Faith First Media
A division of Plasma Productions.
Articles
Will The Unrighteous Burn Forever in Hell?
|
|
Eternal Conscious Torture in Hell vs. Annihilation in the Lake of Fire
What Does the Bible Really Teach?
by Matthew Elton
copyright 2009 Matthew Elton
The concept of hades as a place of eternal torture for the immortal soul has its origins in Platonic philosophy and Greek Mythology, and is foreign to the Bible. The Old Testament Jewish Scriptures are very clear that the human soul is not immortal, and the New Testament confirms this. The Bible teaches that the dead are quite literally dead, not alive in heaven or in hell. However, there will come a day when Jesus will return and the dead will rise and be judged - some to eternal life in the Kingdom of God, and others to destruction in the hell fire of the Lake of Fire. The Bible teaches that the unrighteous who do not accept Jesus as Lord will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, where they will die. Common sense dictates that anyone who is thrown into a fire will burn to death. The only way that the unrighteous could burn for all eternity is if they were granted eternal life, which the Bible clearly states is only going to be granted to the righteous who accept Jesus as Lord.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
--John 3:16
As of right now, the King of kings is the only person who possesses immortality! His followers will receive eternal life later at the resurrection of the righteous.
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
--1 Timothy 6:15-16
This proves that there is no one except Jesus currently living forever in heaven, and there is also no one living forever in hell!
According to the Bible, death is like sleeping. It is simply awaiting the future resurrection and judgement. In fact, Jesus used the words sleep and death interchangeably:
After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead”
--John 11:11-14
Those that are dead are not in heaven or hell! They are "asleep" in the "dust of the earth" awaiting the coming resurrection that will occur when Christ returns to judge the world:
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
--Daniel 12:2
When you are dead, you are not conscious. You don't know anything. You are not tortured for all eternity in some underground cave. You are quite literally dead.
For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten.
--Ecclesiastes 9:5
The Bible tells us that King David did not go to heaven! If King David didn't go to heaven, what chance do you have of going to heaven? Are you any better than King David?
For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand
--Acts 2:34
Jesus is the only person who has ever gone to heaven:
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
--John 3:13
When you die, nothing happens. There is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom when you are dead:
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
--Ecclesiastes 9:10
When David was fleeing Saul, he was afraid he was going to die. He pleaded with God, saying:
No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?
--Pslam 6:5
If David had thought he was going to heaven, he would not have said this, since he would certainly be able to praise from heaven.
The dead cannot think, act, or communicate. They remain in a dreamless sleep, awaiting the return of Christ, when they will be resurrected, and judged (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) Since there is no consciousness in death, there is no sense of time. When you die, the next thing you will know will be the resurrection and final judgement (commonly referred to as "Judgment Day") in which the righteous will enter the Kingdom of God (also known as the Kingdom of Heaven, see Matthew 19:23-24) on a new and perfect earth and dwell there forever, and the unrighteous will be thrown into a lake of fire where both their bodies and their souls will be destroyed in hell fire. If your body and your soul are both destroyed, there is nothing left to torture! This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the unrighteous will not be tortured for all eternity - they will die in the lake of fire, and remain dead forever. They will not receive the eternal life in the paradise of the Kingdom of God that is promised to those who follow Jesus as Lord.
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.
--Matthew 10:28
The wages of sin is death - not eternal life in hell!
Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
--Ezekiel 18:4
The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
--Romans 6:23
Have questions, comments, criticisms, or concerns?
Email me at: Matt@faithfirstmedia.com
Categories: The Sleep of Death, The Kingdom of God
Post a Comment
Oops!
The words you entered did not match the given text. Please try again.
10 Comments
Reply
seri
05:19 AM on February 06, 2010
Do you really think there is death? and what if any could death be defined? Do you as a parent would want to see your child suffer a hell just because he did something awful and not be moved by it? that is only a human who has human love...they would be finding it horrible to see his child suffer. Can you imagine God, equal to Love...would think it is great to have offenders burn and suffer in hell??? these are just symbolics for something deeper...but so many interpret the Bible as literally...therefore you stay a infantile imbecile spiritually. All fall for the ancient writings that was meant for the unconscious people in those days that can't grasp deeper spiritual truths. And most of the world are not sucked into these flat interpretations. And you can't help it as these interpretations were handed down to us for so many generations. And the paradigms that you view the Bible is still so boxed in...you have made an Idol out of God without understanding it.
