions of quadrillions of centuries upon centuries–for EVER!

We are told that those who will spend eternity in
this prison of pain have themselves chosen to spend eternity there - that God doesn’t
send anyone to hell, but that people actually choose, themselves, to go there. Even a fool
knows that no person would ever choose such a fate, but theologians must somehow get God
off of the hook of responsibility, for surely this place exists and will continue to exist
for eternity they assure us.

Famous TV preachers like John Hagee tell us that
"…every boy and every girl who dies without knowing Jesus Christ spends an eternity
in a city where the fire is never quenched and the worm dieth not." And Mr. Hagee
adds, "AND IT’S JUSTICE!"

World renowned pastor, educator, and theologian Dr.
James Kennedy tells the world that for a man in India who told a lie, and for a man in the
Islands who stole chickens by night to feed his family, their sins will put them into the
tortures of an eternal hell, even if they never heard of the name of Jesus Christ their
only possible Savior. And Dr. Kennedy adds, "HELL IS FAIR!"

Does the Word of God actually and literally teach
such a hellhole of eternal torture in fire from which there is no redemption ever?
Don’t be too sure till you have read this paper and compared it with Scripture. That
the Scriptures do speak of a "lake of fire which is the second death" there is
no denial. However:

What is it?
Where is it?
When is it?
Why is it?
Who will go there?
Is it an actual place?
And How long will it last?
What actually takes place in this lake of fire which is the second
death?
Is John’s vision to be taken literally?
Does this lake of fire and second death serve no purpose other than
      to vent God’s frustration and vengeance on most of humanity which He Himself created?
Would a loving God really create billions and billions of people
which He knew in advance He would torture for all eternity?
If ninety to ninety-five percent (a ballpark statistic used by many
      theologians) of humanity is destined for this atrocious destiny, how could any sane person
      worship a god who would design and carry out such a vile and eternal nightmare on
      so many billions of helpless and weak creatures?

The Scriptures answer all of these questions, and
the answers are not even in the same universe with what has been popularly taught by
theologians.

Some have even taught that God and His Saints will
actually derive happiness and pleasure from this fabled eternal torture and misfortune of
the majority of all humanity that has ever lived.

Men are bold and audacious in how they characterize
the very nature of God Almighty. I heard just tonight on one of the major news channels
that Saddam Hussein enjoys his leisure by watching videos of men being tortured! Most of
us shudder at the very thought of anything so satanic and evil. And yet … and YET, many
theologians (and Christian lay members as well) would put God Almighty and our Lord Jesus
Christ in the base company of such depraved minds! God have mercy on them all; they know
not what they say!

FIVE GENERAL SCENARIOS

Let’s look at five general possibilities
for the interpretation of this lake of fire and second death.

The teaching comprising the largest number of adherents (Christian
      Fundamentalists) state that the lake of fire is indeed literal fire, but that the second
      death part is figurative or symbolic seeing that its victims never actually become
      literally dead or even unconscious, but rather they interpret this second death as
      separation from God.

      Their explanation of their belief, however, contradicts the idea that the lake of fire is
      literal. They teach that the lake of fire is literal fire that burns like real
      fire, but they then contradict the literalness of this fire by teaching that it
      doesn’t actually burn up anything: It just causes INSANE PAIN. But really, can a fire
      that doesn’t actually burn up physical, material things, be called a literal
      fire? And although I’ve heard many state that this metaphor is literal, this group
      certainly denies the literalness of the second death because they don’t believe they
      ever die and lose consciousness.

      It is a physiological impossibility for a literal fire to cause pain on the nervous system
      of a person and yet never actually kill them and burn them up if the
      fire is applied etrnally. Furthermore, real fire does
      not cause symbolic or figurative death–real fire causes real death.
Others (as the Jehovah’s Witnesses) teach that both the lake of fire
      and the the second death are symbolic and not literal. They believe that this metaphor is
      a "word picture" that does not represent a place or condition of literal torment
      in literal fire. However, they believe that it does picture or represent the
      total annihilation of all those who are judged and are not granted salvation.

      This teaching is certainly billions of times more merciful than the Christian
      fundamentalist theory, however, it too is unscriptural as we shall see. Not to mention the
      fact that it would prove our heavenly Father either unable or unwilling to save most of
      His own children.

      What kind of an eternal example would that be for those who are saved? Does God really
      teach us to "train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will
      not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6), but that God Himself is incapable of training His
      children in the way that they should go and that most of them WILL DEPART FROM IT?

      Does God really teach us to "LOVE OUR ENEMIES" while God Himself
      "HATES OUR LOVED ONES" by destroying most of them for all
      eternity? This teaching is also blasphemous.
Still others teach that the "lake of fire" is figurative,
      but that the "fire" part of the symbolic phrase "lake of fire" is literal
      fire which will burn up its victims. So they interpret this as a symbolic "lake
      of fire" which is made up of a literal lake and literal fire. And that the second
      death is literal death so that its victims will be killed by this literal fire
      in a literal lake, which then becomes a symbolic "lake OF fire."

      However, this group has a unique twist to their teaching. They believe that when the
      victims are thrown into the lake of fire, they have already gone through the white throne
      judgment and have turned to God, are now righteous, have accepted Christ as their Lord,
      but they must die a second time anyway. Why? I don’t know!! I am at a loss as to how
      Rev. 21:8 would fit into this theory,

      "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
      whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, SHALL HAVE THEIR PART in the
      lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."

      They don’t sound too converted to me at this point in time when they enter the lake
      of fire.

      This group then believes that at the consummation of the ages (just as they have died a
      second time), they will be resurrected a second time, but this time to immortality and
      life with God in His Family. Though maybe not quite as blasphemous, this teaching is still
      unscriptural and foolish.
I know of no group who teaches that the lake of fire is figurative,
      but that the second death is literal. Such a doctrine would be akin to
      literally drowning in symbolic water.
And so that leaves one more combination, and that is that the lake of
      fire is figurative or symbolic and that the second death is also figurative or
      symbolic. I am one of a very tiny group who is of this latter persuasion.

      It is the only way that these Scriptures on the lake of fire and the second death will
      harmonize and not contradict the rest of God’s Word. Furthermore, God plainly tells
      us in chapter one, verse one, that an angel "signified" this whole
      "Revelation of Jesus Christ" contained in this book. He "SYMBOLIZED"
      it, for that is what "signifies" means–to make known by signs, and signs
      are symbols. Therefore it can’t be literal.

THREE FALSE ASSUMPTIONS

Fundamentalist Christians are the largest group who
hold three bedrock doctrinal teachings, which are really only assumptions, regarding the
lake of fire:

The "lake of fire" part of this verse must positively be
taken LITERALLY.
This lake of fire and second death are just other terms for HELL.
All the wicked, unsaved, and unbelieving sinners will be consciously
TORTURED in this lake of fire hellhole by having their flesh barbecued FOR ALL ETERNITY,
which is said to be "the second death."

Are any of these three assumptions true or
Scriptural? Absolutely and unequivocally NOT!

In our journey we will clearly see that these verses
are NOT to be taken literally, and they do NOT represent a place called hell, and God will
NOT torture anyone for all eternity.

We will also see from the Scriptures that God never
punishes for the sole purpose of torturing. God always punishes and chastises for the
ultimate purpose of correcting, righting, amending, changing, fixing, rectifying,
redeeming and saving. That God can and will accomplish these things with every creature in
heaven and earth is fully substantiated by hundreds of Scriptures in His Word.

And there are no Scriptural doctrines or teachings
to the contrary. NONE! This IS the Good News Gospel which precious few on this earth have
ever heard. It is God’s "WILL" that all mankind be saved (I Tim. 2:4), and
God’s "will" WILL be done (Matt. 6:10 and Isaiah 46:10-11)!

But seriously, don’t these Scriptures (at least
in the King James Bible) sound like the beast, the false prophet, Satan, and all
who are not found written in the book of life will be tortured for ever and ever in the
lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death? Granted, in King James translation,
it does definitely sound that way. But when we remove a few unscriptural assumptions, a
few pagan traditions, and a couple of totally mistranslated words, words that never appear
in the Greek manuscripts, we will discover an even more profound love that God has for His
creatures, rather than some monstrous god of eternal hatred which has been concocted by
theologians and promulgated through bad translations for centuries.

LITERAL OR SYMBOLIC?

In many cases it is not difficult to determine
whether a verse is literal or not. But, since we use figures of speech so often we tend to
forget that much of what we say daily is not literally true. Many of us would
hardly be able to carry on a conversation if we had to drop out of our vocabulary every
word and every phrase we speak that is NOT LITERALLY TRUE. The English language, as well
as all other languages, is just filled with symbolic and metaphorical phrases.

The first eleven verses of Chapter one in Revelation
are an introduction regarding where, how, and what John is going to record for us. Much of
this introduction can be taken literally, however, not all. Beginning with verse
twelve, we are confronted with one symbol after another for the remainder of the entire
twenty-two-chapter-book.

Everything written in Revelation is true, but most
is not literally true.

The fact is there are many many truths in the Bible
that are not literally true.

Jesus "said" that the bread He gave
His disciples at the Lord’s supper was His body. Yet, Jesus Himself explains in other
places that this was not literally true. He gave them literal bread, and not His literal
physical flesh. What that bread represented, and symbolized, was indeed, His
body–but not his physical body.

Jesus said that the words that he spoke were SPIRIT
(John 6:63). Jesus Christ changes not. His words are STILL spirit and they certainly were
spirit when John wrote the words of Christ regarding His unveiling or revelation. Just as
we physically feed on physical bread for PHYSICAL LIFE, thus also we spiritually feed on
Jesus Christ’s spiritual body for SPIRITUAL LIFE.

Understand this! Some think that by accepting the
Scriptures as they are given (in the case of Revelation that means AS SYMBOLS), that
somehow this "spiritualizes away" the teaching. What? It is the
"spiritual" aspect of these symbols that IS THE REAL THING; THE REAL
UNDERSTANDING! Physical things "pass away" whereas spiritual things are eternal!
The very FACT that this book is written in "symbols" is proof positive that the
understanding of them is SPIRITUAL and not physical or literal.

Symbols, metaphors, and parables ARE NEVER
LITERALLY TRUE! But they powerfully demonstrate SPIRITUAL TRUTHS!

"This is the second death–the lake of
fire" (Rev. 20:15 and 21:8) is a metaphor that is no more literal than "Jesus
taking the bread…said, ‘Take, EAT. This IS My body" (Mat.
26:26).

Paul did not instruct Timothy to "STUDY"
the scriptures if a mere casual reading is all that is necessary to comprehend its many
deep and profound teachings. On the other hand, I believe that those who have
"studied" God’s Word are able to open up much understanding to those who
are not called to teach (even babes, or minors as our Lord stated).

I want to quickly show my readers just how
impossible it is to assume most of God’s word is literal.

Again I state: All God’s Word is TRUE, however,
much of it is figurative language which is not literally true to fact, but rather
in what the figurative language of symbols, metaphors, and parables represent.

If the following section is too heavy for you, just
skip to the next heading.

BIBLICAL FIGURES OF SPEECH

Here are some of the fully substantiated figures of
language used in Scripture. I borrowed many of these examples from an appendix in the back
of The Concordant Literal New Testament.

We will begin with FIGURES OF LIKENESS which
include:

similes (when something is like, or as something
else, it is a simile rather than a metaphor)
metaphors (where one thing is said to actually be
      something else) as in, "all life is grass" I Pet. 1:24. Therefore, the
      subject of this paper IS a metaphor and CANNOT be literal: John says,
      "…the lake of fire, This IS the second death" (Rev.
      20:14), and
      "…the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which IS the second
      death" (Rev. 21:8)
implications
parables (there are many, the shortest one being,
"Physician, heal Thyself" Luke 4:23)
allegories (as in the two women standing for two covenants,
Gal. 4:22-28)
visions (as in a sheet let down from heaven, Acts 10:11-16)
signs (as in the sign of Jonah the prophet, Matt. 12:39)
types (as in Adam corresponding with Christ, Rom. 5:12-21)
shadows (as in the law being a shadow of good things to come,
Heb. 10:1)
examples (as in the tabernacle vessels being examples of what
is in heaven , Heb. 9:23)
images (as Christ is the image of God, Col. 1:15)
impersonations or personifications (where things are spoken of
as persons)
condescension’s (as where God takes on human attributes)
diminutives (as in "little women, heaped with sins"
II Tim. 3:6)

There are FIGURES OF ASSOCIATION which
include:

association or metonymy’s
appellations (as when a quality or office is used instead of a
proper name, as in "Son of Mankind" instead of saying Jesus Christ)
compound associations (as "the word of the cross" I
Cor. 1:18, which has to do with Christ’s shameful and agonizing death)
near associations (as in a phrase that is partly literal,
"Then went out to Him Jerusalem [that is the people of Jerusalem]", Matt.
3:5)
retention’s (this one is too complicated to explain, but
I’ll give you an example, "the tablets of the heart" II Cor. 3:3)
circumlocutions or periphrasis (what is
      "circumlocution"? Well, it’s a descriptive phrase in place of a name in
      order to emphasize the association. Examples, "the product of the grapevine [though
      not named is, wine]" Matt. 26:29, "the city of David [though not named is,
      Bethlehem]" Luke 2:11,
enigmas, and symbols (where a known object or something else
is used to typify something else, or even an intangible quality such as love, power,
beauty, etc.)

Here are many of the words from the book of
Revelation used as SYMBOLS:

candlesticks
      horses
      locusts
      beasts
      birds
      animals
      dragons
      heads
      horns
      teeth
      tails
      eyes
      mouths
      wings
      hair
      feet
      hands
      foreheads
      odours
      books
      gold
      seals
      crowns
      names
      cities
      nations
      kings
      tongues
      Nicolaitans
      Antipas
      Armageddon
      Balaam
      Balak
      Abaddon
      Apollyon
      Babylon
      Sodom
      Egypt
      Jezebel

book of life
      tree of live
      water of life
      hours
      days
      months
      seasons
      rod of iron
      sickle
      bow
      blades
      swords
      reap
      harvest
      grass
      trees
      thrones
      garments
      robes
      signs
      images
      wonders
      marks
      numbers
      vials
      trumpets
      winds
      rivers
      lakes
      seas
      waters
      clouds
      floods
      mountains
      islands
      lightnings
      voices
      thunders
      earthquakes

hails
      songs
      winepresses
      grapes
      wine
      balances
      wheat
      barley
      oil
      eyesalve
      pebbles
      manna
      wreaths
      palm fronds
      whores
      harlots
      fornications
      keys
      doors
      temples
      synagogues
      pillars
      rich
      poor
      blind
      naked
      hot
      cold
      lukewarm
      blood
      deaths
      fire
      sulfur
      brimstone
      smoke
      sun
      moon
      stars

And even heaven and earth are
used as symbols in this great book of symbols.

There are also FIGURES OF OMISSION which
include:

omitted nouns (as in "the wicked [people is
understood]," "the blind [people]," "the rich [people],"
"the poor [people]," "the twelve [apostles is omitted but understood])
omitted verbs (as in incongruous omissions like, "Milk I
give you to drink not solid food" The omission of "to eat" is understood,
as one does not "drink solid food" I Cor. 3:2)
unfinished sentences (the King James usually finishes
sentences that are unfinished in the Greek, such as, "As I swear in My indignation,
If they shall be entering into My rest___!" Heb. 3:11)
omission or non-sequence (as in "These which you are
beholding___there will be coming days…" Luke 21:6)

I did not include this basic listing of
"figures of speech" in the Scriptures, just to fill another page. It is most
important to understand that the study of the Scriptures is not the same as studying a
high school or college text book. It is far different. School text books, as a rule, would
not contain even one percent of the figures that I have presented here. And if we do not
have even an elementary understanding of these many and varied figures of speech, we will
hardly be in a position to TEACH God’s Word to others.

It is the height of naivety to believe that whenever
someone shouts, "My King James Bible SAYS… ", that what follows will be
non-refutable Scriptural proof of that person’s doctrinal preference. Thank God that:

"…no prophecy of the Scripture is of
any private interpretation" (II Pet. 1:20).

The Scriptures themselves really do interpret other
Scriptures. This is true for interpreting prophesies and doctrinal issues.

PARABLES ARE NOT LITERALLY TRUE STORIES

The parables of Jesus are certainly true, but they
are not literally true. Example: one cannot possibly put a "beam" (a
large piece of lumber) in or out of one’s eye, Mat. 7:3-5. The moral of this parable
is certainly a great truth. The symbols used to teach that truth (namely a large piece of
lumber in one’s eye) is, of course, not literally or possibly true. The beam represents
a huge character flaw, not foreign matter in one’s eye. It’s a figure of
speech.

We also use such figures dozens of times a day
without even realizing it. We say such things as "Don’t cry over spilt
milk" although we are not literally speaking of crying, nor are we speaking of
milk, but rather of a disappointment that has caused sadness.

When we show our respect for our
country’s flag,
we are not even thinking about respecting a piece of cloth, but rather the nation that the
flag represents. A flag is a symbol that represents a nation. A band of gold is just a
band of gold, but a wedding ring is symbolic of something much larger, something huge,
something GRAND!

Who "wears the pants" in your family? Has
"the cat taken your tongue" lately? Can you "carry a tune in a
bucket?" Do you follow the "spin doctors" with their commentary on the
"movers and shakers" in Washington, DC? Where do you stand when "the tire
hits the road?" Do you know for a fact that "the early bird gets the worm?"
Does "a stitch in time save nine?" Are any of your friends "square?"
Is it "cool" to eat chili on a hot day? Do people turn "blue" when
they are sad? Do cowards really have "a yellow stripe down their back?" Are you
"worth your salt?" Do you know people who are "pigeon heads" and
"hot heads?" If people realized that "silence is golden," maybe they
would stop "breaking your ear drums." Do you think that I am just "pulling
your leg?" And just when will "hell freeze over?"

All languages have many, many figures of speech that
are not literally true. And God also uses symbols, figures, idioms, metaphors and parables,
over and over in His Word–hundreds and hundreds of times!

I know of very few who will believe it, but it is
true nonetheless, that Jesus taught the masses in parables and parables ONLY so that they
would NOT understand the message He was giving them (See Matt. 13).

Figures, parables, metaphors, and symbols are in
many ways like poetry. Take the phrase, "No man is an island" from one of my
favorite poems. How wonderfully worded and true are those words?

Or this line, "Every man’s death
diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind."

How many unsaved friends do you have? Will YOU not
be diminished for all eternity if they are not saved? Will GOD not be diminished for all
eternity if billions and billions of His creatures are not saved but are rather separated
and tortured in some hellhole of fire?

Elementary school children are not likely to
understand such a poem as "No man is an island." They would say, of course no
man is an island, neither is a man a house or a car or a telephone pole either. Yet this
is the same childish mentality that many theologians use in interpreting Scripture such as
the lake of fire and second death.

For all too many, these marvelous Scriptures have no
meaning beyond the literal meaning of the literal words. And so, for most, the Word of God
remains a giant enigma. How sad!

Right now, here in Miami, it is "raining cats
and dogs." Or is it really? It sometimes rains real fish, but cats and dogs? But if
it ever does rain cats and dogs, I’ll eat my hat.

Some of these things are extremely elementary and
others are extremely complex. God told Daniel that the wise will understand. It is
not wise, but foolish to insist that countless symbols in the Bible are literal.

With that all said, let us now see
that most of what is said in this marvelous book called Revelation is not literal, but
symbolic.

My King James Bible says:

"The Revelation of Saint John the
Divine."

And then verse one says,

"The revelation of Jesus Christ…"

Which is it? It is, of course, the latter, seeing
that the title is merely man’s interpretation which is obviously wrong. The book of
Revelation is a revelation OF Jesus Christ. It is not just a revelation from Jesus
Christ, but a revelation of or about Jesus Christ. It is a revelation of
HIM!

Most of my life I believed that the book of
Revelation was a literal prophecy about events that will happen at the END OF THE WORLD!
Prophesies that had virtually no meaning for those who have lived during the past two
thousand years since it was written. But for most of my life, I WAS IN ERROR!

Now for a most important understanding. Just how was
this revelation to John to be recorded and preserved? Notice it:

"…and he sent and SIGNIFIED it
by his angel unto his servant John" (Rev. 1:1)

What does it mean to "signify?" Certainly
this prophecy of the revelation or unveiling of Christ was written down (ver. 19), but it
means more than just that. To "signify" has to do with signs and symbols. From
my Webster’s Twentieth Century Dictionary p. 1541, first definition of signify:

"to make known by signs or
words"

First definition of sign:

"any symbol …that represents
an idea"

That which, being external, represents
or signifies something internal or spiritual.

The synonym for sign is: symbol.

There is no mistaking this language. The book of
Revelation is written in SYMBOLS! So what is written externally, on paper, in symbols, has
a SPIRITUAL meaning and application.

Let us now see the symbolism of this prophecy. I
will pick out some of the most obvious things that would be impossible to understand literally.

Notice that in verse ten John informs us that,

"I was IN THE SPIRIT on the Lord’s
day…"

And then he begins to tell us what he hears and
sees. Now the very fact that he was "in the spirit" on the Lord’s day
conclusively proves that he was not literally there! Let us never
lose sight of
this fact: John WRITES what has been SIGNIFIED (WITH SYMBOLS) the things
that he SEES and HEARS IN A VISION–IN SPIRIT!

Beginning in verse twelve John starts to tell us
what he saw and heard,

"And I turned to see the voice
   that spake with me … his eyes were as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto
   fine brass … And he had in his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth
   went a sharp two-edged sword…"

NONE of what I underlined is literal. Have you ever
"seen a voice?" All these things are symbols that stand for other things.
And God immediately gives us proof positive of this in verse 20,

"The mystery [this is
   not literal--it was a mystery until God tells us that one thing really means or
   represents another and DIFFERENT THING] of the seven stars which thou sawest
   in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars ARE THE ANGELS OF
   THE SEVEN CHURCHES: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest ARE THE
   SEVEN CHURCHES."

The stars are not literal and the candlesticks are
not literal. In the first 20 verses of Revelation we can find eleven statements that are
not literal, but rather symbolic. They represent truths that are presented in
symbols. The literal language is not the literal truth being presented. The
statements themselves do not teach us the truth OF the statements. We must look elsewhere
in the Scriptures for the interpretation.

Now chapter one was pretty easy as God told us just
what some of those symbols represented. But there are dozens and dozens more symbols in
this book of Revelation that are not explained in the verses that follow
immediately. How
shall we understand all those symbols. First of all, without the spirit of God, the answer
is we will never understand these symbols. But guided by God’s spirit, God can show
us in other places in His Word what these mysterious symbols represent. It is God Who
provides us with "ears to hear and eyes to see."

Now look at chapter two:

Verse 5, Will God literally punish the church of
   Ephesus by removing a literal candlestick? NO! Removing a literal candlestick would
   be no great loss to anyone. But from what we learned in verse 20 of chapter one, the
   candlestick IS one of the churches . So Christ is threatening to REMOVE THE WHOLE CHURCH,
   not some piece of furniture or candlestick from the building of a church.

Verse 7, Is the tree of life a literal tree
   that one literally eats?


Verse 9, Was the church in Smyrna literally
   in poverty and literally rich at the same time? Does "synagogue of Satan"
   mean a literal synagogue where Satan has a Rabbi teaching the Law to a congregation
   every Sabbath day?


Verse 13, Is a name something that one literally
   holds fast to with one’s hands?


Verse 16, Will Christ literally do battle by
   using a literal sword which He literally keeps in His mouth?
   Or do we not
   read in another place in God’s word that this "sword" IS God’s Word?
   (Heb. 4:12).


Verse 17, Will Christ reward the faithful with a literal
   little white stone? Can’t we see that the stone and the name written in it represents
   something else? Something of much greater value?


Verse 20, Was the harlot Jezebel literally in
   the Thyatira church? Literal Jezebel died CENTURIES before this book was written by
   John. Jezebel in the physical represents or symbolizes a SPIRITUAL condition in the church
   of Thyatira.


Verse 22, Will Christ literally throw literal
   Jezebel into a literal bed where she will literally commit adultery with literal
   men?


Verse 23, Will Christ kill literal children
   of the literal harlot, Jezebel?


Verse 27, Will the saints beat the nations with a literal
   rod of iron into literal small pieces like broken pottery?


Verse 28, Will Christ give the literal morning
   star to His saints? Where would they put it? What would they do with it?


Chapter 3:1, Was the Sardis church literally alive
   and literally dead at the same time?


Verse 4, Were members of the Sardis congregation
   wearing literally soiled clothing?


Verse 7, Is there literally a metal key of
   David that is needed to open a literal lock?


Verse 12, Will Christ literally turn people
   into stone pillars in the temple?


Verse 16, Will Christ literally spit the
   church of Laodicea out of His mouth?


Verse 17, Were the members of the
   Laodicean church literally
   poor and literally blind and literally naked without clothing to wear? Are
   there not other Scriptures that tell us what it means to be SPIRITUALLY "poor, blind,
   and naked?"


Verse 18, Did Christ try to sell
   Laodicea literal
   gold? What would they do with the gold? What, pray tell, would Christ do with the money?


Verse 20, Does Christ literally knock at the
   doors of our homes and then come in and eat a literal home cooked meal and pecan
   pie with us?

Is it necessary for me to go through this entire
book verse by verse before we can fully realize that this book is written in figurative,
symbolic, and metaphorical language?

Let’s look at just a few more:

Chapter 4, Was a literal trumpet
   "talking" with John?


Chapter 5, Is Jesus Christ literally a
   "Lion," an "animal?"


Chapter 6, Are these literal "horses?"
   Do the literal stars of heaven fall on the earth? The smallest known stars are a
   million times larger than the earth.


Chapter 7, Were angels literally holding back
   four "winds" on four literal "corners" of the earth? I thought
   the earth is round without corners? Can one literally wash his clothes
   "white" in red "blood?"


Chapter 8, Will an angel cast a literal mountain
   burning with fire into the sea?


Chapter 9, During the fifth trumpet will it literally
   be impossible for mortal men to die?

Will there be literal locusts shaped like
   "horses?" Locusts that literally have "hair like a woman, teeth like
   a lion, and breastplates of iron?" LOCUSTS with breastplates of "iron?"

Chapter 10, Did John eat a literal book? That
   was literally sweet in his taste buds, but literally bitter in his stomach?
   Why would anyone "eat" a literal book?


Chapter 11, Are God’s two witnesses that
   prophesy, literally two olive trees and two candlesticks? But if we study Zechariah
   4 we can determine what is meant by "two witnesses."


Chapter 12, Will there literally be a
   pregnant woman "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head
   a crown of twelve stars?" Was this same woman able to literally "fly into
   the wilderness with wings of an eagle?"


Chapter 13, Will there be a literal lamb that
   will speak like a dragon? Just how do dragons "speak" anyhow?

   Will people be literally tattooed with marks (bar codes, swastikas, Social Security
   numbers, implanted with computer chips or one of a hundred unscriptural marks being
   suggested by fundamentalist prophets) in their hands and on their foreheads so that men
   cannot buy or sell ice cream or automobiles without these marks? Self-appointed prophets
   of doom haven’t a clue as to what this mark of the beast really is or the number of
   his name. I have already been barred from buying and selling recently because I refuse to
   brandish this "mark of the beast"!


Chapter 14, Does Babylon cause all nations to literally
   drink of the wine of the literal wrath of her fornication? I thought wine came from
   grapes not wrath (of course there is that famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath).


Chapter 15, Are the seven last global plagues and
   catastrophes really contained in seven literal tiny gold vials or bottles?


Chapter 16, Is Jesus Christ going to return to this
   earth as a literal "thief"? Will every island and mountain on earth literally
   disappear?


Chapter 17, Will there really be a
   woman who will
   ride a literal scarlet coloured beast, having seven heads and ten horns. Can whole
   nations literally fornicate with a harlot? But here once more in this chapter God
   does reveal to us who this beast is and what the symbolic horns represent which again
   proves that ALL OF THESE THINGS are not literal but symbolic and represent things
   other than what is being described.


Chapter 18, Will the entire social, political, and
   economic system of the world literally collapse in just one hour because one literal
   city (Babylon) is destroyed?


Chapter 19, Will a literal prostitute
   "corrupt" the entire earth? Will a literal "lamb" marry a literal
   "wife?" Will the King of the universe really wear clothing dripping with literal
   "blood?" Is God’s wrath a literal "winepress?" Will literal
   armies of heaven follow Christ to earth riding on literal "flying
   horses?" No, NONE of these things are literal!

Any theologian or preacher on international
television would be laughed to scorn if he were to preach a sermon trying to prove that
all of the above Scriptures are to be taken absolutely literally. Such a sermon would be
seen as foolish by nearly everyone. No educated man in the Word of God would ever dare to
present anything so STUPID!

And yet … and YET, when we come to verse 20: will
a literal beast and a literal false prophet be cast alive into a literal
"lake of fire burning with brimstone?" How do these same theologians and
preachers answer? They answer: "Yes, of course they will be thrown into a literal
lake of fire, because THIS IS LITERAL."

Chapter 20, Will the devil, the false prophet and
   the beast be cast into a literal lake of fire and be literally tortured day
   and night "FOR EVER AND EVER"?

   And will all those not found written in the book of life be cast into a literal
   lake of fire? Answer: "Yes, THIS TOO IS LITERAL, ABSOLUTELY LITERAL,"
   shout our
   fundamentalist friends once more.


Chapter 21, And will the fearful, and unbelieving,
   and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
   liars, be cast into a literal "lake of fire burning with brimstone?"
   "Yes, Yes, A THOUSAND TIMES YES, THIS IS SOOO LITERAL, ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY
   LITERAL" shouts every red-blooded fundamentalist worth his salt!

Amazing. Absolutely amazing–the power of the carnal
mind to self-deceive. Why are fundamentalists totally sure that these verses on a lake of
fire are literal? Well, of course, they aren’t sure; they just pretend to be sure. They
desire with their whole heart and being that this lake of fire is real fire. Why? Because
the eternal torture of billions of men and women and boys and girls in some fabled
hellhole doesn’t "diminish" them one iota! They want people who don’t
believe as they believe to have their flesh barbecued over fire and brimstone for all
eternity. The very idea gives them great joy. And it makes them proud. They have no love
for sinners as God does. They hate sinners. They hate unbelievers. They love only
themselves. They pronounce CURSES on me for quoting Scriptures that show God will save
everyone. They highly disapprove of God being the saviour of the whole world. They
won’t hear of it; they won’t have it! They don’t approve of a God Who would
save everyone by bringing them to repentance, and purging them, and turning their hearts
to God. If God were to save everyone through the purging of his SPIRITUAL FIRE, then they
could not wag their fingers at all these people sizzling and popping like bacon in a
hot
skillet saying, "I told you so, I told you so…" for all eternity.
Hussein and
Bin Laden are not the only ones out there with depraved religious minds.

God did not write nineteen whole chapters of
Revelation giving us symbol after symbol and metaphor after metaphor, and then in chapter
20 switch to writing in literal language with literal meanings.

The book of Revelation was "signified" by
the use of signs and symbols. Signs and symbols always represent or mean something other
than the sign or symbol itself. We are all familiar with symbols and signs so that we
should never be confused as to what a sign or symbol is or is not. A red and white striped
barber’s pole is not a barber shop, neither is it a barber, but it is a sign or
symbol that immediately conveys to our understanding what it represents–namely a barber
shop with a barber.

There are many more Scriptures that will prove that
this lake of fire has a much more benevolent purpose than barbecuing human flesh for all
eternity for the sheer sick and depraved entertainment of Christian Fundamentalists.

