Do You Believe In Hell?Do You Believe A Loving God Burns People Forever Because of Their Sin In Life?
Do You Believe Satan Will Be Placed In Charge of A Burning Abyss Forever?
Do You Believe Hades and Hell Are the Same?
Do You Believe Your Dead Lost Loved Ones Are Suffering Right Now - In Hell ?!?
Let's see what the Bible Says, not man's traditions
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished ...
Are the "lost dead" being punished in hell now? No, they are in reserve for the day of judgment. The following verses refer to the 2nd Coming:
John 5
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (the punishment of Hell or the reward of Heaven)
Is there a place of burning for lost souls (people)?
Yes, it's at the end of all things. It's called the Lake of Fire and Furnace of Fire.
Matthew 13
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
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.
Revelation 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. (The Hebrew and Greek translations make it clear that the "for ever and ever" reference means, "until consumed, burnt up completely")
Ezekiel 28:18 “ You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.” (this Ezekiel reference is pointed to the Devil)
BTW, these "punishment" references point to a time at the END of the MILLENNIUM (the thousand years of peace).
Now comes a very important bit of knowledge, completely ignored by most Churches. Does God allow people (the wicked) to burn forever in this "end of all things" fire? We must look it up!
Firstly, only God has immortality (1 Tim 6:16). Immortality for humans is a gift from God to the good (1 Corinthians 15:54) - death is swallowed up in victory.
And the wicked?
Why ... They are obliterated, utterly consumed!
Romans 6:23, Job 21:30, Psalm 37:20, Malachi 4:1,3; Psalm 37:38, Psalm 37:20, Psalm 37:9, Psalm 62:3, Psalm 145:20, and Psalm 21:9, Matthew 13:40-42, Rev. 20:9, Proverbs 11:31, 2 Peter 3:10, Rev. 22:12, Matthew 16:27, Luke 12:47,48; Rev. 21:1,4; Isaiah 47:14, Rev. 22:12, Matthew 16:27, Luke 12:47,48 - there's more!
A timeline will help clarify these events:
1) YOU ARE HERE (We're in the year 2009 AD)
2) EARTH'S LAST CRISIS - Luke 21:35; Rev. 3:10. No one knows when it will come, yet it will hit at an unexpected time, like September 11. This crisis could stem from many causes - economic, natural (such as a huge earthquake, etc.), or possibly, a terrorist attack.
3) THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS ENFORCED BY LAW - Rev. 13:16,17 The "mark of the beast" will be enforced by governments around the world as a supposed "solution" to a global, desperate crisis. The majority of Earth's inhabitants will not realize this is "the mark," for they will be deceived. Rev. 19:20. The terms "beast" and "mark" are code words in the book of Revelation that God's people alone will understand. They will know who the "beast" is, and what his "mark" is, while the rest of the world has no clue.
4) THE THREE ANGELS MESSAGES ARE HEARD WORLDWIDE - Rev. 14:6-12 Before anyone receives "the mark," God will send a special, final message to warn and enlighten a world filled with people He loves and earnestly wants to save. This special message is the message of "The Three Angels." These angels represent human beings who understand and communicate this exact message with "a loud voice" to "every nation, tribe, tongue, and people" (Rev. 14:6,7). The message is given before the return of Jesus Christ (Rev. 14:14-16).
5) THE FINAL CHOICE - THE SEAL OR THE MARK? - Rev. 7:1-3; 13:16-14:1. During Earth's last crisis, every living human being will make a final choice - choosing the side of Jesus Christ and the truth (receiving the "seal of God") or the side of Satan and the "beast" (receiving his "mark"). Humanity will be divided into two great, final classes.
6) THE CLOSING OF HEAVEN'S DOOR OF SALVATION - Rev. 22:11 After everyone has had a chance to make an enlightened, intelligent decision, then the "door of mercy" will close forever, just like the door closed to Noah's ark before the flood (see Genesis 7:16). Every human being will either be "righteous" and "holy," or "filthy" and "unjust" (Rev. 22:11). There will be no more changing sides.
7) THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES FALL - Rev. 16; 14:9-12 The seven last plagues are God's final judgments upon a world that has rejected His love, the cross of Jesus Christ, the worship of the Creator and full authority of the Ten Commandments (14:7, 12).
These plagues fall only upon those who have chosen "the beast" and received its "mark" (Rev. 16:1,2). This time period is also called the "time of trouble" (Daniel 12:1). During this awesome period, God's people will be fully protected, just like the Israelites were during the falling of the ten plagues in Egypt (see Exodus 7-12; Psalm 91). At the end of this period, God's faithful ones will be "delivered" (Daniel 12:1).
8) THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON - Rev. 16:14-16 This is the final "battle of that great day of God Almighty." Jesus Christ returns as "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:11-16) to defeat the global forces of Satan, sin and Babylon (Rev. 16:19) and to deliver His blood-bought, obedient people.
9) THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST - Mat. 24:30,31; 1 Thess. 4:16,17 Jesus Christ will return visibly, "with power and great glory," with "a great sound of a trumpet," accompanied by billions of shiny, holy angels. He will resurrect "the dead in Christ" (this is the First Resurrection) and "catch up" His living saints into the air. "Sudden destruction" falls upon the lost who have survived the seven plagues (1 Thess. 4:16-5:3).
10) 1000 YEARS, THE SECOND RESURRECTION, THE FINAL JUDGMENT, THE LAKE OF FIRE AND THE NEW EARTH - Rev. 20:1-15; 21:1 After the return of Jesus Christ comes the 1000 years (Rev. 20). At the end of this period comes the second resurrection of "the rest of the dead" who did not participate in the first resurrection (see Rev. 20:5a; 12,13), the final judgment, "the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14,15) and then the creation of a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1).
In God's New Earth, there will be "no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful (Rev. 21:4,5). Sin will be gone, and God's love will reign forever!
... Once again, I find myself at a loss attempting to cover all the bases. I have left out so much. The Bible also speaks of "unquenchable fire", "everlasting punishment", etc. But, these terms indicate a punishment that is everlasting (cannot be reversed); a fire of GOD that no one can quench, except God. Notice there is no 7 year tribulation or secret rapture - these are man made myths (yet another blog entry needed). I very much recommend the Amazing facts Bible Study!
The Observer
Of Interest:
The word "Hell" is used 54 times in the Bible. In only 12 cases does it refer to a place of burning.
In the Old Testament: 31 times, derived from the word "Sheol", which means "the grave".
In the New Testament: 10 times as "Hades", which means "the grave";
12 times as "Gehenna", which means "place of burning";
and 1 time as "Tartarus", which means "a place of darkness".
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