Seri, I don't believe that anyone is going to suffer in hell as a place of eternal torture. As I described in the article, the Bible is very clear that no one goes to hell when they die. All people are unrighteous before God because all have sinned, and are therefore guilty before God. But no one deserves eternal torture. An infinite punishment for a finite sin would not be justice. Jesus suffered on the cross in order to pay the punishment that we deserve for our sins for us, so that penalty for sin would not fall on us, if we believe in him and follow him as Lord. Nobody deserves eternal life by their own merits. Only through faith in Jesus, who out of love for us suffered on the cross in order to pay the price for our sins, can we find forgiveness and salvation.
Those who reject Jesus reject the forgiveness of sins that Jesus so graciously bought for them. They will receive death in the lake of fire, which is the natural wages of their sins. Death exists, and as I described in the article, the Bible defines death as a state in which there is no thinking, planning, work, thought, or knowledge. In other words, death is the state of no longer existing. Those who reject Jesus will be destroyed at the Final Judgement, and will no longer exist. But those who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior will receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
Those who reject Jesus reject the forgiveness of sins that Jesus so graciously bought for them. They will receive death in the lake of fire, which is the natural wages of their sins. Death exists, and as I described in the article, the Bible defines death as a state in which there is no thinking, planning, work, thought, or knowledge. In other words, death is the state of no longer existing. Those who reject Jesus will be destroyed at the Final Judgement, and will no longer exist. But those who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior will receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
Reply
Debbie
03:09 PM on December 26, 2010
Matt,
What about Jesus' account in Luke 16:19-31 of Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man who died?
We must be so very careful that what we share with others is from the Holy Spirit's revelation to us. Jesus tells us that the dead are in hell or ?here?, it may not be Heaven until it's time for the dead to enter but in this account the dead moving and interacting. Jesus, said that Lazarus was taken to Abraham's side, who was also dead; neither were 'asleep'. They were alive and Lazarus was drinking cool water that Abraham was giving to him. The scripture doesn't say it was Heaven but it was a place where the dead were. And the rich man was in a different place, a place of torment, where he was "in anguish in this flame?. Luke 16:26 "And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us?.
This came from Jesus' words and such an account speaks volumes! It supports all of the recent accounts of those who have actually died and came back again, to share their accounts of seeing loved ones that went before them. It may not be Heaven but it is a place where they're comforted. And there have been a few recent accounts of those who have died and come back recounting the horrible darkness that they experienced, rather than a place of peace and love.
I had a friend at work ask me about where our loved ones may be after they die. I prayed to give her the proper guidance and the Holy Spirit directed me to this scripture. Jesus didn't say where this place was and He didn't give it a name. But it is real and the dead were alive, moving around and talking, not asleep or unknowing.
Jesus said this, not David or the others that you mentioned. He would know more than they.
"So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead? Jesus told them plainly, he was dead, not asleep.
I haven't researched the Daniel 12:2 scripture and I would need more time in the accounts of Revelation, where it says that the dead will arise, in order to elaborate further. Daniel 12:13 speaks of Daniel prior to the 'end of days', "til the end, you will rest." In Revelations 4, it states that the writer saw the souls of those who knew Christ and were killed in the last days and "they came to life" - it doesn't say their souls were dead. He saw their souls. In Rev 14:13, the dead 'will rest' and Rev 15:2, 'those that had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang..." They are dead by our account of death but not 'dead' by God's account; their souls were active, speaking, moving.
Jesus said in Luke 16:23 that the rich man, who did not know God, was "in hell" where he was tormented and in 12:25, He said that Lazarus "is comforted here".
There seems to be a place where our souls must go, after we die. Please be open in directing people, as Jesus did; as this is such an important question to so many.
Thank you
What about Jesus' account in Luke 16:19-31 of Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man who died?
We must be so very careful that what we share with others is from the Holy Spirit's revelation to us. Jesus tells us that the dead are in hell or ?here?, it may not be Heaven until it's time for the dead to enter but in this account the dead moving and interacting. Jesus, said that Lazarus was taken to Abraham's side, who was also dead; neither were 'asleep'. They were alive and Lazarus was drinking cool water that Abraham was giving to him. The scripture doesn't say it was Heaven but it was a place where the dead were. And the rich man was in a different place, a place of torment, where he was "in anguish in this flame?. Luke 16:26 "And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us?.