Be it known however, that the lake of fire and the
second death DO INDEED picture something spiritual that relates to or has some properties
of, LITERAL FIRE and LITERAL DEATH. Without some similar properties, the metaphor would be
meaningless. I have read some extremely complex definitions of a metaphor which were
totally wrong. A metaphor is where one thing is said to BE something else. Here’s a
Scriptural example: "All flesh is grass" (I Pet. 1:24). That’s simple
enough. Now then, is that statement by Peter true? Yes, of course, it is true. Is it literally
true? No, it is not literally true. Then how do we know for sure what there is ABOUT this
metaphor that is true? If a metaphor is not literally true, how is it true at all?

MAKING THE SIMPLE COMPLICATED

Reading some theories about the meaning of metaphors
causes me to think of the man who when describing the feats of a circus performer stated:
"He performs feats of ease with the greatest of difficulty." It is absolutely
amazing how theologians can make relatively easy to understand principles seem most
difficult. I will now show you an exercise of just such grammatical gymnastics. It’s
just three very short paragraphs, so indulge me and I will try to simplify the whole thing
immediately thereafter.

Here then is a complicated example from "Concordant
Studies–The Lake of Fire" page 9:

"The lake of fire is the second death. That is,
   the lake of fire is the cause of, or the agency which produces, the second death.
   ‘This’ represents ‘that.’ The idea is, the lake of fire–by figure of
   association in which the cause is put for the effect–represents the second death.
   This is a compound figure. That is, it incorporates more than one figure of speech. In
   such a case as this, ‘is’ itself is also a figure of speech. Instead of its
   literal significance (which denotes existence), ‘is,’ as a symbolic metaphor,
   means ‘represent.’ The concept is this: Part A represents Part B; thus
   Part A symbolizes Part B. As a symbol of Part B, Part A itself has become a figure."

From page 10:

"The lake of fire, which, by virtue of being
   its cause, thus, represents the second death." "In the interpretation of
   a metaphor, the goal is to take note of the essential way in which the symbolic
   subject is like the literal predicate. Indeed, if in the presence of a symbolic,
   subject-expression, the meaning of the predicate-expression were itself unknowable–which
   would be the case if the predicate expression were a figure of speech–it would be
   impossible to note the likeness between the two."

And finally, from page 11:

"When one thing (or things) which represents
   another thing, is finally said to be that other thing, whether or not the representative
   thing itself is a literal entity, in any case, that which it finally represents consists
   in a literal expression and is a literal entity." (Italics is author’s
   throughout).

Okay, did you get all that? I want to just borrow a
few statements from the above explanation of a metaphor and see if these things be so or
not. Trust me, we will get through this quickly:

"The lake of fire, which, by virtue of being its cause, thus, represents
the second death.
"…the symbolic subject [the lake of fire] is like the literal
predicate [the second death]."
When one thing (or things) [in this case the lake of fire] which
      represents another thing [in this case the second death], is finally said to be that other
      thing [the second death], whether or not the representative thing itself is a literal
      entity [second death], in any case, that which it finally represents consists in a literal
      expression and is a literal entity [a LITERAL second death]."

KEEPING THE SIMPLE , SIMPLE

Must we all be theologians with a 150 IQ to
understand these things? That leaves me out.

Let’s just take a couple of very simple
metaphors from the Scriptures and apply the above conclusions to them. Here’s a
simple one:

"All life is grass" (I
Pet. 1:24).

Can we apply the first deduction made by the author
quoted above? Let’s try it:

"All life is [that is,
REPRESENTS] grass."

No, this is clearly not true, anymore than all life
REPRESENTS trees, or all life REPRESENTS worms, or any other thing! We can certainly use
the word "represents" with reference to metaphors, but not in the way the above
author does. It is wrong to say that the subject of a metaphor "represents" the
predicate, and it is equally wrong to say that the predicate of a metaphor
"represents" the subject. Neither is true. However, both the subject AND the
predicate TOGETHER, do "represent" something. And THAT’S why it is called a
metaphor rather than a statement of fact!

What about number 2: The subject of a metaphor is symbolic,
while the predicate is literal Let’s try this out on our sample metaphor:

"All [SYMBOLIC] life [the subject] is [LITERAL]
grass [the predicate]."

No, that doesn’t work either. How in the world
can "symbolic life" BE "literal grass?"

And now number 3: Is it true that the subject of a
metaphor must "represent" something that "…consists in a literal
expression and is a literal entity"? Nope. Not true. All life is not LITERALLY grass!
PEOPLE are not grass, ELEPHANTS are not grass, BIRDS are not grass, FISH are not grass,
BACTERIA are not grass, and a thousand other forms of life are NOT literal grass! Am I
going too fast for anyone?

Earlier I stated that most believe one of the
following:

The lake of fire is literal and the second death is
   literal,
   or the lake of fire is literal but the second death is symbolic,
   or the lake of fire is symbolic (with literal fire) but the second death is literal.

I believe that the lake of fire AND the second death
are both symbolic and figurative language.

Is it true that one part of a metaphor must be
literal or there is no way to understand the metaphor? No, that is not true. Let me give
you an example that I doubt many have really meditated on:

"Now at their eating, Jesus, taking the
   bread, and, blessing, breaks it, and, giving to the disciples, said, ‘Take eat [this
   bread], This [bread] IS my body"
   (Matt. 26:26).

The greatest minds in theology have haggled for
hundreds of years over this metaphor that Christ used at the last supper. Does the bread literally
turn into the body flesh of Christ when we eat that bread as the Catholic faith
demands? What a silly question. IT’S A METAPHOR! And the idea that one of the two
parts of a metaphor must be literal is likewise silly.

In this metaphor, the bread is a symbol. Is there
anyone who cannot recognize that Christ used bread from the table as a "symbol"
of something? Then when used as a symbol, neither can it be any longer literal. Is there anyone who
cannot recognize that Christ used His own body as a "symbol" of something? Then
when used as a symbol it neither can be any longer literal. That being said then, the
bread is symbolic AND Christ’s body is also symbolic! Jesus used literal
"bread" from the table and used the literal words "my body." When
Jesus picked up the bread and broke it, no one thought that He was talking about CHEESE!
When Jesus said, "my body," no one thought He was speaking of His clothing or
His shoes. Everyone at that table knew what "bread" was and what Christ’s
"body" was. However … HOWEVER, Christ used the words "bread" and
"my body" in a METAPHOR! He said, "Take eat, this [bread] IS My body."
That my friends is a METAPHOR! And as a metaphor, neither the bread nor Christ’s
body is to be taken literally! "I am the BREAD OF LIFE…" (John 6:35).

We do NOT eat physical bread to partake of the
symbolic or spiritual life-giving food of Christ’s body. Nor would we be partaking of
spiritual or symbolic bread by eating Christ’s literal flesh and blood body. Can we
not see that neither part of a metaphor must always be literal. The bread is used as a
symbol because literal bread is called the staff of life. Christ’s body is used in
this metaphor because our spiritual nourishment comes from no other source but Jesus
Christ. They say that we are what we eat. When we partake of the real staff of life–the
spiritual food of Christ’s body, we ourselves BECOME the very body of Christ
ourselves!

Here’s the Scriptural proof:

"I am the BREAD OF LIFE…"
(John 6:35).

"For we, who are many, are ONE BREAD,
ONE BODY, for we all are partaking of the ONE BREAD" (I Cor. 10:17).

"The Jews, then, murmured concerning
   Him, that He said, ‘I AM the Bread which descends out of heaven." (John
   6:41).

"I am the living Bread … Now the
   Bread also, which I shall be giving for the sake of the life of the world IS MY
   FLESH" (John 6:51).

But just as most are totally blind regarding the
meaning of Scriptural metaphors today, they were also ignorant of Christ’s words when
He spoke them:

"The Jews, then, fought with one
   another, saying, ‘HOW THEN CAN THIS ONE GIVE US HIS FLESH TO EAT?"
   (John 6:52)

They also thought that metaphors were LITERAL! Christ
is the Bread that came down FROM HEAVEN, not the bread that comes from wheat out of the
ground. Christ is NO LONGER flesh and blood. He has been raised with a SPIRITUAL BODY

I Cor. 15:44, "…it is raised A
   SPIRITUAL BODY."


Besides "flesh and blood CANNOT inherit
   the Kingdom of God."

We partake of Christ’s spiritual body, not
literal flesh, blood and muscle protein.

If we fight and argue as the foolish Jews did over
what part of metaphor must be literal, we will learn nothing. If we can’t understand
a simple metaphor as "Take eat, this [bread] IS my body," how will we ever
understand "The lake of fire which IS the second death?"

I don’t wish to belabor this point, but it is
of paramount importance and sometimes if we would hunger and thirst after righteousness,
there is definitely some labor involved.

The easiest way I know to explain a metaphor is to
simply state how metaphors are used, and it all becomes rather simple. If Peter’s
statement that "all life is grass" is not literally true, then why say
it? Why use it? Because when we understand metaphors, they speak volumes about a subject
in just a very few words–much like poetry. "All life is grass" means that all
life is like grass IN CERTAIN WAYS. That’s it! That’s just how simple it is.
Life is like grass in certain ways, in that it is fragile, easily killed,
short-lived, here today; gone tomorrow, etc. But, on the other hand, ALL life is NOT like
grass in certain other ways. Not all life is attached to the ground, unintelligent, and
colored green! Am I going too fast for anyone?

PHYSICAL FIRE VERSUS SPIRITUAL FIRE

Without realizing it, those who defend a literal
fire in this judgment of God will have a very hard time showing that anyone can be
"tormented day and night for ever and ever" in a literal fire. If the fire is literal,
then the idea that anyone could be tormented for ever and ever is totally impossible!
How so? We will see.

Notice who is thrown into this lake of fire:

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false
      prophet … These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with
      brimstone" (Rev. 19:20).

      If the beast and false prophet are humans, then a real lake of fire would BURN THEM UP
      making it impossible for them to be tortured for ever and ever! If the beast and false
      prophet are supernatural, superhuman, or spirit in nature, then physical fire CANNOT HARM
      THEM in any way. So, if the fire is literal, it can serve NO useful purpose!
"And the devil that deceived them was cast into
      the lake of fire…" (Rev. 20:10).

      As this is Satan, he is a spirit, and therefore CANNOT be tortured with REAL FIRE! Real,
      physical fire has NO effect on SPIRIT! Since God "makes His angels SPIRITS; His
      ministers a FLAMING FIRE" (Psalm 104:4), it isn’t likely that the Head of the
      "sinning angels" would be the least bit hurt by literal fire!
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
      and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the
      dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
      works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
      lake of fire" (Rev. 20:12 & 15).

      "The dead, small and great" are mortals resurrected to judgment
      and are still mortal. Therefore physical fire
      will BURN THEM UP, hence there can be NO torture or torment for ever and ever.

So now what will our fundamentalist friends do with
this evidence? Real, physical, literal fires, BURN UP physical bodies! And, real,
physical, literal fires CANNOT burn or harm spiritual bodies! Sorry, but that’s just
the way it is!

But these verses say that there is "fire"
and that those in it are "tormented." So what kind of fire are we talking about
and what kind of torment are we talking about? First, the fire.

If this lake of fire is not real, physical, literal
fire, is there then such a thing as "figurative fire" or "spiritual
fire?" I’m so glad you asked. As a matter of Scriptural fact, yes there is such
a thing as "figurative and spiritual fire." Let’s start with the most
profound Scripture regarding spiritual fire. As we all know, "God IS SPIRIT"
(John 4:24). But have you never read:

"For our God IS A CONSUMING FIRE"
(Heb. 12:29)!

God has shown Himself to be not only a fire, but a
CONSUMING FIRE all through the Scriptures. You will be amazed how often God speaks of fire
in bringing judgment on humanity. ALL IS OF GOD, II Cor. 5:18, Rom. 11:36, Eph. 1:11, etc.
God IS a consuming FIRE.

God IS this lake of fire!

But since it is not literal fire, what does it burn?
What does it consume? — It is the "works of the flesh" that made sinners of
those thrown into the lake of fire in the first place. And we shall see from the
Scriptures that it is these very works of the flesh that are consumed in this lake of
fire. And don’t think for a moment that it is not a most painful and tormenting
experience to have one’s carnal mind with all its ungodly passions, thoughts and
deeds, burned clean and pure by the consuming fire of God’s Holy Spirit!

God doesn’t change. He will use the same method
in the day of judging at the white throne as He uses on US. Although the intensity will
get considerably more severe for those who blaspheme till the end.

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).
However, that does not purge us from all our filthy thoughts and deeds. No, there is more.
There is also a consuming FIRE that God uses on us:

"For other foundation can no man lay
   than that is laid, which is JESUS CHRIST. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,
   silver, precious stones, WOOD, HAY, STUBBLE; Every man’s work shall be made
   manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed BY FIRE; and the FIRE
   shall TRY EVERY MAN’S WORK of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he
   hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be BURNED,
   he shall SUFFER LOSS; but [pay close attention to this BIG BUT] BUT
   HE HIMSELF [the one who had his works burned and consumed in God’s
   consuming fire] SHALL BE SAVED [What will save him?],
   yet so AS BY FIRE" (I Cor. 3:11-15)!!!

Ah dear readers, can we begin to understand the
workings of God? God consumes with fire, the wood, hay and stubble in our lives. The
things that don’t deserve to continue. But he REFINES the gold, silver, and precious
stones (those doctrines and godly character traits of God’s spirit that abide the
fire). It is figurative language, it is an analogy, it is a parable, it is metaphorical
(where one thing is called another thing). Our lives have either qualities of character
(which are likened to gold and precious stones, things of value to refine and retain), or
gross lacks in character (which are likened to wood, hay, and stubble and which are not
worthy to retain or preserve).

And just as real literal fire is used to
refine and purify gold and precious metals, so God’s SPIRITUAL FIRE refines and
purifies us from our sinful and carnal nature. And likewise, as real literal fire
is used to burn up wood and stubble, so God’s all consuming SPIRITUAL FIRE will
consume and burn up all the impurities in our life. These things MUST DIE. This purging is
the SECOND DEATH. And whether the person God subjects to His consuming fire has many good
qualities or none, the person himself shall be purged, purified, and SAVED BY GOD’S
ALL-CONSUMING SPIRITUAL FIRE!!! We just read it in God’s Holy Word. How can any deny
it? Every person who has ever lived will be subjected to the cleaning fire of God’s
spirit.

God is the JUDGE (Rev. 20;12). NOT Satan. This
judgment throne is "WHITE" not black! God judges in righteousness.

"He shall judge the world with
RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Psalm 96:13)

"Because He [God] hath
   appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in RIGHTEOUSNESS"
   (Acts 17:31)

Next I present a Scripture that many fundamentalists
hate. I’ll bet if you attended a fundamentalist church, you never heard a sermon on
this verse. We read that God has appointed a day (a period of time) in which He will
"JUDGE" the whole world. Revelation 20:10-15 IS THAT DAY OF JUDGMENT! Now we
know that those not found in the book of life will be put into FIRE, and they will be
TORMENTED. This is certainly part of this judgment. But it is not literal fire. Literal
fire burns up physical things and literal fire cannot harm spiritual things. So what does
the fire do or accomplish? MUCH!

This judgment in Revelation 20 IS that worldwide
judgment spoken of in many prophecies. But is the purpose of this worldwide judgment to
torture people by burning their flesh in real fire for all eternity? Is that HOW God
judges in "righteousness"? Absolutely not. We just read where God burns up our
fleshly WORKS, and this is "tormenting" for sure. But God does not torture our
flesh for all eternity. Don’t get me wrong, there will be severe chastisements on
those who despise God and His Savior and His Gospel. But out of their ashes will come
salvation. Here is another marvelous Scripture which answers what happens to sinning
humanity when God JUDGES THE WORLD in righteousness.

"For he [GOD] bringeth
   down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low, HE LAYETH IT LOW, even to
   the ground, he bringeth it even to the dust" (Isa. 26:5)

Make no mistake, God will judge the wicked with
great severity. However, ALWAYS FOR A BENEVOLENT PURPOSE:

"With my soul have I desired thee in
   the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when Thy judgments
   are in the earth, THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS"
   (Isaiah 26:9)!!

There will come a time when those who only knew how
to blaspheme the name of God, will come to LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS. They will not just
"hear" of righteousness, no, they will actually "LEARN
RIGHTEOUSNESS"!

The whole book of Isaiah speaks of judgments on
Israel and on the nations. But the end of all these judgments is SALVATION TO ALL. Notice
Isa. 45:22-23,

"Look unto me, and BE YE SAVED, ALL
   THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by
   Myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness [as in, ‘For this
   is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who WILL HAVE ALL MEN
   TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth,’ I Tim.
   2:3-4] , and
   shall not return, That unto me EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, EVERY TONGUE SHALL SWEAR"
   (See also: Phil. 2: 9-11 & I Cor. 12:3).

God’s words will NOT return empty or void. When
God speaks, it will be done. When God wills, it will be done. When God desires, His
desires WILL BE DONE:

"Declaring the end from the beginning,
   and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND,
   and I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE … I have spoken it, I WILL ALSO BRING IT TO
   PASS; I HAVE PURPOSED IT, I WILL ALSO DO IT" (Isa. 46:10-11).

Oh the blasphemy of those who teach that God’s
most heartfelt desires WILL NOT COME TO PASS, but will utterly fail!!! Jesus
Christ is not the potential Savior of the world; He IS THE SAVIOR OF THE
WORLD!!! HE WILL SAVE THE WORLD!!!

How many self-appointed, bible-thumping, doomsday,
fire and brimstone, eternal torture in hell preachers believe these verses in
Isaiah? Not one that I know of! Most Christians have never been taught the Scriptures that
I am giving you. These things are despised by many who call themselves
"Christian." And yet, God’s Word is FULL of such statements of God’s
salvation to all.

Part II: No one will escape God’s CONSUMING FIRE (Heb. 12:29).

Posted in Religion | No Comments »

THE REAL ORIGIN OF SIN

August 20th, 2008 by kleminems

The
Lake of Fire - PART II

THE REAL ORIGIN OF SIN

I heard a world-famous televangelist say in his
sermon that it was never God’s intention that Adam and Eve disobey His command
and sin by eating of the forbidden tree. Most Christians would agree. They think God did
not want Adam to sin; and Adam did not need to sin. If Adam had not sinned, we
would all be living in a giant Garden of Eden to this very day. We would be in perfect
health, there would be no sorrow, we would have pleasure twenty-four hours a day, we would
never die, we would be happy and God too would be happy.

If Adam had shown just a little restraint the world
wouldn’t be in the giant mess it is in today. Oh really? Well, why then didn’t
Adam exercise restraint. What went wrong? Did the first humans malfunction? Was
there a flaw in their original design. God was the Designer; is God the blame?
Not according to Christendom. Is He at least responsible? Not according to
Christendom. But why not?

Now listen carefully. Here is wisdom beyond its
years. When a scientist creates an experiment or machine that malfunctions, is he
responsible for the malfunction? Yes. Does he hold the experiment or machine responsible?
No. Does he hold God responsible? No. Okay.

Now then, according to Christendom, when God creates
an experiment or machine that malfunctions, is He responsible for the malfunction? No.
Does He hold the experiment or machine responsible? Yes. Does He hold man responsible?
Yes. See the wisdom?

I have just shown you one reason why God calls the
WISDOM of this world, STUPIDITY!

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness
   [Greek: stupidity] with God. For it is written, He takes the wise in their own
   craftiness" (I Cor. 3:19).

First, Christendom assumes that God’s
creation of humans malfunctioned — they did NOT!

Second, they assume that God is not
responsible and does not take responsibility — He DOES!

One unscriptural assumption added to another
unscriptural assumption does not equal a Bible Truth!

Few indeed have ever stopped long enough to consider
that just maybe God intended for the world to be in the hellish mess that we find it. Not
for all eternity, but for the present, for a period of time, for a great purpose. It just
seems so wrong to Christian thought to believe that God would have purposed such an evil
and unhappy world. But look at the alternative. Are we to believe that God tried (albeit
unsuccessfully) to make a good creation, but was unaware of its potential to run amok? And
ever since, God must therefore either lack the love for humanity to straighten it out, or
He lacks the power and ability. But either way it disowns God’s sovereignty and
presents us with a God Who either CANNOT or WILL NOT STOP THE INSANITY! They
would have us believe that God’s solution to rid the world of sin and evil is to
torture most of humanity in fire for all eternity.

The whole idea is blasphemous. If a
carnal-minded
human can take responsibility for an invention that malfunctions, I submit, that God is
bigger and more responsible than puny man. Be it known to all that God takes full
responsibility for His creation, and absolutely nothing in His creation is malfunctioning.
Here’s the proof:

If a thousand Christians were given the assignment
to write an essay describing the world as it was after God completed it, but before man
sinned, I am positive that we would get one thousand essays describing the unbelievable
beauty, harmony, and perfection of all creation including man and beast. However, would
such essays be based on the Scriptures? Let’s look at a little understood Scripture.

"For the creature [and/or creation
   itself] was MADE subject to VANITY NOT WILLINGLY, but by reason of
   Him [that’s God] Who HATH SUBJECTED the same in hope. Because the creature
   itself also shall be delivered from the BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION into
   the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the WHOLE CREATION groans
   and travails IN PAIN until NOW" (Rom. 8:20-22)!

Wow! Did you know that Scripture is in the Bible?
Have you ever meditated at length on its meaning? This one Scripture does much damage to
Christian doctrine. From a strictly carnal-minded approach, this Scripture is devastating.
Let’s see what these words entail from Strong’s GREEK DICTIONARY OF THE NEW
TESTAMENT:

VANITY: empty, profitless, vain,
   transientness [temporary], depravity [wickedness].


BONDAGE: slavery, subjection, subserviency.


CORRUPTION: shrivel, wither, spoil, ruin,
   deprave, defile, destroy, decay, perish


GROAN: moan, calamity, be in straits, murmur,
   grief, grudge, anguish.


TRAVAIL: pangs, to pain together, travail as
   in birth.


PAIN: anguish, toil for daily subsistence,
   starving.

The force of these verses in Rom. 8:20-22 is
inescapable. It was God HIMSELF Who subjected the whole creation to vanity, and He
didn’t ask anyone’s permission before He did it. And it is only God Himself Who
will deliver the whole creation from the bondage of corruption, pain, and suffering. Make
no mistake about it: God is the Creator of evil, and He takes full responsibility for the deliverance
from the consequences of all the evils that have caused the creation to "groan and
travail in PAIN until NOW" as Paul describes. God takes responsibility for the
temporary failures of creation so that He can take all the credit and glory for its
successes.

And most of the glory that God will receive is from
the glory that He gives to all mankind.

It was not possible for Satan NOT TO SIN — he was created
for the express purpose of being God’s Adversary, and so, of course, he was a sinner
"FROM THE BEGINNING"!

It was not possible for Adam and Eve NOT TO SIN –
they were created for the express purpose of being molded into the "image of
God," and so of course, they had to eat of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of
good and evil or they would have NEVER reached this first spiritual step in
becoming LIKE GOD (in His IMAGE), a step of paramount DIVINE REQUISITE:

"And the LORD God said, Behold [consider,
   to perceive, to know, to understand], the man is BECOME AS ONE OF US
   [Hebrew for ‘God’ is elohiym which is the plural of elowahh, hence
   ‘us’], TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL…" (Gen. 3:22).

Knowing "good and evil" is one of the most
essential requisites in being formed in the image of God. To truly "know" both
good and evil they HAD to partake of its source, which was the "TREE of the knowledge
of good and evil," which then DEMANDED that they SIN in order to obtain this
"knowledge." NO OTHER TREE IN THE GARDEN POSSESSED THIS NEEDED KNOWLEDGE!

And so it was GOD, and none other than GOD, Who
intended from the beginning that Satan and man SIN! That does not make God a sinner, for a
sin is a "mistake," a "missing of the mark," a "falling short of
the glory of God," and God has NEVER MADE A MISTAKE OR FALLEN SHORT OF TOTAL
PERFECTION! God knew what He was doing and how things would turn out BEFORE He created
ANYTHING! "Declaring the end from the beginning…" (Isa.
46:10). Satan and man are "accountable" for their sins, because they sinned
willingly from their heart, but God takes "responsibility" for their sins, and
therefore had already provided them a Saviour BEFORE the foundation of the world:

"But with the precious blood of Christ, as
   of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE
   FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, but was manifested in these last times for you" (I Pet.
   1:19-20).


"And all that dwell upon the earth shall
   worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb [Christ]
   slain from the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD" (Rev. 13:8).

Is anyone so naive and blind as to believe that God
had prepared a Lamb, a Sacrifice, His SON, to be slain for the sins of the world at a time
when theologians would have us believe God didn’t even KNOW there was shortly coming
such a thing as SIN? God knew; God is smart! It was God Who created the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil It was God Who placed it right in the middle of the garden to
catch Eve’s eye. It was God Who made the tree particularly attractive and desirable.
It was God who placed in the humans the desires and passions that would CAUSE them to
partake of the forbidden fruit. It was God who placed Satan the serpent in the garden to
tempt Eve and fill her head with the glories of enlightenment. It was God Who had ALREADY
made preparation for their salvation through the slain Lamb of God.

Only ignorant and foolish theologians would ever
charge God of being ignorant of the conduct and behavior of His own creation. It was not
the temptation or deception entering INTO Eve that caused her to sin and bring separation
from her Creator and God. It was what was already in her that caused her to sin.
Proof:

"For out of the heart proceed evil
   thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies"
   (Mat. 15:19).


Notice it: "And when the woman saw [in
   her heart] that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye [in
   her heart], and a tree to be desired [in her heart] to make one wise
   [an idol of the heart], she took [’For out of the heart
   proceed ... thefts...’] of the fruit thereof, and did eat" (Gen.
   3:6).

Did you notice that last phrase "…and did
eat"? It was not the "eating" of the fruit that made her a sinner — she
had ALREADY sinned by looking, lusting, and fantasizing about her potential wisdom. It was
AFTER she sinned that she "did eat."

The good news is that all of our suffering is for a
grand purpose and will ultimately bring huge rewards. Just two verses before, Paul
tells us how God subjected the whole creation to these many evils and he gives us this
comforting thought:

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this
   present time [’groaning and travailing in pain together until now’
   Ver 22] are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed in US"
   (Ver. 18).

ONLY GOD IS RESPONSIBLE

I am going to cover considerable Scriptural material
in this series that many may not think directly relates to the Lake of Fire-Second Death.
Trust me, it does. It will be of little value for me to just technically prove from the
Scriptures that God does not eternally torture anyone in the lake of fire-second death, or
anywhere else for that matter.

In the light of today’s spiritual darkness and
global apostasy, it is most needful to understand some basic spiritual truths before
launching into a word-for-word explanation of the dozen or so verses related to the lake
of fire-second death. We will do that, but before we do, we are going to learn a great
deal about God, life, death, the Scriptures, the purpose for our existence, and the
destiny of the whole human race. All in one paper? I’ll try to hit the high spots.

Most Christians have a one-sided and often evil
concept of judgment. They think of it primarily as a negative and horrible thing that
wicked people must go through before being sentenced to some fabled fiery hellhole of
torture and eternal damnation.

Judgment is not reserved exclusively for the wicked,
nor is it a one-sided sentence of doom. There are many problems with the orthodox teaching
of judgment. Much emphasis is placed on a few Scriptures taken out of the context of all
of God’s counsel regarding judgment. The subject is too large even for this paper,
however, I will try to present both sides of judgment.

Judgment has both a positive and a negative side.
That is judgment itself contains both. The result of the two faces of judgment, however, I
am happy to report, will not perpetuate the dual masks of comedy and tragedy for all
eternity, but rather a "smiley face" for all.

If people could only see that God is not a
carnal-minded human as themselves. He is GOD — The Great Creator, Sustainer, and Saviour
of all — GOD! God has a plan, a procedure, and a purpose for this creation. Precious few
have even a basic understanding of what it is. Nothing in creation is out of control from
God’s perspective. Nothing ever surprises God or catches Him off guard. God does not
view the activity of His creation from His celestial vantage point unaware of what people
will do next. God knows all in advance. God doesn’t just know what "will"
happen in the future, He causes all that will happen in the future. God IS the
future. God is the Alpha and the Omega — He IS the beginning; He IS the end, and nothing
can be different from what God says MUST BE.

We have got to get away from the "God allows
certain things" mentality and syndrome. God CREATES, God DESTROYS, God HEALS, God
KILLS, God CAUSES, God BRINGS ABOUT. God SAVES. God does not "allow" things that
He has not foreordained to be! This popular doctrine among the religions of the world is
utter unscriptural foolishness. The teaching suggests that man does things that God had no
previous knowledge of, does not approve of, wishes would have never happened, but
nonetheless, He "allows" them. Certainly He "allows" them in as much
as He does not "disallow" them, but this still begs the question as to their
true origin. God is the Creator, not Satan.

"For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him,
   are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen" (KJV Rom. 11:36).


"Seeing that OUT of Him and THROUGH Him and
   FOR Him is all…" (Concordant Version).

Does this also include EVIL?

"That they may know from the rising of the
   sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me, I am the LORD, and there is none
   else. I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, AND CREATE EVIL:
   I the LORD do ALL THESE THINGS" (Isaiah 45:6-7).

There are many many things in life that are very
hard to accept and deal with in our weakened spiritual state. I cannot, after all this
time, get the images of the Twin Towers collapsing on thousands of people, out of my mind.
Or maybe even worse, the men, women and children in the four planes that knew they were
destined to a violent disintegration in fire! I get teary-eyed every time I think of it.
It is extremely traumatic to contemplate. And now another shuttle disaster! One at the
hands of evil terrorists; the other an accident, fate, providence? But what is gained by
trying to take all of these things out of the realm of God’s responsibility? God and
God only has the "ability-to-respond." Man is not running God’s creation,
God is. How can any doubt it?

We all have our own personal financial, health,
social, mental, and spiritual trials in addition to thousands of other problems in our
home, community, state, nation and world which can easily overwhelm us if we are not well
grounded. Do we think all these things just invented themselves and brought themselves
into existence? I tell you No; these are all the design of an all-wise God.

People freely admit that God knows every sparrow
that falls, the individual names of one hundred billion billion stars, and the number of
hairs on five and one half billion people’s head at any given second of the day, but
that He is, nonetheless, just not concerned with the smaller details of your life.

FATE OF THE SHUTTLE VICTIMS

Let’s reflect for a moment on the Space
Shuttle. It was heart-wrenching to say the least in realizing that there were seven
astronauts in that shuttle which we all watched dozens of times from different videos
tracking its re-entry. Some of them on board were professed Christians. But for sure one,
Col. Ilan Ramon, was a Jew who did not profess Jesus as His Saviour. So when the rubber
hits the road, where does Christian doctrine stand on Col. Ramon’s eternal destiny?

Did not all of Israel show extreme remorse over
their fallen Son and Hero? Yes they did — I saw them myself! Did peoples from all around
the world show remorse for his death? Yes they did. Did people all over America show
remorse and profound sorrow over his death (along with the others, of course)? Yes, we all
saw it on national TV. Did you show remorse for this Jewish Astronaut who gave his life in
service to his country? I am sure you did. And I can testify to the fact that I certainly
did and still do. Regardless of his religious affiliation, was not Col. Ramon a brave,
smart, loving, astronaut and family man? Now then, what about God? Does God love Col.
Ramon as much as his family, friends and country did? What happens to fine young Jewish men
like Col. Ramon when they die without accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour?
According to Christian theology, where is Col. Ramon now that he is dead? You will now see
some of the reasons why I breathe and why I write these papers.

