Friday, February 7, 2014

The "Lake of Fire"

More scriptures added

A QUESTION:
Do you think that when the GB False Prophet is directly put into the lake of fire, the unfaithful invited Temple members and arrangement of Gentiles, is destroyed? Just a thought.

MY REPLY:
It helps us to remember that the book of Revelation is entirely symbolic. The "Lake of Fire" spoken of at Rev.20:10,14,15; 19:20; 21:8 is also symbolic. It represents God's pure truth (Jer.23:29), which condemns and destroys all those who disobey it in defiance (Jer.5:14 NIV ; Rev.11:5; Hosea 6:5; 1Cor.3:13; Rev.20:12; John12:48).
How does it "destroy"? Is that a physical destruction? Well, yes and no.
How so?
All those who do not receive salvation (by being written in the "Lamb's scroll of Life") are already dying through sin (Rom.5:12).
God does not need to destroy them, because they are already as dead (Rom.8:6,13; John3:18). Only those blessed with God's approval will live eternally (1John2:17).
Anyone whose name is not in the Lamb's scroll of Life, are still owned by the "destroyer" (Isa.33:1; John10:10; 8:44; Rev.9:11). Therefore, being cast into the judgment of the "Lake of Fire" does mean one belongs to "Destruction"...but it is not as if it is literal and physical, resulting in immediate physical death.
It is a condemnation, resulting in no salvation from a death which already has claimed you. Eventually, without salvation, these will die a permanent physical death. I hope you can see that being cast into the "Lake of Fire" is being "abandoned" by God's salvation. Those abandoned by God's saving Spirit, swallow Satan's flood of lies, and are deceived into committing idolatry
 (Matt.24:37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,39; Dan.9:26; Rev.12:15,16; 13:14; 2Thess.2:9,10,11,12; Rev.13:8)
earth-swallows-satans-river

To receive God's permanent condemnation, is to die eternally. This is what the "Lake of Fire" represents. It is condemnation by means of God's Word...which IS FIRE (Heb.12:29; Jer.23:29; Jer.5:14 NIV ; Rev.11:5). There is a first death, over which Satan reigns (Heb.2:14; 1Cor.5:5), which death of the flesh is physical and from which we can be saved (Matt.10:28 YLT ; Dan.12:13; Isa.25:9). Then there is the "second death", which is God's condemnation (James4:12; 5:9). From this, there is no salvation (Ps.104:29; Matt.10:28 YLT). Eternal Life resides with God (Ps.36:9; 1John2:17; Isa.43:11,12). He chooses who receives it's fruit, based upon His own righteous judgments (Isa.33:22; 11:4; 49:25; Jer.30:7) (Gen.3:24; Matt.13:11; Luke8:10; Rev.2:7; 22:17; Prov.3:18) (Rev.15:4).

The fire of God's Word has two potential effects, based upon our heart's spiritual condition.
If we are submissive to God's Word and inclined toward it's discipline, the fire will cleanse and refine us for salvation (Mal.3:2,3; Prov.17:3; Zech.13:9) Our hearts praise reveals who we really worship (Prov.27:21; Rev.13:3,4; Luke 6:26).
If we are proud, "stiff-necked", and rebellious [Acts 7:51; Isa.63:10; Jer.6:10; Isa.48:4; Jer.3:3 --(literally, "hardened forehead of a prostitute")], that same fire will burn us up. It all depends upon whether our heart and it's works are "fire resistant",  or corrupt (2Pet.3:7,10,11,12; 1Cor.3:12,13,14,15; Matt.7:24,25,26,27).

Those due God's condemnation through His final prophets (Rev.11:5,3,4) are judged by their reaction to that truth from God's Word.
They are as good as destroyed, because they are left UN-saved and UN-written in the Lamb's scroll of Life (Rev.13:8; 20:15).
Yet the "Lake of Fire" into which they are pitched, is not speaking of a literal, visible destruction. It is speaking of God's condemnation and the death that will result. These are under the mother "Covenant of Death" (Isa.28:15; Rev.17:5), and are "abandoned" by God, to Satan...the god and father the unfaithful have unwittingly chosen (John8:44; 2Cor.4:3,4).
Just as Jesus said at Matt.23:33 YLT ; the future for those who lose all favor with God, do not receive the immediate "death of Gehenna"/Lake of Fire, but rather, the "judgment of Gehenna".
"Snakes! Offspring of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Gehenna?" (Matt.23:33 YLT)

If Satan does decide to bring about a premature death to those condemned, that remains to be seen. Without any saving intervention, they will die anyway, at the end of their lifespan.

Another thought to remember is that the Wild Beast (as you say, the "arrangement of Gentiles") and the false prophet, are "still alive" when thrown into the "Lake of Fire", so that they are physically alive to experience their condemnation (Rev.19:20; Isa.30:33; Rev.14:10; Matt.8:12; 13:42-43; Luke16:19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,28; Matt.25:2,8,9,10,11,12,13; Luke 16:19,25; 1Cor.4:8; Rev.17:4,6; 2Thess.1:6; Col.3:25; Jer.50:29; Rev.6:10; 18:20; 19:2; Deut.32:43).
This is because they are still functioning and powerful while being condemned by God, which condemnation occurs by means of God's true prophets (Jer.5:14 NIV ; Rev.11:5; Jer.23:29; Hosea 6:5; Matt.13:43; Luke 12:46; Hosea 6:5). This has already begun fulfillment.

Love in Christ,
Pearl

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1 comment:

  1. So many scriptural truths clarified! Thank you for this spiritual bounty. What great joy it gives to feast upon it, and how glaringly obvious it is now the extreme spiritual famine we (former JWs) were suffering at the hands of the false prophet who deprived us of any real nourishment. Love in Christ, Rachel

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