This came from Jesus' words and such an account speaks volumes! It supports all of the recent accounts of those who have actually died and came back again, to share their accounts of seeing loved ones that went before them. It may not be Heaven but it is a place where they're comforted. And there have been a few recent accounts of those who have died and come back recounting the horrible darkness that they experienced, rather than a place of peace and love.
I had a friend at work ask me about where our loved ones may be after they die. I prayed to give her the proper guidance and the Holy Spirit directed me to this scripture. Jesus didn't say where this place was and He didn't give it a name. But it is real and the dead were alive, moving around and talking, not asleep or unknowing.
Jesus said this, not David or the others that you mentioned. He would know more than they.
"So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead? Jesus told them plainly, he was dead, not asleep.
I haven't researched the Daniel 12:2 scripture and I would need more time in the accounts of Revelation, where it says that the dead will arise, in order to elaborate further. Daniel 12:13 speaks of Daniel prior to the 'end of days', "til the end, you will rest." In Revelations 4, it states that the writer saw the souls of those who knew Christ and were killed in the last days and "they came to life" - it doesn't say their souls were dead. He saw their souls. In Rev 14:13, the dead 'will rest' and Rev 15:2, 'those that had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang..." They are dead by our account of death but not 'dead' by God's account; their souls were active, speaking, moving.
Jesus said in Luke 16:23 that the rich man, who did not know God, was "in hell" where he was tormented and in 12:25, He said that Lazarus "is comforted here".
There seems to be a place where our souls must go, after we die. Please be open in directing people, as Jesus did; as this is such an important question to so many.
Thank you
Debbie says...
Please be open in directing people, as Jesus did; as this is such an important question to so many.
Dear Debbie,
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus was just that - a parable. No one treats Christ's other parables as if they literally happened, so why this one? Even if the parable was a literal account of something that actually happens, it is inconsistent with the view of hell as a place of eternal torture of conscious disembodied souls. The parable depicts physical bodies (not disembodied souls!) in a place of fire (e.g. the lake of fire at the final Judgment). This parable is a depiction of the Judgment that will take place after Jesus returns and the dead are raised to be judged - the righteous entering eternal life in the Kingdom of God and the wicked dyign "the second death" (quite literally a Second Death) of "destruction" (Matthew 10:28) in the lake of fire. As Jesus said in Luke 13:28, "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out!"
Please take a moment to read more about the Rich Man and Lazarus here: http://www.wrestedscriptures.com/b03hell/luke16v19-31.html
This will all happen AFTER the future resurrection of the dead, when the dead are raised back to life. It cannot happen while the dead are still dead. That is impossible because the Bible makes it very clear that the dead cannot see, think, act, communicate, or experience anything. Death is the state of nonexistence. Anyone who exists in any conscious form whatsoever after death is NOT dead. Unless one is resurrected from the dead in the future, death is literally the end. Ot is appointed for everyone to die once, but there will one day be a resurrection and a single judgement of all mankind (Matthew 25). However, those who suffer the second death will never again be resurrected. That is why they will "perish" (John 3:16). To perish is to be destroyed, annihilated. One cannot continue to exist in any form if one perishes.
The dead cannot think, work, or do anything. Rather, when one dies, "his thoughts perish" (Psalm 146:4).
There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest. There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.
--Job 3:17-18
The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
--Psalm 115:17
Jesus taught that the soul is mortal and the wicked will face total death - the destruction of both body and soul in hell.
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.
--Matthew 10:28
A person cannot continue to live if both body and soul are destroyed!
That person will cease to exist. The wicked will face the punishment of complete destruction (Matthew 21:42, 22:7; Mark 12:9; James 4:12) which the Bible compares to the Flood of Noah (Luke 17:27), the destruction of Sodom (Luke 17:28-29) and the death of the Israelite multitude in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:10).