A FAMOUS THEOLOGIAN’S VIEW OF THE GOSPEL

Christendom teaches that when a person dies in his
sins, without repenting or accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, that person is
then doomed to the damnation of the fires of hell for all eternity! And it matters not
whether that person was a loving husband, a loving father, or a fearless hero for his
nation. According to this immutable Christian doctrine of eternal torment, Col. Ramon is
right now burning and suffering unspeakable torture in the fires of some eternal hell.
Why? Because he was Jewish and not Christian by religion, that’s why. Would these
Christian theologians and preachers get on international television and tell their
audiences that since Col. Ramon was Jewish that he is now burning in the fires of an
eternal hell, and that God will never, ever let him out or ever show the slightest mercy
on him? Not in a million years. Does anyone believe that the words "hypocrite"
and "coward" are inappropriate here?

Let me give you a few quotations regarding the
gospel from world famous preacher, teacher, author, and theologian, Dr. James Kennedy. All
italics are Dr. Kennedy’s.

"This is the light of Christ. It is the light
   of grace, and it is not incumbent upon God to extend it to everyone. Let us make it very
   clear that it is not incumbent upon God to extend it to anyone."

"Therefore, the light of Christ is not extended
   to everyone…"


"And thus we see the exclusivity of the
   Gospel…"


"But because God extends it [the light of
   Christ] to some does not mean He must extend it to any other."


"He [God] doesn’t have to be gracious or
   merciful to any guilty sinner…"


"So the idea that God owes to everyone
   some offer of mercy is totally foreign from [to?] the Bible."


"The great Charles Spurgeon said that the
   amazing thing is not that everybody isn’t saved; the amazing thing is that anybody
   is saved."


"Heavenly Father, I pray that your Spirit will
   give us a clear vision of the plight of the lost — those who are on their way to eternal
   perdition, to damnation forever."

The above quotations are from a Sermon by James
Kennedy, A.B., M.Div., M.Th., D.D., D.Sac.Lit., PhD., Litt.D., D.Sac.Theol., D.Humane
Let., entitled: What About Those Who Have Never Heard? Without a doubt, this is the
most blasphemous and evil sermon I have ever heard in my 62-year life! But are we not
learning that even these bad sermons that blaspheme God’s character, are also
God’s intention? His greatest enemies and adversaries always included "the
shepherd," the "Scribes," the "priests," and those inimitable
religious leaders in every era — The Pharisees!

I thought that it was fitting and a nice gesture of
our President to state that although the astronauts did not make it back to earth, his
prayer was that they are "ALL SAFELY HOME!" He is of the Christian faith, but he
did not assign Col. Ramon to the fires of hell for his Jewish non-Christian faith. I
believe there are many Christians that wouldn’t touch the despicable doctrines of a
James Kennedy with a ten foot pole. It’s true, they are safely home. They are all in
God’s keeping. They are all asleep (there are dozens of Scriptures that say that the
dead are sleeping until resurrection) awaiting the resurrection of the dead.

And those that were not believers will be judged.
That judging will involve the lake of fire which is the second death. But does that mean
that Col. Ramon and any other nonbelievers will be tortured for all eternity? Remember
that fateful day when all of our hearts went out to Col. Ramon’s and his six
companions? Remember how that NASA and our whole nation would have done ANYTHING at ANY
expense if we could have saved them? Remember how you felt? But the big question to answer
now is how will GOD feel when Col. Ramon stands before the judgment seat of Christ?

Will God hate Col. Ramon for being deceived and not
accepting Christ as his Saviour? Will God teach Col. Ramon His truths so that he too can
know the Truth (Jesus) and be set free? Or will He throw Col. Ramon (along with ALL his
Jewish family members and the WHOLE NATION of Jesus rejecting Jews) into a lake of fire
that will torture their flesh with steel-melting fire for all eternity? Do the high
priests of Christendom really have Scriptures that contradict the hundred or so Scriptures
I have quoted in this present paper? Is there a single Scripture in the entirety of the
Bible that actually says God will torture anyone for all eternity? There is NO such
Scripture and NO such thought. You will all see the proof before this series is finished.

The fate of Col. Ramon according to the teaching of
Christendom is inescapable. Since he rejected Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, he is
right now this minute screaming his guts out in the fires of hell in agonizing pain and
terror fare worse than the horrors of his space shuttle breaking up and burning in
re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere! That, my dear readers, is what their teaching
demands. Will Col. Ramon go from burning up in reentry, to burning in hell until judgment,
and then be transferred to the lake of fire to burn for all eternity? Is this mercy’s
destiny? This is unscriptural insanity.

I am not out of touch with the realities of real
life. I would be happy to swap war stories with any of you. I know that there are many
things in life that are hard, and painful, and difficult to endure. Why are these things
here, who is responsible, and where will it all end? There is a way to understand these
things from God’s perspective. He has not left us in the dark as to the source,
meaning, and purpose of all the evil in the world today even though things are often
difficult to emotionally and spiritually accept.

I do not hesitate to add however, that there are
also many wonderful and beautiful and loving things in the world as well. I trust most of
us don’t have too much trouble dealing with the beautiful and loving side of life. It
is the painful side of our human experience that is sometimes difficult to believe has a
reasonable purpose for its existence. Even our Lord, Who was involved in the creation of
all things (Col. 1:15-20), and knew the purpose of all things (Eph. 1:11), and knew that
He was to be the Savior of all mankind (I Tim. 2:4), and the Saviour of all creation from
vanity, slavery, and corruption (Rom. 8:21), nonetheless, when seeing Jerusalem headed for
utter destruction because of rejecting Him and His gospel, He WEPT over it (Luke 19:41)!
God has pity on weak and foolish humanity, whom He Himself has created that way.

Either God Himself is the Creator of good and evil
and all that is and will bring about a total healing, restoration, and perfection of all
there is, or, God is not the Creator of good and evil and all that is, and therefore is
not responsible for the mess the world is in today which supposedly will end with most of
humanity going to hell in a hand basket to suffer — insanely suffer — for ALL ETERNITY!
All Scripture and sanity itself tells us the former is the Truth. Christendom and insanity
tells us that the latter is the truth.

DID GOD CREATE AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD?

Here is one of the most profound Scriptural Truths
that you will ever learn. GOD is the originator and Creator of the entire universe and
everything that is in it! GOD is responsible for the entire universe and everything that
is in it! And to say otherwise in both unscriptural and foolishness.

There are only three possibilities as to why things
are the way they are;

Why there is evil and tragedy in the world;


Why people do evil things to other people;


Why the innocent must suffer at the hands of the
   wicked;


Why people are born with debilitating defects;


Why the whole world lies in spiritual darkness and
   paganism;


Why billions live and die without ever hearing the
   name of Jesus Christ their Creator and Saviour;


Why men are often tortured by providence and nature
   itself which operates completely and independently apart from any man.

When we understand these things we will understand
the lake of fire and second death, and a thousand other things that happen in our lives
today as well as in the lives of all humanity since Mother Eve!

THREE POSSIBLE ANSWERS

ACCORDING TO ATHEISTS: The human race is the
      byproduct of a blind, unintelligent, accidental, evolutionary process started billions of
      years ago by a humongous cosmic BIG BANG. Therefore NO HIGHER POWER is responsible for
      anything. If anyone believes this, then the Scripture speaks to YOU when it says:

      "The FOOL has said in his heart, ‘There IS NO God’" (Psalm
      53:1).
ACCORDING TO CHRISTENDOM: The human race and
      angelic messengers are the perfect creation of an all-wise, all-powerful, all-knowing,
      undeceivable, untrickable, unfoolable, intelligent, and loving GOD. That’s the good
      news. Here’s the bad: God’s first and most perfect specimen created out of the
      combined intelligence, power and wisdom of a perfect God, was a great spirit archangel
      they call, Lucifer. (Incidentally and Scripturally, "Lucifer" was never a proper
      noun or name for anyone)!

      The Christian teaching is that before God ever created the first man, this perfect
      archangel whom Christians call Lucifer, went bad! He was perfect but he turned
      bad! He turned into a bad angel (excuse me, archangel). Did God create
      him to turn bad? No. Did God know that he would turn bad? No. Did God wish that he hadn’t
      turned bad? Yes. But was there anything God could do about it? No. Why did
      God’s first and greatest creation to that time, malfunction? How can a PERFECT
      creation by a PERFECT Creator … malfunction? "Houston … WE HAVE A
      PROBLEM"! God doesn’t have a problem; Christendom has a problem. And
it is the BIGGEST single problem in all Christendom! It is huge. It is
this very Satanic LIE that has given birth to the most evil doctrines
on the face of the earth in the history of the world!

      According to this Christian theory [hypothesis], the very first thing that The
      Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Creator God made, not only malfunctioned, but turned
      into a DAMNABLE, DIABOLICAL DEVIL! This devil has ever since, relentlessly wreaked havoc
      on every facet of God’s creation which will consummate with a lake of fire that will
      continue to insanely torture most of the human race for all eternity! Salvation is
      pictured as God’s nearly vain attempt to salvage but a few from the grasp of this
      colossal cosmic experiment gone amok! God’s Spiritual Frankenstein Monster has turned
      on Him and His children. And it has already been predetermined that Satan will be the
      final Victor when all the marbles are counted. Not a pretty picture. This is the god that
      the world of paganism is supposed to put their eternal confidence in! A god who cannot or
      will not protect his own children from this cosmic wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Small
      "g" intended). And you think I am too hard on the doctrines of Christendom? You
      have no idea.

      Hence it is Satan that is supposedly responsible for introducing evil into the world.
      Satan supposedly chose to disobey God and therefore we also must choose, on our own, by
      our own power, as to whether we will follow and obey Satan; or follow and obey God. This
      is the Christian position on this matter of good and evil.
ACCORDING TO GOD AND THE SCRIPTURES: Don’t
      get me wrong, Christendom did not originate this theological problem (Satan did); they
      merely continue to parrot the original author. Satan LIES! Yes he does. He is a LIAR, and
      the FATHER of lies and he has ALWAYS been that way since his CREATION (John 8:44). Satan
      was NOT "Lucifer" (a supposed perfect archangel) from the beginning; Satan was
      "Satan" from the beginning. Satan is an EVIL creature. He has been an evil
      creature from his very creation. Satan is not the result of a Godly experiment gone wrong!
      Satan is functioning PERFECTLY as God’s adversary. Satan is essential to the purpose
      and salvation of the whole human race. That is why God created him in the first place.

WHENCE SATAN THE DEVIL?

According to Christendom, Satan created himself. He
was supposedly a perfect archangel and then CHANGED HIMSELF INTO A DEVIL. Is this
Scripturally true? Who created Satan?

You are of your FATHER the DEVIL [the GREAT
      DRAGON, OLD SERPENT, the DEVIL, and SATAN {Hebrew for Adversary -- I Pet. 5:8} Rev.
      12:9], and the lusts of your father ye will do… He was a murderer FROM THE BEGINNING,
      and abode not in the truth [from the beginning], because there is no truth in him [from
      the beginning]. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar [from
      the beginning], and the father [the beginner] of it" (John 8:44).
"Now the SERPENT was more subtle than any
      beast of the field which the LORD GOD had MADE…" (Gen. 3:1) God
      "made" this serpent which TALKED with Eve as an articulate, intelligent,
      creature. Satan did not possess this serpent of the field, Satan was this
      serpent! Satan doesn’t possess snakes! Satan himself was CREATED A SERPENT. Even
      Paul acknowledges that it was "the SERPENT" that deluded Eve, and not some other
      creature possessing a snake (II Cor. 11:3).

      "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between THY SEED and her seed,
      it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3:15).

      This serpent that shall bruise the heel of Eve’s seed (singular seed — Christ) is
      clearly Satan the Devil who also has seed, "thy seed." Jesus said, "You
      are of your father the Devil…?" (John 8:44). Satan the Devil has
      "seed"; he is a "father": a father has children and followers of like
      nature. No literal snake ever produced a seed that bruised the heel of Jesus. Snakes
      do not "eat dust" but Satan dines on mankind "Be sober, be vigilant;
      because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
      devour [Greek: (lit. or fig.) gulp entirely, swallow up] I Pet. 5:8). And he seeks to
      devour mankind who are "dust" of the earth ("…for dust thou
      art…." Gen. 3:19).
"By HIS SPIRIT He hath garnished the
      heavens; his HAND has FORMED THE CROOKED SERPENT" (Job 26:13). God garnished the
      heavens by His SPIRIT, because they are a thing of great glory, beauty, and splendor. But
      the crooked SERPENT God formed by His "hand" — at ARMS LENGTH. Thus indicating
      it was something necessary, but not of His HEART AND SPIRIT! Satan is called "the crooked
      serpent." This word crooked comes from a Hebrew word that is not translated
      "crooked" anywhere else in the Bible. The word in Hebrew is bariach, and
      it means "a fugitive," Strong’s #1281. And "fugitive" is
      from the Hebrew word nuwa, Strong’s #5128, among its several meanings are:
      "to [go] up and down," and "to and fro," and to "sift."
      Remember that God names things according to what they are and what they do:

      (A) "And the LORD [is this a high enough authority for everyone?] Said
      unto SATAN [not a heretofore archangel], Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered
      the LORD, and said, ‘From going TO AND FRO in the earth, and from walking UP
      AND DOWN in it" (Job. 1:7 and 2:2).

      It is the "crooked [fugitive] SERPENT" SATAN who goes "TO AND
      FRO" and "UP AND DOWN" in the earth! God created Satan for this purpose.

      (B) "And the LORD said [is this a high enough authority for everyone?], Simon,
      Simon, behold, SATAN [not a heretofore archangel] hath desired
      to have you, that he may SIFT you as wheat" (Luke 22:31).

      It is the "crooked [fugitive] SERPENT" SATAN who
      "SIFTS" men like wheat! God created Satan for this purpose.
"Behold, I have created the smith [that’s
      me] that blows the coals in the fire, and that brings forth an instrument for His work,
      and I have CREATED THE WASTER TO DESTROY" (Isaiah 54:16).

      ["waster" -- Hebrew: shachath, decay, ruin, batter, cast off,
      corrupt, destroy, lose, mar, perish, spill spoil -- UTTERLY WASTE, #7843, p. 115, Strong’s
      Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary].

      God created the "WASTER," not the archangel who later supposedly became
      Satan, but from the BEGINNING God said He created "The WASTER" and
      He created him "TO DESTROY" Now then, WHO’S role is it to
      "destroy" the flesh of man so that the spirit may be saved?

      "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit,
      with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one UNTO SATAN for
      DESTRUCTION of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord
      Jesus" (I Cor. 5:4-5).

      It is SATAN who was created from his very beginning to be "the WASTER to DESTROY"
      men’s flesh (carnal mindedness) so that they learn not to blaspheme (I Tim. 1:20).
      Satan started with Adam and Eve and he isn’t finished YET!
"And no marvel [Gk: to wonder with
      ASTONISHMENT]; for Satan himself is transformed [Gk: meta schematizo,
      transfigure -- to change the outward form or appearance, to make GLORIOUS] into
      an ANGEL OF LIGHT" (II Cor. 11:14).
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is
      no God beside me: I girded you, though you have not known me: That they may know from the
      rising of the sun, and from the west, that there none beside Me. I am the LORD, and there
      is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, AND CREATE EVIL:
      I the LORD do ALL [even the creation of evil and even the creation of Satan] THESE
      THINGS" (Isaiah 45:5-7).

      Satan is evil, God created evil, God CREATED SATAN!
"He that commits sin is of the DEVIL [Gk:
      Adversary, Satan] for the Devil SINS FROM THE BEGINNING. For this purpose
      the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the WORKS of the Devil" (I
      John 3:8). So was it AFTER a supposed "Lucifer archangel"
      metamorphosed into Satan that he sinned, or did Satan the Adversary sin "from the BEGINNING?

Can the high priests of Christendom ever get
anything Scripturally correct? They cite Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 (I will write a paper on
these two chapters in the near future) as proof that Satan was once a perfect and glorious
archangel.

They claim that a PERFECT AND GLORIOUS
LIGHT-BRINGING ARCHANGEL CHANGED HIMSELF INTO SATAN THE DEVIL, whereas we
just read in the divine, inspired, infallible Word of God that contrariwise, it is
SATAN THE DEVIL WHO HAS TRANSFORMED HIMSELF INTO A PERFECT AND GLORIOUS ANGEL OF
LIGHT! The Scriptures teach the diametric opposite from what Christendom is
teaching. But it is mandatory that they teach this lie, because it is mandatory that they
deny every Scripture that says GOD CREATED EVIL or EVIL CREATURES! It doesn’t fit
their theology. They must find a way that allows God to torture billions of people in fire
without being evil Himself or even responsible for doing so. The origin of sin and evil
must be placed on the creature rather than the Creator. This way the creature is
responsible for everything and the Creator is responsible for nothing!

And so it is stated that men CHOOSE to go into the
lake of fire and suffer eternal pain, and God’s hands are tied by a doctrine that
Satan has planted into the hearts of all men everywhere. An idol of the heart of such
magnitude that men will DIE to preserve it. Deceived humanity has perceived this idol to
be of the greatest value of anything that can ever reside in the heart of man including
the Holy Spirit of God!

And just what is it, specifically, that gave this
fictitious archangel the ability to metamorphose himself into a devil? Which thing also
then permits God to torture humanity eternally in fire, without it being His fault? Which
thing also empowers man with the ability to thwart the VERY WILL OF GOD ALMIGHTY?

THE ILLUSION OF FREE WILL

Here it is, the magical source of man’s
imagined deity. It is, of course, "HUMAN FREE WILL." Or, as in the
case with Satan, "SATANIC FREE WILL." And just what is human and
satanic free will? It is a fictitious power that Satan and all humans
imagine they have,
which gives them the power to make choices that have NO CAUSE. Do not mistake what I have
said. Choice is not the power to MAKE choices. We all have that power. Choice is a power
of the brain, mind, and spirit. It is a logical functioning mechanism. Even a
sophisticated computer can "make choices" based on other data at its disposal
contained in its memories. But making choices is not … I repeat is NOT, judging,
determining or selecting something BASED ON NOTHING!!!

The first edict of the physical universe is
"CAUSE AND EFFECT." There cannot be an effect anywhere in the universe, on
earth, in a laboratory under strict controls, or in the mind of a human being that does
not have A CAUSE! It is axiomatic! It is not debatable! It is a LAW OF GOD!
And therefore, the most lawless of all lawless conceptions possible is that man can make
choices and decisions that are NOT BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE BY EITHER INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL
CAUSES AND FORCES!!! It is, in fact, an attempt at nihilism of the very laws of physics.
And so theologians, philosophers and the world’s greatest wisdom thinkers would have
us believe that free will is a power even greater than God Himself, seeing that even God
does not think things, or create things from NOTHING! God does NOT operate the universe by
decisions based on nothing and therefore having no cause.

"In Whom also we have obtained an
   inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who works [Greek:
   ‘is operating’] ALL things after [after what? His ‘free’ will?]
   … After the COUNSEL of His own will" (Eph. 1:11)!

Nor does God create things out of NOTHING:

"…IN [Greek is ‘in’ not
   ‘by’] Him [Christ] is ALL CREATED, that in the heavens and that on the
   earth…" (Col. 1:16).

"For OUT [the Greek is ‘out’
   not ‘of’] of Him and THROUGH Him and FOR [Greek is ‘for’ not
   ‘to’] is ALL" (Rom. 11:36).

So creation is "IN Christ," but "OUT
of God." Not, out of "nothing." The universe consists of the things of
God’s already eternally existing SELF. God is SPIRIT (John 4:24). And what is matter
but invisible spiritual power and energy?

"Through faith we understand that the worlds
   were framed by the word of God, so that THINGS which are seen [physical matter]
   were not made of things [were they then made of nothing? NO] which DO APPEAR"
   (Heb. 11:3).

There it is. God made everything out of things that
DO NOT APPEAR [invisible things] not out of things that do appear [physical things], and
this is because GOD HIMSELF IS INVISIBLE!

"Now to the King of the eons, the
incorruptible, INVISIBLE, only, and wise God…" (I Tim. 1:17).

God follows His own spiritual laws. "Free
will" sounds like a marvelous and magical thing — it is rather, however, the god of
stupidity. It is the height of man’s foolishness and human wisdom. It is both ungodly
and unscriptural! It is an affront to the Sovereignty of God. Man and Satan are not
deities that can operate independently of the Creator! The theory is a hoax, a farce, a
sham. Its only reality is as an IDOL OF THE HEART which will be burned out of every
son whom God scourges.

Of course all theologians are quick to point out
that man does not possess total free will. Man’s will is obviously limited we
are told. Oh really? So it is "limited free will" that Satan and all humans
possess is it? Does no one ever bother to question the contradictions of Christian
doctrine?

"Iimited, a. restricted," Webster’s
Twentieth Century Dictionary, page 963.

"free, a, without
restriction," Webster’s Twentieth Century dictionary page, page 682.

Does everyone know the meaning of the word "contradiction?"
Only Satan could convince otherwise intelligent people that they have a
"limited" — restricted, "free" – without restriction
"will." For sure man has a will, however, it is anything but FREE!

"For it is GOD which works in
   you both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure"
   (Phil. 2:13).

"To will" requires a "work" of
GOD! We all choose as we choose because there are things and forces and situations by the
millions beyond anyone’s control that CAUSE US TO CHOOSE AS WE DO! It matters not
that you cannot see or feel the cause. It is there and it does its work on you. And when
causes make you choose, then that particular choice could not have ever been otherwise.
God is the great CAUSE of all there is. I know Christians by the hundreds of millions deny
it and deny God’s Word that teaches it. That unbelief and lack of faith, however, does not
change the facts of God’s Word or the laws of physics.

That God creates good and peace, there is no
question. That

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is
   from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
   neither shadow of turning" (James. 1:17),

There is also no question about it among Christians.
That God is the creator of evil and preordained the sin of Adam, however, is believed by
virtually no one.

And so it is that neither man nor Satan can do
anything contrary to the intention of God. God has a will that includes a final destiny of
total perfection of His whole creation. God has set man and Satan (his very name means
adversary) AGAINST HIS OWN WILL for a period of time. But during this period when everyone
goes against God’s will, God INTENDS them to do so. And when God no longer
"intends" for there to be any more adversaries or enemies opposing Him or His
will, He will remove all such opposition (See I Cor. 15:21-28). ALL OF GOD’S WILL,
WILL THEN BE DONE!

Therefore it should come as no shock to us when we
learn that even the destruction and crucifixion of His own Son was God’s INTENTION
from before He even created the world:

The Kings of the earth stood up, and the Rulers
were gathered together against the LORD, and against HIS CHRIST.

"For of a truth against Thy Holy Child JESUS
   Whom THOU [God the Father] hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the
   Gentiles, and the people of Israel [God anointed them ALL for this purpose], were
   gathered together, For to do whatsoever THY HAND [the very HAND OF GOD], AND thy
   counsel [God works ALL according to His ‘counsel’ Eph. 1:11] determined
   BEFORE [God predestinated His Son’s crucifixion before the foundation of the
   world Rev. 13:8] to be done" (Acts 4:26-28).

And so we see that ultimately, behind the scenes, it
was really God the Father Who planned and brought about the Crucifixion of His Own Son! We
are all accountable for the death of His Son, because He died on OUR BEHALF and for
OUR SINS which we voluntarily sinned, but it is God Himself Who is RESPONSIBLE for His
Son’s Death. And God takes responsibility. And He takes responsibility for EVERYTHING that
happens in His creation and universe! Therefore God will bring all things back to
restoration and perfection. It is so sad that this grand truth is so violently opposed by
the enemies of the Cross.

There are three Scriptural reasons for this evil
doctrine of eternal torture in a lake of fire:

"The heart [of carnal unconverted
      mankind] is DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can
      know it" (Jer. 17:9).
"And the great dragon was cast out, that
old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which DECEIVES THE WHOLE WORLD…"
(Rev. 12:9).
"Because the carnal [natural] mind
      is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
      be" (Rom. 8:7).

The inconsonant, incongruous, inconsistent teachings
of Christendom are bewildering. All my life I have heard that God hates SIN, not the
SINNER. Why then, according to Christendom, doesn’t God save the sinner and abolish
the sin? Wasn’t that the purpose of God in the first place? "Behold the Lamb of
God, which takes [Greek: ‘is taking’] away the SIN OF THE WORLD" (John
1:29). "And He is the propitiation [to be favorably inclined to the sinner because of
the sacrifice for him -- merciful] for OUR sins: and not for ours only, but also THE SINS
OF THE WHOLE WORLD" (I John 2:2). As Christ died for the sake of all sinners and paid
the penalty for all the sins of the whole world, why does Christendom teach that these
same sinners for which Christ died, must still be tortured for eternity?

Now don’t all e-mail me at once, telling me
that they go to hell in a hand basket because they DID NOT REPENT OF THEIR
SINS for which Christ died. It is concluded by modern religious theory that most of
humanity have DIED IN THEIR SINS, neither having repented nor accepted Christ as their
Lord and Saviour. And this is their simple (albeit totally unscriptural) answer as to why
most of the human race will be tortured in a hellhole of fire for all eternity! For they
know not the Scriptures, nor the Plan of God, nor the Wisdom of God, nor the Power of God,
nor the Sensibility of God, nor the LOVE OF GOD.

I know that many people think I am too hard on
Christian heresy. That’s because I love them. Would you not show a little
"hard" tough love to your children if they were taking mind-destroying DRUGS?
Well it is my opinion that Christian heresies are mind-destroying drugs as well. This
ministry is a love/hate ministry — love for all God’s creatures and hate for all the
spiritual mind-destroying heretical drugs out there on the streets and on the air waves
around the world.

Trust me when I say: When one learns the Truth about
our All Wise, All Powerful, All Loving God, the unscriptural theories regarding an eternal
hellhole of eternal torture will vanish like the dew in the morning Sun. I believe there
will be some who will already come to know the truth about the lake of fire-second death
long before we ever get to chapters 20 and 21 of Revelation. Before we get there I want to
teach you a few things about God and His love for humanity.

NEVER FORGET THE ‘LORD’S PRAYER’

I am now going to give you a Scripture to ponder
while you read the remaining installments of this paper. A Scripture that most clergymen
avoid like the plague. A Scripture that even if they quote it, they will not explain it.
A Scripture that debunks the heresy that a sin against an infinite God demands infinite
punishment. A Scripture that should shut the mouths of all those who continually condemn
me for ever suggesting that God will eventually save all sinners, even the Hitlers and
Bundys of the world. A Scripture that proves God loves sinners even while they are yet
sinners. A Scripture that proves one doesn’t have to prove himself "worthy"
of God’s love before God gives His love. A Scripture that proves God knows in advance
that He will save the very worst of sinners and indeed ALL sinners long before they ever
even think of repenting.

First we have to find the world’s
worst sinners — no, even worse than you. Check these out:

"I am innocent of the blood of this JUST PERSON" (Mat. 27:24) "They ALL [priests & citizens] say unto him" (Ver 22)	"let Him be crucified"
"WHY, what evil hath He done?" (Ver. 23)	"let Him be crucified"
"Jesus answered … The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matt. 11:4-5)	"crucify Him"
"Come unto me, all ye [sinners] … I will give you rest" (Mat. 11:28)	"crucify Him"
"I [Jesus] have compassion on the multitude [of sinners]" (Mat. 15:32)	"crucify Him"
"For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost" (Mat. 18:11)	"crucify Him"
"And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them" (Mat 19:2)	"crucify Him"
"Suffer little children…to come unto Me" (Mat. 19:14)	"crucify Him"
"Who can be saved?…with God all things are possible" (Mat. 19:25-26)	"crucify Him"
"I am the Good Shepherd…" (John 10:11)	"crucify Him"
"God anointed Jesus…who went about doing good…" (Acts 10:38)	"crucify Him"
"And the multitudes …cried… ‘Hosanna to the SON’" (Mat. 21:9)	"crucify Him"
"And they [same multitudes as 21:19] all say … (27:22)	"let Him be crucified"
"…to you all … the entire people of Israel … Jesus Christ … whom" (Acts 4:10)	"you crucify"
"Then answered all the people … His blood be on US… (Mat. 27:25)	"crucify Him"
"And they [everyone -- you, me, all of us," (Mat. 27:35)	"CRUCIFIED HIM"

Now then, are you ready for the Scripture? Are these cruel murderers of the very Son of
God evil enough to be counted the worst of the worst sinners who have ever drawn breath?
Even more evil than Ted Bundy?

First, does anyone doubt that God the Father ALWAYS
heard Christ’s prayers? "Father, I thank thee that Thou HAST HEARD me. And I
knew that thou HEAREST ME ALWAYS..." (John 11:41-42). Okay then,
here’s the Scripture:

"And when they were come to the place which
   is called Calvary, there they [everyone -- you, me, the WHOLE WORLD] CRUCIFIED
   HIM…"

But before our Saviour died, He prayed this prayer:

"FATHER … FORGIVE THEM
… for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:33-34).

Meditate on that verse for a few hours — or years!
My prayer is that not one person reading this paper will ever forget this verse and
Christ’s prayer for the forgiveness of the world’s worst of the worst sinners, before
any of them even thought to repent.

Now if any of you, in your holier-than-thou
self-righteousness, feel that you had no part in the death of your own Saviour, Who died
for you and your sins, you will still have to contend with the fact that God honored
Christ’s prayer by forgiving those who did, literally, crucify Him, before they ever
repented or accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour. Do you think that just maybe our Lord
knows something about the future judgment of these, as of yet unrepentant murderers, that
is not taught in Christendom today?

"FORGIVE THEM, for they know not what they
do." Was this just a benevolent gesture on Christ’s part that has no real
meaning? Do we believe that Jesus’ God and Father turned His back on this prayer?
Will God answer "THE LORD’S PRAYER?" Don’t the theological giants of
Christendom have Scriptures written in figurative, metaphorical, and spiritual symbolism,
that if ignorantly taught to be literal, will contradict our Lord’s prayer? If it is
not possible for God to forgive sinners before they repent, then our Lord’s prayer is
doomed. It was then a prayer in vain. Jesus prayed in vain. His Father never heard Him.
Doesn’t it just grind on your spirit to even hear such stupid and unscriptural
conjectures?

Millions of times a week people around the world
repeat what they believe to be "The Lord’s Prayer" (Mat. 6:10-13). Matt. 6
is not the "Lord’s prayer." He didn’t "pray" that prayer. It
was a very short outline of what we are to pray for. But this verse in Luke 23:34,
really is, "The Lord’s Prayer!" Jesus really DID … PRAY … THIS …
PRAYER! Unlike the hypocritical Pharisees, Jesus did not make a habit of praying in
public. He commanded us to pray in the private closet of our hearts. Other than blessing
the bread when feeding the multitudes, Christ seldom prayed in public. But hanging in
total agony on that Passover cross, He prayed in public. He prayed for the whole world to
hear. And that is because His prayer was not for Himself, but for the whole world!

I will make a wager right here and now that the
figurative symbols and metaphors in Revelation are obviously not to be taken literally,
but that our Lord’s Prayer in Luke 23:34 IS to be taken literally. Do I have any
takers?

"Forgive THEM…" There is no
mistaking who the "them" are in this prayer.

World famous preacher John Hagee teaches the world
that the Jews did not crucify Jesus, but rather the Romans did. Is that who the
"them" is in our Lord’s Prayer? The ROMANS? Give me a break. Maybe
that’s why Christians everywhere believe that had they been in Jerusalem on that
fateful Passover nearly two thousand years ago, they would have never consented to the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ! Peter too thought that he would never deny his Lord (Mat.
26:34).

Since Christendom refuses to do it, I will now show
you the real meaning of The Lord’s Prayer.

WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS?

True, the Romans did crucify Christ, but so did the
Jews, so did you, so did I, and so did John Hagee as well, and I will now Scripturally
prove it.

"For he is NOT a Jew, which is one
   outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew,
   which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit
   and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. 2:28-29).


"For WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION, which worship
   God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the
   flesh" (Phil. 3:3).

Who are the true circumcision which then becomes the
True Jew? Paul says "we." As soon as we know who the "we"
is, we
will also know who is the "them." Paul was writing to the Phillipians, who
lived in Phillipi, a Gentile city in N-central Macedonia. So these Phillipian converts were
both Gentiles, and true Jews ("we [Phillipian Gentiles] are the circumcision — Phil.
3:3, which are the true inward Jew — Rom. 2:28-29, the true "Israel of God" –
Gal. 6:16).

Now then, let us see the plain Scriptural truth as
to who the "them" are that Jesus asked His Father to "forgive." For
whomever the Father "forgives" will certainly not be tortured in an
eternal hellhole of fire.

In Acts 3:6-8 Peter asks Christ to heal a man. The
whole city was privy to this miracle. Peter speaks to the crowd:

"Ye MEN OF ISRAEL [that’s us, WE
   are the "Israel of God" the "True Jew"] … Jesus, Whom ye [that’s
   US] delivered up, and DENIED [along with Peter] Him … For ye [that’s
   US again] DENIED the Holy One and Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
   and KILLED the Prince of life … And now, brethren, I am aware that through IGNORANCE [‘for
   they know NOT what they do’] ye did it, as did your rulers … The priests, and
   the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees … Annas the high priest, and Ciaphas, and
   John, and Alexander … Ye RULERS of the people, and ELDERS of Israel … Be it known unto
   YOU ALL, and to ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
   whom YE CRUCIFIED…"

Why did the HEATHEN rage, and the PEOPLE imagine
vain things? The KINGS OF THE EARTH stood up, and the RULERS [see I Cor. 2:8] were
gathered together AGAINST the Lord, and AGAINST His Christ …

"For of a truth AGAINST thy holy child
   Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, WITH THE GENTILES
   [that’s US, ALL NATIONS] and the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL [that’s also US],
   were gathered together, For to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to
   be done [CRUCIFY HIM]" (Acts 3:12-4:28).

Sorry, but John Hagee’s "Romans only"
theory has just bit the dust. So again: Who crucified our Lord and Saviour? And who is it
that are to be forgiven because they know not what they do? "YOU ALL,"
"ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL," "THE HEATHEN," "THE PEOPLE,"
"THE KINGS OF THE EARTH," "THE RULERS," and "HEROD, PONTIUS
PILATE, WITH THE GENTILES!!! Do you still think your name is left out of this list
somehow?

The whole world is accountable for crucifying their
Saviour Jesus Christ. But as it was done in "ignorance" (for they know not what
they do), the whole world will be forgiven. So what do these things have to do with the
lake of fire? Everything! I am trying to show you the mind of God. This is the way God
thinks, and feels, and forgives, and LOVES! Since you haven’t learned these things in
Sunday School, or Wednesday night Bible Study, or Sunday sermons, or even theological
seminary, I am showing you them now. Weigh God’s Words very carefully.

The worst sin ever committed by the worst sinners in
the history of the universe, was the cruel beating and crucifixion of Jesus Christ — the
Perfect Man and Son of God! Does anyone really believe that Ted Bundy’s crimes were
worse than Crucifying the Son of God? Did the men immediately responsible (ultimately
I’ve shown that we ALL were responsible) for His crucifixion show any remorse or
repentance except Judas? Yet, Jesus Christ asked God to "forgive them" at
the very time that they showed no remorse whatsoever.

Will the Father HEAR these words and ANSWER these
words of Christ’s prayer? Are these just the sentimental words of Jesus that will not
be heard or answered by a HARSH God in Heaven? Just Whose "words" are
these, anyway? Where did these words of Jesus "forgive them" really come from?

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father,
   and the FATHER IN ME? The WORDS that I speak unto you I speak NOT OF MYSELF;
   but the Father that dwells in Me, HE DOES THE WORKS" (John
   14:10).

Or was this doctrine of "forgive them for they
know not what they do" before they ever repent, a doctrine of Christ that God did not
approve of?

"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine
   is NOT MINE, but HIS THAT SENT ME. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the
   doctrine, whether it be of GOD, or whether I speak of myself " (John 7:16-17).

Any questions as to WHOSE words these were? It
is not only our Lord’s prayer, but it is the will of God the Father to forgive them
all (US all) for none of them "knows what they do."

My detractors cry out, "They do TOO know what
they do; they have REJECTED their Saviour; they deserve to BURN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR EVER"!
But you see, God is not like men who DELIGHT in the eternal death and torture of the
wicked.

"As I live, saith the Lord God, I have NO
   pleasure in the death [including the second death] of the wicked; but that the
   wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for
   why will
   you die, O house of Israel?" (Ezek. 33:11).

Killing people for their sins is NOT PLEASURABLE FOR
GOD! But it is needful — for a season.

"To everything there is a season, and a
   time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die … a time
   to kill, and a time to heal…" (Ecc. 3:1-3).

God does not delight or take pleasure in the death
of the wicked, but that he TURN from his way and LIVE! But neither Israel (nor the Gentiles) knows
how to "turn" from their ways. It takes the "goodness of God" to
"turn" people. I know that all the billions of "free-willers" in the
world poke fun at such an idea that man of themselves can do nothing: "…for
without Me ye can do NOTHING" (John 15;5). But as for me, I don’t believe
men anymore; I believe God. "Turn, turn, turn" says the Lord God. But how shall
Israel "turn" when they have no such power or ability? Will Israel (all Israel)
ever "turn" and be saved and LIVE? Not by anything they can conjure up in their
phantom of free will. Enter GOD:

"For I would not, brethren, that ye should
   be ignorant [but the WORLD is ignorant and deceived -- God created a special
   creature to accomplish this very purpose, Rev. 12:9] of this mystery, lest ye should be
   wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until [remember
   there are ‘seasons’?] The fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so ALL
   ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED [how so, I thought they have to ‘turn’ from their
   wickedness and sins, Who will ‘turn’ them?] As it is written, There
   shall come out of Zion The Deliverer, and shall TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS [’evil
   ways’ Ezek. 33:11] from Jacob [that’s Israel]: For this is my covenant
   unto them, when I shall TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS (Rom 11:25-27) [it will be pretty hard to torture
   people for all eternity for sins that they NO LONGER HAVE!!!]

Am I going too fast for anyone? This is not rocket
science. These Scriptures are easy!

Who is it that "turns away" ungodliness
from Israel? Must sinners really, by themselves, by their phantom "free -will,"
by their own power, by their own choice, by the goodness that lies within them (I speak as
a fool), by their self-concocted love of God — "turn away from ungodliness"?
Get serious. What is the only thing in the universe that can ever bring a person to repentance?
I’ll tell you, if you promise to never ever forget it!

"Or are you despising the riches of His goodness
   and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing [here’s that ignorance thing again
   -- Satan who DECEIVES the whole world] that the GOODNESS OF GOD leads you
   to REPENTANCE" (Rom. 2:4).

Once again we are brought back to the CAUSE OF ALL
— GOD!

And so, it is the "Deliverer" (Christ the
Lord), not man’s ‘free’ will, which "turns away ungodliness" from
Israel. Let’s continue the thought:

"As concerning the gospel, they [Israel]
   are enemies for your sakes [the ‘casting away’ of Israel, Ver. 15]: but
   as touching the election [the sure thing that God had predetermined long before there
   ever was an Israel] they are BELOVED for the Father’s sake. For the GIFTS and CALLING OF
   GOD are without repentance [changing]" (Vers. 28-29).

"Forgive them" are the very words and the
doctrine of GOD THE FATHER! So the truth is we have Jesus Christ and God the Father BOTH
agreed that "FORGIVE THEM, for they know not what they do" WILL BE
ANSWERED, ACCOMPLISHED, AND DONE ! God’s words went out of God’s mouth
in this prayer for the whole sinful world to hear, and God’s words do not return to
Him VOID (see Isaiah 55:11)!

Are you believing all these Scriptures that I am
giving you? Or are you one of those who thinks he has other Scriptures that contradict all
these Scriptures I am giving? My whole purpose is to point you to God’s Words. When I
come to a Scripture that is not properly translated, I will point that out also. So far, I
believe, all of the Scriptures I have presented speak for themselves.

And it is self-evident that these Scriptures
contradict a plethora of doctrines being taught by the high priests of Christendom.

Will God somehow change his mind toward this world
of sinners which crucified His Son when they are raised at the great white throne to be
judged? Forget all the Scriptures for the moment that some of you just
"know" contradict
this prayer. Concentrate on this prayer, and we will go to the thers later. Right here IS
the mind of God. Right here IS the attitude of forgiveness and love that God has for
sinners — the world’s worst sinners! Why does most of the world of Christendom
refuse to believe our ‘LORD’S PRAYER’ which really has its origin in the will of the
Father? Because it is TOO GOOD! Many will not tolerate a God THIS GOOD!

Is God fickle? Is God all-forgiving one day at the
cross, but then CHANGES into an unforgiving Indian-Giver at the white throne judgment by
taking it all back?

"I am the LORD, I CHANGE NOT;
therefore ye sons of Jacob [Israel] are NOT CONSUMED"
(Malachi 3:6).

"But He [God] is in ONE MIND, and who
   can TURN HIM? And what His soul desires [I Tim. 2:4 & Isa. 46:9-11], EVEN THAT [whatever
   He wills or desires] HE DOES" (Job 23:13).

"Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, and today, and for ever [Greek: ‘for (into) the eons also’]" (Heb.
13:8).

No, God is not fickle: forgiving today; cursing
tomorrow. Forgiving the worst sinners in the whole while they are yet sinning is the mind,
attitude, and love of God! Any theologian who tries to tell you that there are Scriptures
that contradict this Scripture (whether it be a Scripture on the lake of fire or any other
Scripture), is a liar and a deceiver. "Forgive them [even the theologians who
deny the Christ Who died for them] for they know not what they do."

And so our Lord’s Prayer WILL … BE … DONE!
Thank God!

A FEW THOUGHTS REGARDING CHRISTENDOM

Understand that when I use the word
"Christendom" I am making reference to Webster’s second definition,
"The world of Christianity." World in the Greek New Testament is kosmos
meaning the system or orderly arrangement of the whole or some part of human society. And
so it is this world or system of doctrines and beliefs promulgated by the clergy and
theologians of the institutionalized church that I make reference to when using this term.
I am not making specific reference to individual members of the "Christian"
church who may or may not hold dear to their hearts all of the doctrines of mainstream
Christendom. It is sadly true that many who profess Christianity do not know or understand
the doctrines of those they follow.

So let it be known that Christendom is made up of
dozens of millions of wonderful, sweet, loving and kind people. Many if not most of our
neighbors, friends, relatives, and immediate family members are professing Christians. And
we love them all! God loves them all! Sadly, however, much of their doctrine and religious
beliefs have no basis whatsoever in the Sacred Scriptures. At times I fear that some might
mistake my total aversion toward unscriptural Christian doctrines as a sign of my feelings
toward those who promulgate these teachings. Nothing could be further from the truth. If
you could look down into my heart, you would know that I harbor no ill toward any
brother or sister. All will be in God’s Family; All will be purged, purified, and
perfected, so why have any animosity toward any during this process? We must ALL be
processed — "there is NONE that does good [before God processes him], no, not
ONE" (Rom. 3:12).

Much of Christendom is a religious system of beliefs
that are both unscriptural and contradictory — at times even evil. Often when I quote a
Scripture (even without commentary), people will say to themselves, "Well that
can’t be. OUR church teaches something totally different." And so they will
reject the words of God and continue to cling to the traditions of men. For that reason,
let me give you just a few examples of the unscriptural contradictions of traditional
Christendom in the hope that God will open the minds of at least some of my readers. Trust
me when I say that all this information is going to be most helpful in understanding the
lake of fire and the judgments of God.

THEY SPEAK WITH FORKED TONGUE

Most all Christian theologians would claim to
believe the first statement of Scriptural Truth that I present below, especially when I
cite a Scripture verse with it, but they will then contradict and refuse to
teach the second statement of Truth. Here are a few examples:

Do they believe the fire in I Cor.3:15 burns
      mans’ works, but not the man himself? Yes.

      But do they teach that this same fire in Rev.20:15 also burns works, not the man?
      No.
Do they believe that God is the Creator of ALL?
      Yes.

      But do they teach that God created EVIL as He says in (Isa. 45:7)? No.
Do they believe that God is absolutely and totally
      sovereign (Eph. 1:11)? Yes.

      But do they teach that God exercises sovereignty over man’s supposed "free"
      will? No.
Do they believe that Jesus Christ IS the Saviour
      of the whole world (I Jn 4:14)? Yes.

      But do they teach that Jesus Christ will SAVE the whole world? No.
Do they believe that presently Christ only
      has immortality (I Tim. 6:16)? Yes.

      But do they teach the truth therefore that men’s souls are mortal and not immortal?
      No.
Do they believe that the original manuscripts of
      God’s Word were inerrant? Yes.

      But do they teach us that the King James translation, which they say is
      "inerrant" has gone through THOUSANDS of error corrections since 1611? No.
Do they believe that the soul that sins shall DIE
      (Ezek. 18:4)? Yes.

      But do they teach that souls of deceased sinners are actually DEAD? No.
Do they believe there are many cults today that
      need exposing? Yes.

      But do they teach that Christendom, by its OWN definitions, is also a cult? No.
Do they believe that Sodom is "suffering the
      vengeance of eternal [aeonian] fire? Yes.

      But do they teach that Sodom will be restored to their former estate (Ezek. 16:55)? No.
Do they believe in a future resurrection of dead
      people back to life (John 5:29)? Yes.

      But do they teach that a resurrection is imperative for dead people to live again? No.
Do they believe the first half of I Cor. 15:22
      that "For as in Adam ALL die?" Yes.

      But do they teach the last half, "even so in Christ shall ALL be made
      alive?" No.
Do they believe that "…the end of
      the world [Gk: aion -- age]" ends in Mat. 24:3? Yes.

      But do they teach that this same "aion — age" in Matt. 25:41 & 46
      will also end. No.
Do they believe that Jn 3:13 & Acts 2:34 are
      truthful Scripture (II Tim. 3:16)? Yes.

      But do they teach this truth that "NO man," including David, has gone to heaven?
      No.
Do they believe ALL God purposed, spoke, and
      willed (Isa. 46:10-11), He will do? Yes.

      But do they teach that God’s "will" to save all, I Tim. 2:4, etc., will be
      done? No.
Do they believe that Satan lied when he told Eve,
      "thou shalt not surely die?" Yes.

      But do they teach the truth that sinners really do DIE at death as God has stated? No.
Do they believe that the Apocryphal books do not
      belong in the Bible? Yes.

      But do they teach us that the 1611 so-called "inerrant" King James Bible
      contained fourteen such books, including "Tobit," "Judith,"
      "The idol Bel and the Dragon"? No.
Do they believe that Christ is totally
      responsibility for our salvation? Yes.

      But do they teach that "no man can" come to Christ of himself (John 6:44)? No.
Do they believe that Satan is the greatest sinner
      of all? Yes.

      But do they teach Jn. 8:44 which states that Satan "sinned from the beginning?"
      No.
Do they believe Christ really died for the sins of
      the world? Yes.

      But do they teach that Jesus Christ was dead when they placed Him in the tomb? No.
Do they believe the many Scriptures that liken
      death to "sleep?" Yes.

      But do they teach that dead people are unconscious, "sleeping" till
      resurrection? No.
Do they believe that the last enemy to be
      destroyed [Gk: abolished] is death? Yes.

      But do they teach that ALL death, including the second death, will be abolished?
      No.
Do they believe that all things are possible with
      God (Mark 10:27)? Yes.

      But do they teach that it is possible for God to save nonbelievers after they die? No.
Do they believe that every tongue in heaven and
      earth will confess Jesus as LORD? Yes.

      But do they teach that the Holy Spirit inspires this sincere voluntary act (I Cor. 12:3)?
      No.
Do they believe that good and evil are both in the
      same tree of knowledge? Yes

      But do they teach that good and evil both come from the same root source? No.
Do they believe that God absolutely "knows
      all" (I John 3:20)? Yes.

      But do they teach that God knows in advance ALL who will reject Christ? No.
Do they believe that God’s love will never
      fail (I Cor. 13:8)? Yes.

      But do they teach that God’s love will never fail in saving the world He loves? No.
Do they believe the apostles spoke in foreign
      languages in Acts 2:4-11? Yes.

      But do they teach that of the hundreds of thousands who claim to speak in tongues today,
      not one of them can speak in multiple languages which they did not already study? No.
Do they believe that the masses did not understand
      Christ’s parables (Mat. 13:13)? Yes.

      But do they teach that Christ purposely didn’t want them to understand, (Vs. 14-17)?
      No.
Do they believe the Old Covenant contained the Ten
      Commandments (Deut.4:12)? Yes.

      But do they teach a New Covenant which contains a much higher law (Heb. 8:8-9)? No.
Do they believe that God created all the spirits
      and messengers of heaven? Yes.

      But do they teach that God also created Satan who was always His adversary? No.
Do they believe that loving our enemies means
      doing good and not evil to them? Yes.

      But do they teach that God will never subject His enemies to eternal torture and evil? No.

There seems to be no end to the Scriptural
contradictions of Christian beliefs. But we can learn from their mistakes. It is good for
us that God makes us dig deep for the precious gems of His word. It really is like
searching for hidden treasure. And I have never found a hidden treasure in God’s Word
that has disappointed me. Each new discovery brings more appreciation for God and His plan
of salvation for all.

Posted in Religion | 2 Comments »

JUDGMENT BY FIRE MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD

August 20th, 2008 by kleminems

The Lake of Fire
PART III

JUDGMENT BY FIRE MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD

GOD’S TWO AREAS AND ERAS OF
JUDGMENT

Before God brings a final judgment on the entirety
of the world, He must first perform another judgment on another group of people. This
judgment is going on right now. The world is totally unaware of this judgment, although it
has been going on for two thousand years. It is happening behind the scenes. Only a
relative few are participating in this judgment by fire, and they are all volunteers!

We know for a fact that there is coming a WORLDWIDE
judgment on mankind, for Scripture has stated such:

"Because He hath appointed A DAY, in which He will JUDGE THE WORLD [Greek" inhabited earth] in righteousness
…" (Acts 17:31).

Most have at least heard of this judgment even if
they have no solid understanding of what it is all about or its primary purpose. We will
have a great deal to say about this judgment later. But first we will take a look at
another judgment almost universally unknown in the world of Christendom. It is a judgment
that involves believers, NOW!

Peter, who was given many keys to the kingdom,
introduces this judgment to us:

"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
   let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For [here’s the
   reason] the TIME IS COME that JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD …"
   (I Pet. 4:16-17).

What do you know about this judgment on the house of
God. Do you know anything specific? Well, don’t feel too badly, most people
don’t. Apparently theologians and clergymen don’t know too much either, seeing
that it is not a popular subject to teach. If they had even a superficial understanding of
God’s judgments on the house of God, they wouldn’t interpret the great white
throne and the lake of fire as some hideous act of divine eternal terrorism. These two
judgments have much in common.

Just what is this human life on earth
for, anyway? — Why are we here? — What is our purpose? — What is God’s purpose for
the Christian?

As children we are taught that Christian people
live; they die; their souls go to heaven. Bad people live; they die; their souls go to
hell. Live, die, go to heaven or live, die, go to hell.

So I guess this earth is a giant "soul
factory." But the truth is that Christian souls do not go to heaven at death, neither
do wicked souls go to hell at death. Contrary to all Christian belief, the Bible reveals
(as does elementary science), that dead people are DEAD. What a revelation! That’s
right, boys and girls, living people are "ALIVE" and dead people are
"DEAD." This is not rocket science!

If ALL the dead are either alive in hell or alive in
heaven, who, pray tell, is God going to resurrect back to life from the dead when
He returns to judge the world in righteousness? How can the dead be living in heaven or
hell when they haven’t as yet been judged as to where they should be living in the
first place?

THE BELIEVER’S JUDGMENT BY FIRE

Well, yes, it does appear that there is a judgment
on the house of God, but certainly not a judgment by FIRE, is there? Doesn’t God
judge non-believers with fire, but not believers? This only sounds strange to you if you
have never been taught the Scriptures.

"Beloved, think it NOT STRANGE
   concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some STRANGE thing
   happened unto you" (I Pet. 4:12).

Peter makes it sound as though going through fiery
trails is the norm rather than the exception. The New Testament is filled with the fiery
trials of the Saints.

Now I hope that none will be offended at my next few
statements, but if so, so be it. Unless God Almighty through the purging power of His
FIERY SPIRIT, is BURNING OUT the lusts and passions and vanity and haughtiness and greed
and self-righteousness and laziness and weakness and hypocrisy and wickedness and pride
and materialism and cynicism and depravity and carnality in your life, then Jesus Christ
is not choosing you to reign with Him as the Sons of God in the Kingdom of God to bring
all Heaven and Earth to repentance and salvation!

And I will tell you on the authority of Jesus Christ
and all the Holy Scriptures, that anyone who teaches and takes delight in thinking that
God would ever torture anyone for all eternity, will NEVER BE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITH
SUCH AN ATTITUDE!

Such damnable character flaws of the mind and spirit
are going to be burned out of us all! God will either BURN OUT these filthy impurities
from our hearts and minds NOW, or He will BURN THEM OUT IN THE LAKE OF FIRE, but either
way, make no mistake about it, THESE THINGS ARE COMING OUT!!!

JOHN THE BAPTIST: John the Baptist said that
Jesus would be baptizing repentant believers with fire.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto
   REPENTANCE: but He that comes after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to
   bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, AND WITH FIRE" (Matt. 3:11).

JESUS CHRIST:

"For EVERY ONE [sinner and
saint] shall be salted with FIRE" (Mark 9:49).

APOSTLE PETER:

"That the trial of your faith, being
   much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it [your faith] be TRIED IN THE FIRE,
   might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:7).

APOSTLE PAUL:

"Every man’s work [including
   believers] shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
   revealed BY FIRE, and the FIRE shall try every man’s work of what sort it
   is" (I Cor. 3:13).

With such noble and august witnesses, does anyone
deny that the repentant, converted, dedicated, believing Christian will escape being "revealed,"
tried," "salted," and "baptized" by FIRE? These
Scriptures are undeniable! Whatever this "fire" is, it is going to be used ON
EVERYONE. These four Scriptures have the believer specifically in view, but it says and
includes "EVERYONE shall be salted with FIRE," and "EVERY MAN’S WORK
… shall be revealed by FIRE."

And there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE when it comes
to the non-believers:

"And I saw a great white throne … And
   I saw the dead…and the dead were JUDGED … according to their WORKS … and they were
   judged EVERY MAN according to their WORKS" (Rev. 20:11-13).

And are these non-believers judged differently
from believers who are "revealed, tried, salted and baptized IN FIRE?" Just
HOW are these non-believers judged in the book of Revelation? How are the "…fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars…" JUDGED? Answer: "… In the lake WHICH BURNS
WITH FIRE …" (Rev. 21:8)!

Is this "fire" in the book of Revelation
DIFFERENT from the fire that tries the works of believers in the book of I Corinthians?
NO. The word "fire" used in the four examples above concerning believers, is the
SAME word "fire" used in the book of Revelation concerning non-believers:

STRONG’s Greek Dictionary of the New
   Testament, page 219, #4442, pur; a primary word; "fire"
   (literally OR FIGURATIVELY. Pur is used (besides its ordinary natural
   significance):


(1) of the holiness of God, which consumes
   all that is inconsistent therewith, Heb. 10:27; 12:29; cf. Rev. 1:14; 2:18; 10:1; 15:2;
   19:12;


(1a) similarly of the holy angels as His
   ministers, Heb. 1:7;


(1b) in Rev. 3:18 it is SYMBOLIC of that
   which tries the faith of saints, PRODUCING WHAT WILL GLORIFY THE LORD;


(2) of the divine judgment, testing the deeds
   of believers, at the judgment seat of Christ I Cor. 3:13 and 15;


(3) of the fire of DIVINE JUDGMENT upon the
   REJECTERS of Christ, Matt. 3:11 (where a distinction is to be made between the baptism of
   the holy Spirit at Pentecost and the "fire" of divine retribution; Acts 2:3
   could not refer to baptism); Lk. 3:16."


End of quotation, (All CAPS emphasis are mine).

I was quite amazed to see this broadened definition
in Strong’s Concordance. In my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance that I
purchased over forty years ago, it has but one line after the Greek word pur. It
states that pur is "fire" either (literal or figurative), fiery,
lightning. That’s it. So when I purchased the NEW Strong’s Expanded
Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible last week, I was pleasantly surprised to see the
expanded definitions, especially with reference to this word "pur" –
FIRE. I learned the use of the word "fire" in Scripture the hard way — I had to
research.

We could easily spend twenty pages just commenting
on the examples used in this expanded version of Strong’s. I won’t do
that, but let’s take a brief look at a few enlightening items: First, we learn that
this word can be, and is, used "figuratively." And in fact, the first five examples
given in Strong’s ARE examples of figurative usage of the word fire. And of
the 500+ times the word ‘fire’ is used in the Bible, hundreds of times the word ‘fire’ is
used in a figurative or symbolic sense.

I call your attention to the statement
in Strong’s
(1b) "In Rev. 3:18 it [fire] is SYMBOLIC, of that which tries the faith of
saints, PRODUCING WHAT WILL GLORIFY THE LORD"! (CAPS emphasis mine).

I just love it when Christian Scholars will
occasionally just absolutely "nail" a Scriptural Truth. Notice this beautiful
and profound Scriptural Truth: The symbolic fire of Rev. 3:18 tries the faith of the
saints, and PRODUCES what will GLORIFY THE LORD! ASTOUNDING!

Carefully note that it is not the
"believer" who "produces" these glorious things, but it is the
"SYMBOLIC FIRE" that produces them. And just Who is this "symbolic
fire?" It is, of course, GOD – "For OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE."
(Heb. 12:29)!

Therefore it is GOD who "PRODUCES"
qualities in the saints that will GLORIFY HIMSELF! God’s consuming SPIRITUAL fire
(remember that "GOD IS SPIRIT" Jn. 4:24) does the "producing,"
not the saint,

"For HIS ACHIEVEMENT are we, being
   created in Christ Jesus …" (Eph. 2:10).


"Now what have you which you did not
   OBTAIN? Now if you OBTAINED it also [from GOD] why are you boasting as though [you are]
   not obtaining [it from God]?" (I Cor. 4:7 Concordant Literal New
   Testament).


"All is of God" (II Cor.
   5:18).


"The One Who is operating ALL in
   accord with the counsel of HIS will" (Eph. 1:11).


Etc.

In statement (1) the editor of Strong’s
cites seven more Scriptures that are used symbolically and figuratively to demonstrate
"the holiness of God, which CONSUMES ALL that is inconsistent therewith." It
doesn’t consume their physical bodies, nor does it burn their physical bodies to
produce pain, but it "CONSUMES" all that is not consistent with God’s
holiness. And these are the things of the heart, mind and spirit! It is not the
"body" that needs chastisement and purification, it is the MIND, HEART, AND
SPIRIT that needs purification from unholiness. You cannot burn pride and vanity out of
one’s heart with REAL FIRE (besides the advocates of torturing with real fire for all
eternity admit that it accomplishes NOTHING). It takes the fire of God’s spirit to
burn away evils that have their origin in the realm of spirit.

This teaching is so absolutely elementary that it
seems strange to even have to explain it. And yet, many of the greatest minds in theology
today have not a clue as to these simple spiritual truths. All over the world Christian
leaders continue to teach that the way God will deal with people who have wicked and
carnal hearts, minds, and spirits, is to BURN THEIR FLESH IN REAL FIRE FOR ALL ETERNITY!
And what, pray tell, does this infinite mountain of eternal pain accomplish? Why it is
"justice" cry the high priests of Christendom!

Webster’s Concise Dictionary p. 392, justice
n. 1. The quality of being just, fair, or impartial; evenhandedness.

So first and foremost we are told that burning
billions and billions of men and women, and boy and girls, in fire for all eternity is
"QUALITY!" - QUALITY? HELL IS A PLACE OF "QUALITY?" Just how sick can
the human mind get, and just how low can the human heart sink? And this not from infidels,
but from the leading advocates of the Christian Faith!

BACK TO SPIRITUAL BASICS

God gives us perfectly simple and understandable
examples of HOW He deals with our sins and faults. In Hebrews 12:6 we read:

"For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
   and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as
   with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not?"

Of course when we ask this question today, the
answer is not so obvious as back when the writer of Hebrews asked it. Less and less
children are chastened by their fathers today, and look at the disastrous results. But
ideally a son should be chastened — chastened, not BEATEN! Maybe I need to investigate
this matter one day. Just maybe those who teach the hardest for an eternal hell of pain
are those who were physically molested and beaten as children, rather than lovingly
chastised. Continuing:

"Furthermore we have had fathers of our
   FLESH which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in
   subjection unto the Father of SPIRITS, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened
   us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His
   HOLINESS.


Now no chastening for the present seems to
   be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of
   righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:9-11).

This is not difficult to understand. Our fathers in
the FLESH have corrected us with rods, straps, belts, sticks, paddles, and the back of
their hand. This was done for our teaching and correcting. And it worked, "… we
gave them reverence …" Now then, "… shall we not MUCH RATHER be in
subjection unto the Father of SPIRITS …"?

Our Heavenly Father is NOT FLESH, but is the Father
of SPIRITS! God is SPIRIT. God is working with our SPIRITUAL life. God does not chasten
and correct us believers in Christ Jesus with physical rods, straps, belts, sticks,
paddles, and the back of His hand! So how is it that God our Father of spirits
accomplishes on a spiritual level what our physical fathers tried to accomplish on a
physical level? Verse 29 gives us the answer: "For our God is a CONSUMING FIRE !"

As trash is burned and precious metals are purified
by the use of LITERAL and PHYSICAL fire, so God burns our spiritual trash and purifies
those qualities of character worth saving by His SYMBOLIC and SPIRITUAL fire. Physical
fire is inanimate and uncaring. God’s spiritual fire is caring and loving.

There it is. There’s the gospel; there’s
the purpose for human existence; there’s the plan of God. God is forming man into the
very image of Himself. This requires not only a knowledge of good and evil, but an
experience of good and evil. God provides both. He is calling just a few select ones out
of this world now, and He will call the remainder of the human race later.

Some sinners are called, given faith, brought to
Christ, repent, receive God’s spirit and are being saved NOW. All the rest of the
world’s sinners will also be called, given faith, brought to Christ, repent, receive
God’s spirit and will be saved LATER. And God uses the same method to convert and
save both groups of sinners. That’s because God CHANGES NOT and God is NO RESPECTER
of persons, and God WILLS to save all mankind, and God will perform ALL HIS WILL,
PURPOSE, AND PLEASURE!!

All of the above verses regarding fire are used
in a figurative and symbolic manner. Christ does not literally "baptize"
(IMMERSE) His saints in REAL PHYSICAL FIRE. It would burn them all up, and there
wouldn’t be any saints or believers! Likewise we saw in Part I that the "lake of
fire" is also symbolic and used in a metaphor to describe a SPIRITUAL TRUTH.
More on this later.

And so we are assured that EVERYONE will be "revealed,"
"tried," "salted," and "baptized" "in FIRE." And
these fiery trials as Peter calls them go on for a lifetime. If it were real, physical
fire, all believers’ lives would be short indeed. God is SPIRIT, and God is a
CONSUMING FIRE. It is God’s SPIRIT that is likened to fire. The spiritual teaching in
this symbol is to recognize what real fire accomplishes and to then use that as an analogy
as to what God DOES TO US (or more properly FOR US).