As we have seen, the first death is a "sleep" during which a person unconsciously awaits the resurrection, but the second death will be the "destruction" of "both body and soul" (Matthew 10:28). The first death is temporary, but the second death is "everlasting" (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41, 25:36). The believer who stays faithful will "not be hurt at all by the second death" (Revelation 2:11) for it will have "no power over them" (Revelation 20:6). Because of the original sin, all people will experience the first death (Genesis 3:19, 1 Corinthians 15:22). However, the second death is reserved only for the wicked (Revelation 21:8).
Not only will evil people be destroyed on the day of judgment, but evil itself will be destroyed, for in the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1), God will no longer allow evil to exist (Revelation 21:4). God will restore Creation to a Creation that is "very good" (Genesis 1:31). God will not be able to call the new earth "very good" if it exists above or alongside a fire full of people screaming in torture.
Revelation 21:4 tells us that pain and sorrow will pass away and be no more. If the wicked are held in a torture chamber for all eternity, how could pain and sorrow pass away?
The ultimate triumph of good over evil requires that evil is utterly destroyed and ceases to exist - not that evil be sectioned off into its own separate area called "hell."
The biblical view of hell as a place of the destruction of both body and soul, so that one ceases to exist, is essential to understanding God?s justice, love, and mercy. Though the false doctrine of eternal torture has caused many to believe that God is a sadist who loves to see people suffer, the Bible teaches that God takes no delight in punishing the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 18:32, 33:11).
God bless,
Matthew Elton
Reply
seri
05:27 PM on December 26, 2010
I feel so sorry in many ways that you all made just an Idol out of God...you are making God and Jesus to have human characteristics..
You need to understand the deeper spiritual meanings of What Jesus is trying to say when He said I am the Way, The truth and the Life...no one can come thru to God except thru the I...the way to God is thru Within...the I Am ...and not litterally thru Jesus..when you get thru to understanding this...then understand that Jesus said the Kingdom is within you...so all you will ever experience is always within...not without....Heaven, hell is always within you...step out of the shallow interpretations ...or you will be just like the idol worshippers...but that is very hard to grasp at your particular level you are in...as there are no physical heavens or hell...as anything physical heaven is totally absurd..after a while even this Heaven then becomes so boring it will turn to HELLL...please let the damn literally interpretation of the Bible behind...find it within you
You need to understand the deeper spiritual meanings of What Jesus is trying to say when He said I am the Way, The truth and the Life...no one can come thru to God except thru the I...the way to God is thru Within...the I Am ...and not litterally thru Jesus..when you get thru to understanding this...then understand that Jesus said the Kingdom is within you...so all you will ever experience is always within...not without....Heaven, hell is always within you...step out of the shallow interpretations ...or you will be just like the idol worshippers...but that is very hard to grasp at your particular level you are in...as there are no physical heavens or hell...as anything physical heaven is totally absurd..after a while even this Heaven then becomes so boring it will turn to HELLL...please let the damn literally interpretation of the Bible behind...find it within you
seri says...
I feel so sorry in many ways that you all made just an Idol out of God...you are making God and Jesus to have human characteristics..
You need to understand the deeper spiritual meanings of What Jesus is trying to say when He said I am the Way, The truth and the Life...no one can come thru to God except thru the I...the way to God is thru Within...the I Am ...and not litterally thru Jesus..when you get thru to understanding this...then understand that Jesus said the Kingdom is within you...so all you will ever experience is always within...not without....Heaven, hell is always within you...step out of the shallow interpretations ...or you will be just like the idol worshippers...but that is very hard to grasp at your particular level you are in...as there are no physical heavens or hell...as anything physical heaven is totally absurd..after a while even this Heaven then becomes so boring it will turn to HELLL...please let the damn literally interpretation of the Bible behind...find it within you
Dear Seri,
The Kingdom of God is within us because Jesus reigns as king in our hearts. But one day Jesus will reign from Jerusalem as the King over all the kings of the world. As it says in Isaiah, "the government shall be upon his shoulders." God promised David that he would never fail to have a descendant ruling on his throne, and that one of David's descendants would rule over the whole world from the throne of David, and that his Kingdom will never end.
Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is within us. But the Bible makes it clear that Jesus will literally rule the world with a literal government based in Jerusalem. After ruling the world for a thousand years, the world will be replaced by a new and perfect heaven and earth. Consider God's promise to David concerning his descendant Jesus, the Messiah:
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever"
--1 Samuel 7:12-16
Jesus is king descended from David whose Kingdom will never end. See 2 Sam. 7:14, Rev. 22:16, Rom. 1:3, Acts 13:23, Luke 1:32-33, Isa. 9:6,7; 22:22; Jer. 33:5,6,15; and Jn. 7:42.