Fire does a number of things:

Fire CHANGES things. Fire brings about molecular
      changes in the materials that are burned. God’s spiritual fire will make changes in
      our mind, heart, and spirit.
Fire PURGES. In times past if a building were
      diseased and rat-infested, they would purge away the filth by burning it down. We are to
      be purged from all our diseases of sin and carnality. Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin
      for us, but now God wants to get at the root and core of what caused us to sin in the
      first place. We all need desperately to be CHANGED and PURGED.
Fire BURNS UP combustible materials that have no
      value in saving. God will burn out of all of us the straw, grass, and stubble, which
      represent evil and wrong doctrines, idols of the heart, and philosophies that exalt
      themselves against God.
Fire PURIFIES things of value which we do want to
      retain. The analogy is used in the Scriptures of purifying gold by fire to make it more
      beautiful and more valuable. Gold represents the highest doctrines of spiritual
      understanding such as the Love of God and the Sovereignty of God, and salvation of all.

No one teaches us more regarding the fiery trials of
life than the apostle to the nations, Paul. Paul was "revealed, tried, salted, and
baptized" in God’s "CONSUMING FIRE," and yet never a single
hair on his head was ever singed.

THE CALL OF PAUL

When Jesus desired to ask the worst sinner who had
ever lived (that would be Paul):

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy
   of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS; OF WHOM I
   AM CHIEF," I Tim. 1:15)

To volunteer to teach the gospel to the Gentiles, He
merely shined a bright light in Paul’s face to get his attention. Here are just a few
revealed events in the life of Saul before God turned him into PAUL:

"Now Saul [Paul], yet breathing out
   THREATENINGS and SLAUGHTER against the disciples of the Lord. . ." (Acts
   9:1):


"And I [Paul]
   persecuted this way unto THE DEATH, binding and delivering into prisons both men
   and women" (Acts 22:4).


"And I PUNISHED them OFT in EVERY
   synagogue, and compelling them To BLASPHEME; and being exceedingly mad against them, I
   persecuted them unto strange cities" (Acts 26:11).


"For I am the LEAST of the apostles,
   that am not meant to be called an apostle because I PERSECUTED the church of God"
   (I Cor. 15:9).


"For ye have heard of my conversation
   [behavior] in time past in the Jews religion, how that BEYOND MEASURE I persecuted the
   church of God, and WASTED it" (Gal. 1:13).

Most people believe that when Paul said he was the
"chief of sinners" he was just blowing hot air–trying to play super humble or
something. That he was so spiritual that he equated persecution of the church with being
the grossest sin of all time. Not so. God’s Holy Spirit did not inspire Paul to
"blow hot air" to make himself look artificially humble! Paul (Saul before his
conversion) really was THE WORST SINNER THAT HAS EVER LIVED IN THE
HISTORY OF THE WORLD! (Including Hitler!)

There is a very important reason for understanding
how gross a sinner Paul really was. There is a paramount reason why you will NEVER be able
to out-sin Paul. NO ONE has ever been able to out-sin Paul. Men like Hitler and Hussein
may even come close, but no one will ever hold that infamous distinction of being the "chief,
preeminent, foremost sinner of all time" but the apostle Paul. Jesus Christ had
to fill that position two thousand years ago for our understanding of upon whom the ends
of the ages are come! Here’s the proof:

The phrase "beyond measure" in the KJV
(Gal. 1:13) is translated from the Greek word hyperbole and has two primary
usages:

"TRANSCENDENT" as found in Scriptures
      such as II Cor. 4:17

      "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far
      more EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL [eonian] WEIGHT of glory."

      The Greek translated "exceeding" is huperbole, and means TRANSCENDENT.
      Transcendent describes something that is highest, incomparable, consummate, matchless,
      preeminent, sublime, perfect, unequaled, unparalleled, and unrivaled! In other words the
      highest possible degree. Nothing is higher than that which is huperbole –
      TRANSCENDENT!
"INORDINATE" as we read in Gal. 1:13,


      "For you hear of my behavior once, in Judaism, that I INORDINATELY
      persecuted the ecclesia [church] of God and ravaged it." (Concordant
      Literal New Testament).

      Inordinate describes something that is excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, unreasonable,
      and too much. Now here’s the kicker: "Inordinately" is translated from the
      SAME GREEK WORD huperbole which is also translated "transcendently"! (For
      more details on this see my paper entitled Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh Identified).

Here then is the Biblical truth of this matter. To
the degree that "transcendently" describes the HEIGHT of God’s goodness and
glory, so likewise does the word "inordinately" describe the HEIGHT of evil that
Paul perpetrated on the Church of God. God’s transcendent (huperbole)
goodness and glory are UNPARALLELED! Likewise, Paul’s inordinate (huperbole)
slaughter (murders) and threatenings are also, UNPARALLELED! God’s Word does not say
in vain that Paul was the CHIEF, FOREMOST, PREEMINENT (very, very WORST) of ALL
SINNERS WHO HAVE EVER LIVED! He really WAS.

Now then, what do we read next after all these
"threatenings and slaughter?"

"And as he [Saul]
   journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from
   heaven: And he fell to the earth … And he TREMBLING AND ASTONISHED, said, ‘LORD,
   WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME TO DO?" (Acts 9:3-6).

By all Scriptural indications, it probably took no
longer than 30 seconds before Paul was fully committed to His New Lord. Do you reckon
Jesus could ever do such a thing again? Or, was this incident a mere fluke? Don’t you
fancy that Jesus could possibly convert one of the lesser sinners of the world (say Ted
Bundy) in maybe 29 seconds? Or 28 seconds? Then why do you suppose that the High Priests
of Christendom are teaching the world that there are billions and billions of LESSER
sinners that Jesus CANNOT convert in 29 seconds or 29 QUADRILLION CENTURIES?

I did not use up a couple of pages here just to tell
an interesting story from the Bible. It is more than just an interesting story, it is an
amazing and marvelous story, and it portends profound hope for a lost and sinning world.
Why does Paul tell us that he was the chief of ALL SINNERS? Why did our Lord choose this
worst of sinners to be His apostle at this particular time in history? Why didn’t He
choose a mediocre sinner like James or John to be His apostle to the Gentiles? Why did it
have to be THE WORLD’S WORST SINNER? What did our Lord prove by using the
world’s worst sinner that He couldn’t have done by using a lesser sinner? MUCH!

I have heard people say already that "God
won’t save me; I have committed too many horrible sins for God to ever save me!"
And I have heard and had people personally tell me that God will never save men like Ted
Bundy or Adolph Hitler because their sins were so evil and so many. Oh, how we humans love
to put limitations on an INFINITE GOD! Here’s the answer as to why God needed to
chose the world’s WORST SINNER to be the apostle to the rest of the world:

"Howbeit for this cause I obtained
   mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to
   them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting" (I Tim.
   1:16).

The King James really does not do justice to this
verse at all. Most have read right over this verse and never saw the profound, universal,
all-embracing teaching in this verse. Let me quote it from the Concordant Version:

"But therefore was I shown mercy, that in
   me, THE FOREMOST [the worst sinner ever] Jesus Christ should be DISPLAYING [publicly]
   ALL HIS PATIENCE [yes God has ‘patience’ with even the worst of
   sinners], FOR A PATTERN, of those who are about to be believing on Him
   for life eonian"

Jesus Christ chose Paul, the WORST, CHIEF, FOREMOST,
PREEMINENT SINNER THAT EVER LIVED (huperbole), to be put on PUBLIC DISPLAY for the
whole world to see Jesus Christ demonstrating ALL HIS PATIENCE, for a "PATTERN"
that will be repeated over, and over, and over again billions and billions of times for
all those that Christ will likewise bring to repentance at any second He so desires!!!

Here’s the lesson: If Jesus Christ can bring to
repentance, and convert, and save the WORLD’S WORST SINNER THAT HAS EVER LIVED in
about 30 seconds, then that drunken cussing uncle of yours (the one you believe is going
to hell for all eternity), is NO MATCH FOR THE CONVERTING POWER OF JESUS CHRIST! And ALL
OF THE LESSER SINNERS of the world also are no match for the converting, saving power of
Jesus Christ. Once the Giant of all sinners has been conquered, converting the sinning
MIDGETS will be an easy task!

Has no one ever considered what would happen if God
were to strike down Hitler with a BLINDING LIGHT FROM HEAVEN? Do you really think he would
shake his fist toward heaven in total human defiance? Well, if you do, you think as a
fool! Paul despised the Church of the Loving God. He hated it with evey fiber of his
being. He went to great length and personal hardship to seek out and TORTURE the Saints of
God. But when God struck him down with a blinding light from heaven, Paul "trembled"
(Greek, tremo, dreadful and terrifying FEAR), and was "astonished"
(Greek: thambeo, to stupefy, astound, amaze, astonish), and melted like
jelly in the noonday SUN!

And some would suppose that Hitler or any LESSER
sinner would do otherwise? Well, God didn’t strike down Hitler with a blinding light
from heaven, but guess what? HE WILL YET DO IT! And when He does, Hitler
will sob like a babbling idiot! He will violently shake and tremble in UTTER DESPAIR AND
TERROR, and he will REPENT, make no mistake about it! OUR GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE! God
has ways to MAKE carnal-minded, God-defying men and women VOLUNTEER real fast!

I am wearied by the countless times people have told
me: "God will NEVER make anyone do anything against their own free will." Oh,
really? Show me the Scripture. Show me the SCRIPTURE!! Are any so STUPID as to believe
that on the very day that Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute and torture the
Saints of Jesus Christ with nothing else on his mind, but he paused for a moment in the
middle of the road and thought to himself, "You know, I think that I will not go to
Damascus today and persecute Christians. I believe that I will right now exercise my
‘free will’ and repent of all these sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ Whom
I have been persecuting. Yes, I think I will do that right now, BEFORE IT IS TOO
LATE." Is THAT what the Word of God says? IS IT? Or rather did not Christ MAKE
His will PAUL’S WILL in mere SECONDS?

So many ignorant people just do not see that they
are BLASPHEMING the very name, nature, and character (LOVE) of God by their demeaning and
hate-filled accusations about what God can and cannot do! God went AGAINST the will of
Paul (Saul), and God MADE His will PAUL’S WILL in a matter of SECONDS.
But Christendom teaches that God doesn’t do such things. It just isn’t right. It
just isn’t God’s way. WELL, YES, IT IS RIGHT, AND IT IS GOD’S WAY, AND HE
WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL ALL HUMANITY IS SAVED!

And so we learn that God converted the world’s
worst sinner in a matter of seconds. We learned that The Father inspired Jesus to pray: "Forgive
them, for they know not what they do." We also learned that the "them"
in this prayer includes the whole world, for the Scriptures plainly tell us that it is the
whole world that is accountable for Christ’s Crucifixion, even though it was
performed by the express foreordained will of the Father.

Now then, what do these marvelous and profound
Scriptures accomplish in the hearts and minds of those who are teaching "eternal
torment?" Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING! These Scriptural truths have NO effect on the
hearts of those depraved persons who delight in the prospects of an eternal hellhole of
torture for most of humanity. But at God’s choosing, they will all melt as Paul did
in the blinding light of God’s noonday Sun!

For those few of you whom God is beginning to speak
to through His spirit, it should now start to become clear that nothing can thwart the will of
God which is to SAVE ALL HUMANITY. God has spoken it; He has willed it; He will perform
it.

FOR WHAT DID PAUL VOLUNTEER?

All who will have a part with Christ when He comes
to rule this earth in His kingdom must volunteer for judgment now! Remember how Paul
volunteered: "What will You have me to do?" But just what was Paul
volunteering to do?

Was he volunteering to be praised and adored by
the public?
Was he volunteering to wear thousand-dollar suits,
      $500 shoes, $20,000 Rolex watches, drive $80,000 automobiles, live in
      multi-million dollar
      multiple homes, fly in private executive jets, and collect millions and millions and
      millions of dollars of poor people’s money to promote the gospel of prosperity and
      worldliness?
Did our Lord tell Paul that his ministry and
      calling would be a "walk in the park" with never-ending comforts and pleasures,
      having medals and honors bestowed upon him by the leaders and dignitaries of pagan
      nations, living in a five and a half-million dollar mansion large enough to be a luxury
      hotel, while feasting like a fat king in the opulence of Babylonian extravagance?
Is this the description of a successful minister
of the Gospel?
Was Paul’s message to all the Gentile nations
      that they had to give to him (or they would be ROBBING GOD) ten percent of all their gold,
      silver, salaries, or money, so he could flaunt his worldly and lavish lifestyle in the
      faces of these poor Christian converts.

Let’s "get real" as they say.

"For I will shew him [Paul] how GREAT things he
must SUFFER for my name’s sake" (Acts 9:16).

In II Cor. 11:22-28 we learn that Paul suffered the
following:

weariness	jails	blows
deaths	thirty-nine lashes	flogged with rods
stoned	shipwrecked	day & night in swamp
journeys	dangers of rivers	dangers of robbers
dangers of his race	dangers of the nations	dangers in the city
dangers in wilderness	dangers in the sea	dangers from false brethren
toil and labor	vigils	famine and thirst
fasts	cold and nakedness

Besides those things that are without, that which
cometh upon me DAILY, the care of ALL THE CHURCHES’!

Add a little "fire" to the above scenario
and we might conclude that Paul was being tortured and punished in a Christian hell.

But Paul was not being "punished," he was
being "JUDGED," and there is a world of difference. Paul was being made STRONG.
Paul was being molded into a SPIRITUAL GIANT! And being trained, educated, purged,
perfected into a spiritual giant is NOT a walk in the park!

Was it just Paul that God singled out to endure such
hardships and trials? No, we too must partake of the same:

"Confirming the souls of the disciples,
   and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that WE [Christians,
   followers of Christ] MUST through MUCH TRIBULATION [Greek: thlipsis--affliction,
   troubles, burdens, persecution, anguish] enter into the kingdom of God"
   (Acts 14:22).

Does your pastor teach that you must go through such
things if you are to be a follower of Jesus Christ and rule with Him in the Kingdom of
God? Or does he teach that if you are going through just such things that you
probably need to get your life in order and repent because you obviously have many, many
sins in your life that are bringing on all these troubles and therefore, you are not being
blessed of the Lord? Their prosperity gospel of worldliness and gross materialism is a
travesty of the gospel of Jesus Christ! I hear this prosperity gospel of worldliness and
materialism every time I turn the TV on. But what do the Scriptures say?

Before I continue this train of thought, let me
interject that although we are to go through extreme hardship, persecution, and
tribulations, God nonetheless strengthens us so that we can endure these things. It is
not God’s purpose to discourage us. We have this promise from God:

"There hath no temptation taken you but
   such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above
   that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape [Gk:
   ‘sequel’] that you may be able to bear it" (I Cor. 10:13).

I’ll let you check all the many Scriptures of
comfort that God gives us even while we are undergoing all our trials and sufferings.
Here’s one more good one, however:

"Blessed [Gk: HAPPY]
   is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the CROWN OF
   LIFE, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him" (James 1:12).

It is most important that we consider, however, some
of the many Scriptures that relate to our suffering, afflictions, and persecutions. This
is necessary if we are to ever acquire a deep spiritual understanding of God’s
judgment on the world in the lake of fire and second death. As we go through these many
Scriptures, be aware of the fact that we are not going through all these things as
punishment. God is not punishing us, He is chastening us, and there is a BIG difference.

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of
   God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we SUFFER with Him, that we
   may be also glorified together" (Rom. 8:17).

"That no man should be moved by these AFFLICTIONS:
for yourselves know that we are APPOINTED thereunto" (I Thes. 3:3).

Paul suffered much to get the gospel to the
Thessalonians, "… Suffering … being outraged … a vast struggle … [why?]
… We have been TESTED by God to be entrusted with the gospel … God, Who is TESTING our
hearts" (I Thes. 2:1-4, Concordant Literal New Testament).

Then he tells them that they too are
"appointed" to such like sufferings and afflictions. Paul praises the faith and
endurance of the Thessalonians because of: "… all your PERSECUTIONS and the
AFFLICTIONS with which you are bearing … which you are SUFFERING … you who are being
AFFLICTED …" (I Thes. 1:5-7).

Now then, was this because the Thessalonians lived
in a bad part of town, or bad part of the world, or that they lived at a bad time in
history? Or does God bring these things upon all who would follow Christ in all ages?

"Yea, and ALL [in every era]
   that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION" (II Tim.
   3:12).

But aren’t all these persecutions and
afflictions at the hands of evil men rather than God? For sure wicked men commit many
wicked deeds against the true followers of Jesus Christ, but who is ultimately responsible
for ALL things, including the tribulations and persecutions of believers? It is, of
course, GOD

"Who works ALL things after the counsel
of His Own WILL" (Eph. 1:11).

"So that we ourselves glory in you in
   the churches of God for your patience and faith in ALL YOUR PERSECUTIONS AND TRIBULATIONS
   that ye endure; Which is a manifest token [display] of [of
   WHAT?] … OF the RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT [Gk: ‘just
   judging’] OF GOD!"

And for what grand purpose?

"… that ye may be counted WORTHY OF
THE KINGDOM OF GOD, for which ye also SUFFER" (2 Thes. 1:4-5).

Just how much are we expected to give up and suffer
for Christ in order to be worthy?

"And a man’s foes shall be
   they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is NOT WORTHY of
   Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is NOT WORTHY of Me. And he that
   taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, IS NOT WORTHY OF ME"
   (Matt. 10:36-38).

What does God consider a "reasonable"
sacrifice to become members of the Family and Kingdom of God?

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
   the mercies of God, that ye present your BODIES A LIVING SACRIFICE, holy,
   acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1).

Make no mistake about it; if you will follow Jesus
Christ, you will experience many of the hardships spoken of in these Scriptures. I am not
saying that it is necessary to teach youngsters in Sunday School these deeper truths of
God, but if we adults are to ever go on to maturity in Christ, it’s time to get our
heads out of the sand!

The good news is that if we have a volunteering
heart and accept the judgments of God on our lives now, we will be sure to avoid the
harsher judgment on the whole world reserved for "that day."

"For if we would JUDGE [Gk:
   diakrino=THROUGH JUDGE, separate thoroughly, to withdraw, discern, judge]
   OURSELVES [members of the called-out House of God], we should not be
   judged [Gk: krino=judge, set right, decide, to try, condemn, punish].
   But when we are judged [the same Greek word krino as used above
   with reference to judging the wicked world] we are CHASTENED of the Lord,
   that we should not be condemned [Gk: katakrino, an adverse sentence]
   with the world" (I Cor. 11:32).

Pay close attention to the three Greek words, diakrino,
krino, and katakrino, used in this verse.

There is so much contained in this verse. There is a
judgment now on God’s saints. We are judged by being "chastened of the
Lord." What does that mean? "Chastened" is from the Greek word paideuo and
here is what it means: "to train up a child, i.e. educate, or (by
impl.) discipline (by punishment): — chasten (-ise), instruct, learn, teach"
(Strong’s Greek Dictionary p. 54).

Are you following this amazing use of words? You
will now learn a marvelous truth of Scripture that is not being taught in any theological
seminary that I am aware of anywhere in the whole world.

We are "judged" by God, and the
vehicle that God uses to do this judging is "chastening." In other words,
we are "judged" by God by being "trained up" like a child, by
being "educated," by "discipline" involving "punishment,"
"instructed," by which we "learn," and all these "teach" us
WHAT WE SHOULD BE.

There is no doubt that some of this chastening can
be harsh, sorrowful, and painful. Much of it is not very pleasant and God admits as much
to us. And it is not possible for one single son of God to avoid this chastisement!
Let’s read it:

WHEN GRACE IS A VERB

Grace means favor, a gift, to be cheerful, well,
happy, graciously, freely, deliverance from danger, and a dozen other benevolent qualities
of peace, joy, goodness, and salvation. It is one of those truly wonderful words of
blessing. But just how does it operate in "the real world" as we say? A
definition does not tell us everything about a word. We can, likewise, define
"love" as, a deep, tender feeling of affection. But does that definition tell us
how love actually functions?

We learned that "… when we are judged,
we are chastened of the Lord" (I Cor. 11:32).

Chastening defines how it is that God judges
us. Now then, we are about to learn one of the most remarkable spiritual truths in the
whole Bible:

"For the grace of God
   that brings salvation hath appeared to all men , teaching us that, denying
   ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
   present world [eon or age]" (Titus 2:11-12).

Here then is the remarkable parallel between
God’s judgment and His grace:

God "judges" us by "chastening" us! (I Cor. 11:32)	"chasten," Greek: ‘paideuo’ #3811
God "graces" us by *"teaching"* us! (Titus 2:12)	"teaching," Greek: ‘paideuo’ #3811

WOW! Do you even begin to understand what you have
just read? Whether God "JUDGES" us (and later the wicked world), or
"GRACES" us, He does it THE SAME WAY!!

"Judging" is CHASTENING (Strong’s
#3811), and "gracing" is CHASTENING (Strong’s #3811). It is the SAME WORD!

"Grace" is not a stagnant feel-good noun
— it is also a verb — that is, it does something; it accomplishes
something; it produces something of great value in the believer.

"Teaching" accomplishes something
essential in making man into God’s very image.

The next verse tells us what it "teaches"
us: "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts … living soberly, righteously,
and godly!" Just the words "living godly" will cover every
single thing that God EVER ASKS OF US — EVERYTHING. "Living GODLY" covers every
possible act of faith, love, and obedience that anyone could ever conceive of.

When God uses the SAME WORD to describe something
that He wishes to accomplish, it behooves us to study deeply what that word means,
especially when that word has to do with the very destiny of all peoples who have ever
lived.

The subject of I Cor. 11:32 is JUDGING.
   The subject of Titus 2:11 is GRACE AND SALVATION.


HOW does God "judge" us? BY CHASTENING
   (#3811, paideuo)!.
   HOW does God’s "grace and save" us? BY CHASTENING (#3811, paideuo)!


God JUDGES by chastening (I Cor. 11:32), and God
   GRACES by chastening (Titus 2:11).
   By GRACE GOD JUDGES US and by JUDGING GOD GRACES US!

Gracing us by means of chastening, TEACHES US
TO LIVE GODLY and brings salvation. Judging us by means of chastening, also TEACHES
US TO LIVE GODLY and brings salvation!

It is high time we dispense with the hypocrisy.

When God JUDGES US THROUGH CHASTENING (I Cor. 11:32)
it is for our good and for our benefit and for our salvation. Why then do we think that
God changes character when He likewise judges the wicked, unjust, and non-believers at the
great white throne? Why? God changes NOT! God is NOT a respecter of persons. You read all
of these Scriptures. Do we think the Scriptures LIE?

If you are not rejoicing over these profound and
marvelous revelations, then you must be spiritually asleep. I have just shown you one of
the most remarkable truths in the entirety of the Bible! You would do well to not read any
further until you thoroughly grasp what has been presented here.

And again I ask, "What does this have to do
with the lake of fire?" EVERYTHING! I am not going to go into detail on this aspect
of judging yet, but suffice it to be said here that the "judging" (Greek: krino
in I Cor. 11:32 by chastening that brings godly living and salvation is also the very same
"judging" (Greek: krino) used in Revelation 20:12 with reference to the
lake of fire.

Seriously, do many believe that these God-inspired
Greek words have one meaning when applied to God judging and gracing believers now, but
then have a totally different meaning when applied to as yet non-believers in the day of
judging? Do you? Well, regrettably, many do think that God is fickle, inconsistent, and a
respecter of persons. Can you for once in your life begin to use your God-given mind to
think for yourself?

This is an absolutely marvelous teaching. God
"judges" us by "chastening "(paideuo) us, which means,
teaching, training, learning, disciplining, punishing, instructing, and educating. And God
"graces" us also by this same "chastening" (paideuo) which does
not change meaning from one Scripture verse to another. Notice how other translations
render this word paideuo in Titus 2:11-12:

"Teaching us…" King James

"Instructing us…" American
   Standard Version


"Disciplining us… New Testament (Henry
   Alford)


"And schooling us…" The
   Centenary Translation (Montgomery)


"Training us…" The New
   Testament in Modern Speech (Weymouth)

Now it is true that the Greek word paideuo #3811 can
also mean "punishment." But punishment is not the main force of this word.
Notice that none of the above translations (nor any that I know of) translate this word,
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, PUNISHING us
that denying ungodliness …" No, the force of this word is to DISCIPLINE, TRAIN,
INSTRUCT, SCHOOL AND TEACH. Let’s at least have the sensibility of a ten year-old. Of
what value is "disciplining, training, instructing, schooling, and teaching" if
it goes on forever and ever and ever, and while being burned with fire, for ALL ETERNITY?
Gee, do we think they will EVER "learn their lesson?" I, of course, speak as a
fool.

All of these aspects of paideuo are with a
view to amendment, correction, and setting right, not merely punishment for
punishment’s sake. A father chastens his children with a view to amendment and
correction, not for the sole sake of CAUSING PAIN! Why do we think carnal-minded human
fathers are a billion times more noble and merciful in the disciplining of their children
than God is in the disciplining (chastening — judging — gracing) of HIS children?

There is a need for much repenting in the teaching
of this vile doctrine of eternal torment. This doctrine of eternal torture blasphemes the
name of our Loving Father. It is heresy on a level with hypobole – inordinate –
TOO MUCH! It is a damnable teaching. And it is among the filthy trash of wood, straw and
stubble that will be purged out and burned out in God’s Lake of Fire from every
person who teaches and delights in this most disgusting of all disgraceful theologies of
depraved men and women.

Oh yes, there are things that are going to be burned
out of existence in God’s "lake of fire," and this deplorable doctrine of
eternal torment will be the first to be abolished and death will be the last to be
abolished–and so, let it burn … LET IT BURN!

Remember that Jesus Christ does not change and that
He does not respect (have partiality) with regards to persons. With those two thoughts in
mind, what is accomplished by the "chastening" of the Lord? He
"graces" us by chastening and He "judges" us by chastening. What does
it always accomplish? Answer:

"For the grace of God [that chastens
us] … BRINGS SALVATION" (Titus 2:11)!!

And all of this is of God. God judges, God graces,
God chastens, and God brings SALVATION!

Perhaps you have a shortcut-formula which bypasses
all these hundreds of Scriptures I am presenting and makes them all void and of
no effect? I have heard of such short-cut formulas, but God’s Word knows nothing of
them!

Notice:

"Being CONFIDENT of this very thing,
   that He [that’s Christ] which hath begun a good work in you WILL
   PERFORM IT until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

And when Christ’s

"… JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the
   inhabitants of the world [the whole world] WILL LEARN
   RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:9).

As far as Christian theory goes, this Scripture in
Isaiah might just a well be a lie, for they say it will never happen. They teach that the
whole world will never ever learn righteousness and receive salvation. That’s because
they neither believe the gospel nor teach it. And so rather than bring the gospel of
universal salvation, they threaten the world with universal damnation in the fires of
eternal hell if they don’t follow their short-cut-formulas to material wealth and
spiritual salvation. And thus the name of God is being blasphemed among the nations (Rom.
2:24) to this very day.

PUNISHING VS. CHASTENING

While considering all of the hellfire and
brimstone material disseminated by Christian teachers, preachers, writers, and educators
around the world, just how many hundreds of times do you suppose the word
"punishment" is used in the entire New Testament with regards to sinners?
Hundreds? Would you believe less than fifty? Would you believe less than ten? Would you
believe ONCE? That’s right, the answer is one time.

"Of how much more punishment [Gk:
   timoria], suppose you, shall he be thought worthy, who has trodden under
   foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was
   sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"
   (Heb. 10:29).

I can assure you that those who have committed the
above crime towards the Lord are few indeed. Most of humanity that will be judged in the
lake of fire have NEVER EVEN HEARD of Jesus Christ, let alone, "trodden underfoot
the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant, an UNHOLY thing, and done DESPITE
unto the Spirit of grace." Most have never even heard of such sins, let
alone
committed them.

This is a most powerful Scripture to be sure, but it
does not speak of "eternal" punishment, and it is the ONLY SCRIPTURE IN
THE ENTIRETY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT that uses the word "punishment" with
reference to punishing sinners!

There are three other places in the KJV that the
word "punish" or "punished" is used correctly. They are Acts 4:21;
22:5; and 26:11 where it Saul (later Paul) is punishing not sinners, but members of the
church, the followers of Christ.

II Thes. 1:9 should be translated, "eonian
extermination" and not "punished … everlasting."

II Peter 2:4 & 9 should both be
"chastening" as it is the same Greek word kolazo and not timoria
which means punish.

The KJV uses "punished" in verse nine,
which should be "chasten," and ironically it doesn’t even translate the
Greek word kolazo (chasten) in verse four — the KJV translators left it out
completely. I suppose the translators thought that it was redundant to say,
"chastening judging." But then again, they didn’t bother to look at II Cor.
2:6 which should read "rebuke" (another Greek word, epitimia), not
"punish."

And lastly, I Pet. 2:14 should read
"vengeance" ( still another Greek word, kdikesise), and not punishment.

So in the case of "punishment" we have but
ONE Scripture to deal with, and we will deal with it.

This next fact doesn’t necessarily
"prove" anything, it’s just the way my mind works. Jesus Christ said:

"O generation of vipers, how can you,
   being evil, speak good things? For out of the ABUNDANCE of the heart the MOUTH
   SPEAKS" (Mat. 12:34).

I think we all understand that statement: What is
heaviest and most dominant on our heart is what we talk about the most.

Now then, my observation. We learned of the one time
that punishment is used in reference to sinners. Would you all be interested in knowing
how many times the opposite of punishment is used? Okay, the word "mercy" (-ies,
-iful) is found in the Bible over THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY times! Could it be that the
"abundance of God’s heart" consists of many more MERCIES than it does of
vengeance and punishment?

Where do you suppose we find nearly a hundred of
these occurrences? That’s right, in the writings of King David. No wonder blind
Bartimaeus …

"began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou
Son OF DAVID, have MERCY on me" (Mk. 10:47).

God promised to give His Son "… the
sure MERCIES OF DAVID" (Acts 13:34). You see, David’s heart
spoke such an abundance about God’s mercies, that God said of him:

"… I have found DAVID the son of
   Jesse, a man AFTER MINE OWN HEART which shall fulfill all my will"
   (Acts 13:22).

Three hundred and thirty to ONE! Probably
doesn’t mean a thing. Just an observation.

By the way, even among those who love the doctrine
of eternal torment, no Scripture in the Old Testament has ever been brought forth which
even vaguely defends their theory.

PUNISHMENT AND THE GOSPEL

For all those who have never heard the real Gospel
of God, here it is:

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the
   feet of him that brings good tidings, that publish peace; that brings GOOD TIDINGS [that
   means gospel] of GOOD [not evil tidings of a Lord who administers infinite acts of
   eternal terrorism], that publishes SALVATION [not DAMNATION] … The LORD hath
   made bare His holy arm in the eyes of ALL THE NATIONS [that’s the whole world],
   and ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH [that’s everyone] SHALL SEE THE
   SALVATION OF OUR GOD" (Isa. 52:7 & 10).

I am wondering if most of my readers have ever even
heard of this verse or knew that it is in their Bibles.

Now I am aware of the many Scriptures that speak of
death, destruction, and perishing of wicked people. And we won’t forget the one
Scripture with regards to punishment. All those Scriptures are true. They are not,
however, God’s final judgment on the wicked. The final judgments of God will bring
salvation to all and there are no scriptures that contradict those saving declarations of
Almighty God. God has declared it; He has spoken it; His Word has gone
forth: He has willed –

"Who WILL have ALL men to be SAVED, and
to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4).

Here then is a declaration of God from His own
inspired Word. It is found in all Bibles and in all languages on earth for all
to see and
believe. But the Church of Babylon has tried to destroy this declaration and make it of no
effect in the minds of millions and millions of people around the world. They teach that
this verse and declaration of Almighty God WILL NEVER EVER HAPPEN! Well, be
it known, that they LIE!

Here’s what God says about His own words and
His own declarations.

"So shall MY WORD BE that GOES FORTH OUT OF
   MY MOUTH [as in I Tim. 2:4 and a hundred Scriptures like it]; it shall NOT return
   unto me void [unfruitful, negated, ineffective, ineffectual, inoperative, invalid,
   null, worthless, vain, unsuccessful], but it SHALL ACCOMPLISH THAT WHICH I PLEASE,
   AND IT SHALL PROSPER [bear fruit, benefit, do well, flourish, increase, multiply,
   progress, make good] in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

Oh, the audacity and blasphemy of those who proudly
teach that God cannot and will not ever accomplish His own will, save five percent! Does
Isaiah 55:11 sound like only a FIVE PERCENT gospel that Christendom is preaching around
the world for TEN PERCENT of your money? Like those who crucified our Lord, they know not
what they say, and God will forgive them too. But for those who are ready to learn and
believe, let’s see how God answers such utter foolishness:

Remember the former things of old:
   For I am God, and there is none else;
   I AM GOD, and there is none like Me,
   "Telling from the BEGINNING, the HEREAFTER,
   And from AFORETIME, what has NOT YET been done,
   Saying, ‘ALL MY COUNSEL SHALL BE CONFIRMED,
   And ALL MY DESIRE WILL I DO.
   Calling from the sunrise, a bird of prey,
   From a land far off, the man of My counsel.
   Indeed, I SPEAK! INDEED, I WILL BRING IT ABOUT!
   I formed. Indeed, I WILL DO IT" (Isaiah 46:9-11).

Nothing can hinder God’s words or declarations.
Even the things that are perceived to be hindrances to God’s will (such as the lake
of fire and the second death), are not hindrances at all, but rather are the very
instruments for the accomplishment of His will. God has a ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GOSPEL, AND
IT’S FREE!

GRACE AND JUDGMENT

"For whom the Lord loves He
CHASTENS …" (Heb. 12:6).

There is no escaping it. If you are to be a
"son of God" you will be chastened. Now I don’t want to pile too much on
you at once here, but there’s more. As you can see from the definition above, the
word "chastened" is paideuo, and is not too severe. Even if involving
some punishment, the whole thrust of the word is to train, educate, discipline, instruct,
etc. These are all good things not to be feared. But there is more, so we might just as
well read it and get our attitudes adjusted to it. The rest of the verse:

"For whom the Lord loves He
   CHASTENS, and [AND] … SCOURGES every son whom He receives [or
   is assenting]" (Heb. 12:6)

"SCOURGES?" No, not scourging! Does
God show His love toward us by scourging us? It is absolutely necessary. Scourging is
definitely even more severe and harsh than chastening.

The word "scourge" in Heb. 12:6 is from
the Greek word mastigoo and here’s its definition: "to flog
(literally or figuratively) — scourge" Strong’s Greek Dictionary, page
46. And what does "flog" mean?

"flog 1. To beat severely with a whip or
rod." Page 531 American heritage College Dictionary.

This word "scourge" in Heb. 12:6 which God
performs on us, is the very same word found in John 19:1 where it says they took Jesus and
"scourged" Him. Now then, will God literally "BEAT SEVERELY WITH A WHIP OR
ROD" every son that He receives? No, not necessarily, even though they did literally
do so to Paul and many other followers of Jesus Christ. Remember that the definition said
it can be "literal OR figurative."

Many people have come to know Christ in their senior
years, and God does not literally beat every little old lady with whips and rods when they
turn to Him. However, the chastening of God’s grace which we read about in Titus 2:11
can certainly seem like a real flogging. God will chasten us until He drives out the beast
in us. The beast of supposed "free will" which is really self-will does not want
to leave peaceably! It takes the very presence of Jesus Christ to dispel the beast of
humanistic self-determinism, commonly called "free will."

Although we are not condemned when God judges us, we
nonetheless must be chastened.

"If you endure chastening, God deals
   with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? But if you be
   without chastisement, whereof ALL are partakers, then are you bastards, and NOT
   sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
   reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection into the Father of spirits, and live?
   For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for OUR
   PROFIT, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present
   seems to be joyous, but GRIEVOUS: nevertheless afterward it yields the PEACEABLE FRUIT OF
   RIGHTEOUSNESS unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:7–11).

So it is essential that we accept God’s
chastisement which is how He "judges" us.

The reason we are not "condemned" with the
world is because we accept God’s judgment in our lives

"There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION
   to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
   Spirit" (Rom. 8:1).

But can we compare the judging that believers go
through with the judging that the wicked receive at the end of the age in the lake of
fire. Surely there is no comparison, is there? Trust me when I say, "For
there is no respect [Gk: partiality] of persons with God"
(Rom. 2:11).

Doesn’t the "second death" part of
the "lake of fire" seal their fate forever?
Isn’t it true that God will never, ever
pressure anyone to accept Jesus Christ?
Isn’t it true that even God Himself
doesn’t know why some people reject His Sacrifice?
Didn’t God predestine us to be saved but
predestined those in the lake of fire to be damned?
Isn’t the reason why some people choose
Christ and others Reject Christ an eternal mystery?
Is there something about death itself that
prevents God from saving a non-believer after death?
Does Rom. 8:38-19 substantiate the teaching that
death separates God from sinners, eternally?
Isn’t the lake of fire the most dreadful
thing that God Almighty has ever created?
Will billions of sinners purposely choose to be
tortured in fire forever rather than accept Christ?
Let’s face it, isn’t the lake of fire
something we will never understand until it comes?
Is God as stupid and depraved as the theologians
who try to bring Him down to their level?

I will now answer all these questions in order: No,
No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, and NO!

KEEP THESE SCRIPTURES IN MIND

I don’t want us to lose track of the verses we
are endeavoring to explain from other Scriptures. So let’s take a quick review. There
are only a half dozen things that we should keep ever present in our minds as we journey
through the Scriptures:

"And the beast was taken, and
   with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them
   that had received the mark of the beast [what is THAT?], and them that worshipped his
   image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone [does
   brimstone make the lake of fire burn HOTTER? Is fire without brimstone not hot enough to
   burn and torture human flesh?]" (Rev. 19:20).


"And the devil that deceived them was
   cast into the lake of fire [I thought a lake contains water] and
   brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented [does
   that mean TORTURED? Can spirit beings be tormented by physical fire?]
   day and night [but there shall be ‘NO NIGHT’, 20:25] for ever
   and ever [how long is THAT? Is ‘ever AND ever’ something like TWICE as
   long as eternity?]" (Rev. 20:10).


"And I saw a great white [not
   BLACK] throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven
   fled away [where did they GO?]; and there was found no place for them [if
   this is literal, then where pray tell did God PUT THEM?]" (Rev.
   20:11).


"And I saw the dead, small and great,
   stand [stand WHERE, both the heavens AND THE EARTH ‘fled away’ Verse
   11] before God; and the books [are these books like a daily DIARY from
   Walton Books?] were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life
   [why is this only ONE book?]: and the dead were judged out of those
   things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Rev.
   20:12).


"And the sea gave up the dead which
   were in it [is this speaking of dead sailors who drowned in the ocean?];
   and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them [is death and hell a
   place or a realm? And how can HELL deliver up their DEAD -- we are assured by Christendom
   that those in hell are VERY MUCH ALIVE and SUFFERING?]: and the dead were judged [does
   judge mean SENTENCED TO HELL FOR EVER?] every man according to their works"
   (Rev. 20:13).


"And death and hell were cast into the
   lake of fire [wait just a minute; Christendom tells us that death {separation
   from God} and hell represent what the lake of fire actually IS, so how pray tell
   can they be cast INTO the lake of fire?]. This is the second death [Ah,
   here is the real key to understand this whole enigma - -the SECOND death is not a repeat
   performance of the FIRST death]" (Rev. 20:14).


"And whosoever was not found written in
   the book of life was cast into the lake of fire [where they are BURNED UP?
   TORTURED FOR ETERNITY? Or JUDGED -- set RIGHT?]" (Rev. 20:15).


"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and
   the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
   liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone:
   which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8).

One can check a hundred translations of the Bible,
and there will be little deviation from the verses cited above. The King James Version is
about as accurate a translation of these verses as there is. Most versions are very close
to the KJV, word for word. But there are about a dozen Bible Translations that differ most
significantly on five little words. The most heretical and damning doctrines of
Christendom completely melt away with a proper translation of these five little words: eis
tous [for the] aionas ton [of the] aionon. So we have "for the
(something?) of the (something?)." When we find out what the aionas and the aionon
is, we will have totally demolished the most vile, evil, damnable religious doctrine
in the history of the world!

Later in this series I will prove this so
completely, so understandably, so simply, that a child will be able to understand it.
You should never be deceived by Mystery Babylon the Great ever again.

Now we learned from Scripture that if we would
volunteer to have God judge us now that we would not need to be condemned with the world
in the lake of fire. And Peter tells us that this judgment (like the one the Thessalonians
were going through) must begin at the HOUSE OF GOD. We saw that it involves much
tribulation, sorrow, affliction and suffering. These things are God’s judgment on
believers to try their hearts and prove them worthy for the Kingdom of God. Christ told us
that if we do not forsake all (even give our very bodies as a living Sacrifice, according
to Paul) and take up OUR cross and follow Christ into persecutions that start in our own
household, then He doesn’t want us in the kingdom with Him — we are NOT
WORTHY (at
this time)!

Now if you are following these Scriptures closely
you will see that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice and endure suffering,
affliction, and persecution. But there is MORE! Oh NO, how much more can we take? What
else? TRIALS. There are trials! The word "trial" in the New Testament is
translated from the Greek word dokimion and means TESTING. God is going to TEST us.
Are you excited about that? Me neither. However, it must be done. We must go through it.
Peter tells us the many trials and temptations are a heaviness to your hearts, but because
we know why we are going through it, we can, nevertheless, REJOICE!

"Wherein ye GREATLY REJOICE, though now
   for a season, if need be, ye are in HEAVINESS THROUGH MANIFOLD TEMPTATIONS"
   (I Peter 1:6).

Ah, yes, how sweet it is in the mouth (REJOICE), but
how bitter it is in the belly (HEAVINESS) (Rev. 10:10). But say, did you notice how LONG
these trials last? For eternity? Or for "a season"? Remember there is NO
partiality with God. Later we will see that those in the final judgment of lake of fire
will also be there for just "a season" not eternally!

BECOMING PERFECT

Jesus Christ DIED FOR OUR SINS, and that
accomplishes the SALVATION OF THE WHOLE WORLD, because God will eventually bring every
creature in HEAVEN AND IN EARTH to repentance and humble submission to Jesus Christ
(Phil. 2:9-11, Rom. 10:9, I Cor. 15:25). But forgiving sin, pardoning sin, justifying our
sinful past, or even redeeming our bodies and giving us incorruptible and immortal bodies,
does NOT make us perfect in deed and character!

God is PERFECT! And God wants His children to BE
PERFECT! And believe it or not God WILL. . . MAKE … US … PERFECT!

"He [God] chooses us
   in Him [Christ] before the disruption [foundation] of
   the world, we to be HOLY and FLAWLESS [PERFECT] in His
   sight …" (Eph. 1:4).


"You, then, shall be PERFECT as your
   heavenly Father is perfect" (Mat. 5:48).


"I in them, and Thou in Me, that they [that’s
   US] may be made PERFECT in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent
   me, and hast loved Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me" (John
   17:23).


"Whom we preach, warning every man, and
   teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man PERFECT in Christ
   Jesus" (Col. 1:28).

People are quick to say, "Well, NOBODY is
perfect." That’s not true:

"For it became HIM, for Whom are all
   things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many [that’s us and the rest
   of the world] sons unto glory, to make them the CAPTAIN of their salvation PERFECT
   [how?] Through SUFFERING" (Heb. 2:10).

Yes, maybe no one but Christ is perfect now, but it
won’t always be that way. Paul knew that it was a process and that it would be
ultimately God’s achievement:

"Not as though I had already attained,
   either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for
   which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:12).


"And he gave some, apostles; and some,
   prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the PERFECTING
   OF THE SAINTS …" (Eph. 4:11-12).

Say, did you notice that Christ was perfected
through "SUFFERING?" Are we not to bear our own Cross? If they hated and
persecuted Christ, will they not do likewise to us? Do we think the Scripture says in
vain,

"Herein is our love made PERFECT,
   that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He [Christ] IS, SO ARE WE
   in the world" (I Jn. 4:17).

Paul tells us in I Thes. 2 and II Thes. 1 that
suffering and persecutions are a big part of the judgment that God uses to test us and to
deem us worthy of His kingdom and salvation.

There is a giant reason why most professing
Christians do NOT suffer persecutions. They may have social, health, and financial
problems, but persecutions? Hardly! Why is that? Do you know that more people
suffer persecution from their families BEFORE they become Christians than they ever do
AFTER they become Christians? Why do you suppose that is? Could it be that as Christians
they blend INTO society rather than STICK OUT?

I can tell you on the authority of Jesus Christ,
God’s Word, and the Apostle Paul, that unless you are SUFFERING real PERSECUTION, you
are NOT a follower of Jesus Christ nor are you living godly in Christ Jesus!

"Remember the word that I said
   unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted ME, they will
   also persecute YOU; if they have kept MY saying, they will keep YOURS also"
   (John 15:20).


"And at that time there was a GREAT
   PERSECUTION against the church … and they were all scattered abroad … except the
   apostles" (Acts 8:1).


"YEA, and ALL that will live godly in
   Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION" (II Tim. 3:12).

GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE

God has a way of making imperfect people perfect. It
is called FIRE! Whether purging or clearing a garbage dump, or refining gold
and silver, there is nothing like the purifying, purging, and perfecting power of FIRE!

What a marvelous metaphor God uses when He compares
Himself and His Holy Spirit with that of "FIRE" – "For our God is a consuming
FIRE" (Heb. 12:29). There are so many marvelous qualities and mysteries of fire
that multiple books are needed to elaborate upon them. However, let me just interject a couple
of points here. Fire CHANGES things. This fact is most important in understanding the
purpose for the "Lake of Fire."

Fire changes combustible things (even
undesirable things) into useful heat and energy.
Fire changes the quality of precious
stones, gold and silver by purging out the impurities, thus making them perfect.

It is automatically assumed without any Scriptural
proof whatsoever, that when one is "thrown into the lake of fire" that (1) It is
literal fire that causes physical pain and torment. And/or (2) It causes physical death
and annihilation. And/or (3) There is no escape and it lasts for all eternity

Let’s be precise now and see what the
Scriptures actually tell us about all those sinning people AFTER they are thrown into a
lake of fire. Rev. 20:10 only mentions the beast and false prophet along with Satan the
Adversary as being cast into the lake of fire. No sinners are thrown in at this point. But
after we are presented with the great white throne in verse 11, and all the dead being
judged in verse 12, we come to verse 15 where sinning people are cast into the lake of
fire. Let’s read it:

"And whosoever was not found written in
   the book of life was CAST into the lake of fire" (Rev.
   20:15)

Are they TORTURED by this fire? It doesn’t say.

Are they KILLED, do they die? It doesn’t say.

Do they ever COME OUT? It doesn’t say.

How LONG does this lake of fire last? It doesn’t say.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and
   the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
   liars, shall HAVE THEIR PART in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is
   the second death" (Rev. 21:8).

Is this group of sinners TORTURED by this fire? It
doesn’t say.

Are they KILLED, do they DIE in this lake of fire/second death? It doesn’t say.

Do they ever COME OUT? It doesn’t say.

How LONG does this lake of fire/second death last? It doesn’t say.

So from these verses alone, what do we know
for sure happens to these sinners AFTER they are cast into this lake of fire? Nothing.
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Do either of these two verses SAY ANYTHING
WHATSOEVER about what takes place in this lake of fire/second death or how long it will
last? NO! NO IT DOESN’T! NOT EVEN ONE SINGLE SOLITARY WORD — NONE, ZERO, ZILCH!

Then HOW … HOW PRAY TELL … do all these
Christian religions of the world know for sure that the sinners cast into the lake of
fire/second death, actually do suffer in unbearable torture, and that this torture lasts
for all eternity, or as others say, they are annihilated for all eternity from which there
will never be a resurrection? How do they KNOW all this stuff for sure? Well, of course,
THEY DON’T KNOW! They ASSUME! They SPECULATE! And some of them lie.

So there you have seen it with your own eyes. These
Scriptures in Revelation 20 and 21 do not really, actually, factually, literally, say what
theologians claim, do they? No, they DON’T! You have all heard of things being
"waterproof" and "fireproof," well now I am attempting to make my
readers "LIE-proof" forever! One only needs to understand a half dozen absolute
spiritual truths, and that person will be "LIE-PROOF" for ever! Let me give them
to you quickly, and we can discuss them in greater detail as we go:

GOD IS LOVE


GOD IS SOVEREIGN


CHRIST’S WORDS ARE SPIRIT


MAN’S WILL IS NOT FREE AND INDEPENDENT
   OF GOD


THE GREEK WORD ‘AIONIOS’ NEVER
   MEANS ETERNAL


GOD WILLS TO SAVE ALL MANKIND


GOD WILL PERFORM ALL HIS WILL

These seven spiritual truths will protect you from
all unscriptural and heretical teachings. And as you mature in Christ Jesus our Lord, you
will only be required to understand and believe one of the above spiritual truths. That
would be the first one which covers ALL: GOD IS LOVE !

But there are other Scriptures in other parts of the
Bible stating that God will either torture or annihilate people for all eternity in real
fire, are there not? No. There are not. Now I am sorry if this disappoints some of you,
but ‘No,’ there are not!

Now don’t start e-mailing me just yet –
I’ll cover all those verses that some of you still think are real fires that torture
or annihilate people for eternity.

And I do not want anyone to draw the erroneous
conclusion that since we must go through a plethora of trials, tribulations, suffering,
and persecution, that all God is interested in is putting us through a living hell.
This is not the case at all. Each and every trial and persecution that comes upon us
is designed to MAKE US SPIRITUALLY STRONG. And with spiritual strength comes PEACE,
FULFILLMENT, TRUE HAPPINESS, AND JOY.

How would you like to be "supremely blest" "well off"
"fortunate" and "happy" for the rest of your life? Well, believe
it or not, going through all the trials and tribulations and persecutions that Christ
outlined in the Scriptures for all those who would become His followers, is exactly how
all of these good things can become yours!

I think all of my readers are mature enough to understand and firmly believe that
happiness does not come from the abundance of things we possess (although those things
have their place too). True happiness is from the inside out. Happiness is produced from
within, and not by things from without. True happiness is a heart and mind at PEACE! Have
you ever noticed that every single epistle that Paul penned has in the salutation:
"GRACE to you and PEACE from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ?" We
have already learned that "grace" is God’s gift of not only salvation, but a
training, schooling, disciplining, chastising power that changes our character from carnal
to godly! And what is the result of all this? PEACE! Peace of mind, peace of
heart, peace of spirit. When God grants us "PEACE," we are truly blessed,
fortunate, well-off and very HAPPY!

I am really excited about installment IV coming next. I will show you a
Scriptural formula that will guarantee our understanding of such verses as "the lake
of fire which is the second death." Without this formula given by Christ and restated
by Paul, one will never understand the truth or purpose of the lake of fire. In fact,
Christian theologians, and many Christians themselves I’m afraid, do exactly the
OPPOSITE of what these Scriptures tell us we must do if we are to understand SPIRITUAL
THINGS.

Posted in Religion | No Comments »

UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUAL THINGS

August 20th, 2008 by kleminems

The Lake of Fire!

PART IV

UNDERSTANDING
SPIRITUAL THINGS

I received e-mail from a detractor this week
that said, "You will never understand the Bible until you come to see that everything
in the Bible must be taken literally." The truth is that it is hard to read more than
a few verses in most parts of the Bible without coming across some figurative, symbolic,
idiomatic, or metaphorical language, none of which is literal. Matt. 1:1, "The
book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the SON OF DAVID, the son of Abraham."
Was Jesus literally the "son of David?" No, (literally) He was more like the
twenty-sixth great-grandson of David. So even in the very first verse of the New Testament
we are met with language that is not completely literal. And in the last book of the New
Testament, Revelation, we have a whole book of symbols, figures, and metaphors. And the
material between Matthew and Revelation is a mountain of spiritual instruction and
teaching.

PARABLES, PARABLES, AND MORE PARABLES

Christ spoke ONLY in parables when talking with the
masses, "ALL these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in PARABLES; and
without a parable spake He NOT unto them" (Matt. 13:34). We need to pay
strict attention to the Words of God. They are precise and pure (in the original
manuscripts), but so many just refuse to believe what they read. Jesus only taught to the
multitudes IN PARABLES! Nothing else, just PARABLES! How many believe that? Of course, any
who would contend that much of what is written in the Scriptures is figurative rather than
literal language will be accused of "spiritualizing away" the Scriptures. In
reality, by not understanding spiritual things, it is they, the accusers, who are guilty
of MATERIALIZING AWAY the Scriptures!

It is the physical that passes away. Only the
Spiritual is eternal. And so it is impossible to spiritualize "away" anything,
because once something is spiritual it is eternal and never goes away.

And so the grand teaching and spiritual
understanding of such things as the "lake of fire" are literalized and
materialized down to something ghastly and horrible rather than something marvelous and
glorious. How can any human being with even an ounce of human compassion believe that our
Heavenly God and Father is going to operate some hellish version of Saddam Hussein’s
torture camps for all eternity? Every parent who had a POW in Iraq is worried sick over
the condition and treatment of their son or daughter in Saddam’s camps. Seriously, do
we think that these same parents would be happy and filled with godly joy if one of their
sons or daughters were in some fabled eternal torture chamber, of God’s Hell? Do any
who delight in such satanic teachings ever really meditate on these demonic teachings? No,
of course they don’t. No one is THAT evil.

PARABLES ARE SPIRITUAL

What were those parables that Jesus taught? A
parable is a story that contains in figurative or symbolic language a higher moral or
spiritual truth. Parables are HIGHER, SPIRITUAL, GLORIOUS teachings of ETERNAL things.
Literally they are of little consequence; spiritually they are of enormous consequence.
But without knowing what the symbols represent in a parable, no one could ever understand
the higher meaning. Therefore the multitudes of people did not understand the teaching of
Jesus Christ, because He did not explain the meaning of the symbols to the masses, only to
His disciples in private.

Many people have tried to tell me that parables are
to be taken literally. What they don’t realize is that they are talking about square
circles. The very reason a parable is called a parable is so that we will know for sure
that whatever is contained in the parable IS NOT LITERAL. Parables require spiritual
understanding. Some require little (albeit some) spiritual understanding. Example: The
Parable of a Beam in One’s Eye. There are few believers who would not understand the
meaning of this parable, although they might not practice its teaching. Others such as The
Parable of the Prodigal Son requires much more spiritual understanding, as there are many
more spiritual truths contained in this story. And probably the most complex of all
parables is the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man. (See my fifty-page explanation of
this parable on this site).

I remember seeing Charlie Brown cartoons many years
ago that had two levels of humor written into them: One very simple and easy to follow for
little children; and another higher more sophisticated level of humor to keep the adults
entertained as well. Unfortunately all too many Christians can only view parables on the
level of very little children viewing Charlie Brown cartoons. The higher meaning is
totally missed, and/or not believed.

A simple example: "Another parable
spoke He unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid
in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." Jesus didn’t
explain this parable, so what does it mean? Most certainly understand that leaven (like
yeast) put into dough will cause the dough to rise through fermentation. But what is the
spiritual application of this parable? Paul tells us that, "Know ye not that
a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (I Cor. 5:6). But who
believes this parable? According to Jesus, the kingdom of God is like this parable of the
leaven and the lump. The kingdom of God moves and works throughout the entirety of the
universe until the WHOLE of God’s creation is brought under its influence. But who
believes it?

The time comes when Jesus Christ will turn over the
kingdom of God to His Father: "Then comes the end, when He shall have
delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all
rule and all authority and power … that GOD MAY BE ALL IN ALL" (I Cor.
15:24 & 28b). Then the whole lump will be leavened with God! Everyone—ALL. This
parable is not literal. The kingdom of God is not literally "leaven in
a lump of dough! These teachings are SPIRITUAL! They teach GREAT SPIRITUAL TRUTHS! Every
parable teaches a spiritual truth. Unless you understand the parable of the leaven and the
dough, you don’t understand the gospel. Because the leaven in the dough is like
the kingdom of God and Jesus came preaching the "GOSPEL" OF THE KINGDOM OF
GOD! You see, if the leaven does NOT leaven the WHOLE lump, then it is NOT "like
the kingdom of God." Anything that does not involve the whole (everyone) cannot be
"like" the kingdom of God. For anything to be "like" the kingdom of
God it must involve the whole, the all, everyone, all mankind. Therefore Jesus said that
the kingdom of God is "like" leaven that leavens the WHOLE LUMP! Aren’t
these little parables just MARVELOUS?

ISAIAH WAS NOT A FALSE PROPHET

It is paramount that whatever Isaiah prophesied,
that it be true and be fulfilled. Jesus did not contradict the prophecies of Isaiah by
coming up with a game plan to thwart the original purpose for God giving Isaiah the
prophecy in the first place. Yet there are those who would suggest just such a thing.

Christ spoke in parables only so that the multitudes would not and could not understand
his words! I heard popular TV personality and film-maker, Matt Crouch (son of Paul Crouch,
president of TBN), state that Christ taught in parables so that the people could and would
understand and perceive, and therefore could repent and be healed. In other words, it
would mean that Christ came to contradict and nullify Isaiah’s prophecy! But no,
Christ came to "fulfill" the prophecies, not MAKE VOID and NULLIFY the
prophecies. Listen to His own words: "Because it is given unto YOU to know
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to THEM it is NOT GIVEN" (Matt.
13:11).

Now then was it "given" or "NOT
given" to the multitudes to "know the mysteries of the kingdom"?
That’s right, it was NOT given. Continuing:

"Therefore speak I to them in parables:
   because they seeing SEE NOT; and hearing they HEAR NOT, neither do they UNDERSTAND. And in
   them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye [’ye’
   means everyone—all of you, not just the singular ‘you’] shall hear,
   and shall NOT understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall NOT perceive: For this
   people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes
   they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their
   ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be CONVERTED AND I SHOULD HEAL
   THEM. But blessed are your eyes [the disciples’ only] for THEY SEE:
   and your ears, for THEY HEAR" (Matt. 13:13-16).

Jesus then explains the parable to His disciples
only, "Hear ye [all of the disciples only] therefore the
parable of the sower" (Ver. 18).

Jesus had just told the multitude this parable of
the sower and his disciples heard it also, but neither group understood the parable, so He
turned to His disciples in PRIVATE and instructed them in the meaning of this parable.

"ANOTHER parable put He
   [Jesus] forth unto them…" (Matt. 13:24)


"ANOTHER parable put He forth unto
   them…" (Ver. 31).


"ANOTHER parable spake He unto them…"
   (Ver. 33).

"ALL these things spake Jesus unto the
   MULTITUDES IN PARABLES; and without a parable spake He NOT unto them: That it might be
   fulfilled [FULFILLED, not NULLIFIED, as Matt Crouch contends] which was
   spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open My mouth in PARABLES; I will utter these things
   which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the
   multitude AWAY, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, DECLARE
   UNTO US the parable of the tares of the field. He said and answered unto them [the
   disciples only] …" (Matt. 13:34-37).

Not only the multitudes, but the apostles and
disciples also did not understand Christ’s teachings. They had to be instructed in
private. And yet … and YET, we are told continually like a broken record that the whole
Bible must be taken LITERALLY. What is NOT literal cannot be taken LITERALLY. How hard can
this be? A parable is still a parable (that is, figurative and/or symbolic words and
language which point to a higher spiritual truth than the words themselves portray) even
if the words themselves sound like they could be taken literally. The Scriptures say that
Christ spoke to the multitudes in parables ONLY. We should stop fighting the Scriptures
and believe Him.

"To him that has an ear to hear, let him
hear" is the declaration throughout the Scriptures, but only those whom God has
granted hearing and understanding will ever grasp the meaning. People don’t
understand the spiritual, they are afraid of the spiritual, and therefore, they want
everything to be literal so that their carnal mind can be satisfied.

DISCIPLES DID NOT UNDERSTAND CHRIST’S
PARABLES

Notice this: "And He [Jesus]
called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goes into
the mouth defiles a man but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
Even though Jesus said, "hear and understand" neither the
multitude NOR the disciples understood! Once again: "Then answered Peter and
said unto Him; Declare [Greek: decipher, explain] UNTO US THIS PARABLE"
(Ver. 15). Peter didn’t understand this parable, the apostles didn’t understand,
the disciples didn’t understand, the Pharisees didn’t understand, the whole multitude
DID NOT UNDERSTAND! Now not all parables are explained in the Scriptures as this
one is. Did Jesus ever explain a parable by stating that it is to be taken literally just
as His words are stated? No, NEVER! Parables are not literal stories of historical events
or literal stories of prophetic events. Parables ALWAYS have a higher meaning than the
literal words themselves.

In those few parables that our Lord explained and
preserved for us in the Scriptures, He always assigned another and different meaning to
each word or part of the parables. Every word or part of each parable stood for something
other than the meaning of the literal words. Why then does the church today (ignorantly or
intentionally) teach that those parables for which we were not given an explanation, are
to be taken LITERALLY? The parable of Lazarus and the Rich man in Luke 16 is only one of
the parables for which Jesus gave us no explanation at the time He taught it.

These hypocritical Pharisees were spiritually BLIND
and the multitudes that followed them were also spiritually BLIND! Jesus said they were
"BLIND leaders of the BLIND." Should we expect that things would be any
different in our day and time? Are not many of the religious leaders in the world today
blind? And are not the followers of these blind leaders also blind? Shall they not
"both" therefore "fall into the ditch?"

The main thing that I want you to see in these
Scriptures regarding the parables is that Jesus Christ did not go around the countryside
teaching huge crowds of people spiritual truths by the use and means of simple little
farming analogies. He taught, they listened, they understood NOT, they went back to their
homes, and their lives were affected very little. Although Jesus did not heal most of them
of their spiritual sicknesses, he did heal them of their physical diseases, and for this,
many were most thankful and thought of Him as a great and godly man. The Pharisees and
other such ilk, of course, only despised our Lord’s every word and deed.

Now then, why would Jesus Christ spend years
traveling the countryside teaching in parables so that the multitudes of people He reached
would not understand a word He was saying? Consider if Jesus had either (1) Explained His
parables and teachings so that they could and would understand, or (2) Just simply taught
them in plain language what He wanted them to hear and know without all the parables and
symbolic figurative language, then they would have heard and understood and perceived
and repented and been converted, and Jesus would have healed them and saved them. But
Jesus didn’t want them to repent and be converted and healed and saved (at that
time)! Why? Doesn’t Christ realize that according to Christian teaching, no person
can be saved after he dies without being saved before death. Has no one ever told our Lord about
this adamant, unmovable, unrelenting dogmatic divine doctrine of Christendom? Apparently
not, seeing that our Lord is going to save many times more sinners after death than before
death!

SINNERS SAVED AFTER DEATH

Receiving salvation after one dies is a total
impossibility according to Christian teaching. The Scriptural reality is that most of
humanity will be saved in judgment after death. It is only the Firstfruits that are saved
in this first life before the resurrection to judgment

Now there were many who did believe that Jesus was a
man sent from God, and they followed Him. But why? Mostly because of His miracles and
healings. They were taken in by His miraculous works. On one occasion Jesus said the
multitudes were more interested in the miraculous bread that filled their belly rather
than any spiritual food they could have received. But, just as quick as many were to
follow Jesus, likewise, many quickly turned from Him. When Jesus told them that, "the
flesh profits NOTHING" and "the words that I speak unto you,
they are SPIRIT" (John 6:63), they decided they had enough of this Man:
"From that time MANY of His disciples went back, and walked NO MORE with Him"
(John 6:66).