Currently, the Kingdom of God is within us, reigning in our hearts. It is not yet fully established as a physical government on earth. However, the time is coming when Jesus will return and take up the throne of his ancestor David, and rule the world forever. All nations of the world, including the United States of America, will submit themselves to the rule of Jesus the King of kings. He will judge the living and the dead, and the Earth will be restored to paradise. There will be no more death, pain, or sorrow, for the former things will pass away (Revelation 21).
The Kingdom of God is NOT YET come in its fulness. For proof, simply turn to Matt. 25:34; 1 Cor. 6:9,10; 15:50; Gal. 5:21; and Eph. 5:5, all of which speak of the believers inheriting the Kingdom of God in the FUTURE. There were many in Christ's day who expected Jesus to begin his reign as King as soon as he reached Jerusalem. Jesus corrected them in the parable of Luke 19:11-27, about a king who goes away, leaving his servants to WAIT for his return. Only when he returns does he begin to rule, judging each servant according to his works.
Dear Seri,
For further proof that the Kingdom of God is a future (not present or past) government, consider these verses:
1. John 18:36 - The Kingdom of God is not of this age. How then could the Kingdom of God have already come, if it is not of this age? Yet even at that time Christ could say "I am a King" (John 18:37). Like the aforementioned parable, Christ is now the King, but has not begun his rule over the nations.
2. Jesus vowed to never again drink wine "until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29). Obviously the Kingdom is a future event. A similar statement is made in Luke 14:15 - "Blessed is he that shall (in the future) eat bread in the kingdom of God." It does not say "Blessed is he that now eats bread in the kingdom of God" because the Kingdom is not yet come!
3. In Luke 21, Jesus explains the signs which will herald his second coming, and concludes by saying: "When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh" (Luke 21:31). This only makes sense if the Kingdom has not yet come. The sings of Christ's coming will tell us that the KIngdom is COMING SOON, not that it has already arrived thousands of years ago.
4. Acts 14:22 says: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" Tribulation will only end AFTER the Kingdom has come. No wonder suffering believer pray for the kingdom to come quickly (Matt. 6:10)!
The obvious conclusion is that the Kingdom of God has not yet come in its fulness, but is coming soon upon Christ's return. At that future time, the followers of Christ will reign with Christ as "kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10, see also 2 Cor. 4:17 and Rom. 8:18).
I invite you to read more about the Kingdom of God here:
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0501definingthekingdo
m.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/d15literalityofthekin
gdom.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0504kingdominthefutur
e.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0505themillinnium.htm
l
"And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."
--Mark 11:9-10
God bless,
Matthew Elton
For further proof that the Kingdom of God is a future (not present or past) government, consider these verses:
1. John 18:36 - The Kingdom of God is not of this age. How then could the Kingdom of God have already come, if it is not of this age? Yet even at that time Christ could say "I am a King" (John 18:37). Like the aforementioned parable, Christ is now the King, but has not begun his rule over the nations.
2. Jesus vowed to never again drink wine "until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29). Obviously the Kingdom is a future event. A similar statement is made in Luke 14:15 - "Blessed is he that shall (in the future) eat bread in the kingdom of God." It does not say "Blessed is he that now eats bread in the kingdom of God" because the Kingdom is not yet come!
3. In Luke 21, Jesus explains the signs which will herald his second coming, and concludes by saying: "When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh" (Luke 21:31). This only makes sense if the Kingdom has not yet come. The sings of Christ's coming will tell us that the KIngdom is COMING SOON, not that it has already arrived thousands of years ago.
4. Acts 14:22 says: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" Tribulation will only end AFTER the Kingdom has come. No wonder suffering believer pray for the kingdom to come quickly (Matt. 6:10)!
The obvious conclusion is that the Kingdom of God has not yet come in its fulness, but is coming soon upon Christ's return. At that future time, the followers of Christ will reign with Christ as "kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10, see also 2 Cor. 4:17 and Rom. 8:18).