And what do we see happening today? I heard again
last night Creflo Dollar giving yet another version of the only sermon I believe he has,
on how to get rich on this world’s materialism! Over the past year or two I have come
upon Mr. Dollar probably thirty or forty times while flipping through the channels. I have
never once heard anything pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ come out of his
mouth—only messages of how to cash in on worldly materialism! Albeit, I must confess
that I cannot take more than about five minutes of his preaching at a time. Apparently he
believes that materialism is spiritualism! I have nothing against Mr. Dollar. He is a fine
looking young man with lots of energy and personality, but I do not believe that he has a
clue as to what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. The "treasures" that
Jesus spoke of were not houses, cars, jewelry, and money. The treasures of heaven are
SPIRITUAL.

And so we have those who were called of God and
understood some of the good things of the kingdom of God, but then turned away from
Christ. We have whole multitudes that heard Christ preach for years and never understood a
word He said, and died that way in their sins. And we have whole nations of people who
have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ. What will happen to all of these multitudes
and nations that died in their sins not being worthy of the kingdom of God? God will JUDGE
them, and they will all be saved! That’s what Jesus Christ is—HE’S A
SAVIOUR—HE SAVES! He’s the best Saviour there ever was or ever will be. Contrary
to popular Christian teaching, Jesus Christ is very good at what He does. He is a PERFECT
SAVIOUR. No one will be lost when Jesus sets His hand to SAVE THE WORLD! You can take that
to the bank.

TWO STUPID ARGUMENTS

I hate to waste precious space and time on stupid
things, but I feel an urge to tell you about an argument and an analogy that Christian
detractors of the Truth continually send to me. I often mention in my writings and in
answer to e-mails, that Jesus Christ is THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, and therefore, WILL SAVE
THE WORLD. This should be axiomatic to even the youngest and newest minor in Christ, but
sadly many Christian veterans of a half-century do not and cannot believe it.

One analogy that I have been given several times to
prove that Christ can be the Saviour of the world, and yet NOT SAVE THE WORLD, goes like
this: "When a fireman goes into a burning building to save trapped people, what
happens if these trapped people refuse to be saved? Is the fireman not still a
fireman simply because some do not wish to be saved?" Here we see the foolishness of
the carnal mind at work desperately grasping for straws to support an unscriptural theory
that Christ TRIES to save everyone (just like a fireman tries to save those trapped in a
burning building), but is unable to save everyone because many REFUSE to be saved.
Therefore Christ is STILL a Saviour even if He doesn’t save everyone. See the logic
in this analogy?

See the utter foolishness in this analogy:

Only an insane person would prefer to be burned in
      literal torturing flames of fire rather than to be saved by a fireman! I have been told by
      Christians many times that most of humanity will CHOOSE to be burned in the pain of
      literal hell fire for all ETERNITY, rather than to be saved by Jesus Christ! THEY LIE!
Any fireman worth his salt will save men, women,
      children, and even cats, dogs, and other pets, WHETHER THEY WANT TO BE SAVED OR NOT.
      Imagine a mother being told by a fireman that he left her little girl back in a burning
      building because the little girl didn’t want to be rescued by a fireman?
Jesus Christ does not suffer the limitations of a
      fireman! Jesus Christ IS GOD! God does what He WILLS, and God wills to save all humanity
      (I Tim. 2:4 and Isaiah 46:9-11). Such stupid analogies themselves condemn the wicked and
      carnal minds of those who purpose them.

And I have a whole folder full of this inane
argument from detractors of the Truth (I will paraphrase as different ones contain
different aspects of the same argument): "Well if everyone is going to eventually be
saved, as you teach Mr. Smith, then why should those of us who are following Christ now,
not just go out and live it up? Why shouldn’t we go out and fornicate, get drunk,
steal, kill, or do anything we want? Why not just enjoy life and have a happy time? Why
should we obey God or pray or go to Church, or be concerned for other people now if we are
all going to be saved later anyway?"

This is not an isolated argument—I get many
such e-mails. Sometimes I just reply by saying: "Sir, it is not even necessary for me
to answer your questions—you have answered them YOURSELF! You yourself have condemned
your own darkened and unintelligent heart by the very stupid and foolish questions you
ask. You prove to yourself by asking such things, that you do not really love your
fellowman or God. You would PREFER to live a wicked life of selfish carnality and a
continuous quest for physical pleasures of the flesh. You truly do not see the value of
living a righteous, godly, and spiritual life. You condemn yourself as being unworthy of
the Kingdom of God."

So here we have people who claim to believe in Jesus
Christ and the goodness of God, who nonetheless, utterly condemn my teaching that Jesus
Christ will SAVE THE WORLD, and often state that it is "I" who will be tortured
in hell fire for all eternity for denying that there is such a place of eternal torture.
Yet they themselves would prefer to live an ungodly life of sin and pleasure rather than
to serve God from the heart out of love. I believe I have the mind of Christ when I say
that all such attitudes will be judged in God’s consuming fire.

TURNING THE SPIRITUAL INTO THE PHYSICAL

Who really believes that "the flesh profits
NOTHING?" or that "the WORDS that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT?"
I am sure that most of my readers are answering, "Well I believe these
statements of Christ!" Well I hope you do, but I am afraid that many still think that
"the lake of fire which is the second death" is literal even though we
just read where Christ Himself says, "the WORDS that I speak unto you, THEY ARE
SPIRIT?" Who do you think spoke those words, "And death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death?" Was it not CHRIST?

If you have a King James Bible, open to the book of
Revelation. Here is what my KJV says in big bold letters at the top of the page: "THE
REVELATION of St. John the Divine." But you see that title for this book is
the invention of the translators. There is no such title in the Greek manuscripts. Now
then, read the first verse of Revelation one: "The Revelation of JESUS
CHRIST…" So we see that this book of Revelation is the Revelation of
Jesus Christ, and NOT that of "St. John the Divine." Furthermore, I don’t
think John would approve of anyone calling him "DIVINE."

The words that the lake of fire is the second death
are a revelation of Jesus Christ, and Jesus told us that His words are SPIRIT. Not only
are the words "lake of fire" and "second death" figurative, symbolic,
and metaphorical, but since this is a revelation of Jesus Christ Himself, they are of
necessity also, SPIRITUAL!

Christendom thinks it understands the words of
SPIRIT which Jesus spoke, but does it really? Notice the context of these statements of
our Lord. Jesus told the Pharisees and multitudes and disciples that He was the bread of
life come down from heaven. Jesus again used bread at the last supper to SYMBOLIZE His
FLESH which we are to eat in order to have life. The real, literal bread was a
symbol of HIS SPIRITUAL FLESH.

So what is it that Christians by the millions do
every morning in churches around the world? They take communion by eating real physical
bread, which they have been told has now been turned into real physical flesh
protein of our Lord’s physical body! First of all, Christ’s BODY IS
SPIRITUAL, not physical, ("It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
SPIRITUAL BODY" I Cor. 15:43, and "Now this I say, brethren,
that FLESH AND BLOOD CANNOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD" 15:50). In
other words, they take something physical (bread); magically metamorphose it into
something else physical (namely flesh); and think they have comprehended and achieved
something SPIRITUAL.

Christ gave us word symbols to show us a higher
spiritual teaching, namely that eating bread which gives physical life is symbolic of
eating the real bread of life from heaven, the SPIRITUAL FLESH OF JESUS
("eating" and "flesh" also being symbolic of something else), which
imparts SPIRITUAL LIFE.

The large crowds of people who listened to Jesus
speak have long since died, and they died in their sins never having understood what it is
to be converted, healed, and saved. They never have eaten of Christ’s spiritual body.
One of the main reasons why, "…for WIDE is the gate, and BROAD is the way,
that leads to destruction [not eternal torture], and MANY there be which
go in thereat" is because Christ did NOT open up to the multitudes the
"narrow way" to understanding, repentance, and salvation.

THE THREE FESTIVALS AND THE SALVATION OF ALL

There is a beautiful type in the Old Testament that
clearly demonstrates when and in what manner all these Unsaved masses will be saved. This
Old Testament type is illustrated all through the New Testament, but the blind and
unperceiving eyes of Christendom have for the most part failed to see it, believe it, or
teach it.

The American Heritage College Dictionary:
"type n 6. A figure, representation,
or symbol of something to come, such as an event in the Old Testament that foreshadows
another in the New Testament," p. 1485. There are many such types beginning
back in the the first chapter of Genesis.

Here are just two examples: The Passover in
ancient Israel was a type of its true fulfillment to come in our Lord’s crucifixion,
"Purge out therefore the old leaven that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened [but now speaking spiritually]. For even Christ our
PASSOVER [Lamb] is sacrificed [crucified] for us "
(I Cor. 5:7). And James 1:18 clearly demonstrates the foreshadowing of the
firstfruits harvest by saying: "Of His own will begat He us with the
word of truth, that we should be a KIND of firstfruits [of the Spring Harvest]
of His creatures [not farm products]." It is also
important to note that whenever the word "first" is used, it always suggests more
to follow — there is never a Spring harvest without a following Fall harvest. We will now
consider three of the Old Testament types that center on the harvest seasons.

In ancient Israel there were three times in the year when all men were to appear before
God:

THE WAVE SHEAF (Feast of Unleavened Bread
      and Passover): "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye
      be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye
      shall bring a sheaf OF the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest … And ye shall
      offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the FIRST year for a
      burnt offering unto the Lord" (Lev. 23:10-12).

      COMMENT: This wave sheaf of the very first of the firstfruits is a type of our Lord Who
      was the perfect Lamb without blemish offered in the Spring on Passover. "But
      now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the FIRSTFRUIT of them that sleep"
      (I Cor. 15:20). Jesus is not the entire firstfruits but rather "the
      firstfruit OF them that sleep." He is the firstfruit OF the firstfruit or
      more precisely the "wave sheaf OF the firstfruits." Firstfruit
      is a term that pertains to agriculture and harvesting. It was never a theological term
      until introduced into the New Testament with regards to a small number who would be saved
      prior to a much larger number to be saved later.
THE FIRSTFRUITS (Feast of Weeks): "All
      the best of the oil , and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the FIRSTFRUITS of
      them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee … And whatsoever is
      FIRST RIPE in the land which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine…" (Num.
      18:12 & 13). "And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which
      thou, O Lord, has given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship
      before the Lord thy God" (Deut. 26:10).

      COMMENT: The type in the New Testament of this Old Testament symbol is the Believer.
      Notice what James tells us, "Of His own will begat He us with the word of
      truth, that we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of His creatures"
      (James 1:18). Now a very important point: How far down the road in prophecy can we go
      until we reach the end of the firstfruits? In Rev. 7:4-8 we read of the sealing of the
      144,000. These are a different group from the great innumerable multitude, which no man
      could number, from every nation and tongue spoken of beginning in verse 9.

      In Chapter 14:1 & 4 we are told specifically who these 144,000 are: "And
      I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with Him an hundred forty and four
      thousand [notice that the innumerable multitudes from all nations is not
      mentioned here] … These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are
      virgins [as in the Bride of Christ]. These are they which follow the Lamb
      whithersoever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, BEING THE FIRSTFRUITS
      unto God and to the Lamb" (Rev. 14:1 & 4). So every believer from the
      Apostles to the 144,000 just prior to the return of Jesus Christ to establish His reign on
      the earth, is called and likened to FIRSTFRUITS! So what does this have to
      do with the lake of fire? EVERYTHING! Everyone saved before the Day of Judging is likened
      to firstfruits, so there will be no more firstfruits after the white throne judgment.

      Paul tells us in Rom. 8:23, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which
      have the FIRSTFRUITS of the Spirit…" Nowhere do we read of the
      "LASTFRUITS," but whenever something is FIRST we also know there is something to
      follow. Nor are there any references to any "ONLYFRUITS." The firstfruits are
      clearly not the ONLY fruits! Follow this very closely now, for you are in for a big shock
      when you understand the type in the fall festival of Tabernacles—the great fall
      harvest.
THE END-OF-THE-YEAR FEAST OF INGATHERING
      (Feast of Tabernacles): "And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of
      thy labours, which thou has sown in the field and the FEAST OF INGATHERING, which is in
      the END OF THE YEAR, when you have gathered in thy labours out of the field"
      (Ex. 23:16).

      "Thou shall observe the FEAST OF TABERNACLES seven [number of
      perfection] days, after that you have gathered in your corn and your wine: And you
      shall REJOICE IN YOUR FEAST, you, and your son, and your daughter, and
      your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and
      the widow, that are within your gates [that’s just about EVERYONE,
      wouldn’t you say?]. Seven days [here’s that perfect number
      again] shall you keep A SOLEMN FEAST [a very important feast to God]
      unto the LORD your God in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy God
      shall bless you in all your increase, and in all the works of your hands, therefore you
      shalt surely REJOICE" (Deut. 16:13-15). Here truly was a
      festival in which EVERYONE, every single person in all Israel, and also did you notice,
      "the STRANGER" who was NOT an Israelite could really REJOICE!
      THIS FESTIVAL WAS THE HAPPIEST TIME OF THE YEAR! Do we think it will have no fulfillment
      in God’s grand plan of salvation?

      "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh
      month shall be the FEAST OF TABERNACLES for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day
      shall be an holy convocation: you shall do no servile work therein. Seven days you shall
      offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the EIGHTH DAY shall be an holy
      convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by FIRE unto the LORD: it is a
      SOLEMN assembly; and you shall do no servile work therein" (Lev. 23:34-36).
      Why is the profound and marvelous truth of this festival not taught in its proper
      chronological order by the prophets of Christendom? How is it even possible to avoid
      seeing the powerful and glorious consummation of God’s salvation in this Fall Harvest
      Festival? Why is the truth of this GREAT FEAST being hidden from the eyes of the world?
      What is it that they are trying to hide from us? God’s Word will show us.

JESUS TAUGHT THE PURPOSE OF THE FALL HARVEST

The eighth day of this Feast of Tabernacles was
called "The Last Great Day of the Feast." Jesus Christ Himself
came to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem and spoke on the Last Great Day:

"In the last day, that GREAT DAY OF THE
   FEAST, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If ANY MAN thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
   He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of
   LIVING WATER" (John 7:37-38).

At what point in future prophecy, will Jesus Christ
CUT OFF the invitation to all and any who are athirst to drink of His LIVING WATERS? Our
Lord NEVER cuts off the invitation to drink of the living waters. These waters (a symbol
for God’s SPIRIT) will be available until every creature in heaven and earth is
saved:

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am
   Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the
   FOUNTAIN OF THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY" (Rev. 21:6).

"And the Spirit and the bride say,
   Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And WHOSOEVER
   WILL, let him take the WATER OF LIFE FREELY" (Rev. 22:17).

And this declaration is made just five verses before
the END OF THE BIBLE!

But don’t be deceived, Jesus Christ IS the
"tree of life" in the Garden, and NO ONE can partake of that tree of life except
he first pass the through the "FLAMING SWORD" that points in all directions and
guards the tree of life. Remember, "Our God is a CONSUMING FIRE"
(Heb. 12:29).

So Tabernacles celebrated the great Fall harvest,
the largest harvest of the whole year. It was this great Fall harvest that would sustain
Israel through the winter months. There were far more products to be harvested in the END
of the year than in the Spring of the year. Therefore this same type must carry over into
the New Testament.

So here is where we are. There were THREE great
festivals in the yearly calendar of Israel:

"THREE TIMES in a year shall all thy
   males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose; in the feast of
   unleavened bread [which included Passover], and in the feast of weeks [firstfruits],
   and in the feast of tabernacles [the time of the great fall harvest]: and they shall not
   appear before the LORD empty" (Deut. 16:16).

First comes the wave sheaf, the very first of the
firstfruits, on Passover, during the feast of unleavened bread. This represents CHRIST,
the very first (wave sheaf) OF the firstfruit, our Passover sacrificed for us.

Second was the Feast of Weeks when the firstfruit of
the land was harvested. This represents US, the FIRSTFRUIT to enter God’s Kingdom.
James says WE are the firstfruit of God (James 1:18).

Third came the great Fall harvest, the Feast of
Tabernacles, a much much larger gathering, where ALL THE FALL HARVEST was gathered in!
What does this Feast picture? This was the time of true REJOICING FOR EVERYONE. Absolutely
EVERYONE. No one was left out of this great and final festival of the year:

"And thou shalt rejoice IN THY FEAST [of
   Tabernacles, the fall harvest], YOU, and your SON, and your DAUGHTER, and your
   MANSERVANT, and your MAIDSERVANT, and the LEVITE, the STRANGER [GENTILES],
   and the FATHERLESS, and the WIDOW, that are within your gates" (Deut.
   16:14).

NO ONE was EXCLUDED! EVERYONE was INCLUDED!

And so we see in the New Testament that these three
festivals of ancient Israel are really TYPES in God’s master plan of salvation.
Christ the FIRST of the firstfruit. Then believers, the FIRSTFRUITS. And then the great
FALL HARVEST.

But wait a minute. We know that Christ was the First
of the firstfruit to be resurrected to life. We also know that all the believing saints
who are to reign with Christ at His coming are the rest of the firstfruits. So where then
does the great fall harvest of souls come into God’s family? When have you ever been
taught about the great fall harvest, which excludes no one but includes everyone?
There is a reason why you haven’t heard the truth of these Scriptures in Christendom.

According to Christendom THERE IS NO GREAT
FALL HARVEST OF SOULS at the end of the ages!

That’s right, they say there will be NO Fall
Harvest in God’s Kingdom. Just how do they account for such a thing? Is God such an
inept and unskilled Farmer that He has a total crop failure when Fall harvest time comes,
or will He just BURN THE ENTIRE HARVEST in the eternal fires of some fabled hell?

ENTER THE PROPHET BENNY

An interesting thing happened yesterday when I was
scanning the channels looking for the latest news. Benny Hinn popped up on one of the
channels, and so I stopped momentarily and heard the announcer say that Mr. Hinn was ready
to complete his study on the Feast of Tabernacles. Now how coincidental can this be? Of
course it was no coincidence at all as God is operating all according to the counsel of His
own will (Eph. 1:10-11). Since I was writing on this very theme myself, I thought that I
would listen to what Mr. Hinn had to say. I then heard something that I have never heard
before.

I am well aware of the fact that Christian doctrine
does not teach that God will bring in the entire Fall harvest of humanity, but how do they
explain it away? I had never heard the orthodox answer to this problem. Well, don’t
you know, Benny Hinn (teacher, author, evangelist, healer, prophet, and raiser of the
dead) had the answer. (Can’t say for sure that his answer is the orthodox one or not,
but I’ll pass it on anyway). He said to his audience that what he was about to tell
them would shock them. Even I was on the edge of my seat. I could hardly wait for this new
revelation. What could it be?

First he quoted from Daniel nine about the 70 weeks
prophecy and from Amos, and then came his shocker. He said that God was going to do
something that He had never done before. God was going to do something completely unheard
of heretofore. He was going to perform a most unusual miracle. And just what is it that
God will do? His audience was just glowing with anticipation. I could hardly wait myself.
He next quoted his proof text for this most unusual miracle from God. And here it is, King
James Version, Joel 2:23:

"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and
   rejoice in the LORD your God: for He hath given you the former rain moderately, and he
   will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first
   month."

Well there it is! Did you catch that most incredible
and momentous miracle of miracles? You don’t see it? Well, actually, I didn’t
either until he explained it.

The key to his marvelous revelation is found in the
words, "…the former rain, and the latter rain in the FIRST MONTH."
I will now present to you Prophet Benny’s insight into this phrase. He said that in
the near future, God will send the former rain and latter rain, all in the FIRST MONTH
of the year. Thus, (and here Prophet Benny takes a little interpreters license) the former
rain really represents the former harvest or Pentecost (firstfruits) and the latter rain
represent the Fall harvest (Tabernacles), so both the spring harvest of firstfruits AND
the fall harvest of ingathering will BOTH TAKE PLACE IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE
YEAR! So therefore there will not be a separate huge fall harvest, just one harvest in the
first month only. And both of these harvests combined will NOT include all the produce of
the field, ONLY THAT PORTION which is lucky enough to get harvested. This supposed spring
and fall harvest combined, in the first month, will be but a small portion of the entire
crop!

Wow! What prophetic understanding! What a fantastic
miracle! What divine revelation! What spiritual insight! WHAT A CROCK!!

I am afraid I will now have to Scripturally depose
Benny the prophet. (Actually, I kinda like Benny; he’s a charming guy with a pleasant
personality, and always seems to have a smile on his face; but don’t believe
everything he says).

Notice that I italicized the word month
in each reference above. If you have a King James Bible you will notice that the word
"month" in Joel 2:23 is in italics. This means that in the Hebrew
manuscript from which this verse was translated, there is NO WORD "month" in
verse 23. The translators inserted the word month thinking they would make the meaning of
the verse clearer, when in reality, they turned the verse into a contradiction. It should
read, "…the former rain, and the latter rain as in the first." Period. It
is not speaking of "the first month," but "as in the first" or
"as before" or "as in the beginning." Notice a few credible
translations of this verse:

"Rejoice in the Eternal One your God,
   for the early rain He has given you amply, the winter-rain he has poured upon you, and
   sent the latter rain as of old" (A New Translation By James
   Moffatt).


"Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and
   rejoice In the LORD your God; For He giveth you the former rain in just measure, And He
   causeth to come down for you the rain, The former rain and latter rain, at the first"
   (The Holy Scriptures, The Jewish Publication Society).


"And, you sons of Zion, be joyful and
   rejoice in Jehovah your God; for He will be bound to give you the autumn rain in right
   measure, and He will bring down upon you people a downpour, autumn rain and spring rain, as
   at the first" (New World Translation, By New World Bible
   Translation Committee).


"Then, sons of Zion, exult! And rejoice
   in the LORD, your God! For He will give to you the former rain in just measure, And He
   will bring down for you the downpour, The former rain and the latter rain as at first"
   (Concordant Version By Concordant Publishing Concern).


"Rejoice, O people of Jerusalem,
   rejoice in the LORD your God! For the rains He sends are tokens of forgiveness. Once
   more the autumn rains will come, as well as those of spring" (The
   Living Bible, Holman Illustrated Edition).


"And you, O children of
   Zion, rejoice,
   and be joyful in the Lord your God: because He hath given you a teacher of justice, and he
   will make the early and the latter rain to come down to you as in the beginning"
   (The Holy Bible, Douay Confraternity).


"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in
   the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you
   abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before" (New
   International Version).

"O children of Zion, be glad and
   rejoice in the Lord your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, He has
   poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before"
   (The New Revised Standard Version).

Does anyone see the word "month" in any of
these translations? That’s because God never inspired the word "month" to
be used in this verse. So clearly this verse is not speaking about having a spring and
fall harvest all in the same first month of the year! How conveniently Prophet Benny
thought he had wiped out God’s whole Fall Harvest of billions of souls by
extrapolating a false prophecy and unscriptural doctrine from one non-existent word!

No, my dear readers, the firstfruits are but the
beginning of the harvest, and there is to follow the full fall harvest of all humanity.
God said that this end of the year fall harvest was a time of REJOICING. One could hardly
rejoice over throwing the entire fall harvest of humanity into some hellhole of eternal
fire!

THREE TIMES there was a great festival to God
wherein, by the use of types, God showed mankind His plan of salvation. The PASSOVER, the
FIRSTFRUITS, and the FALL HARVEST. These three festival types in the Old Testament were to
have their fulfillment in future realizations of these types.

EVERY MAN SAVED IN HIS OWN ORDER

I Cor. 15:20, 23, 24 presents us with the type and
fulfillment of the three harvest festivals:

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and
      become the FIRSTFRUITS OF [the rest of the firstfruits awaiting
      resurrection in His presence] them that slept … But EVERY MAN [all
      mankind, the WHOLE human race] in his own ORDER: Christ the firstfruits…"
      (The Wave Sheaf of the very first of the firstfruits).
"Afterward they that are
      Christ’s [those who are now saved] at His coming [the rest
      of the firstfruits that are sleeping and those alive waiting]. (The Firstfruits, the
      Spring Harvest).
Then comes the END [The Fall
      Harvest, the Feast of Tabernacles]. "…and the feast of INGATHERING [of
      the Fall Harvest], which is in the END…" (Ex. 23:16). What did Jesus say
      would happen in "the end," at the "end of the Feast," "the last
      day," "the last great day of the feast?" "In the last day,
      that GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If ANY MAN thirst, let him
      come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his
      belly shall flow rivers of LIVING WATER" (John 7:37-38).

THEN COMES THE END

I Cor. 15:24 says, "Then comes the
END…" "The end" of what? Just what is it that
"ends" in "the end?" Does the earth end? Does the universe end? Do we
end? What ends in the end? "Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are
Christ’s at His coming [Gk: His presence]. Then comes THE END…"
(II Cor. 15:24). Let’s look at a few verses before we come to "the end" in
verse 24:

Verse 20:

"But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept."

Comment: Contrary to popular teaching,
there was no heavenly welcoming committee of men and women who became firstfruits BEFORE
Christ became the FIRSTFRUIT. No, there were no saints welcoming Christ back to heaven.
Christ taught:

"And NO MAN has ascended into heaven,
   but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven"
   (John 3:13).

Jesus Christ was the FIRST. Ask your pastor if this
verse really is true, that "NO MAN" has ascended into heaven. This would then
mean that Lazarus and Abraham in the Rich man parable also were NOT IN HEAVEN as most
teach that they were, wouldn’t it?

Among the very last few words that Christ uttered on
this earth were these:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the BEGINNING
and the END, the FIRST and the LAST" (Rev. 22:13).

So yes, Christ is the first of the firstfruits. He
is the first of EVERYTHING, He is the very Creator; and He is the last, the end, the
CONSUMMATION of God’s plan of universal salvation.

Ver. 21-22: "For since by man came
   death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For AS in Adam ALL
   die, EVEN SO in Christ shall ALL be made alive."

Comment: First I want to show you that the
word "alive" in this verse is a word that is used with reference to imparting
immortality, and not just mortal life. The Greek word is zoopoieo, and it means to
give life beyond the grasp of any future death. Notice how it is used in Rom. 8:11, "But
if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead [Christ was raised to
immortality, not back to a mortal life] dwell in you, He that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken [zoopoieo] your mortal
bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you." So clearly God does not give
"mortal" life to our "mortal" bodies, seeing that we already have
mortal life. No, He imparts IMMORTALITY to us. And this is exactly what Paul tells us in I
Cor. 15, "For this corruptible [body] must put on
incorruption [spiritual], and this mortal [dying or dead body]
must put on IMMORTALITY [Gk: DEATH-LESS-NESS]" (Verse 53). And to whom does
Christ grant immortal "zoopoieo" life? Answer: "ALL." The very same
"all" who die in Adam are the very same "all" who are given life IN
CHRIST.

It is also noteworthy that it is "…IN
Christ ALL…" and is not restricted to only, "…ALL IN
CHRIST…" as many have tried to twist this verse to mean. They say it is only all
those who are "in" Christ. But that is not what this verse says. It says
"in Christ ALL." That is the order of words. This verse is not speaking of those
just the "all believers" who are said to be "IN Christ." No, this
verse is speaking about the very same "in Adam ALL" who die become the very same
"in Christ ALL" who are made alive. And although this particular verse does not
say that "all" are now "IN Christ," it does most definitely say that
"in Christ," the "ALL" shall be shall be "made alive."
"Made alive" does not prove they are "in" Christ or that they are
"saved," only that they have been given immortal life. Then comes JUDGMENT. But
don’t think that therefore there is no Scripture that says they will eventually
"ALL" be "IN" Christ, because there is:

"That in the dispensation of the
   fullness of times He might gather together in one ALL [‘things’ is not
   in original] IN Christ, both which are in heaven, and which
   are on earth, even IN HIM" (Eph. 1:10).

Christ first raises ALL to immortal life. At a later
date He gathers this same ALL into Himself. The "in Christ ALL"
(I Cor. 15:22) then becomes the "ALL IN CHRIST" (Eph. 1:10).
Every creature in heaven and earth will be ONE IN Christ! I hope you can believe
that.

Ver. 23-24: "But every man in his own
   order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming. Then cometh
   the end…"

The King James starts a new sentence and a new verse
with the words, "Then cometh the end…" It should, however, be a
continuation of the previous sentence. There are three items in view here, not just two.
The Concordant Version has a better rendering of this:

"Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit,
   Christ; thereupon those who are Christ’s in His presence; thereafter
   the consummation…"

One, two, three. So there are three orders or
classes that synchronize with the three festivals of harvest, and not just two
classes that synchronize with Prophet Benny’s first "month" of the year
only theory. Notice them:

"The Firstfruit, Christ" (The Passover,
The Wave Sheaf).
"Thereupon those who are Christ’s"
(Pentecost, the Firstfruits)
"Thereafter the consummation [the end]"
(the final Fall Harvest of Ingathering in the end of the year).

These three match perfectly with the three types of
harvest in the Old Testament. So yes indeed, there will be a fall harvest at the end, at
the CONSUMMATION. Now the rest of verse 24:

"…thereafter the consummation when
   He [Christ] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father;
   when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power."

Notice that Christ does not rule "forever and
ever" as is popularly taught, but rather delivers up the kingdom to GOD His Father.
But He does this after He puts down ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY, AND ALL POWER. Who/Where?
EVERYONE/EVERYWHERE! "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times He
might gather together [just like the fall "ingathering of the harvest"]
in one ALL [‘things’ is not in the Greek] in
Christ, both which are IN HEAVEN, and which are ON EARTH, IN HIM" (Eph.
1:10). And so here is our Scripture which clearly states that "ALL" in both
heaven and earth will become "ONE IN Christ." Now they are no longer just
given life in Christ, but now they are SAVED, they are "one in Christ!"

Notice that there is coming a "GATHERING
TOGETHER OF ALL IN ONE [Christ]." And that this gathering together of all in
one consists of ALL IN THE HEAVENS AND ALL IN THE EARTH! Who then is left out? NO ONE!
These ALL in heaven and earth are not gathered "under" Christ, but "IN
Christ!"

Let’s read it again. A verse this important and
all encompassing cannot be over emphasized:

"That in the dispensation of the
   fullness of times He might gather together IN ONE [just as in harvest time]
   ALL IN Christ, BOTH WHICH ARE IN HEAVEN, AND WHICH ARE ON EARTH; IN HIM."

Now then, when "ALL" in both heaven and
earth are gathered into one "IN Christ," absolutely no one is left out. This is
also in perfect harmony with other Scriptures regarding the salvation of everyone in both
the heavens and the earth, and even those dead and six feet UNDER the earth. Next book,
Phil. 2:9-11:

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
   Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE
   should bow, of [those] in heaven, and those in earth, and those under
   [all who have died] the earth: And that EVERY TONGUE should confess that Jesus Christ IS
   LORD to the glory of God the Father."

Sometimes when something is important God gives us a
SECOND WITNESS:

"I HAVE SWORN BY myself, the word is
   gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto Me EVERY KNEE shall
   bow, EVERY TONGUE shall swear" (Isaiah 45:23).

And when something is really important God even
gives us a THIRD WITNESS:

"For it is written, As I live, saith
   the Lord, EVERY KNEE shall bow to me, and EVERY TONGUE shall confess to God"
   (Rom. 14:11).

It is futile to say that I Cor. 15: 22 means only
the all who are "in" Christ will be saved, even though the order of words is
clear in all translations. It is not "all IN Christ" that is spoken of in
this verse, but rather "in Christ ALL" that is spoken of. But later, after
resurrection, after judgment, "in the dispensation of the fullness of times," we
learn that, indeed, it is "ALL in Christ" and now the "ALL" is
EVERYONE IN HEAVENS AND ON THE EARTH—ALL OF GOD’S CREATURES!