I invite you to read more about the Kingdom of God here:
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0501definingthekingdo
m.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/d15literalityofthekin
gdom.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0504kingdominthefutur
e.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0505themillinnium.htm
l
"And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."
--Mark 11:9-10
God bless,
Matthew Elton
Reply
sal
07:55 PM on December 26, 2010
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
--John 3:16
Does God Almighty begets? What nonesense is this? You talk about God as if He is a normal human being. This is where your faith erred. If Jesus didn't die, then the faith of Christendom is for naught. Has anyone heard of Yuz Asaf? Read about him in a book called "Jesus in Heaven on Earth" free at the following link: http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/others/khwajanazirahmad/jesusinhe
avenonearth/jesusinheavenonearth.pdf
And "The Crumbling of the Cross" to see how Jesus escapes death from the Cross:
http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/others/mumtazahmadfaruqui/crumbli
ngcross/crumblingcross.pdf
--John 3:16
Does God Almighty begets? What nonesense is this? You talk about God as if He is a normal human being. This is where your faith erred. If Jesus didn't die, then the faith of Christendom is for naught. Has anyone heard of Yuz Asaf? Read about him in a book called "Jesus in Heaven on Earth" free at the following link: http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/others/khwajanazirahmad/jesusinhe
avenonearth/jesusinheavenonearth.pdf
And "The Crumbling of the Cross" to see how Jesus escapes death from the Cross:
http://www.aaiil.org/text/books/others/mumtazahmadfaruqui/crumbli
ngcross/crumblingcross.pdf
Reply
seri
12:54 AM on December 27, 2010
faithfirstmedia says...
Dear Seri,
For further proof that the Kingdom of God is a future (not present or past) government, consider these verses:
1. John 18:36 - The Kingdom of God is not of this age. How then could the Kingdom of God have already come, if it is not of this age? Yet even at that time Christ could say "I am a King" (John 18:37). Like the aforementioned parable, Christ is now the King, but has not begun his rule over the nations.
2. Jesus vowed to never again drink wine "until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29). Obviously the Kingdom is a future event. A similar statement is made in Luke 14:15 - "Blessed is he that shall (in the future) eat bread in the kingdom of God." It does not say "Blessed is he that now eats bread in the kingdom of God" because the Kingdom is not yet come!
3. In Luke 21, Jesus explains the signs which will herald his second coming, and concludes by saying: "When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh" (Luke 21:31). This only makes sense if the Kingdom has not yet come. The sings of Christ's coming will tell us that the KIngdom is COMING SOON, not that it has already arrived thousands of years ago.
4. Acts 14:22 says: "We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" Tribulation will only end AFTER the Kingdom has come. No wonder suffering believer pray for the kingdom to come quickly (Matt. 6:10)!
The obvious conclusion is that the Kingdom of God has not yet come in its fulness, but is coming soon upon Christ's return. At that future time, the followers of Christ will reign with Christ as "kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10, see also 2 Cor. 4:17 and Rom. 8:18).
I invite you to read more about the Kingdom of God here:
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0501definingthekingdo
m.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/d15literalityofthekin
gdom.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0504kingdominthefutur
e.html
http://www.christadelphians.com/biblebasics/0505themillinnium.htm
l
"And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest."
--Mark 11:9-10
God bless,
Matthew Elton
Dear Mathew,
thank you for replying. I understand that your perspective is from the Scriptures. and interpret this as such and equal it as it is The Truth. This is when you start putting God in a box, and when you think you have it you have lost it. There are so many interpretations of scripture. mostly are black and white and litteral and boxed in. this is when you will fall into a mind and ego trip.
The Kingdom of God is a spiritiual timeless kingdom, it is in the dimension where there is no psychological time...meaning that future, present and past has morphed into ONE. which means the dimension where you and me are behind the dimension of materiality. I and my Father are One Jesus said. in John 17 he also talks about the Oneness. Meaning that if God's Kingdom is in the future...it means it needs time to exist and come to us...meaning it is also not timeless. Whereas in reality the true Kingdom is always within where there is no such thing as the illusionary manmade time....thing about this instead of just skimming over it and spouting out the hogwash of Bible interpretations...
God bless
Seri
Reply
Debbie
09:35 PM on December 31, 2010
Hello again,
There is much debate on this topic and it was not my intention to enter into one with my view of 'life' after death.
There are many horrible things that happen here on earth and there are many people asking why God would allow such things to happen. His love is deep and He knows the number of the hairs on our heads, yet people are tormented in life. There are so many avenues that discussions like this can lead to.
We are all different, as were the Disciples of Jesus and since His resurrection, He reveals Himself to each one of us through the Holy Spirit. And the only reason I commented was to relay a different view that other, well orientated believers also share.
An excerpt from one of John Macarthur's sermons addressing this topic in Luke 16:19-31:
"It is important to remember that in the New Testament ?sleep? applies only to the body, never to the soul. ?Soul sleep,? the false teaching that the souls of the dead are in a state of unconscious existence in the afterlife, is foreign to Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul wrote that he ?prefer[red] rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord,? while in Philippians 1:23 he expressed his ?desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.? Those statements teach that believers go consciously into the Lord?s presence at death, for how could unconsciousness be ?very much better? than conscious communion with Jesus Christ in this life? Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross, ?Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise [heaven; cf. 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7]? (Luke 23:43). Moses? and Elijah?s souls were not asleep, since they appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3), nor are those of the Tribulation martyrs in Revelation 6:9?11, who will be awake and able to speak to God. After death the redeemed go consciously into the presence of the Lord, while the unsaved go into conscious punishment (Luke 16:19?31)." November 2, 2010
Please don?t be offended as I am merely trying to offer encouragement to anyone that may stumble onto this site searching to find out what happens to a loved one after they die.
God?s love is so deep, that we can?t even fathom it. And ?Love? is many things and we apply it in our limited ways but to God it is everything; in all of the ways that it is taught in the Bible. Please, anyone that may be searching, listen for the Holy Spirit for direction and let Him reveal God?s Word to you.
And at this point, WWJD says it all; I will bow out of this discussion.
In Christ?s Love,
Debbie
There is much debate on this topic and it was not my intention to enter into one with my view of 'life' after death.
There are many horrible things that happen here on earth and there are many people asking why God would allow such things to happen. His love is deep and He knows the number of the hairs on our heads, yet people are tormented in life. There are so many avenues that discussions like this can lead to.
We are all different, as were the Disciples of Jesus and since His resurrection, He reveals Himself to each one of us through the Holy Spirit. And the only reason I commented was to relay a different view that other, well orientated believers also share.
An excerpt from one of John Macarthur's sermons addressing this topic in Luke 16:19-31:
"It is important to remember that in the New Testament ?sleep? applies only to the body, never to the soul. ?Soul sleep,? the false teaching that the souls of the dead are in a state of unconscious existence in the afterlife, is foreign to Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 5:8 Paul wrote that he ?prefer[red] rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord,? while in Philippians 1:23 he expressed his ?desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.? Those statements teach that believers go consciously into the Lord?s presence at death, for how could unconsciousness be ?very much better? than conscious communion with Jesus Christ in this life? Jesus promised the repentant thief on the cross, ?Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise [heaven; cf. 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7]? (Luke 23:43). Moses? and Elijah?s souls were not asleep, since they appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matt. 17:3), nor are those of the Tribulation martyrs in Revelation 6:9?11, who will be awake and able to speak to God. After death the redeemed go consciously into the presence of the Lord, while the unsaved go into conscious punishment (Luke 16:19?31)." November 2, 2010
Please don?t be offended as I am merely trying to offer encouragement to anyone that may stumble onto this site searching to find out what happens to a loved one after they die.
God?s love is so deep, that we can?t even fathom it. And ?Love? is many things and we apply it in our limited ways but to God it is everything; in all of the ways that it is taught in the Bible. Please, anyone that may be searching, listen for the Holy Spirit for direction and let Him reveal God?s Word to you.
And at this point, WWJD says it all; I will bow out of this discussion.
In Christ?s Love,
Debbie
Categories
Follow Us:
Translate
Donate to Faith First Media
Recent Articles
by faithfirstmedia | 0 comments
by faithfirstmedia | 0 comments
by faithfirstmedia | 0 comments
by faithfirstmedia | 0 comments
Recent Videos
5 views - 0 comments
21 views - 0 comments
25 views - 0 comments
22 views - 0 comments
Featured Products
No featured products
Bible Search
You are Visitor Number:
Share This Site
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Oops!
Oops, you forgot something.