By the way, for all those ultra-stubborn ones who
say that, yes, all will bow their knees, and if they don’t God will break their knees
and force them to confess that "Jesus is LORD," let me present this Scripture:

"…no man CAN SAY that Jesus is the
Lord BUT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT" (I Cor. 12:3b).

Oh that Christians would learn to stop fighting and
contradicting the Scriptures.

So then, "in Christ ALL" shall be made
alive with immortal and incorruptible life; ALL both in the heavens and in the earth shall
be judged (set right), and then all in the heavens and all in the earth will bow and
confess that Christ is LORD of their lives; and ALL in both heaven and earth will be
gathered together in ONE "IN Christ." This is the great fall
harvest. This is the meaning of Tabernacles. This is the grand and glorious note on which
the ENDS OF EONS climax!

TO BE "IN CHRIST" IS SALVATION

What does it mean to be "IN Christ" seeing
that ALL IN HEAVEN AND EARTH WILL BE "IN Christ?"

"Therefore if any man be IN
   Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, ALL things are become
   new."

How many will be reconciled "IN
Christ?"

"To wit, that God was IN Christ,
   reconciling THE WORLD unto Himself, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TREPASSES UNTO THEM…"
   (II Cor. 5:17 & 19).

Of course, how could it be otherwise? Jesus
doesn’t make just "some" new creatures from the old, no, He makes "ALL
THINGS … NEW." And we all know this verse:

"There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION
to them which are IN Christ Jesus…"

How many will be IN Christ? We read it:
"ALL." There is coming the time when there will be no more condemnation IN
ANYONE ANYWHERE! Praise God and BELIEVE IT!

WHEN IS IT TOO LATE TO BE SAVED?

But are these Scriptures believed? In the "the
end," in "the last day ," in that "GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST," can
"ANY" man really and truly drink of Christ if he is thirsty, or
will it be TOO LATE?

"If ANY MAN THIRST, let him come unto
Me, and DRINK."

What about the Rich man in the parable who said,

"…be merciful to me [is God
   a God of mercy?] and send Lazarus that he should be dipping the tip of his finger
   in water and cooling my tongue…" (Luke 16:24).

Can this Rich man come to Christ and
"drink"? Ask your pastor. The answer will probably be, "NO, he cannot come
to Christ and drink, because for him IT IS TOO LATE."

"TOO LATE?" The "END," the
"END of the Feast," "the LAST day," "the LAST great day of the
Feast," is, "TOO LATE?" NO! The LAST great day of the feast
is NOT too late. The LAST GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST IS WHEN Jesus said let
"ANY MAN" freely come and drink of the water of life:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
   and the END … I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the
   WATER OF LIFE FREELY" (Rev. 21:6)


"In the LAST DAY, that GREAT DAY OF THE
   FEAST, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If ANY MAN THIRST [even the Rich man]
   LET HIM COME UNTO ME, AND DRINK" (Jn. 7:37-38).

In the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man, we find
the Rich man being Judged, so he has not as yet partaken of the water of life, but he
will. And so the church today has relegated this marvelous type of the fall harvest of
rejoicing into an eternity of grieving. They see no need to SAVE the harvest. Their
message is to BURN AND DESTROY THE HARVEST! To them the Fall Harvest is not worth saving;
to them the Fall Harvest is EVIL, and needs to be burned in fire for all eternity. This is
decidedly not the way God views humanity in the end time of harvest. It seems that the
greatest minds in theology today cannot understand the simplest analogies, types, and
parables in the Scriptures?

GOD THE FARMER

Think about these things with a little bit of
sensibility and reverence for God’s desires. Oh how we demean the very God we claim
to worship. For millennia man has tilled the ground, planted seed, cultivated, sweat and
toiled in anticipation of a GOOD CROP. You can’t count the times that Scripture talks
of food, produce, oil, olives, figs, corn, wine, cattle, milk, honey, seedtime and
harvest. The ideal setting being a land filled with happy children , peace, health, and
PLENTY! Our Lord said that God His Father is a "Farmer" ("My Father
is the Farmer" John 15:1)

Now it is indeed acknowledged by the church that God
will have a small spring harvest of firstfruits, but when it comes to the FALL harvest,
the really BIG harvest, The Greatest Farmer in the Universe, will not have a bumper crop
but will rather have a TOTAL CROP FAILURE! Or more precisely, He BURNS THE ENTIRE FALL
HARVEST. Does this blasphemous teaching sound to you like God is being exalted as the
Greatest Farmer in all the earth? An all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving
Farmer Who can cultivate and produce a perfect and complete Fall Harvest? Why would our
Father’s Son, Jesus Christ, liken His Father to a Farmer, knowing in advance that His
Farmer Father will produce fall harvest that is worse that the worst of human farmers?

The spring harvest is the harvest of those
firstfruits that have entered into the straight and narrow gate. The fall harvest is the
harvest of all those who went the wide and broad way into destruction. Destruction is not
the final destiny of the nonbeliever. Being DESTROYED, PERISHED, and LOST are all
conditions awaiting SALVATION, and are not conditions to be eternally punished! All,
absolutely ALL, who are not in the first resurrection are in a condition likened to:
"lost," "perished," or "destroyed." Contrary to orthodoxy
these conditions are NOT hopeless:

DESTROYED, PERISHED, AND LOST

DESTROYED: Is being destroyed a condition
from which there is no salvation? Jesus said,

"And fear not them which kill the body,
   but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to DESTROY both soul
   and body in hell [the Greek is "gehenna" NOT hell. It is ‘gehenna
   fire,’ Mat. 5:22, not ‘hell fire’]" (Matt. 10:28).

Is there no salvation from this
"destruction" in gehenna fire? Notice that they are not "eternally
lost" in gehenna fire, but they are "DESTROYED" in gehenna fire. Their
condition is that of being DESTROYED. This is not a hopeless condition or even our own
Lord would have been put into a hopeless condition.

"Jesus answered and said unto them,
   DESTROY this temple, and in three days I will raise it up … but He spake of the temple
   of His BODY" (John 2:19 & 21).

Later they did destroy Jesus Christ and sure enough
three days later God SAVED Jesus from that destruction.

Notice what Job said with relation to being
"destroyed":

"Thine hands have made me and fashioned
me together round about; yet Thou dost DESTROY me" (Job 10:8).

Yet Job knew that God would yet save him. In
Jeremiah 18 God tells Jeremiah to go down to the Potter’s house and observe him
at work.
Jeremiah sees the potter destroy a marred work in his hand and refashion it into something
useful. This we learn is an analogy of how God would "destroy" Judah (Ver. 7),
and yet save him in the end. God will refashion all of marred (destroyed) mankind into
glorious sons of God!

PERISHED: Can a person perish and
still be saved? Of course. Even "righteous" men can perish,

"All things have I seen in the days of
   my vanity: there is a JUST MAN that PERISHES in his righteousness, and there is a wicked
   man that prolongs his life in his wickedness" (Ecc. 7:15).

One more,

"The RIGHTEOUS PERISHES, and no man
lays it to heart…" (Isa. 57:1).

Perishing is not something that can cut off
God’s arm of salvation.

LOST: Can a person sin, be lost, die,
and then be saved? Certainly. Let’s look at one of those parables of Jesus that
Christendom thinks of as easy to understand little stories, when in fact they don’t
even begin to understand. You all know the story contained in the parable of the Prodigal
son so I won’t read it all, but let me give you the "truth" of this
parable.

God is the "Father" in this parable, and
the Prodigal is EVERY SON WHO HAS GONE ASTRAY.

"And when he had spent all … And when
   he came to himself … I will arise and go to my father … I have sinned against heaven,
   and in thy sight … And am no more worthy to be called thy son … But the father said to
   his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand,
   and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf … For this my son was DEAD,
   and is alive again; he was LOST, and is found. And they began to be merry"
   (Luke 15:14-23).

This man SINNED, he was LOST, and he SPIRITUALLY
DIED! Do we ALL spiritually DIE? "AND AS IT IS APPOINTED UNTO MEN ONCE TO
DIE…" But isn’t this speaking of the PHYSICAL death of our bodies? No
it is not. The second part of the verse gives us the answer as to which death this is,

"And as it is appointed unto men once
to die, but AFTER this the JUDGMENT" (Heb. 9:27).

Notice that "judgment" comes after
this death, and not before. We already learned that JUDGMENT is upon the house of
God NOW! Each individual Christian in every generation is judged NOW, in THIS life,
BEFORE he physically dies! And so the "death" that all men must partake of
before judgment is SPIRITUAL DEATH. Notice:

"And I saw THE DEAD, small and great,
STAND before God" (Rev. 20:12).

How pray tell can the physically dead, stand,
if they are dead?

So here then is the order of things. The Prodigal
Son SINNED, he was LOST, he spiritually DIED, and then? And then he was JUDGED! Where and
when was he judged? In the hog pens of a far alien country, that’s where. God had to
bring him out of this alien county (Mystery Babylon the Great) with all its "riotous
living" (Luke 15:13). And so it was that God JUDGED this Prodigal with the
beasts and swine of Babylon until he "came to himself." (Ver.
17). Seems to me that God sent King Nebuchadnezzer into the fields with the beasts to live
like a beast, so that he too "came to himself." God has not warned in vain to

"Come out of her [MYSTERY,
   BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH] my people,
   that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues"
   (Rev. 17:5 & 18:4).

He that has an ear, let him hear.

And so this Prodigal SINNED, was LOST, and
spiritually DIED. Surely he is outside of the realm of salvation now. No, he is in the
perfect realm FOR SALVATION. How many millions of times this parable of the Prodigal Son
has been read, but how many times has its truth ever been understood and perceived? This
prodigal was, according to his father, "DEAD." And it was after his
father said that he was "dead" that he welcomed him back, forgave him, exalted
him, and rewarded him! Now who says one can’t be saved after death. It is after
death that most of humanity will be saved.

May God finally grant you to SEE SOMETHING
SPIRITUAL! Parables are NOT literal, that’s why they are called "parables"
instead of "history." This parable pictures the carnal mind going the way of the
flesh. What are the wages of living a riotous life in the alien land of lustful Babylon?
Is it "life and joy in the holy spirit?" I speak as fool. Here is the wages of
riotous and carnal living in the hog pens of Babylon: "For the wages of sin
is DEATH…" (Rom. 6:23). SPIRITUAL DEATH! What must happen AFTER we
spiritually DIE? "JUDGMENT!" The spiritual DEAD must be JUDGED. Does judging
CORRECT the spiritually dead sinners? Yes it does. That is what the parable of the
Prodigal Son is all about. God’s "ways and means" ALWAYS WORK!

"…For when Thy [God’s]
   JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD WILL LEARN
   RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:9)!

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A SCRIPTURAL EXPLANATION OF THE LAKE OF FIRE

August 20th, 2008 by kleminems

The
Lake of Fire

PART V

A SCRIPTURAL EXPLANATION OF THE LAKE OF FIRE

We will now delve into some spiritual matters—"yea, the
DEEP things of God."

How does the Church decide just what the lake of fire is, what
happens there, why, to whom, and for how long? Remember back about thirty pages where I
showed you that the Scriptures in Rev. 20 and 21 do not actually say what happens to a
person who is thrown into the lake of fire? It does not say they are burned or tortured.
It does not say if they are killed. It does not say how long they are in this fire (there
is an indication as to how low the beast, false prophet, and Satan are in this lake of
fire, however). So how then does the church decide that those who are thrown into this
lake of fire are tortured, in their physical flesh, by real fire, for all eternity? A
detractor recently e-mailed me and asked how I could say that a certain thing Jesus said
was "spiritual?" He told me, "Ray, these things that Jesus spoke of are
REAL!" Wow! As though "spiritual things" are NOT REAL?

I never thought about this before, but just maybe that is what
scares people about spiritual things—maybe they think spiritual things ARE NOT REAL!
I assure you that the lake of fire IS REAL. It is, in fact, MORE REAL being spiritual than
if it were physical, material, and literal!

Let me share a practice that I have seen applied to the explanation
of Scriptures. It is a common practice to compare physical things with physical things in
an endeavor to prove that the thing in question is indeed physical and literal.
Ironically, those who practice such things believe that they have accomplished a spiritual
undertaking. God, on the other hand, tells us that even all the physical things in
creation are signs of His spiritual divinity (Rom. 1:20). Contrary to human logic,
physical things are not made out of solid matter. God says they are made out of things
[‘things’ not out of nothing] which "do not appear"—invisible
things, things of God. God is invisible and therefore "visible things" are made
out of the invisible Creator God (Heb. 11:2). Scientists know this for a fact. Physical,
tangible, material substances can be reduced down to atomic and subatomic invisible
energy—SPIRITUAL ENERGY, if you will!

Theologians say that "the lake of fire" is
physical, material, and literal. They compare this phrase with similar phrases in
Scripture thinking that they have proved that the lake of fire is literal. Here are a few
examples that they believe proves that the "lake of fire" is physical, material,
and literal:

"…cast into everlasting fire…cast into hell
fire," (Matt. 18:8-9).

"…cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be
   quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark.
   9:45-46).


"…cast into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
   and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 13:42-43).


"Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart
   from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," (Matt.
   25:41).


"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
   fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
   and night for ever and ever," (Rev. 20:10).


"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
   the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
   the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14-15) and "But the fearful, and unbelieving,
   and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all
   liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the
   second death," (Rev. 21:8).

I will add one more, not because it mentions either hell or fire,
but because it is often used to establish the length of punishment in hell. "And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment…" (Matt. 25:46).

There are other verses and parables that mention "burning"
and "fire," but these are the most frequently and strongest verses used to
establish the Christian doctrine of eternal torment by literal fire. The proof that these
are all literal, however, is found in the carnal mind, and not in the Scriptures. Some of
these verses regarding "fire" may sound like they can be taken literally, but
that is not the test of whether something is literal or figurative—whether it sounds
like it could be literal. Some of the parables of Jesus sound like they could be
literal, but NONE OF THEM ARE LITERAL, they all have a higher spiritual truth than is ever
conveyed in the literal example or story.

Well, what about it? Do all of these verses combined establish that
the lake of fire is a literal fire that burns literal physical bodies as an eternal
punishment for unbelieving sinners? No, they do not. They in fact prove something quite
opposite from that of eternal torture in real fire. They have NOTHING to do with physical
bodies! They have NOTHING to do with physical torture! And they have NOTHING to do with
eternity! You have been lied to long enough: it is now time that you know the TRUTH. I am
now going to rock some boats!

"THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING / MY WORDS
ARE SPIRIT"

When Jesus Christ said in John 6:63:

"It is the SPIRIT that quickens [gives life]; the
   FLESH PROFITS NOTHING: the words that I speak unto you, they are SPIRIT,
   and they are life"

The Scripture then tells us in verse 66:

"From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked
no more with Him."

Why did Christ’s words so offend His own disciples? Because
they were carnal and unconverted, that’s why. They did not, could not, and would not
understand "spiritual things." They could understand and believe physical,
material, and literal things. They could not understand "spiritual" things, and
therefore they walked with Christ NO MORE!

So what’s new? Has human nature changed over the past two
thousand years? I think not. After reading this next section, many of you may decide that
you too have had ENOUGH. You may feel that these things are getting just too
"spiritual" for your liking. Maybe you too will doubt the existence of spiritual
things, and that if you can’t have things in their natural, physical, material,
carnal and literal way, then you will have none of it!

Jesus Christ asked in Luke 18:8,

"Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find FAITH
ON THE EARTH?"

Orthodoxy would answer, "Why YES, He will find lots of
faith—no less than a BILLION or two, filled with the faith of God." Oh really?
Does anyone believe that Jesus would have asked such a profound question if He already
knew and believed that there would be no less than a BILLION or two believing Christians
on the earth waiting to prove their faith to Him? Many professing Christians do not
believe God; they do not believe Jesus Christ; and they do not believe the Scriptures! I
didn’t say they don’t believe there is a God or that there is a Christ or that
there is a book of Scripture; I said they don’t believe God or Christ—they
don’t believe what They have said in the Scriptures.

Don’t think that I am always trying to be hard on the Christian
Church; I am not. I am trying to get people to BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES, BELIEVE GOD, and
BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST! I hear a lot of lip service, but I fear that all too many have a
heart that is far from God. We claim to believe the Scriptures, but do we really?
We may believe part of a Scripture, one word of a Scripture, someone’s interpretation
of a Scripture, our own interpretation of a Scripture, but do we believe ALL THE
SCRIPTURE? How am I to prove to someone that the lake of fire is not God’s eternal
version of a terrorist’s torture chamber, if they do not believe in the credibility
of Scriptures? If I give a Scripture and someone says, "Well, I don’t believe
that! That’s YOUR interpretation," how are we to ever establish the truth of the
Scriptures in such minds and attitudes?

There really is simplicity in the Scriptures. But who believes them?
We SAY, we TALK, we AFFIRM, we SWEAR, we PRETEND, but do we really believe the
Scriptures? "GOD IS LOVE" (I John 4:8). How many believe it? Do YOU believe it?
Not if you also believe that God will torture the majority of mankind unmercifully in real
fire for all eternity, you don’t. The two thoughts are incompatible and incongruous.
One cannot hate one’s enemies while claiming to love them. One cannot torture someone
while at the same time insisting that this is showing love. One cannot lie to his children
while claiming to be truthful. Little children understand these concepts; why can’t
adults?

Heb. 12:6-8, "For whom the Lord LOVES He chastens,
   and scourges every son whom He receives. If ye endure chastening, God deals with
   you as with sons; for which son is he whom the father chastens not? But if ye be without
   chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye BASTARDS, and not
   sons."

There isn’t a theologian alive who can explain this Scripture
if he also believes that God will torture most of humanity in a literal lake of fire for
all eternity. God chastens EVERY son, but He does not torture him in literal fire for all
eternity. If we endure chastening, then we know that God is dealing with us as SONS! But.
. . .BUT, if any are "without chastisement" then they are "bastards,
and NOT sons." Now then, does God LOVE all His sons whom He scourges and
chastises? Yes, of course He does, He says He does. But here’s the sixty-four
thousands dollar question: "Does He also LOVE the bastards, or does He HATE the
bastards and enemies of the cross?" Don’t be too hasty to answer, as your answer
has huge and eternal consequences. Well, some may say, "Love," while others may
say, "Hate." Okay, let’s look at both:

If God "Loves" the bastards, then He will eventually HAVE
      TO CHASTEN THEM, because….He chastens "EVERY son whom He loves." And
      God then "receives" all that He chastens. No exceptions here. So God can’t
      burn any whom He "Loves" in a literal lake of fire for all eternity.
But if God "Hates" the bastards who are enemies of the
      cross…wait a minute…God can’t "HATE His enemies!" Jesus
      Christ said we are to, "Be ye therefore perfect EVEN AS your Father which is in
      Heaven is perfect." A great part of becoming perfect is to LOVE ONE’S
      ENEMIES! Jesus said we are to, "LOVE YOU ENEMIES, BLESS them that curse you, DO
      GOOD to them that hate you…." No exceptions here regarding any enemies that
      we are allowed to hate. This is HOW ones becomes perfect like the Father. "LOVE
      YOUR ENEMIES!" (Matt. 5:48 & 45)! And so God can’t burn any of these
      enemies in a lake of fire for all eternity, either, and still be Our PERFECT Father Who
      LOVES HIS ENEMIES, just as we are to LOVE OUR ENEMIES!

Bastards are born bastards and did not create themselves or choose
to be bastards…"!!!

By the way, just what does God do with those who are "enemies
of the cross" (Phil. 3:18)?

"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell
   you even weeping, that they are the ENEMIES of the cross of Christ: Whose end is
   DESTRUCTION…"

Need I remind you of the Scriptures we covered in the last
installment on who Christ came to SAVE: those who are "lost, perished, and
destroyed?"

So by God’s Own Words He prevents Himself from hating or
torturing enemies for all eternity in a literal lake of fire. You see, GOD REALLY DOES LOVE
HIS ENEMIES! But many of us do not, and so we make God into a carnal-minded image of
ourselves, which is IDOLATRY! God has never said in His Word that He will torture anyone
in literal fire for all eternity—carnal-minded theologians have come up with such
utter rank blasphemy! Let me get frank for a moment (as if I am not normally frank). Not
many people "LOVE their enemies." No, they don’t. Don’t even
try to tell me that they do. A few do. Not many. I myself struggle with the command at
times.

DO YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMIES?

How many prayed for the seven POW’s held captive in Iraq? I
myself prayed earnestly for them. I hate the thought of being tortured, and I had no idea
how badly our POW’s were being treated. Millions upon millions prayed for them. But
how many prayed for not only Jessica, but for her enemy captors who "cursed her,
and hated her, and despitefully used her, and persecuted her?" How many?
That’s what I thought. How many would like to see her captors BURN IN HELL? (That is,
were there such a place). I rest my case. We do NOT believe the Scriptures. We
pretend! We boast! We LIE! By the way,

"…and ALL LIARS [do you see any
   exceptions in that statement, ‘ALL liars?"] shall have their part in the lake
   which BURNS WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: which is the second death" (Rev. 21:8)!

How many still desire that this lake should be a LITERAL FIRE that
tortures the flesh for all eternity? So maybe you think you’re not "a
murderer, or whoremonger, or sorcerer;" maybe you are just an occasional "liar
who hates his enemies?" Think about it.

So you are one of those who "Believes the Scriptures," are
you? And you believe that billions upon billions of human beings "…shall have
their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death?" And do you believe that they will be tortured there for ALL ETERNITY? Do
you? Do you really? Is this what you think the "lake of fire/second death" is?
An eternal torture chamber? Well, then you must also concede that if you or anyone you
know is "fearful" (same verse) ("fearful" in the Greek here is
"timid"), or a "liar," then you and everyone you know who is
either "timid" or a "liar" is going to burn and burn and burn in
literal fire in this lake of fire for ALL ETERNITY. Are you ever "timid?"
Do you ever tell a "lie?" Are you ready to go to Hell
and be burned in real fire for all eternity? Why does God lump such relatively minor
character flaws such as "timidity (fearful)" with "murderers" and
"sorcerers?" Have you ever had the reason for that explained to you? Ask your
pastor, I am sure he will be able to explain it to you. (On second thought scratch that
last statement. I believe that statement is a "lie." I don’t
believe your pastor can explain it to you, and I don’t want to burn in Hell for all
eternity for being a "liar").

I can see it all now: Satan is standing at the Rusty Gates of Hell
welcoming all newcomers:

SATAN: "And why are you here, young man?"


YOUNG MAN: "In my life I was ABOMINABLE, committed MURDERS,
   practiced SORCERY, and was an IDOLATER!"


SATAN: "Throw this young man into the burning lake of fire for
   all eternity!"


SATAN: "And why are you here, young lady?"


YOUNG LADY: "I have never done anything abominable or committed
   murder or practiced sorcery, nor was I an idolater. But when I heard all those Hell-fire
   and brimstone sermons on television by all those worldly millionaire preachers of doom, I
   became a little "fearful" as I am timid by nature."


SATAN: "Throw this evil sinner into the burning lake of fire
   for all eternity!"


SATAN: "Demon Scribe, how many fearful and timid young ladies
   have we thrown into the lake of fire thus far?


DEMON SCRIBE: "Your Unholy Corruptness: that last one makes
   four billion, six hundred and eighty-nine million, five hundred and seventy-eight
   thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine!"


SATAN: "Very good! Next….."

WE MUST BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES

Here is another verse that will test your faith in the Scriptures:

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
   and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be
   saved" (Rom. 10:9).

Is not this Scripture so absolutely fundamental to our faith that
every Christian on earth believes every word of this Scripture? Let us see. Test yourself:
First we must "confess Jesus." Not just saying the name of Jesus as a real
historical Figure, but EVERYTHING THAT HIS NAME STANDS FOR! Jesus means
"Jehovah-Saviour." Saviour of what? Saviour of whom? Here’s a Scriptural
answer:

"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the
Son [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD"
(I John 4:14)!

Do you know of a verse anywhere in the Bible that says Jesus will
FAIL at being "The SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD?" Do you then completely
believe Rom. 10:9 as the infallible Word of God? Do you believe that Jesus IS what His
name SAYS He is—Saviour of THE WORLD? Do you believe that His Father gave Him a
commission that could only be hoped for, but never accomplished? Do you believe that Jesus
Christ will FAIL TO LIVE UP TO HIS NAME? Well, then, if you believe that Jesus IS the
Saviour of the world, then you certainly cannot believe that He will NOT save most of the
world but rather torture most of the world for all eternity in a lake of fire.

Jesus gave a parable about a father who commissioned one of his sons
to do a job. The son said he would do what his father commissioned. However, he lied and
did not do what his father commissioned. Jesus told those Pharisees that harlots would
enter the kingdom before someone with an attitude like that, (Matt. 21:28-31)! Are we to
believe that the very Son of God Himself is no better than this failing servant in
Christ’s own parable?

What will it take before we really BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES? We hear a
great deal these days about "THE GREAT COMMISSION," (as though those talking
about it have a clue as to what it is). Teaching the gospel is certainly commanded by our
Lord, but the greatest thing about the gospel is never taught by most evangelists. That
Jesus Christ died to save a small fraction of sinners is only a small fraction of the
gospel. And the gospel is not the Great Commission. Would you like to know what The Great
Commission really is? Okay, here it is: "And we have seen and do testify that the
Father sent [Gk: apostello, to send out on a mission—commission]
TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" (I John 4:14)! See Second Witness in John
3:17. Now if anyone knows of a GREATER mission or commission than this, I am sure we would
all like to know what it is?

Now it would only be fitting that such a Dignitary ought to have a
name that exemplifies so great a commission:

"Wherefore God also has highly EXALTED HIM, and given Him A
   NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME: That at THE NAME OF JESUS [Jehovah-SAVIOUR]…"
   (Phil. 2:9). See Second Witness in Eph. 1:21.

Okay then, we have the "commission," and we have "a
name" befitting that commission, but do we have a Son Who will do the works of that
commission or will He fail?

"…the works which the Father hath given me to finish,
the same works that I DO, bear witness of Me…." (John 5:36).

A second witness: Did Jesus take the works ("to be the
SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD") seriously?

"I MUST WORK THE WORKS [SAVE THE WORLD] OF
HIM THAT SENT ME…." (John 9:4)!!!

What power might Jesus lack that could disable or frustrate
this august commission of His Father?

"ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME in heaven and in
earth" (Matt. 28:18)!

See Second Witness in Dan. 7:14.

Has Jesus already proven that He has enough power to overcome all
the "free wills" of the world? "Be of good cheer; I have OVERCOME THE
WORLD" (John 16:33).

See Second Witness in I John 4:4.

Maybe God doesn’t want the whole world to be saved?

"Who WILL have all men to be saved" (I Tim. 2:4).

Second witness:

"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because
   we trust in the living God, Who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, especially [but not
   exclusively] of those who believe" (I Tim. 4:10).

Doesn’t God will that most of humanity will eternally perish in
the lake of fire?

"The Lord…is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish [eternally]…"
(II Peter. 3:9).

Second witness:

"And I, if I be lifted up [on the cross] from the
earth, will draw ALL MEN UNTO ME" (John 12:32).

But doesn’t the whole world need first to have their sins
atoned for?

"And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for
our’s only, but also for THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD" (I John 2:2).

Second witness:

"The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says,
Behold the Lamb of God, which TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD" (John 1:29).

Hasn’t the Church proven by their interpretation of the
"lake of fire" that it is "impossible" to save all mankind?

"Who then CAN be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto
   them, With men this is impossible; but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE" (Matt.
   19:25-26).

See Second Witness in Job 42:2.

Isn’t it up to each individual to "CHOOSE CHIRST" in
order to be saved?

"You have NOT CHOSEN ME, but I have CHOSEN YOU…" (John
15:16).

But didn’t Billy Graham say at one of his crusades that
"we must come to Christ all on our own?" To not even pray for those making that
decision, because that decision to "come to Christ" must be theirs and THEIRS
ALONE?

"NO MAN CAN COME TO ME [by his own free will choice]
   except the Father which has sent me DRAW HIM [Greek: DRAG HIM] and I WILL
   raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44).

See Second Witness in Verse 65.

Are you telling me that I never did seek God ON MY OWN?

"There is NONE that seeks after God" (Rom. 3:11b).

See Second Witness in Psalm 14:2.

But what if I believe that I can and I do WILL to serve God on my
own.

"For it is GOD which works IN you both TO WILL and TO DO of
His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

See Second Witness in I Cor. 15:10.

Well I know for a fact that it says in Heb. 11:6 that without faith
it is impossible to please God, so surely we must work up our OWN FAITH in order to please
God?

"For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that [that
   ‘FAITH’] is NOT OF YOURSELVES [well where does it come from then, if not
   from US?]; it is the GIFT OF GOD" (Eph. 2:8).

Second Witness:

"…and what have you that you did not
RECEIVE….?" (I Cor. 4:7).

But surely everyone will have to acknowledge the RISEN Jesus Christ
as their Lord and their Jesus [Jehovah-SAVIOUR] before they can ever be saved, so when
does that happen?

"That at the name of Jesus [Jehovah-Saviour—THEIR
   Saviour] EVERY knee should bow, in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth; and that
   EVERY tongue should confess [‘That if thou shalt confess
   with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him
   from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED, Rom. 10:9)] that Jesus Christ [The
   Christ that God ‘raised from the dead.’ Christ was already ‘RISEN’
   when this was written in Phil. 2:11] is Lord [‘Lord’ means
   ‘master’—acknowledging Christ as Master of their lives], to the glory of
   God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11).

But doesn’t this sound like ALL that we do to be saved is OF
GOD, and not of ourselves?

"God is operating ALL in all" (I Cor. 12:6)

"Yet ALL is of God" (II Cor. 5:18)

"For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him, ARE ALL THINGS: to
Whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom. 11:34)

"…being predestinated according to the purpose of Him
Who works ALL THINGS after the counsel of His OWN WILL" (Eph. 1:11).

This almost sounds like we can do absolutely NOTHING on our own to
bring about our own salvation.

"I am the vine, you are the branches … for without me
you can do NOTHING" (John 15:5).

All these Scriptures make it sound as if the Church has many worship
practices that are nothing but the philosophies, commandments, and traditions of men
rather than Scripture.

"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines
   the commandments of men…Full well you reject the commandments of God, [like: ‘LOVE YOUR ENEMIES’] that you may keep your OWN
   TRADITION" (Mark 7:7 & 9).

Am I failing to find even a single Scriptural excuse for Christ to
FAIL in His Great Commission? I hope so! Perhaps your pastor knows of a Scripture that
will justify the Christian concept that Jesus Christ will FAIL to fulfill His commission.
If anyone finds such a Scripture, be sure to e-mail me immediately.

Maybe your pastor will say that I am being too negative and
expecting too much of our Saviour. Shouldn’t I be content that Jesus saves at least a
few? The small flock? The narrow gate? The firstfruit? Is not a FIVE PERCENT success rate
something to be praised and awarded even if NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of humanity are to be lost
and eternally tortured in a lake of fire? Is FIVE PERCENT considered a GOOD RETURN on His
investment according to our Heavenly Father? Jesus gave another parable about a Lord [God]
who gave five, two, and one talents to each of his servants ("But made
Himself [Jesus] of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a SERVANT….,"
Phil. 2:7), and later reckoned with them about how well they did with their talents.
The two servants with five and two talents were praised and rewarded. The one with
one talent (TWENTY PERCENT as much as the one with five talents) gave his Lord back his
one talent to which the Lord commanded:

"An